A Duck's Diary from the Jinney Ring Craft Centre

Just some of the stuff that I see here!



Tuesday 21 September 2010

Letting off Steam...

There is always something going on here - planned or unplanned!

This weekend was the Hanbury Steam Rally (perversely not in Hanbury but in Stoke Prior, next village up the road).  We normally hear some pretty big and slow vehicles trundling up and down the road when the rally is on, but this weekend got a much closer look, as one rather large steam engine broke down right outside the craft centre on the road.  The drivers worked really hard on it for a couple of hours but, sadly, were unable to get it going again and had to catch a lift home from a very large lowloader.  Malcolm (one of the Jinney Ring owners) spent and hour or so directing traffic around the lovely old vehicles (there was an old tractor with plough with it) as there was a lot of traffic on the road.

The steam engine stuck on the road

Old tractor/plough parked up at the back of the Jinney Ring for a while Sunday night.

Meanwhile in the gardens - the sculpture trail is going well - lots of interest even when the weather is a bit inclement.  My Duck colleagues and I are now learning to live with the cats, dogs and birds made from recycled metal parts from artist Gavin Darby (see below).  The exhibition goes on until 30th September.


Plans are afoot to restore the top pond in the garden and I have heard discussions about fencing off areas to allow big diggers and dumper trucks in to dredge the pond and rebuild the edges.  The leak on the top pond is getting worse and the level is making it hard for us to get out of the pond easily now, so I will be glad when this is completed, even if it means a bit of disruption in October.

Saturday 11 September 2010

Alligator in my garden!


Well this was a bit unexpected....!! It certainly gave us all a start when we saw the alligator climbing out of the bottom pond until we realised he was not real.  He is part of this years garden sculpture which started on the 8th September and goes on to the 30th.  There are lots of other "concerning" things around the garden - dogs and cats and a horse being amongst them.

Lots of people are walking around and admiring these unmoving creatures - it is taking some of the attention away of us at the moment but fortunately none of them like bread so we come into our own at this point.

There are some more interlopers into the garden now - 4 baby chickens have taken over residence in the cage on the lawn, (the crested ducklings have started to refuse to go in at night and declared independence like the rest of us at last!). I hear tell that the chicks only here for another couple of weeks before they go to a loving home (one of the staff in the gift shop).

We had another lovely wedding here just before the sculptures went out - a 1966 camper van arrived with the bride and groom - it was rather special. 


We also had a choir singing in the garden during the canapĂ© reception and photographs, they were very good - the Bride even joined them as she is part of the group.   Once again the whole thing was beautiful especially the Bride and Groom.  We even got fed by the bridesmaids - what could be better?