Berkshire 8th July to 14th July

 

On the Ridgeway and surrounding Cranes Farm are racing stables. Area is known as the Valley of the Racehorse. There are gallops up and down the hills that horses are worked on in the early morning.  We pass this group and it is nice to see them running free in a large feild not wearing a fly mask and horse cover like Marco the horse we are caring for. In saying that Marco seems quite content, laminitis notwithstanding, we think he must get lonely though.

Jeff decided to go down to Salisbury, an hours drive, to look at purchasing further parts for the MGB. Carburettors need replacing. Had a happy time at the factory, even getting a personal tour. The parts will be sent by DHL so not having to be wrangled into a backpack. The company still handmakes some parts but has also embraced robotics.

We had purchased tickets to attend the Badminton RHS Flower Show after reading an article in the Saturday newspaper about the property. Owned by the Somerset family since the 1700's, a 21,000 ha estate famous for hosting the Badminton Horse Trials. We have been to the Chelsea and Wisley shows in previous years but the RHS wanted to offer an alternative to Chelsea for those not around London which has become a mammoth event.

Dogs in the back of the car and away we go.  Did take 40mins to drive the final 1.5 miles which the chap who parked beside us was less than impressed by. He had worked at Silverstone Formula One last Sunday and said " we traffic managed 65,000 cars better than this!!" Anyway, we had a short look around, jammed and the steel footpath treads laid between sites was incredibly hot on a 33C day. Improvements need to be made to the experience shall we say.  Stopped at a bend in the Lambourn river on the way back to cool down the dogs.

Badminton outside the show area

Ladies with rain, now sun umbrellas on the way in.

Badminton House with its 116 rooms. One of the reasons these sprawling estates have events, shows, film set use is to pay for the upkeep. In the early 1900's some sold off tracts of land for upkeep and death duties. Not many managed to stay entire, as it were, like Badminton.

Jeff trying to get Otto to swim. He chickens out when water touches his belly. Whereas Ella is like a fish, full immersion. Realised Otto, at two years old, has not been taken to the river much whereas Ella, at seven years old, has been given a few more opportunities.

Next day we hosted Jeff's old mate Phil and his wife Diana. Jeff and Phil's step father worked together on the same farm in 1979 and were in the local Young Farmers Club. We have kept in touch over the years and we usually visit them in Great Bedwyn each year. Sadly they have never been to NZ. Having brought up a Downs syndrome son for thirty years, Diana has had early onset Parkinsons for the last ten years. Now other Nuerological issues. Phil full time caring for Diana, their dreams of  travel retirement evaporated. To see the state she is in now, down to 6 stone in weight just makes you want to weep and desperately sad. They really enjoyed their visit, we kept it light and fun. 

Phil and Jeff. We are forever grateful for good health and opportunities we make.

These two larrikins put a smile on your face. In the back of the car watching Sandra head off into Waitrose shopping. In the morning after we have turned out the horse and had our breakfast they stalk you in the house waiting for their walk knowing it will be an adventure. In the car and a short to drive to somewhere that a will be 7-8km jaunt.

Another swim opportunity.

We began our lunch hosting on Saturday with Tim and Caroline from Surrey. Tim has recently retired from being a shop outfitter and Caroline will join the ranks soon. We cycled with them last year on the Channel to the Med ( 1,400 kms over14 days). They were very relaxed and having arrived at 10.30am finally left 5.30pm, when we had to feed the horse. Good fun and we solved all the worlds issues as you do !! Another hot day with 15 days on the trot thus far in the UK!! We love it. Tim and Caroline have no rides planned this year but would like to come to NZ next year. Tim loves trout fishing so we will get them up to Lake Rotoiti and other spots. 

Tim is a big unit, very droll and Caroline just tiny.

Sunday we drove down to Wimborne in Dorset for lunch with folks we met at the Bath sales years ago with David Patient. Geoff and Lisa Ottley; who never let us forget that our efforts in the Bath Sales were paltry. They also own classic cars and Geoff a retired GP. Our good friend Marjory, who was married to David Patient, was there also so just perfect. All these doctors seem to stick together from Med School it seems decades ago. One of the Ottleys daughters, Lara, stayed with us when on her gap year. We are a great respite in Nelson from the Kiwi Experience bus, a good bed, meals and laundry! We are always happy to host and for parents to have a NZ contact for their travelling children.

Today we hosted for lunch more cycling cohorts from the Channel to the Med, John and Maddy. They are the folks who stood us up at Woodstock as Maddy had not written the then arrangement in her diary. She is very animated and talks sixty to the dozen. Her poor patients (she was a dentist)  would never have a chance to reply to her gay chatter. Full of fun whereas John, another medic, is very measured and quiet but boy has he got some deep knowledge. Like Tim and Marjory, John has incredible knowledge about bikes. They did the Munich to Rome ride in June which we are planning next year. Unfortunately Maddy came off her bike second to last day of the 14 day ride - appalling Italian roads. 

