April 15

Up at 6:15. Heavy rain and thunder over night but I didn’t hear a thing. Hilary, the owner of my B&B offered to drive me to work this morning taking my large suitcase and two other bags. That was a great offer and I took her up on it storing my stuff until after work. She has been very nice to me and I will take her to supper in the next few weeks. A picture of her appears on today’s posting.
Today at the gardens I finished lifting the daffodils at the arch and the ones I had given away last night are still there. Once those gardens were done, I started on the Rock Garden just down from the arch as advised by Jim yesterday. This consisted of edging, and digging up a group of Arum that have been causing problems with traditional arum and are considered a noxious weed. These and another plant both have to be collected separately and incinerated. Also removed a section of woodruff that had become quite vigorous and overstepped its bounds. Hand weeded the rest of the bed including scraping moss and lungwort from the beds. One of the pictures today shows me actually working so you don’t think I’m just making this up. That took me until just after lunch when I started edging another bed just across from it that had not been touched for some time. Jim has offloaded several trays of Cyclamin which I expect we will plant tomorrow at the arch. At 4:00 he arrived and marked off a new design for the rock garden which I will edge tomorrow. This end of the gardens seems to have been assigned to me and it is a pleasure to have their confidence. I usually work alone and unsupervised. This morning Jim asked just how long I planned to be here so he could determine the best use he can make of me.

It was a lovely sunny day, the hottest so far - 20. One of the staff offered to drive me and my luggage to my new accommodation; did I say it was right across from a pub? Well it is, the Selsey Arms, specializing in Thai food – what kind of a pub is that? At any rate I got settled in. It is a room in a house, good size comfortable bed and a bureau big enough to hold all my clothes, a rack for all my hanging shirts – man did I pack too much! They have a wireless internet but I can’t connect but at least there is a separate computer in my room that I have to myself. The lady of the house, Cathy and her husband Nigel with her daughter Lucy are nice folks. They provide all my food and the cost is only 20 pounds a day. First nights supper was banger’s and mash with vegetables and good bangers they were. The deal is I cook my own breakfast and pack my own lunch but she provides all the ingredients. I’ve included a picture of the outside of the house and the bedroom. Off to bed at 10:00.

April 14

Woke up at 6:15 after sleeping poorly. The sun is shining and it continued to do so all day. Temperatures were 15-18 and a light breeze. Tomorrow is moving day so I packed up some clothes in a bag and will drop them off at the new place #108 Chichester Rd after work so I don’t have so much to take tomorrow. My job today is to work on the beds on either side of the Laburnum Arch, down past the West Gardens. It requires edging and weeding and the latter has to be done all by hand because of many plants called Cyclamin which are tender and easily disturbed. It took a little longer but there wasn’t an excess of weed. Ivy is also growing on the arch and it needed trimming as well. I also removed several plants called Spanish Bluebells. They are beautiful but because they are mixing with the English Bluebell, they are considered a threat to the native species. A couple of volunteers were also removing Primroses that were any colour other than yellow, from fields and any area in the gardens that they grow for the same reason.

Now let me tell you about the daffodils. They were also in the beds and were planted there last year. They were yellow and beautiful but Jim (Head Gardener) thought they weren’t right for these beds. So I was to lift them out, lay them in the paths to dry and give them away. Those were the exact words. Jim had already cut an armful of the lovely flowers and then as an afterthought, said he would keep them for cut flowers. I interpreted that to mean the flowers that were on the bulbs after I lifted them. What he meant of course was that he would save the bulbs, replant them someplace else in the fall and use the flowers next year for cut flowers. In my wisdom, or lack thereof, I lifted the bulbs and then offered some to the general public as I went along. One couple took me up on them and took about 15. Others said no thanks or in the case of two artists who were using the gardens as inspiration they said they would each take some, but they were still here the next morning. When I told Jim about giving the bulbs away, he said “What?” in his typical English manner. He then went on to say, with a laugh in his voice that he had intended to use them for cut flowers and if he was going to give them away it would have been to the staff not just anyone who walked through the gardens. It was quite humorous. Fortunately I still had lots to lift the next day and some folks didn’t take them so they still have lots for cut flowers next year.

