Couple of good trips out

A week past Friday, a fine, warm day, I suggested on the spur of the moment a visit to Sissinghurst Castle gardens, where we hadn’t been for rather too long.  Well, they seem to be coping despite our neglect.  The daffodils were going over, of course, but there were lots of fritillaries and pulsatilla in flower in the lime walk, and plenty of primulas.  From there we headed down to Hythe for lunch looking out over the sparkling sea, and then ambled back gently across country.

We should be grabbing such fine days to do a spot of gardening at home, of course, but the weather has turned chilly, windy and wet - even with some hail showers.  The weeds are growing vigorously under last year’s new plantings by the landscapers, so we’ll need to get on with that pretty soon.  I’m struggling to find containers and space for all the seedlings in the sitooterie, and have had to move the pelargoniums to the cold frame to make room for the squillions of antirrhinum and other seedlings.

Yesterday we went with the U3A bird watching group to the London Wetlands Centre at Barnes.  A wonderful place, well provided with paved paths (made, evidently, from crushed concrete from the old Barn Elms reservoirs) and excellent hides.  We saw all sorts of waterfowl and waders, plus dozens of sand martins, a few jackdaws and even a snipe or two.  The journey was quite convoluted: we had opted for our little country station where there’s free parking, and whence fares are substantially lower.  Two changes and a bus ride later (and guess which old fool forgot to check that he had his bus pass in his wallet?), we were there soon after the mainliners.  All the connexions worked well and quickly there and back, and the various changes provided much needed exercise.

I’ve had, I hope, the last of my two-yearly appraisals at the hobby, since I retire 15 months hence - if I’m spared.  It seems to have gone OK, but of course I have to wait for it to be signed off by the appropriate committee.

Our travel plans being a shade less extravagant this year, we’re planning a spot of household maintenance.  Two of the WCs need replacement, and we’ll take the opportunity to put in a new basin with a cupboard under it in the cloakroom.  Two of the tradesmen are lined up, but it occurs to us that we also need to finalise a list of jobs for the sparky.  Oh well, no pockets in shrouds.