Monday, July 08, 2013


Cuckolding in the Cotswolds.

 
Don’t worry –it wasn’t me and it was all a long time ago, of which more later.
The taxi arrived in plenty of time – as we thought – but we crawled to Taunton and Taunton itself was virtually at a standstill.  Chris – the taxi diver helped me to the station and I thanked Heaven I had my many tickets in my hot little hand.

 
Whilst chatting to Chris I said I had seen two garden gnomes in Minehead.  One wears a bright striped jersey, a snowy white beard, and his white locks covered with a woolly hat.  The other one is like a black and grey version whose clothes look as if they have a life of their own.   I was told they reside at The Mayfair which is for disadvantaged people and there have been complaints about Verne’s disreputable appearance.  The Proprietors take great care to keep their resident clean and tidy but -
 
“Verne won’ ‘ave it!”

 My new el cheapo trolley case was quite manageable but I decided to take the lift.  Help!
All I wanted was a #5 – for platform 5 but there were just weird symbols – all Greek to me, and I didn’t want to press an alarm button – so I mounted the stairs.
Hooray there was an info desk and he told me helpfully that the last coach was the one I wanted.  Next time I would know which end of the coach I wanted, but there was time to find my seat – albeit already occupied.

Did I want him to move?  Er – yes please.  The carriage – a quiet one was fairly full.

 
Day dreaming my way to Cheltenham it was great to see Margaret waving - with a huge smile on her face.  A quick spin in the car and we arrived chez M&M with Malcolm offering drinks before a delicious lunch.  With such good old friends it was pure pleasure from beginning to end and it was great to be able to talk about MTL without any awkwardness or embarrassment.

 
M&M have always been gifted gardeners; now they have a tiny garden but it is a treasure trove of colour, fragrance and beauty.  Behind the garden is a hill so the eye carries on and makes the garden more spacious.  The weather was fine but not a lot of sun and a constant wind.  All the photos below are their garden.  Malcolm has done wonders with the actual earth which was just Severn mud.  Under that was old field earth and then thick heavy clay.  Malcolm worked on it – a square foot at a time breaking it up with his hands and then spreading good healthy compost.  You can see those plants are living the life of Riley and revel in their constant care.

More later.  See below.

20 comments:

Z said...

You give the post a title like that and then leave us waiting? You rascal.

So pleased you had a lovely weekend with old friends xxx

Pat said...

Z: I know - it's my naughty streak.

Exile on Pain Street said...

Nice sketch there, my dear. So glad you weren't cuckolded.

Marjolein said...

Sounds like a lovely break. I always get a bit stressed out about travelling, at least long distances and to places I haven't been too. Glad you found your way around okay. :)

Rog said...

Lovely view from the back window!

Pat said...

Exile: I think I'm the wrong sex:)

Marjoein: my next journey will be easy peasy: picked up here and dropped back again. Thanks to my lovely #1 son.

Rog: and there is a large mirror which reflects it when you have your back to the window.

Unknown said...

Glad you are enjoying youself! xx

savannah said...

gorgeous photos, sugar! i would LOVE a garden like theirs, but it will have to wait. xoxoxox

angryparsnip said...

Your post title made me giggle.
I remember when you posted about their move and the lovely garden they had to leave behind.
Well the first photo says it all. What a beautiful garden they have now. Everywhere you look a treat for the eye and the scent must be lovely.
What a wonderful visit.

cheers, parsnip

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Well,I did all this backwards. I went to the pictures first---Now, Knowing that your darling dear old fiends did this incredible Garden themselves, makes it all that much more Special! So much love and care AND "Artistry" have gone into it---this is what I always imagined an "English Garden" would look like!!!
GLORIOUS!!!!

mapstew said...

Welcome back.

The colours are amazing Pat. :¬)

xxx

Pat said...

Savannah: me too but its beyond my capabilities. xoxox

Naomi: fortunately they complement each other as gardeners as Malcolm is not as sure-footed as he was.

Map: it is carefully thought out with regard to colour and there is a 'hot' part of the garden which almost seems on fire.

lom said...

So glad you had a lovely time Pat, their garden is pretty, all that colour.

rashbre said...

A fabulous display of flowers in your friends garden and impressive to have worked the ground in stages to get some decent soil.

I was in a modern lift a few days ago where they'd added extra number displays on the inside of the doors. It said 'G', which was what I needed, so I hopped out.

Except, I was still on the 12th floor. The extra display showed where the lift was going next, not where it was.

Several people chuckled as I got back in, but then told me that most people were confused by them.

Pat said...

Rashbre: I must go back to Taunton station and get someone to translate. If you can get caught out what hope is there for we yokels?

Pat said...

Parsnip: well remembered . You were in the spam box but John reminds me to look in there - he's always there - goodness knows why.

LL Cool Joe said...

What a beautiful garden! I can tell they are proper gardeners. How nice to be able to talk about MTL without an awkwardness, that must have been wonderful for you. Some people would be too scared they'd upset you by mentioning him.

Pat said...

Joey: yes I wish people would realise that talking about him keeps him close.
I found his school reports today and of course they were maddeningly excellent but I laughed when I found one that said excellent but inclined to be surly at times and one that said 'excellent but talkative at times'. And they are soooo not MTL:)

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

Such a perfect place to meet a great friend!

Ahh, the joys of friendship. On Sunday, I was talking with a friend who now lives in Michigan, we both once lived in the Caribbean...it was pure joy, she's the kind of friend I can talk to about anything.

Pat said...

GG: hang on to her. They are as rare as hen's teeth.