Introducing Bella-Rose, a sister for Ailbe

It’s nearly 4 years since our handsome boy, Ailbe came to live with us. He has done so well in that time, settling into his first real home and learning how to be part of a family. So we decided it might be time for him to have a little companion. Luckily, the Irish Setter Rescue Group came up with the perfect solution, Bella-Rose.

After long conversations on the phone with Maureen, then a week’s wait whilst we went on our summer holiday, Ailbe and Bella were gently introduced at the kennels in Raunds. It had to be Ailbe’s decision, whether she could come home with us or not. If he takes against another dog there is no changing his mind!

All went well and Bella has now been part of our family for 4 weeks. She has settled in really quickly. She shows every respect due to our little cat, Milly and has adapted to her lighter diet and healthier lifestyle, enjoying her 3 walks a day and, especially, chasing doggie tennis balls. She was a little chubby when we first brought her home, but every day looks more streamlined and is more active.

We think they’re the perfect pigeon pair!

Garden Open Day – 24 June

The snows are long forgotten and we’ve been working very hard to get our tiny cottage garden into shape for our big day on Sunday 24 June.

After the snow … planting up

With the garden still largely dormant under several inches of snow just a few days ago, we finally managed to get outside at the weekend and get some new pants in, ready for the summer.  It was tricky finding planting pockets where no shoots of last year’s perennials were just poking through and keeping in mind the final height and spread of each plant, as well as the colour scheme.

Having finally finished work inside the house (is decorating and home-making ever really finished?!) we have turned our attention to our outside space. We have a particular incentive this year, too, as we are opening our tiny Lincolnshire garden to the public for charity.

There’s an awful lot of work to do between now and 24 June, but we can’t wait to share our garden.

 

Our festive Fraser fir

With thanks to Hall Farm Christmas Shop, our Fraser fir has been standing proud in our entrance hall throughout the festive season.

With a small-ish Irish Setter for scale!

Happy Birthday, Ailbe

We can hardly believe that our lovely boy has been part of our family for 3 whole years now. How he has progressed from the timid, skinny little thing we collected from kennels. He is still very shy, but happy and relaxed in his home environment and with the people and doggie friends he has grown to know, love and trust.

This is his official 6th birthday portrait by Daddy …

…and this is him showing off his favourite toy for Mummy!

 

A New Year break in North Yorkshire

We have returned refreshed to The Barn following a relaxing New Year break on the North Yorks Moors. The Christmas decorations are packed away for another year and the first signs of Spring are definitely visible in the garden. New Dawn is putting out her first buds. Let’s hope she makes it to the top of the new rose arch. The daffodills are inching their way up in the window boxes and also in the flower beds, but, just to show them the way, we have pots of mini daffs on the kitchen windowsill. Soon we will waken in the mornings to the bleeting of the new lambs and feel that wonderful sense of wellbeing as the longer, warmer days arrive.

Snow white comes to The Barn

In homage to the beautiful Christmas decorations this year at Doddington Hall, we have created our very own Snow White Christmas hanger here at The Barn. It’s on a slightly smaller scale, of course, than the original in the Great Hall at Doddington, but we love it!

A very happy Christmas from The Barn

Last Christmas our lovely builders had just arrived to begin the transformation of ‘the other half’ of The Barn. We put up the tree as soon as they downed tools for Christmas, following the great Fenton Christmas yarnbombing incident, and adorned the dust sheets with tinsel and holly.

How different it is just one year later. Our new rooms are all decorated and in use, the old barn doors are refurbished and flung open to let in the light and we can put our Christmas wreath on our new front door to welcome friends and family for the festive season.

Happy Christmas everyone.

A magical Christmas Experience

Photograph from http://www.doddingtonhall.com/event/christmas-at-doddington/

The Fairytale Christmas at Doddington Hall is the most magical, Christmassy thing we’ve done so far this festive season. We visited on Wednesday afternoon / evening and were  entranced by the fabulous decorations the moment we stepped into the great hall. Our breath was literally taken away as we saw Snow White’s table all laid out with eight place settings, waiting for the hungry diners to return.

Packed to the rafters with hand crafted, natural and found decorations, all highlighted by a thousand twinkling fairy lights, the hall is a creative dream.

On returning home we were full of ideas about how to re-create just a tiny taste of the Doddington magic here at The Barn. The bare essentials were ordered – wooden trellis from Listers, which has now been painted and dressed. The adornments were carefully chosen, some purchased from the incredibly helpful ladies at the Doddington bauble barn, others made at home and the rest sourced from our stash of family favourites.

Our Old Stack Yard version of the Snow White display is almost ready. Just a few final finishing touches to make and then we will reveal all …

Preserving home grown chillies

The greenhouse has kept us supplied with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and chillis but now’s the time to preserve the last of the crops.

The chillies have been roasted in the oven.

Then they were immersed in jars of olive oil.

We’re looking forward already to hearty winter dishes spiced with summer warmth.