April 2009

If this blog appears a little shorter than usual then you would be right in thinking that. I have just spent 45 minutes putting it together and then it went - I know not where! So this is the second offering.
Sue and I have been to a couple of weekend fairs recently. One was at Somerley House near here and the other a caravan show at Broadlands, Romsey. Whilst at Romsey we visited Mottisfont Abbey. This is a lovely house with a walled garden. As you can see the weather was perfect for a visit.

One very cool lady at the Ice House.


With the very good weather I visited Calshot Castle on the Solent, on my VFR.
The castle was built as a circular blockhouse with a three storey central keep in 1540 using stone from Beaulieu Abbey. The outer walls were lowered in 1774 and the gatehouse was rebuilt in order to provide more living space. The south east battery was added in 1895 but has since been demolished. The castle was in use until 1956.

The neighbours offered us the use of their beach hut at Avon beach. We have never used a beach hut so this is a first. We arrived to a sea fret so it was chilly and we couldn't even see the sea. As time passed the fret lifted and we managed a little sun bathing.

Pink Crocs

Visitors and more

Famous at last! Our own wine label.

Two very different parcels of fruit - one from the warm Sierra Foothills and the other from the far north of the Central Valley, Lodi - combine to make this sensational, very typically Californian Zinfandel, with characteristic swathes of raison, damson and plum fruit tempered by the gentle cocoa-like spiciness for which this variety is renowned.

Doesn't sound like Ringwood to me!

Unfortunately we haven't a photo of our first visitors. Graham and Jean came last year and brought torrential rain with them. This time they only brought rain!
Below you see Lyn and Julie (sisters) Julie from South Africa, kindly helped us with local information the last time we went. Lyn and David are ramblers with the New Forest Ramblers and we often meet on a Saturday morning for a jaunt around the forest.

David and Sue

Now for the Portsmouth Mob on their annual pilgrimage to Ringwood. It was good of Sue and Glyn to come all the way from southern Spain (or were they returning anyway!). Joy and Geoff's grand child was without a baby-sitter and Roy and Sybil had to shelve their duties in Hove with their daughter.

Roy, Joy, Stuart and Sue.

Geoff, cheerful as ever, takes charge of the proceedings.

(later - I have just noticed he has two wine glasses!)

Just over a week ago we were near Hightown Common (close to us) when we saw a huge lorry with trailer. The name on the side was Hansa Haus. It looked as though someone had bought a prefabricated house from Germany and this turned out to be true. This is the house after 12 days of fabrication. I know for a fact there were 2 other lorries as well and maybe even more. Not bad for 12 days work.

This is the most constructive I have been recently. Do you remember those trees? Sue and I removed the chippings and garden rubbish. I have been turfing and seeding - spot the new turf it is far better than the original. Peter and Di (next door) have bought a tree to replace the two that have been taken out. It has been in flower already and it was looking very good.

Watch this space - grass growing!