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Updated: 01 July 2010

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MISTS AND MELLOW FRUITFULNESS

Autumn has suddenly arrived in Dorset. There is a distinct nip in the morning air and the valley of the River Stour is often filled with mist. The trees on Shillingstone Hill are turning colour and the leaves on the earlier trees are starting to fall. Tender crops in the garden have given notice and it looks as though there won't be many more beans, cucumbers or courgettes (nor any more Happiness Soup!). On the up side, its also too cold overnight for the cabbage white butterfly, so that should halt their progress through the brassica crop. Last year we were very successful at keeping the butterflies away using a fine mesh cover but this year we did not get it right and the caterpillars have been busy.

We have plenty of apples on the trees and Paul has begun harvesting some of them. The apple shed is now full and wonderfully scented with apples. One of our best trees looks very poorly this year and we think that this may be its last season - its an old and venerable tree and its simply come to the end of its life. We have a young walnut tree which bore its first fruit this year - but the squirrels had eaten those before the end of September. Walnuts rarely mature in the British climate, which has lead to the practice of pickling the immature fruit in June - and then eating with cold meats in the winter. So, if we pickle ours next summer we shall be able to get there before the squirrel!!

We have had a very busy season and still have a few more parties of visitors arriving before the end of the month. The weather is cool overnight but sunny during the daytime so it looks as though there are still good touring days to be had. We had two visitors from Canada here last week and they hold the distinction of being the first to climb Glastonbury Tor with us. When they reached the top the view was tremendous and there was company too in the form of a small herd of friendly cows!! Clearly bovines enjoy a good view as much as us humans or maybe they are also on the lookout for King Arthur. The Tor is topped by the 15th century remains of St Michaels Church of which only the tower remains. Its a steep climb to the top but the footpath has been renovated and the climb, though strenuous, is safe - not to mention rewarding!

Its fun to remember all the things that our visitors have done during the year. We have ascended the spire of Salisbury Cathedral, dined in the Pump Room in Bath, gazed at the Isle of Wight from the Spinnaker Tower, imagined ourselves to be Admiral Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar, sat in Sir Walter Raleigh's seat, seen in the dawn over Stonehenge - and had tea in the garden.

We hope that you have had a great summer and that you have lots of lovely memories to take into Autumn and Winter. For us its a time of sorting out - doing all the jobs that were put off during the summer season and getting into the garden to do the weeding and tackle the next major project, whatever it may be!

We hope to see you at Church House in 2008.

Best regards

Susy, Paul and Lucy