Say It With Cake

For a while now we've been running our own version of the 'Bake Off' in work, with the proceeds from entry / tasting going into a pot for charity.


Having had a good first round ('lemon') with my mini lemon meringues, I managed to hold on to the lead (if not 'star baker') over the succeeding rounds ('vanilla', 'berry', and 'chocolate') - so I got to choose the charity.

So here was an opportunity to say a proper thank you to the RNLI for their help this summer.

Thank you also to the other bakers - and everyone who put their hands in their pockets to buy a cake.

Ready to steer clear of sugary treats for a bit now mind you!

Final Harvest?

As autumn draws on it's time to start shutting down the greenhouses - harvested most of the remaining tomatoes and cucumbers from the main greenhouse today, and the grapes from the small greenhouse.

Unfortunately our grapes are still a tad on the measly side (mostly skin and pip) - so boiled them up to make grape jelly or some such.

Got a few courgettes from the vegetable patch as well - think I might be making soup over the next few days!

Cutting Back

Although we'd finished cutting back the leylandii hedge, work has continued on the other border hedges, which had also gotten a little out of hand.

Finally finished today with the front hedges, which Martin has taken down a fair few inches (hopefully making it easier to cut in the future, as well as improving the view!) - you can see the difference in level below:

Along the way we'd noticed that the privet sections were looking a little sad in places, with black spots and yellowing leaves, and some branches which appear to have died altogether.

Looks like we may have some kind of privet fungal infection . . .



We've cut out the dead bits, and cleared some of the ivy that was clogging up the base of the hedge, and may spray / feed in the spring.  If we get a hard winter that might help kill off the fungus as well.

Fingers crossed it doesn't get too bad - the hedges might be a pain, but they do give us a lot of privacy, and the birds love them!

Archive Girls on Tour

Another 'reunion' weekend, this time with the 'girls' from my archive course (and next generation!).


Got ourselves a cottage in a village near Ludlow for a couple of nights and had a good catch-up.

Cake was eaten, small people (babies to age 4) were kept amused, and some wine was drunk (but perhaps not in the quantities of days gone by).




Had a nice day out in Ludlow on the Saturday, and finished the weekend with a walk round the village, and lunch out in a local pub.

Good to see everyone, and meet the little ones - looking forward to the next time!

Bunny on the Pie!

Long day at work today (Wrexham and back), but came home to find that Martin had made chicken pie for tea, with a bunny on the top . . .

Yum : )

Down with the Hedge

As you've probably gathered by now, we have a lot of hedges - and the golden leylandii at the back of the garden was one we'd probably neglected a bit.

So a couple of months ago Martin decided he'd bring it back under control.  From this (mid-July) . . .















. . . to this (by the end of August) . . .















. . . and finally, to this (earlier today):

It's all looking much neater now - but it was a major job (the field next door is stacked with the debris, drying out ready for a bonfire in the future, and some of the larger branches will be turned into proper firewood).

Just need to make sure we keep on top of it in the future!

For Sitting in the Sun . . .

We'd been pondering garden furniture (at the end of summer naturally!) for the yard area outside the kitchen, as it's quite a sun-trap in the later afternoon / evening.

Having wanted something we could leave outside over winter, we fixed on cast aluminium, and eventually agreed on a bench rather than a chair and table set (since we've got a wooden one of those already - when we haul it out of the garage!).


So here it is - arrived today - and duly assembled - that'll do the job . . .