Frogmore Regatta

Today was the Frogmore Regatta. The sun shone and it was wonderful! There were icecreams, swingboats, lots of people falling in the water - and a dog show!

I had hoped to be able to report that one of the Newfies at least had won a rosette, but sadly this was not to be. Our classes - for most handsome dog and prettiest bitch were right at the end of the show - which was moving veerrrrry slowly. It started at 1 pm and by 1.45 only the first class, for waggiest tail, had been judged.

Now this was great in one way as it meant we had more time to meet friends, lick icecreams (and small children), lose money on the tombola etc etc, but in another way it was very bad as the heavily-coated Newfs just became hotter and hotter and more and more uncomfortable and, in Ben's case, worse and worse behaved. So we came away again. Never mind - there's always next year!

Of pots, pans and preserving ....

I love this passage from Susan Hill in "The Magic Apple Tree" ...

"Down Fen lane, the moonlight shows up the bramble berries, pale green, but fully formed, and the elderberries too, and there are nuts on the chestnut trees and bunches of keys on the sycamore and the ash, and acorns on the oak....... We are approaching the year's turning. I can see autumn just ahead and yet, in the middle of the day, when the early mist has cleared, it is still high, high summer."

She describes this time of year so well and, although it IS still summer I have brought down my heavy cauldron-shaped preserving pan ready for the autumn crop of blackberries, elderberries, apples, plums and sloes.

And, as a "thank you" to everyone who reads my blog, I'd like to share my preserve labels with you (image above). They're based on vintage American fruit crate labels, and have been altered to give you room to write your own description and date. I adore their lovely colours and great artwork and I hope you like them too.

Simply click here to download the free A4 size pdf. Then just cut around them and affix to your jars with some PVA glue. A pretty fabric cover for the lid would look great too if you're planning to give your preserves as gifts at Christmas - now there's a thought!! How many shopping days? OK I'm going now!!

At last the sun shone!

This weekend was very busy for us sleepy South Hams people (and newfies). We had guests!! Not one set, but three sets of people came to visit us in the course of only a week. Ben and Amy were overcome with hospitality, with so many people to snuffle, kiss and generally keep an eye on!!

Visitors are soooooo exhausting - Ben didn't even manage to finish his treat. Amy finished it for him later!!

Friday was Sasha's Christening. Sasha is my Russian friend Elona's young son - and I am his VERY proud godmother. The service was lovely and we were sooo lucky with the weather - at last the sun came out! After the service we all went back to Rory and Elona's for refreshments and were able to enjoy the novel (for this summer anyway) experience of sitting outside on the patio. Rory (who is very competitive) challenged Kyran (who is 5) to a game of Jenga.

Sadly for Rory on this occasion experience did not triumph over youth!!

Kyran was jubilant and Rory gracious in defeat. So everyone was happy!!

The following day we decided to take the number 93 to Dartmouth and indulge in a little liquid refreshment in the Cherub Inn. The Cherub dates back to around 1380 and features many low beams and wobbly floors - just right to trap the unwary drinker or unobservant tourist. We love it for its great atmosphere and extreme dog-friendliness. I am pleased to report that a tin of dog biscuits is kept behind the bar for distribution to all canine visitors. Sadly only one newf at a time can visit as the floor space simply isn't large enough for my two furry friends to lounge around.

I think that the bus route from Torcross to Dartmouth must be one of the most beautiful in the country. My camera was still in my bag from yesterday's christening so I was able to take quite a few photos from the top deck as we rattled along the narrow roads, pausing only to terrorise caravan and camper van drivers into submission. I love to sit at the front and watch the look of pure terror on some drivers' faces when they're faced with a series of narrow bends and an immovable double decker bus! (Yes I know I am a very bad person!!)

Anyway, back to the photos ..... please ignore the strange reflections and wobbles as they were taken through the window.

Slapton Ley from the bus stop at Torcross.

Sweeping view across Start Bay

On the beach at Blackpool Sands - could almost be the south of France - but there's nobody in the extremely chilly water!!

Looking down into Dartmouth

View across to Kingswear

Dartmouth was surprisingly quiet for a sunny Saturday in August - perhaps everyone was making the most of the unusually sunny weather by heading off to the beaches or onto the water. The pirates were in town ..

So we headed inland ...

One of my favourite shops

View across the Boat Float

Then the number 93 took us home again. On the way home the farmers were busy taking advantage of the sunny spell and I was struck by the golden corn and the feeling that soon the year will turn again and autumn is only just around the corner.

But there's still some more summer to come (I hope!) - the Dartmouth Regatta at the end of the month, then I'm exhibiting at Kingsbridge Show. I've also signed up for the Christmas Candlelit Shopping in Dartmouth, so keeping very very busy!

Of cabbages, kings and thrift shops!

From "The Pleasures of Gardening" by Angela Stanford

I love thrift, or charity shops, the pleasure of going in and never knowing quite what I'll find, the thrill of spotting something special (well special to me anyway), knowing that I won't be charged the earth for it and the little I do pay will go towards supporting a good cause. We have 2 or 3 in Kingsbridge and I patronise them all. Some very wealthy people live, or holiday, in the South Hams and so there are often real finds to be had.

I search for vintage textiles, old shirts, pillowcases and blankets, all of which can be cut up and remade into DevonBears products as I adore patchwork and applique and have recently been moving back towards "painting with fabric" rather than watercolours, after all, fabric has always been my first love ....