I had planned to go to the Rotary Club meeting in Chichester but in checking it out discovered they meet on Wednesday evenings not Tuesdays so I won’t be going this week. I decide however to take the bus to Chichester anyway for a meal and check my email. Wouldn’t you know it, I missed it by 5 minutes, but it was only 25 minutes more for the next one. I went to the Dolphin and Anchor and was able to connect to their WIFI for free. I ordered the Grill combination which included lamb cutlets, pork chop, rump steak (on the menu they say it is their most popular but is indeed the toughest piece of meat I have ever eaten), ham, sausage, a salad and fries plus a glass of Guinness all for 5.99 pounds. This is their special on Tuesdays and is the best price I have ever seen. I was early for the bus home so went to Tesco’s and bought a couple of bags of liquorice allsorts for only 67p. Home by 9:00 organized for tomorrow and off to bed at 10.

April 13

Up at 7:40 and caught the 9:13 bus to Midhurst. I walked around the Cowdray Castle, a ruined structure but still impressive. It didn’t open until 10:30 but I think I got the best shots from outside anyway and one of the pictures today shows Cowdray. I walked back through the town centre but it was too early for most shops to be open and it was fairly small at any rate. I took the bus back to Singleton where I visited the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum that I had been given a pass to by West Dean Gardens. This is a collection of buildings, either originals or reconstructions from the county of Sussex over a 500 year period. One very interesting building is a modern construction from 2001-2002 called a Downland Gridshell, built of oak lathes and beams in an intricate flowing design. One of the pictures today shows it. I saw how charcoal was made in the 1500’s and while the technology has changed it is still done using the same technique today. A coppiced forest was very interesting and showed how woodland can be managed. Basically, the young hardwood; beech or ash is trimmed close to the ground. This forces a series of branches to rise from the stump. The forest is systematically pruned so that one area is done in the same year. They continue this process for seven years, which allows for harvesting for each section to be done on a rotation basis. The resulting braches are used for making fences, gathered as fagots for starting fires or as firewood. One of today’s pictures shows a coppiced tree.

I took lots of pictures of other structures as well as one of a fellow using a pole lathe, a tool that would have been around a few hundred years ago. He was excellent with his chisels and turned out some very nice spindles as well as a spurtle. ‘m sure you know what that is) Lunch was a sandwich and some cheese, an apple and a pint of Stella, I mean milk. Took a leisurely walk through the rest of the grounds and caught the bus outside of West Dean. Home by 3:15 and watched a movie with the house sitters, The Changeling – very good. It’s now 6:00 and I think I’ll head to the Earl of March for supper.

I had a wonderful meal; lamb cutlets, salad, kidney on a spit, Portobello mushroom and potatoes that were julienned as fine as angel hair. Oh yes and a pint of milk. Not sure if my pictures will upload today as they would not on the Easter Posting. Cheers.....Brian

Happy Easter

Easter morning. Up at 7:10. It is overcast and looks like it is threatening to rain. I caught the 9:00 bus and went to Chichester Cathedral; the first service I was attending, Mattins was not starting until 10:00 so I walked around and learned a little more about it. Took a few pictures of effigies of the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk, who owned the Arundel Castle I had visited on Saturday. They are one of the pictures for today. Another is a gargoyle at the eave of the Cathedral with a water pipe through his mouth. At 10:00 the Mattins started and I was seated at the very front close to the altar. This service was all singing and lasted about 45 minutes. That was followed by a Communion Service at 11:00. This was very well attended and was over at 11:30. I had a light lunch at the Cloisters Cafe and then caught the bus back to Lavant. It was still overcast but no rain and I settled into the conservatory, read a book and listened to music. About 6:00 I made a light meal not feeling like going out to a restaurant. Then watched the last day of the Masters and saw Angel Cabrera win the green jacket. It got over about 12:30 am and I admit to not having all the intervening parts.

