High Teas and Fast Cars!

Another lovely weather week in the garden but I think we really could do with some rain now as it is a bit hard under web at the moment and digging for worms is just a bit too much like hard work - not that we do much of this when there are so many people anxious to feed us corn - well you have to help them out don't you!

Talking of food we saw some wonderfully colourful jellies, cakes  and platters of sandwiches and other delicacies being taken down the garden yesterday afternoon.  The garden marquee had gone up in the week and was decorated with bunting and balloons all to celebrate Lynne Watson's "big" birthday.  She had a lot of company and they were very chilled out eating their high tea in the gardens.

Today was my favourite day though - on the bottom lawn of the gardens next to the ponds we had 17 very special cars - most of them were Austin Healey make and pretty old to my untrained beady eye. The car club had a 'drive out' and stayed with us most of the day which included a full Sunday Roast Lunch in the restaurant.

Guide dogs in the garden

It has been an interesting week around the ponds, lots of work going on with the mini-digger again and listening to the conversations it would appear that we ducks are the cause....... The digger has been rebuilding the sides of the ponds and back filling all of our lovely inlets with soil, then a new willow layer fence/hedge was constructed by painstakingly weaving a complete side of the pond and including a very nice duck 'portal' in it, we are just waiting for the ramp to be installed into the pond now - we have all used it already!  The fence line should become a hedge in the fullness of time as the willow has been planted into the soil.

This weekend we have also see some activity from many dogs - the Guide Dog for the Blind fundraising event was held today (Sunday) and lots of dogs all came along for a sponsored long walk. Everyone in the Centre is hoping that we have now reached a collective £5K target raised for the charity as this will mean that the Centre can name a guide dog pup, we shall see soon what was raised.  There have been lots of suggestions already.

A lively bunch waiting for their walk.

 The two horses in the field have found the dog event very interesting - but then this is the first one they have seen,  they spent most of the day leaning over the fence watching.  We hear that next week they will be in for some company in the field as the cows will be back for the summer.  

Dogs, Trees and Blowy Dresses!

At the start of the week we had a new tree "installed" into our gardens.  This one is the work of Artist Steve Webb and is our new "Memory Tree".    Over the years we have had such a lot of visitors who have loved the gardens, the views and us ducks that we get requests for benches to be installed or trees planted, so much so that the memory tree idea was born to help!

The plan is that leaves will be made by glass blower Stuart Fletcher and his team at Topglass and the they can be engraved with a personal message as a memory to install onto the tree.  There will be more details on our website in about 2 weeks time.  In the meanwhile here is our Maintenance Manager Mick and Artist Steve installing the tree.

New Memory Tree 

It has been a fantastic week weather-wise and we are delighted to see so many children outside in the gardens visiting us with their parents and grandparents.  Dayel, the gardener, was also out this week with the mower - first time this year but we have been telling him for a week now that the grass was getting a bit long for us!  It was also the first time this year that Wagon House Plant/Shrub man Karl Strawbridge got hie legs out - they definitely need a bit of colour!  He had a good start to the season too with many people now thinking about their own gardens - he has lots of new plants in stock.

White legs -- sunglasses needed!

Look who came to tea in the week .... This is guide dog puppy Dixie - she is only 7 weeks old and can only come out if she is carried until she has had her jabs.  The guide dog trainers leike them to get out and about early though as it starts them off getting used to people.  She was in a great position to check out the cakes - she wont be doing that when she is older.  Jessica who is carrying her will also find her muscles tone up as she grows too!  Dixie will be too young to participate in the forthcoming DogsUnite sponsored walk for the Guide Dog Association but Jessica and her Mum are coming along with their other guide dog trainee.

We welcome dogs in the gardens and as long as they don't get free and chase us, are happy to see them.  One of the regular dogs who visits is Connie - another Guide Dog, She was specially chosen to be a brood bitch and we have just heard that she has had a litter of 6 pups.  We hope to see them soon,

Connie and 6 pups - exhausting work!

And finally -- after the great weather all week it got a bit windy this weekend which was a shame as Sophie Wynne Owen the Centre's new Bridal Couture artist was doing a fashion shoot of her works - in the gardens and around the Centre.  Everyone got a bit blown about but I think they will have some great pictures!

Pottering about

This weekend we have had some very different pots here for ervyone to see (and buy).

The exhibition is by the Midlands Potters Association.

Here are Barry Lockwood and Christine Curnow with their work

There are some unique and beautiful pieces of art, some functional and some just beautiful to look at.
All work is for sale and there is one more day to go of the exhibition.