Country Cottage Big Bag

As well as textiles I adore books of all kinds and was fortunate enough to come across a real treasure in Oxfam earlier this week. It's called "The Pleasures of Gardening" by an enormously talented lady called Angela Stanford - and my copy is signed by her too!! Sadly, after checking on Amazon and the publisher's website it would seem that the book is out of print, and I haven't been able to find anything out about Angela, but I would urge you to look for this book - it's wonderful. I love the way she combines beautiful detailed watercolours with flawless calligraphy and still manages to impart some useful facts. The pictures below (and the one at the top of this post) come from the summer section ...

Not that I've been in the garden very much this month. June was glorious, but July has been every bit as bad as the last two years and I don't think we've been promised much improvement in August. The fig tree at the top of the garden loves all this warm damp weather though and is busy creating its own rain forest, together with the hydrangeas which are romping away and the rambling rose which has rambled over everything creating a sort of jungle effect. I really must do some pruning - last night Ben woke me up 3 times convinced there were tigers at the top of the garden - and who knows, he could well have been right!!

Kingsbridge in Bloom

The Quay at Kingsbridge

Over the last few weeks Kingsbridge has been a hive of activity as the town prepared for its 2009 Britain in Bloom entry. There have been a lot of unkind comments about Britain in Bloom over the years, but I think that any initiative which encourages us, as a community, to take a pride in our environment must be positive - whether you're a fan of bedding schemes and hanging baskets or not .... surely they're better than graffitti and litter?

Anyway, lots of teams of volunteers have been spotted weeding, pruning, training and planting all over the town. Local businesses put pots of flowers out each morning and the larger companies have sponsored tubs and other features. Even the W.I. has a boat planted out !!!

And the committee commissioned a beautiful map of the judging route from a local artist ... I think it's great and hope it's used again next year...

And finally ... from my well-thumbed Book of Days - on July29 1907 Robert Baden-Powell took a group of boys to Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, on the south coast of England, for what was effectively the first Scout camp. The aim was to try out some of the ideas that were to become the basic principles and activities of the Scout movement; fostering a sense of honour, loyalty and good citizenship; achieving physical fitness through exercise; and developing practical skills such as woodcraft, tracking, observation, signalling and first aid. The boys were divided into 4 patrols, each assigned a tent for sleeping quarters. Morning prayers were followed by drills, games and instruction, interspersed with quiet rest periods and the day ended with stories around the campfire. The experiment was deemed to be a great success, and Scouting was born.

Just think - if the weather had been as truly awful as it has been today, then the Scouting movement might never have got off the ground, but sunk in the mud instead - just like the poor campers out at Lannacombe.

The world has gone mad!

When I was a very small girl - probably even a baby - many many moons ago, I was given a set of Noddy figurines. I can't remember a time when I didn't have them, they stood on my bedroom windowsill throughout my childhood, and have remained with me through the traumas of adolescence, 25 years of marriage and my own motherhood - although Rosie was never allowed to have them! Here they are ....

... and I have just seen Big Ears alone on Ebay for £125!!!!! Yes, £125!! Somehow I've never thought of my own possessions as becoming vintage collectables, but I guess they are ... as Rosie says .. "You're just soooo last century Mum."

A visit to Bath

Last week Townie Husband said, "I know, let's meet in Bath next weekend." I said, "What a great idea!" So we did. I love Bath, its wonderful honey-coloured architecture, quirky streets and welcoming pubs - the shops are great too of course, and I can get a retail fix not possible down here in deepest Devon.

On Friday I took the dogs to their favourite kennels - on our arrival they were practically begging the owner, a lovely lady called Gillian, to let them inside - then suddenly they were gone - not even a nonchalant wave of the tail as they disappeared - simply gone! So I turned the car around and headed back to a strangely empty home. And next morning caught the train to Bath.

I'm not used to visiting Bath in the summer months - husband of course is a keen supporter of their Rugby team which means our expeditions are generally confined to the season and the town is full of genial supporters quaffing large quantities of ale in a cheerful fashion. On this visit the rugby supporters had been replaced by chattering hoards of foreign students - all perfectly well-behaved, but somewhat overwhelming in their numbers. The gardens looked wonderful ...

and there was a pleasure boat moored alongside the weir. I hadn't realised that the weir was only built in 1972 until I read the sign on the balustrades - somehow it seems as though it must have been there as long as Pultney Bridge - all credit to the designers and engineers - so often architecture from that period is so out of sympathy with its surroundings.

Summer means flowers, and the florists on the Pultney Bridge had a colourful display ...

The hanging baskets outside this chemist's shop were beautiful - check out the fantastic lion and unicorn crest over the door


Here's a closeup ...

And the display of bath bombs in the window at Lush was as colourful as any flower arrangement. I had to make a selection of my favourites to bring home - we don't have Lush in Kingsbridge(!) and although it's possible to order online, it's great to go in for a dose of olefactory wonderfulness!

Then some rest and refreshment was required. The Salamander has always been a favourite and was much less crowded on this visit!

OK, we did spend a while in the pub - but why did I start seeing strange giant hares and a Minotaur? An art installation as it turned out, and from reading both the official and unofficial signs one which has invoked very mixed feelings - I do think that describing it as created from old coat hangers and looking like a shop fitting is a bit cruel, although I'm not sure whether I like them or not. They're only temporary anyway and were certainly creating a lot of interest.

In the end I didn't spend very much - Cath Kidston had a sale and I purchased some lovely fabric remnants which are sure to appear in some of my designs - I loved the racing car fabric which I used in my Vroom Vroom Quilt and was delighted to find it in the sale.

Then home .. and off to collect the Newfies tomorrow - if they want to come home!