Well today started out at 7:00. I prepped for the day, had a breakfast at 8:00 and still managed to miss my 9:00 bus by two minutes, because I had forgotten my wallet and had to return to my room. No big deal, on Saturdays they come every half hour. So I waited in the shelter and read a book. Today my decision was whether or not to try and get to Bayeux France today and return tomorrow. Well upon doing inquiring at a travel agency, my options were to take a four hour sailing (I was too late for the fast ferry) at 12:30 followed by a bus to Caen and then switching to Bayeux, likely arriving about 6:00 tonight. Then to catch the fast ferry back to Portsmouth I would have to leave at 12:30 tomorrow afternoon just to catch the bus back home because they don’t run late on Sunday. So unless I was going to spend two nights there, it would be worth the hassle. Our good friends Margan and Richard will remember a trip similar to that 4 ½ years ago, where we just managed to drop our rental car and race to be the last ones on the ferry.
So plan B was to go to Arundel Castle the stately home of the Dukes of Norfolk for over 900 years. This required taking a 45 minute bus ride towards Brighton, stopping at Littlehampton and then taking a second bus north for about 20 minutes. The only issue was that the connecting buses miss each other by about 3 minutes so another wait of 30 minutes in between. Oh well, I have nothing but time and no one is depending on me. Well I can tell you the wait was worth it. Arundel was started in 1067 by the then Earl of Norfolk, one of Cromwell’s friends. The castle was built over a series of 300 years, and was rebuilt between 1870-1890, though many of the original features still exist. One of them is the Keep, the fortified structure that was able to withstand any onslaught from invaders. I took lots of pictures and four of them feature in the blog. The Castle and Keep will be obvious to you, but two others bear mentioning. The tree that is shown is a Cork Oak Tree, the oldest on the property though it has not been dated. They have large props under the lower hanging branches to keep them from breaking. The last is a picture of a fountain in front of a Mosaic. The building they are in is a design that was patterned after one built by Indigo Jones, a famous landscape designer in 1611. The crown in the fountain is being suspended solely by the jet of water that is rising. The mosaic behind is made up of sea shells reminiscent of one Carol and I saw at Tresco Abbey Gardens on the Isles of Scilly. I ate a nice lunch in the gardens and made my way back to the town of Arun on the River Arun and caught my long bus ride back to Chichester.

I explored options for an Easter Service at the Cathedral and decided on the 11am service tomorrow morning. I scouted out several eating establishments and opted for the West Street Bar, a tasteful church conversion. I had the steak and ale pie and a pint of milk. Marsden’s Bitter I believe it was. Picked up a few provisions for the next few days and took the faithful 60 home to Lavant. It’s been a full day and the weather was a little spotty, never really raining but threatening to most of the time. The sun never showed itself, except in a few promises. Temperature was about 12-15. I expect it was that warm at home. However in NS I don’t expect the magnolias and japonica are blooming as they are here and the forsythia is nearly gone. Happy Easter everyone!

