Jazzy weekend

On Sunday we were due to have a Garden Party here but because the lawn was still recovering from the rain and all of our "dabbling" , which had made it a bit of a mess, there were no garden games played this year - just as well as it did thunder and rain in the morning.  We did have music though with Paul Douglas and his daughter Jess otherwise known as Blue2 playing some lovely chilled out music from a gazebo in the garden, the sun came out and the audience relaxed....

Blue2 playing Jazz in the gardens

We had some visitors who heard the sounds from Hanbury Church and came down to have a listen - it normally works the other way around with the church bells calling to us from the hill!

Some of the audience - relaxing ...

We also had some baby hedgehogs here this weekend - they are still very new and are being fed at regular intervals by carer Jane and the team at Willows Hedgehog Rescue who visited this weekend.  We don't see a lot of hedgehogs in the Jinney Ring gardens - we are told that this is because there are too many badgers around and they eat them!

We are looking forward to more music next weekend and as there will be a lot going on in readiness for the annual Blues Festival which is here next Saturday -- lots of music with 6 bands playing.

A Midsummers Night's (and Day's) Dream!

This week end was full of unusual folk - dressed in curious costumes.... The Norbury Theatre came to the Jinney Ring with their outside theatre performance of A Midsummers Night's Dream.  We had all been a bit worried about this because the weather has been some dreadful and the lawn is very very soggy (in part due to all of our dabbling about!), however we had a splendid weekend.

On Saturday evening the performance was held near the restaurant and there was a meal as part of the ticket.  The performance in the courtyard worked really well -- only interrupted occasionally with passing traffic (at one time a tractor!).   The players did a great job and everyone who came seemed to thoroughly enjoy it.

The setting for the Sunday Matinee was a little more idyllic and similar to the wooded area that the play is principally set in.  This time we had a "birds eye view" as it was right next to the pond.  We did enjoy it and joined in occasionally as we felt appropriate!  It is an amusing play and Bottom was a real Ass!  We did quack!

We had such a lovely afternoon and so did the visitors, hopefully we will see something like this again.

The dry weather this weekend has already helped the lawns so we are keeping our fingers crossed for continuation through the school holidays now.  We have not seen our friends the cows much this weekend - they have been banished to the top field as they broke into the falconry field area on Friday to eat the grass cuttings and are in the "dog house"!

Disco Duck!

We have a couple of comical ducks within the clutch of newer duckling - they are keeping us all amused even through they are still in the penned off area of the pond!

First of all there is "Disco Duck" -- ever since he was first let out on the pond he has been showing signs of being just a bit different - he paddles backwards at the slightest opportunity - this means he can do some really 'cool moves',   all he needs is some music!   The other comic we have named "Jar Jar" after Jar Jar Binks in Starwars - He is a lanky black and yellow duck with the big floppy feet which are orange - he was a walk just like his namesake.  He is keeping us 'quacking-up' regularly as he has worked out how to escape the pen (by swimming under the bar) and then spends the rest of the day trying to get back in again!

We had a pretty busy weekend, people wise last week - a lovely hen party of 16 girls who had lunch and then made pottery all afternoon - there was plenty of laughter!

As well as this the conservatory was full all afternoon with a school retirement party - High Tea for 45 people, looked lovely.  The weather even brightened up a bit for some of the guests to visit us too!

Our Feathered Fiends!

The new ducklings in the pen and segregated pond area have been reducing in number almost daily - the smallest ones going first. Of the original batch of 12 or so there are only 5 left and fortunately they are now quite big.  Yesterday when the new ducklings were let out one of them disappeared almost at once... this has been most disturbing and everyone has been on the look out for the culprit.

The latest suspicion is that it is either a buzzard or a sparrow hawk that is talking them away.  The new ducklings are still good prey for these birds and they are amazingly fast to swoop and collect - they will be kept in for a couple more weeks until they grow up a bit - we don't want to lose any more!

Beer Festival (2)

The Beer Festival continued .....A busy night in the restaurant Saturday - lots of pies and pints sold on Saturday night and plenty to do and see...

