2009 Newsletter
Here we go again - a wet and blustery day in late November tells me that it is time again to write our annual newsletter. When I first started thinking about the newsletter, I felt that we had had a pretty quiet year. But then, the more I thought about it, there is loads to tell. As usual, there is enough about the dogs for them to have their own page.
Brian continues to be very involved in the activities of the New Forest. He became a member of the council of the New Forest Association and is frequently called upon to make presentments at the Verderer's Court on their behalf. He also spends a number of happy (and some wet) days volunteering in conservation projects in the New Forest.
On the home front, we finally got round to re-doing the bathroom. This is a project that I had been considering for around five years now. I had hoped to get it done before my hip operation, but the timings didn't work for the plumber. Then he injured himself and decided that he would no longer do re-modelling jobs. So, we then had months of delay as we found another plumber that we were happy with. Then after a few more months of design and re-design we were finally ready to go ahead in August. The build was planned to be completed in two phases. This was due to our choice of work top. Phase 1 would see the shower, toilet and units installed. Then the worktop template could be made and sent off to the manufacturers and the second phase would see the worktop installed and final finishing touches.
The new bathroom at night
So, I hear you ask, what was so special about the worktop? Some years ago, we saw a worktop at the Grand Designs exhibition which was made from re-cycled glass which was lit from below and looked very special. I looked into the cost of the worktop and we decided that it would be the feature that made our bathroom special. First we got some samples from the manufacturers (Glasseco), but it quickly became apparent that we needed to visit them to discuss ideas further. Brian tried to explain what he was looking for to me, but I found it hard to picture what he was trying to achieve. So that was how we found ourselves on the way home from Windsor Championship show on a blisteringly hot day via Biggin Hill. After a trip around the workshops, we sat down with a myriad of samples to discuss what we were trying to achieve. A few days later the first sample arrived. While it wasn't bad, it wasn't quite what we wanted. After three more goes, we finally had a mix that gave us exactly the finish we wanted - beautiful in daytime with an added extra at night. The basic colour of the worktop is green, but the touch of inspiration was the addition of TV glass which gave a touch of grey along with the larger pieces of blue glass added to the mix at different stages to give a feeling of depth and a dusting of clear glass that gave the "champagne" feeling that Brian was looking for. It is a piece of art in itself.
Chatting to visitors during our garden opening
Once again we opened the garden to the public under the National Garden Scheme in June. We had a short downpour on the first day, but we provided umbrellas and the refreshment sales increased as people sheltered in the garage. We welcomed over 100 visitors and were able to send almost £300 to support the NGS charities. It was very pleasing to have our County Organiser visit and comment that ours is one of her favourite small gardens in Hampshire.
One story from the day was that of the three children, aged about ten, who turned up alone, asking how much it was to come in. The person on the gate, being a little dubious about letting three unaccompanied children into the garden, told them the adult entry charge. They went away and we expected that would be the last we saw of them. About twenty minutes later, the children returned with their money. It was then explained that an error had been made and children were actually able to come into the garden free of charge. However, the children felt that they wanted to donate the money to charity. Eventually, a compromise was reached and the children kept enough money for some refreshments and donated the rest. They were wonderful garden visitors, even being overheard to comment on the different atmospheres in different parts of the garden. It was one of those incidents that restores your faith in human nature.
Many of you will be aware that for many years I have been thinking about writing a book on my two passions - dogs and gardening. Late in August, Brian and I were out shopping and went into a book store. I found it sad to see the piles of remaindered books sitting there being sold off at reduced prices. When I got home, I asked myself why I wanted to write a book. I came to the conclusion that it was to share my passions and help people who are dog owners to have their own beautiful garden. I was not likely to make a large amount of money out of the venture. So, I decided to take another look as to how to achieve my aims. I therefore started my own blog on the topic - Gardening and Dogs. I have a number of articles posted on topics related to both dogs and gardens and am continuing to add to them. As well as the articles, there are shorter posts which follow two themes. The first is a notes related to my activities in the garden as the year passes. The second is the story of a garden I am helping a dog owning friend create. To date I have had over 600 hits and, despite the fact that the winter months are typically not ones that one thinks about the garden, continue to have hits on a daily basis.
Best wishes to you and yours for 2010.
Finuala