Charleston
Forgot to mention yesterday that the front of the oven, which is glass, burst apart shortly after Lorraine had cooked. Lorraine thankfully insured, and mysterious glass explosions are covered amazingly enough.
An atrocious night's sleep. There are two black cats who live locally who Basil and Brian have been warring with. They invaded at about 4pm and Lorraine and I started awake to the sound of a riot downstairs. Sam called Lorraine at 6:30am with the excellent news that his place at Leeds University had been secured, and called later having learned his A level grades. A fabulous two As three Bs at A level.
Bookcases were delivered. These have been recycled by horny-handed gentlemen of Brighton from wood used by scaffolders. A late breakfast then with the Tobster and then off to Charleston House, home of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, and haunt of the Bloomsbury crowd, including Vanessa's sister Virginia Woolf, E.M. Forster, John Maynard Keynes and many others. A fascinating house, with an excellent guide. I'm not a particular fan of Bell or Grant, but I really enjoyed the tour, picturing all the worthies gathered around the faded painted tables.
The artists cottage garden was full of vivid colours and towering hollyhocks and red hot pokers, and a hundred other flowers all walled in by a typical Sussex flint stone wall. And outside was a big pond with fish breaking the surface with gulping circular mouths.
Stopped off at Middle Farm for some foodstuffs. Toby and I wandered into the cider section with a sackful of pressed apple pulp outside and sniffed the enticingly cidery air in the room full of bottles and barrels. Lorraine meanwhile was busy bumping into her pal Rosie.
The evening meal was shared by Toby, Lorraine Mark and Beth and we all forked into fabulous fish curry, rice and dahl Lorraine had made. Callum arrived and the three young actors got busy upstairs rehearsing for Pack of Three this time with fewer bloodcurdling screeches. They are really enjoying it, which is great to see.
I introduced the Tobster to vile and very funny The Inbetweeners, and we sat snickering at a few episodes of this. Lorraine hates it but sat tolerantly working on a patchwork quilt. An early night, and a blameless one too with Toby, Lorraine and I foreswearing alcohol for a night, and not before time.
Below some snaps of the lovely gardens at Charleston. Was intruiged to spot this head in a roped off glasshouse, and other other views of the garden and pond.
Forgot to mention yesterday that the front of the oven, which is glass, burst apart shortly after Lorraine had cooked. Lorraine thankfully insured, and mysterious glass explosions are covered amazingly enough.
An atrocious night's sleep. There are two black cats who live locally who Basil and Brian have been warring with. They invaded at about 4pm and Lorraine and I started awake to the sound of a riot downstairs. Sam called Lorraine at 6:30am with the excellent news that his place at Leeds University had been secured, and called later having learned his A level grades. A fabulous two As three Bs at A level.
Bookcases were delivered. These have been recycled by horny-handed gentlemen of Brighton from wood used by scaffolders. A late breakfast then with the Tobster and then off to Charleston House, home of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, and haunt of the Bloomsbury crowd, including Vanessa's sister Virginia Woolf, E.M. Forster, John Maynard Keynes and many others. A fascinating house, with an excellent guide. I'm not a particular fan of Bell or Grant, but I really enjoyed the tour, picturing all the worthies gathered around the faded painted tables.
The artists cottage garden was full of vivid colours and towering hollyhocks and red hot pokers, and a hundred other flowers all walled in by a typical Sussex flint stone wall. And outside was a big pond with fish breaking the surface with gulping circular mouths.
Stopped off at Middle Farm for some foodstuffs. Toby and I wandered into the cider section with a sackful of pressed apple pulp outside and sniffed the enticingly cidery air in the room full of bottles and barrels. Lorraine meanwhile was busy bumping into her pal Rosie.
The evening meal was shared by Toby, Lorraine Mark and Beth and we all forked into fabulous fish curry, rice and dahl Lorraine had made. Callum arrived and the three young actors got busy upstairs rehearsing for Pack of Three this time with fewer bloodcurdling screeches. They are really enjoying it, which is great to see.
I introduced the Tobster to vile and very funny The Inbetweeners, and we sat snickering at a few episodes of this. Lorraine hates it but sat tolerantly working on a patchwork quilt. An early night, and a blameless one too with Toby, Lorraine and I foreswearing alcohol for a night, and not before time.
Below some snaps of the lovely gardens at Charleston. Was intruiged to spot this head in a roped off glasshouse, and other other views of the garden and pond.
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