Out in the gardens the weather was so nice and warm today that we decided to take it easy and have a bit of a snooze whilst admiring the daffodils - they really cheer up the gardens!

Cameras, Music, Action!

Well actually no music but plenty of camera and action this week in the Centre....

Firstly we had Sherlock Holmes here on Friday night - in the guise of the "Don't go into the Cellar' company.  A cosy supper in the conservatory was followed by a one man performance taking guests through the "Singular exploits " of Sherlock's life, it included cameo performances from his brother Mycroft and also the dreaded Moriarty!  The acting was marvelous, facial expressions and mannerisms that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would have been proud of!

We followed this performance through the windows but could see that it went down very well.  The next bit of "action" was some filming for an Edgar Allen Poe film by Big Frog Productions.  The filming was in the area that the local school children use for their Forest School which is in the small woodland at the end of the site.  We are looking forward to seeing the film and hope it is a blockbuster!

Aside from this is has been a relatively quiet week in the gardens, lots of my friends are pairing up now and the mallards that fly are disappearing to find new nesting sites where they can 'be alone'. Two of my female friends have been struck down with swollen ankles which is making them limp quite badly.  They are resting in the pen by the pond and are being given antibiotics - it seems to be doing the trick even though they both hate having the syringe put down their throats each day.  Hope to see them back on the pond soon.

St Patrick's Day!

It was Irish Stew and Soda bread on the menu for this last week on the menu in the restaurant to celebrate St Patrick's Day, also Team leader Mandy got creative and decided to decorate the counter a bit - we were short of leprechauns but we do have a fair selection of green Gnomes so they just had to do....

The weather this week was so lovely that Dayel the Centre Gardener worked hard with us all week putting homemade compost on the gardens and digging it in - we all pecked in to help...he was thrilled (well I think that is what he shouted....!).

Dayel the Garden with diligent helpers!

With the nice weather we also saw the return of "Little Black Pig" Farm Stall at the front of the site - they are selling all sorts of farm meats, including home made (award winning) sausages, hand made pies, vegetables from the farm as well as milk, cheese and other bits and bobs.  It is great to have them back - they will be here for at least 6 months on weekends and possibly a bit more too.

Dragging my webbed feet!

It has been quite a while since I have written in the ducks diary and I have made a resolution to stop dragging my webbed feet and get back to keeping up to date with the comings and goings here more regularly. My excuse is somewhat feeble - we have just had an amazingly busy time since the last post back in summer 2014.

Early in the summer the Jinney Ring restaurant buildings became licensed to hold Civil Ceremonies (in lots of different ways) and during in august/September the first two were held in the barn building, these were both really lovely events and involved garden marquees so we saw everything that went on and were part of the wedding party (of course!).

A Civil Ceremony for the marriage of Geoff and Carolyn 

We had a garden full of weddings and some brilliant parties throughout the summer, I don't think there was one where we did not get corn provided and some pictures with the guests.  Here is is a picture of the last one celebrated here - it was a barn dance in a lovely marquee.  What do you think of this photo of the first dance? - pretty special we thing (it was taken by Frank Wood)!

Belinda and Michael our last wedding of the season in 2014

In the Autumn we also had our Annual Sculpture Trail to look at during its month long exhibition - we have lots of chance to review these pieces and unlike the children we even climb on the pieces occasionally (and no one shouts at us!).  We even had some pieces in the water so we were able to swim around them.  It was a great show and we love having these big pieces of art here.

At the end of the Sculpture Trail we had a day of Apples and Apple related things going on, this was run with Avoncroft Museum and the Transport Museum in Wythall. Visitors were able to travel between Avoncroft and Jinney Ring on a nostalgic old bus - we don't get many buses in Hanbury so this was a huge treat!  This day was so nice that it is being repeated again in 2015 on Oct 4th.

  

Christmas was then upon us with some super parties, lovey atmospheric decoration and village carol singing in the lead up.  The New Year Eve party was a 1940's theme and the staff dressed up as land girls for the occasion, the entertainment was provided by Sylvia Starlight who was a terrific singer. 

The 'Jinney Ring Land Army' with Sylvia Starlight

Since The start of the new year we have had Valentines Day with a fully booked breakfast and a smoochy romantic evening for couples in the evening, the first pudding night of the year and last Saturday all the  "Mum's" and their families came to see us.

Busy, busy - and now it is officially spring it is time to look around for a mate in the garden - I hardly have time to quack!!