the Huttites!

huts...huts...huts....

Well now we only have four huts on the back field, we used to have five, but the son took his to his place...though that is no more...
sad story best left buried!
The summer house....largest hut... was renovated in the early spring, and the wood shed...smallest hut...was repaired last winter.
So now it's the turn of the rubbish hut...I mean tool shed!

The first thing that had to be done was the removal of most of the laurel tree growing at the side of it.
I was sad to see that so much had to be chopped away,,,but it was either that or the shed...
.....and the shed won!

The roof came off.
Actually a few windy winters had all but decimated it anyway and the tools and "stuff" got wet and smelly.
So a brand new wooden roof was put on and covered with tarred felt.

Well now that no more nasty rain can get inside..all inside had to come out to be reassessed as to it's usefulness in the future.

Oh dear..that could mean many rows!

Here's what was inside.

First out the old sign for the shop.
 I liked this one with the pot looking a bit like a fish.
But things move on.
I know.

Old parts of church pews left over from the time when we were also dealing in antiques.

Early 20thc. glass light shades from the same time...threatened with the bin...but rescued by me!

I'd completely forgotten about this bunting and now the mice have chewed through the string and the snails have stuck the plastic ones together. Can I salvage them?....Maybe!

Chimney brushes, very useful the potter tells me ...no threat there then!

We don't own this "chimney- sweep's cat" she just seems to want to own us!

I remember that my dad called these...chimbley brushes...is that just an Armagh thing or does any other culture say that?

I don't know.

Goodness kmows what these chemicals are. Most came from Sydney...the potter's dad.
He always believed in a goodly supply of stuff for the garden...just to get rid of any pesky critters.

I don't use anything like that, so dear knows why we kept it all these ten years.
I suppose we thought that it might come in handy one day....
....well it didn't!

Ten years is nothing to the next box! 1986 my father died and we took his tools for the son who went on to Cabinet-making College in Thame.
Then they were put for safe-keeping into the shed....
...and forgotten!

Garden chairs in various states of repair or collapse...more the later than the former.

Oh and my tools from the time that I searched the auctions for furniture to tart up and resell to the young and hopefuls in the area.


And then it was time to put it all back.
Well not quite all.
A lot has been binned and old metal saved for the metal banks...worth a lot these day.

A space is now free to put the fruit boxes of apples and pears in for storage.
That is a bonus as previously they were all the way down the field in the summer house "hut" and I often couldn't be bothered to make the trip in the cold weather.

So we are left with a lovely laurel log to do something with.
I'm sure I can think of something, but in the meantime....
I'll just pop it in to the hut and wait for inspiration!

The Garden Party

It's Wednesday already.
Saturday is nearly upon us.
I say the same thing every time we do this.....
"Don't let me say, 'Let's have a garden party again'!"
The family smile benevolently

I will be glad if I never have to see a scone mix again!

Cakes are in boxes for the pop-up afternoon tea rooms......
this little beauty is the famous "Alan Snape Chocolate Special".

Three sites for the pop-up afternoon teas.
The Summer House,

the American Swing and The Indian Tent!

......bunting is gathering from friends...

Signs and wonders...no actually...plates and cups for thirsty punters

and

Plants are arriving for the plant stall.
A knock at the door...
and these three enormous ...are they toys? ...are presented for, "guess the name!"

The neighbourhood has been informed.

So now it's all up to the weather...

.....and we're in St Swithin's 40 days...

 so I hope he will be kind to us!

Bienniel Garden Party

Well two years have come and gone since the last Garden Party extravaganza.

That was the 40th wedding do...

and people came from far and wide...it was a great weekend.

...dancing...

...eating...

...and music.

This year we will once again be holding it for Frances House Children's Hospice in Didsbury.

But the format will be the same or nearly the same as the wedding bash..

I have a few little extras up my wide sleeve,

 that I hope will add a frisson of excitement to the proceedings!

Well for a start I was inspired to make some more bunting

 after seeing the article in this month's Country Living Magazine,

about the allotment owners Jazz Tea Parties each year.

I like creating atmosphere,

 but I'm not so great at taking the time to make it perfect...
....so I was encouraged to see that they had made their bunting pretty randomly.

Last evening, I cut up lots of bits of the past  for the bunting...

sewed them quickly on to a green ribbon...

...trimmed off all of the loose ends...

...and strung it up on the swing to get an idea of the effect....I like it!

So, now I can mark that off the list of "things to be done"!

for Saturday 9th July

at The Potters House Penketh.

The Summerhouse.

My christmas gift from the potter,

 was having the summerhouse restored .

It achieved much more than it's previous glory.

Doors painted sky blue.

Windows freshly glossed white.

The roof clad with timber and emulsioned creamily white.

The walls clad and paintwashed with a soft summer blue like a washed out sky.

Things restored to the walls.

Abandonned items from the home, needing refuge.

A place for bits.

Important things like sun umbrellas and ladders

Beloved holiday truck.

Indian lampshades and Spanish posters of bull fighters,

who I could never bear to watch fight, but love the art they produce!

Bedraggled handy bags...lovely Madeiran embroidery.

And always the sun shines on us.

And empty bottles display their emptiness!

While under them hang papery rings of dried foliage from ancient celebrations.

With an even older stringy thing from the lakes holidays when "they" were very young indeed.

(they being the young ones from the potters house)

New covers on old chairs,

and old quilts underneath.

Chinese hats in case the global warming gets to us.

And ancient ice cream adverts to remind us of summer,

 should we ever stray there in the winter.

Bar stools clad with flamingos.

And bedroom chairs with patchwork mended over and over.

Charity shop crotchet flung over the backs of them

 with may I say, gay abandon!.

Children's paintings presented with much love and bedecked with indian fabric bunting.

Sydney's W.W.II  Royal Navy "bins".

Handy for bird watching on lazy summer evenings.

Romanian wine bottles of ferocious strength...giggle.

And a Holman Hunt lamp to light the way in the darkness.

Bunches of dried flowers...

........left behind from the first little business,

 that the "Amelies House" girl started so long ago.

And always, as my mother said, some red to cheer the soul along the way.

Nothing wasted....

And a view to dream over,

 with the cherry tree bursting into blossom.

Put your feet up on the footstool , potter,

take your ease and survey a job.....

 ...well done.