Determined not to miss the Elderflowers this year, I made my first batch of cordial over the weekend.  Delicious with tonic, and even nicer with Prosecco…..

Visit England has awarded The Bishop’s Palace a Gold Accolade in recognition of “going the extra mile to create an enjoyable and memorable visitor experience.”

Over 1000 attractions across the country were assessed for the award as part of the VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme.

This is the second time The Bishops Palace has been awarded the accolade, with their first awarded in 2014.

We would definately recommend a visit next time you are in the area, and with their English Country Garden Festival beginning tomorrow (Friday 9th – Sunday 11th June) there will never be a better time.

See https://bishopspalace.org.uk/2017/04/12/the-english-country-garden-festival/#read-more for further details

A couple of weeks ago we were all wishing for rain here in Dulcote and this weekend was a perfect example of be careful what you wish for…….

On Sunday we waved goodbye to all of our guests and after the quickest changeover in history, drove to Somerton for our very first polo match.

We had great fun with our friends and neighbours, and although you can’t see much of the game on these photos (it was a superb game by the way), you can see that despite the sheeting rain and cold wind, we made the very best of the weather.  Although we were all very soggy and wet through, it was a great day out, and I don’t think any of us stopped giggling all afternoon.

Time goes by so quickly here in Dulocte and for the third year now, my breath has been taken away by the stunning display of poppies in our garden

Each year they just get better and better – another sign that summer is on its way…..

We had great weather for the Wells Fun Run yesterday.    Organised by the Wells City Harriers, the event was really well attended and raised lots of money for charity.

It was great to see all of the runners participating and everyone seemed to have a really good time.

Chatting to a neighbout yesterday I found out about yet another festival that is taking place locally this month.This one is the Bruton Shindig Weekender and this three day festival takes place this weekend between 26th – 28th May.

It looks fun and the festival site states:

Kickstarting summer, bringing a healthy dose of funkativity and a packed programme of entertainment for all ages, Shindig offers relaxation and revelry in equal measures.

Shindig is a glorious mash up of a gig, a house party, a circus show, a series of curious craft workshops, a wellbeing retreat and a kid’s party. No main stages, just a beautiful arrangement of stretch marquees, so you can be in amongst it, or sitting on the grass supping something cold and enjoying the beautiful Somerset view from Gilcombe Farm. May 26th-28th 2017.

There are still tickets left so if you’re around, why not try it out?  Follow the link to see more details.

I’m now happy, having had a whole load of rain over the course of last week. The garden was much in need of this after such a lengthy time without rain and with this coming week set to be extremely warm and sunny, we took advantage of the weekend to finish planting our vegetable plug plants, get the nettles under control and knuckle down to some serious weeding.

It was hard work, and I’m now coping with nettle skins and burst blisters but  the vegetable garden is now complete.  I won’t bore you with a list of everything I’ve planted, but will keep you posted with photos as they all grow.

My best friend came to stay with us a couple of weeks ago and for the very first time, we spent the weekend doing “touristy” things instead of more mundane activities such as school uniform and school shopping.

One of the things we did (and it was a first for me too) was to visit the Royal Crescent in Bath.  No. 1 Royal Crescent is a museum which has been decorated and furnished just as it might have been during the period 1776-1796. The rooms feature historic furniture, pictures and objects that reveal what life was like for Bath’s fashionable residents – both upstairs and downstairs.   I was definately worth a visit (see the link) but my favorite bit of the whole weekend was a more regular trip to Wells Marketplace.

As is usual at this time of the year, we came across a guy sitting outside a coffee shop with his pet goat.  We couldn’t help but stop to stroke her and take some pictures, really cute…..

Its not long now before the Royal Bath and West Show opens again.  Taking place between 31st May and 3rd June the event has something for everyone.

Typically for me, its the produce I am most interested in and I was delighted to hear that all but three  of the food produces at this years show are West Country based, and that the show will also host national awards for cheese and cider.

Rather than attempt to describe the many attractions and features of the show, take a look yourself at http://www.bathandwest.com/royal-bath-and-west-show

And if you want to make the best of the show, don’t foget it will take much longer than one day and we would be delighted to host you here at The White House

I mentioned in an earleir post that our son Eddie is becoming interested in photography.

He was out last night taking night time shots and took this fantastic shot of our carriage lantern at the entrance to out driveway and I love it – really atmospheric and captures the age of the property.