Rod and Gill & Co

Monday 28 January 2013

WELCOME

Welcome to our family web site which has been made available to all members of the family, to keep us all informed about how family members are doing, whether they be near or far. Joyous news is always welcome. Mum, as chair person of a Book Group, has just received a pile of books to distribute to her friends and family. She is entitled to look pleased with herself. Molly grins in the background.

Thursday 10 January 2013

DAYS OUT


This is a view across the green to this awe inspiring medieval cathedral.

On January 9th, 2013, Gill and I had a great day out in Salisbury. We caught the park and ride in Wilton and arrived in Salisbury about 11am. The bus stopped outside Debenham's where we had coffee, and shared a cake. We then went to the Salisbury Museum, fascinating, and finished up by having lunch in the Refectory at Salisbury Cathedral.
If you would like to enjoy the museum with us, here is a link in to it. www.salisburymuseum.org.uk

This statue

Near to the cathedral is Arundell House, in which Sir Edward Heath lived for many years./ It was open to the public until quite recently, October 29th, 2012 tobe precise.

Thursday 3 January 2013

WALKS

This is one of the views from the White Horse plateau.

Here is another one.

On New Year's Day, we had a short stroll on the area above the White Horse. Parts of this area are better known as Bratton Camp. I took one or two shots of the views as it was such a beautiful day.

We drove to the car park from Westbury and returned via Bratton.

On January 13th, we had a look at the lakes not far from Southwick. The first place we visited was Cuckoo's Rest , not very far from Brokerswood. It was a beautiful day, with the sun shining in a clear blue sky. Here are one or two photographs taken by the lakeside.

Cuckoo's Rest is a very muddy looking lake with dark brown water. Whether this changes as the year grows on, I have yet to see. The owner has provided fishing platforms for anglers. In the photograph below, you can see that there is a small island.

Then we went to Farleigh Wood, a lake I knew nothing about. It is hidden down a winding path, but you can park very close to the lake.

THE GARDEN

The lilac was in flower by the middle of May.

Lily Of The Valley

Lithodora

Marsh Marigold

Pieris

Pittosporum

Primrose

Purple Tulips

Red and Yellow Tulips

aquilegia

apple blossom

black tulips

californian poppy

cardamon

cherry blossom and red camelia

By May 14th, the plants above are beginning to blossom

The prunus can be seen in flower from the kitchen window.
We are now in to April.

This is another of the early spring flowers, appearing in March.
It is a hyacinth of course, and beneath it there are some narcissi.

Here are some of our purple polyanthus with yellow hearts.

There are a few purple pansies.

There are some delightful red polyanthus with yellow hearts

The qiucksilver hebe is also in flower.

T
This as a small border which we see as we come out of the back door.

The garden pond featured below is an attractive feature.

This is the garden border as one looks at it from the back door.

There are one or two cyclamen in flower.

The winter flowering jasmine is also in flower in early January.

This is a view of the garden at the front of the house.

Here is the view of the small border, looking towards the Frome Road. This should be full of spring flowers quite soon.

On January 1st, 2013, these plants were in flower - snowdrops, polyanthus, cyclamen and winterflowering jasmine, testimony probabably to a very mild and wet winter so far.

The first snowdrops appeared outside the front door.

PLANTING PROGRAMME – 2013

FLOWERS

FEBRUARY - INDOORS – AQUILEGIA, COREOPSIS, DELPHINIUMS, ICELAND POPPY, RUDBECKIA, GAZANENIAS, PANSIES, SWEET PEAS

MARCH – INDOORS – LUPINS

APRIL – INDOORS – FOXGLOVES, EARLY PANSIES

OUTDOORS – SWEET WILLIAMS, CORNFLOWERS

VEGETABLES

TOMATOES – AILSA CRAIG – INDOORS – FEBRUARY TO APRIL

CHERRY TOMATOES – GARDEN PEARL - MARCH TO APRIL

CARROTS – NORFOLK GIANTS – OUTDOORS – MARCH

RADISH – ICICLE – OUTDOORS – MARCH

LETTUCE – ICEBERG – OUTDOORS - MARCH

SPRING ONIONS – RAMROD – OUTDOORS – MARCH

PARSNIPS – TENDER AND TRUE – OUTDOORS – MARCH

CAULIFLOWER – ALL YEAR ROUND – INDOORS - MARCH

COURGETTES – ZUCCHINI – INDOORS - MARCH

RUNNER BEANS – INDOORS – APRIL

DWARF FRENCH BEANS – INDOORS - APRIL

Friday 28 December 2012

Sarah, Neil and Family

Kenny visited Ghana recently, and this is one of the children he tried to help.

Ella looks lovely in her tiger suit. Sarah adores her of course, as does Uncle Kenny. Ella calls Neil, Grandad.

We had a delicious tea with Sarah and managed to take photographs of the family's new arrival Ella.

Charlie tucks in to his meal, with Dana next to him.

Wednesday 26 December 2012

CHRISTMAS DAY

                                                          CHRISTMAS DAY 2012

       We enjoyed a lovely Christmas Day with half of the family. I prepared the vegetables and Mum, as always, cooked a delicious dinner with roast turkey and stuffing, chipolatas, pigs in blankets, cranberry sauce with roast potatoes, Brussel sprouts, parsnips, and carrots, and gravy of course, All the plates were cleared, a great tribute to Mum's cooking and the family's appetite.
   For dessert, we enjoyed a beautiful home cooked Christmas pudding with brandy sauce, brandy butter and cream. There was also a lovely chocolate pudding which some of the children preferred.
After dinner, the children helped Tilly to give out the presents from the tree.
Here follow a few photos taken on the day.