A National Trust Day
Another sunny frosty day. It seemed right to visit one of our National Trust stately homes. I have been visiting Polesden Lacey for over 20 years, and never tire of what it has to offer. Especially on a day like this.
This gorgeous house was owned by Mrs Ronald Greville, a society hostess who regularly entertained Royalty. She insisted that the house should be enjoyed by the public after her death, and donated it to the National Trust. She is buried in the gardens, as are many generations of her pets.
She held fabulous dinner parties with elaborate French cuisine. I wouldn’t have minded popping in for supper I must say.
The Edwardian garden has a series of walled and hedged enclosures with roses and herbaceous planting. But what I love the most are the lawns and views on the North Downs.
In the enclosed gardens is an ancient wisteria which is magical when in bloom
Today it’s bare, but still lovely as it’s branches are so intricate
The walled garden has a series of portholes which seem to want to frame its contents.
Beyond the garden, but still in its grounds are some little covered bridges
This one has some seats for a quick rest, or, as was the case today, a place for bored children to practice their orienteering skills.
The place was very busy. Time to go before the lunch crowd descended. A lovely sunny place to be. I never tire of Polesden Lacey.
Frosty Morning
This morning was the beginning of a perfect winter day. I just had to get out, as I had a new lens to try. Let’s see how it works…
I wanted to find some frosty leaves to see what my macro lens was capable of. None here, the sun was doing its work
Last years seed pods were putting on a good show
These looked good against the background of rusty oak leaves
Some still frosted leaves could be found in freezing ditches
Glad I caught these colourful brambles before the sun caught me up
I think these were dog roses once. Still lovely though
This was certainly a day to be out. I think my camera did it’s job quite well.
Exploring Winchester
As someone who enjoys looking at other people’s pictures, I am a fairly keen member of Flickr. One of the very positive outcomes of this is my new-found friends belonging to a local group. So, we set off last Sunday on a photo-walk around Winchester. As soon as we arrived, so did the sun. It wasn’t expected, so the cameras were adjusted and the clicking began.
The Cathedral was as magnificent as I remembered. We didn’t go in, as the outside had so much to offer.
Gothic in appearance with ornate spires and some evil-looking gargoyles gaping down at us.
This lovely old tree, set in the Cathedral gardens was up for some hugging.
As we set off for The Great Hall, there were tempting doorways to explore. So much fun when you are with fellow camera geeks.
And there it was; King Arthur’s table.
I found this stunning gate as interesting. Such drama.
Back in town, looking for lunch, we came across a busker who caught our attention with his excellent songs. I thought he sounded like Eric Clapton….a bit.
A splendid day out. So glad we went. Could well have been on my Bucket List.