Slept in until 7:40, that’s a first but really nice. A light rain was falling which was pretty much what was predicted for the day. Buses only travel every hour on public holidays so I have to pay a little more attention to the schedule. Yesterday my Tilley Hat had become very dirty while I was working in the morning. On my first page I indicated that I am also using Tilley underwear (if this gets too much for you just skip a couple of line). So when I was doing my nightly wash I thought I may as well do my hat as well. With lots of soap and a fingernail brush for scrubbing I cleaned it thoroughly and wrung it out after rinsing in clean water. I hung it on my showerhead not knowing whether it would retain its shape or not. Well this morning it was like new. One of the pictures I am showing today is of the hat but not the underwear.
At any rate I caught the 10:00 bus to Chichester and poked around a few shops. My options today were to go to Fishbourne Roman Palace or Arundel Castle. Since the Tourist Information centre was closed until 11. I decided on Fishbourne as it appears to be all indoors and better for a rainy day. Also my week bus pass expired today and Arundel is on another line. I explored a few shops and scoped out the Tesco Express and found that they have excellent prices on milk (that’s code) I may buy some milk on the way home. I bought an expensive cup of tea, (Margan would understand) and then went out to catch the bus. Only problem was my regular 60 bus didn’t go there so I had to wait another 45 minutes for the 700. In the meantime I bought my ticket to the Roman Palace at the Tourist Bureau and the bus was 15 minutes late. I have found that reading a book (currently a PD James Mystery) is a great way to pass the time as long as you have a dry place to wait. I arrived at the bus stop for Fishbourne and walked for about 10 minutes to the Palace. I had a large umbrella and a clean hat and stayed dry all day.
The entrance fee was 7.30 pounds and a guidebook was another 2 but well worth it. The Palace was built by the Romans from about 75-100 AD even though preparation work had begun about 43 AD. The Romans really didn’t invade this part of England but were encouraged by the locals to take over rule. They did invade England continuing further north and Fishbourne was a good point for them to send provisions north after they arrived at the main fort at Chichester. About 150 AD the Romans left and the traders arrived and continued to operate the Palace until about 280 when it was destroyed in a fire. In 1961 when a water company was putting in a new line, they discovered some tiles which turned out to be a mosaic floor. Archaeologists started an excavation and found several more of them inside the foundation walls of a large structure that turned out to be the Palace. The recreation of the Roman Palace is built right over the mosaics with an excellent signed self guided tour. They had large gardens outside as well which were largely boxwood hedges. The soil was so poor in that area that they had to excavate trenches, remove the old soil and bring in all new loams. The post holes and trenches were quite obvious when the excavation was done. I took several pictures and you will see a mosaic with Neptune riding a dolphin, an under floor heating system and an ancient burial that was done by local people after the Romans left.
Caught the bus back to Chichester and did indeed buy some milk and a few other provisions before boarding the bus to Lavant. Back home around 4:20. I think I’ll go to the Earl of March for a meal and a glass of milk and update my blog.

April 9

Awake at 6:20, the latest yet. Overcast and misty when I left for the bus. Glad I had my raincoat at the gardens because when I started to work it was a very heavy mist that would have soaked me without it. This morning I removed a ½ “ soaker hose that Jim had installed with the hedge 18 years ago and it had only been used once. I hauled it out by hand, removing large ground staples in the process. I cut it into manageable pieces about 30 feet long, using Clary’s knife. It was good to be reminded of him. I coiled it up and then tied it with twine, loading it in a large hand wagon and disposing of it in the works yard. By the time I was done at about 10:30, my pants were soaked but I was dry on top thanks to my raincoat. I also removed a dead cotoneaster for Tim, a quick job.
Then I was off to the glass houses, thankful for a roof and learned how to espalier grapes. In one house they have 6 older vines that are planted at the inner wall of the glass house, four feet apart. They then have been trained to grow up the inside glass to a point at the roof and are about 12 feet in length. At one foot intervals a wire has been stretched horizontally and attached to the interior walls. On each side of each vine on each one of the wires, you select two shoots that have grapes forming on them. One shoot is attached to the wire using a twist tie and if longer than two feet in length is trimmed at the 2 foot mark. The second shoot is kept in reserve in case something goes wrong with the first shoot. You continue this process on both sides of the vine all the way to the roof, using stools and ladders for varying heights. Then you cut back all other shoots right back to one leaf. I got my instruction from Will but final approval on the job by Jim. I had started out with another weekly volunteer but completed the job in the afternoon by myself at 3:30.
This weekend will be big from a visitor perspective. So I helped to clean up the boot scrapers which are placed throughout the walled vegetable garden. I also picked some rhubarb that they are forcing in huge cloches. It looks lovely. It is the Easter weekend followed by a bank holiday. Imagine that banks taking holidays. That means we will be closed four days. I haven’t decided what to do yet, am toying with taking the ferry to France to visit Bayeux, but may stay around here as there is a lot to see and do. The weather looks fine and I may go for a walk on the South Downs. Sarah gave us all tickets to the Weale and Downe Open Air Museum which is a display of houses (like Sherbrooke Village) and sounds very interesting. I may save more adventurous travel for when Carol arrives. Caught a ride home with Tim so was home by 4:15 and wrote up yesterday and today. I’ll post them tonight.
Pictures today show the grapes in the glass house as well as a fig tree dating from the 1800’s in a glass house. Figs are in evidence now. Also a display of bulbs.