Deborah Rose and Friends Saturday Night in the Restaurant - Beautiful  voice !

Belle D'Vain - Morris/Clog Dancers - they hopped in and out with the showers

Great Fun!

A Posh Git (Mickey with his dog) and the Scouser (Griff) - Brilliant!

Emily - had her face painted for the day by Cynthia for the Cinnamon Trust
Lots more done later in the day with the England Flag.... wonder why??

Apart from the Beer festival on Sunday - the ducklings came back to the garden and are now safely in the pen and enjoying the fresh air... all looking healthy and well, do come an see them in their new improved pen, complete with built in swimming pool!

New area segregated for the ducklings and recovering ducks - Built by Mick.

Time for a rest now --- it has been a really busy couple of months, now need to recoup and get the garden a bit dryer -- for the summer, if it ever comes!!

Beer Festival (1)

Another wild week in the gardens.  Bit of excitement yesterday as one of our duck friends suddenly appeared from the island with 15 baby ducklings - 8 yellow and the rest a mixture of mallard and brown/cross.  We think she must have been sitting in another ducks eggs as well as her own.  As often happens now, the humans took most of them away as soon as they could -- there are still lots of crows about and the moor hens are being very aggressive because they have chicks of their own out and about, so it is just as well to protect them as she has too many to watch them all!  We expect to see the rescued ducklings in the pen on Sunday once they have grown a bit under a hot lamp.

Stormy night but no watered down beer!

In the meanwhile - the front of the site has been transformed for the beer festival and we have had lots of visitors despite the weather.

Friday night we had our old friends the Ragtime Jug Orchestra here again - they are great fun and as usual they got people involved in the music. On the menu plenty of fish and chip suppers went down well with the ales.

First around all of the Ales and Ciders were the family team above - from right, local man (Dad) Nobby, Kev (aka Nobby jr) and Andi.  Andi and Kev were on their way back from a wet walking holiday in Wales - seemed quite warm in Hanbury to them, especially after a few pints, they were great sports!

Saturday the day started off brighter and the place was buzzing by the time accordion player Helen O'Donnell started up. Also here are Cinnamon Trust (one of the Jinney Ring charities of the year) who have a face painter with them.  Here are a couple of her 'models' posing for the camera, really pretty!

Samba dancing next ..... can't wait, see the next diary note for details of the rest of the festival.  For details of the food and entertainment please click here

Treading the Boards

The big marquee in the gardens stayed with us all last week and got a "make over" on Friday by Bride Tammie and her Bridesmaid/ best friend Hayley -- they brought in all sorts of bottles, jars and cages (we were worried at first!) and set about changing the inside of the marquee to a "vintage theme".  Lots of bunting later it looked quite different to last weekend.

Fortunately the cages were for candles not us!

The marquee was filled with flowers and home made bunting!

Tammie married Ian in Bromsgrove on Saturday and their two little boys were pages for them.   The weather was not as kind as the prior weekend but fortunately they had their pictures taken and were well into their party when the rain really came down.  This did not dampen spirits at all, even if they did stay inside the marquee, which stayed quite dry inside. They all danced until midnight!

Tammie and Ian with their vintage cars - all part of their theme.

The following day was a bit more of a damp squib....

In the gardens we were expecting to see a few hats for the advertised "High Tea" to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee weekend.  Sadly, as there had been so much rain and it was so cold and windy this was cancelled and we spent the day pretty much on our own, with not too many visitors venturing outside to feed us. This all changed on Monday though -- the garden was swarming with people, mostly our neighbours.  This was for the village Diamond Jubilee Party. There was a barn dance with Herbal Remedy followed by a band Retrovibe (also know as The Old Relics - the marquee company owner Neale plays bass guitar!) and a pig roast.  The weather was much better and when the beacon was lit next to the church everyone left the tent to see - we could also see others on the hillsides around.  Everyone was in excellent humour and seemed to have a good time.  By this time we were quite exhausted with our people watching and were more than happy to go to sleep just after midnight!.

The big marquee is going down now, but we could not resist have our turn at a dance before the boards finally go - it is a bit wet though so it is a little like skating!

Treading the boards!