So having talked bikes so much over the last few days we think we know what to upgrade our gravel bikes to on return to NZ.

Berkshire 2nd July - 7th July

 

Jeff leading in Marco - 18yr old.

We have the regime for caring for the horse, two dogs and property -Cranes Farmhouse - sorted to keep everything as it should be.

6am we go up to the stable, give Marco a carrot to keep him happy while Jeff gets his medication hidden in a handful of horse feed. Marco is fed pellets then brought out of his stall and his horse cover, fly mask and grass muzzle is put on. Marco is then turned out onto his field. Grass muzzle is to restrict amount he eats as too much grass exacerbates the laministis the horse has. Once turned out we makeup hay 3 nets, weight exactly 2.8kg each. One is soaked in a tub of water and weighted with bucket of water to keep it submerged. We then muck out the horse stall and feed the feral cats who live in the barn. Muck is barrowed along a cypress hedge alleyway to be dumped. We also muck out the field. Return to the house and feed the 2 dogs - 315gm and 185gms each weighed. Jeff and I have breakfast 7.30am and then take the dogs for their walk 7-8km. Find interesting walks a shortish car ride away like woods, rivers etc. as around the farmhouse is the Ridgeway byway which is boring for all concerned. On return to the house, a coffee then head up to the barn around 11am to bring the horse from his field,  remove cover, mask and feed restrictor. Marco then given the soaked drained hay net in his stall. Most of the sugars have soaked out. The sugars in the grass feild rise late morning so hence Marco has to be brought in. We put another hay net into soak.

So from around midday we can relax until 5pm when the horse gets the second soaked hay net. In the afternoons we have been fixing a few things that require Sewell attention. The horsecover beiing left in a pile is annoying so Jeff made a stand so the cover goes on easier rather than wrestling to find the right way while the horse gets grumpy with any delay in being turned out. The horse water trough was not working properly, probably not for ages, so bits purchased to repair. Fussing around the extensive garden,  keeping pots etc alive in the warm temperatures, not complaining, marvellous blue sky days 25C to 33C. Plenty of reading done plus Formula One and Tour de France to watch. At 9pm we go up to the horse for the final time in the day to give him his 3rd soaked hay net. We muck out the stall again.

Dogs sleep in the house at night but know not to go upstairs. Like most Labradors it is all about food and walks.  Upstairs we have got used to the low oak beams, after a couple of head knocks. The farmhouse is isolated so no non rural noise. We love hearing the pheasants, pigeons and seeing deer potter about. Cool inside even upstairs at night and can leave windows wide open. Gets light enough about 4am. Both sleeping well as we have our own bedding and pillows. We are living in maybe a 1/3 of the house as formal lounge, dining room, other bedrooms etc not required.

There is a robotic lawnmower, called Bilbo. Has his own little den where he returns to and recharges. Quite odd seeing it go about the various lawns. So no lawn mowing required by us.

An East Garston house, this is a high decile area with racehorses, fancy cars and extensive properties.

Lambourn River, a clear chalk waterway.

A hint of water and both dogs, Otto and Ella are in. We try and time these stops halfway on our walks. 

We have found some lovely walks around Lambourn river, Great Shefford and Eastbury. Went out to the Uffington White Horse to do a circular walk. You see the horse on the Berkshire Downs for some way. It is 110m long prehistoric chalk horse carved 3,000yrs ago. An offering to a Celtic god is the current thinking.

The view looking from going back up the White Horse circular walk. No significant rain here for sometime, or any forecast. Arable crops will maturing early. Already wheat, barley being harvested. Maybe light crops as the wheat heads have not plumped out due to lack of moisture.

We have several friends coming for lunch over the next several days. Thank goodness for M &S Foods. Easier for us if friends take a drive to here and Cranes Farmhouse is a "wowzer"  according to friend Caroline from West London.

Oxfordshire - Berkshire June 26 - 1st July

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Burford pub made to be very inviting

We will come back to this another day for the classic scone with clotted cream.

Building inspectors heart attack....

The Cotswold Cheese Company

Main Street

Friday was forecast as another hot day so off early to a village called Burford, another Cotswolds stunner and only 20 mins away. Being there by 9am is the trick to have the place to yourselves basically. Had a lovely feel about it, many independent quaint shops.

Moved on to the Burford Garden Company is an Oxfordshire institution at 6 hectares of all things plants, just mind blowing. Dogs not allowed in so we took turns to stooge about.

Time for a cooling swim for Omey so went back to Minster Lovell but she would not go into the river, just a muddy duck pond. Jeff had to lift her back into the car, a muddy mess, then we hosed her off back at 1 Wood Lane. Heat of the day lessened by 6pm so we took Omey on the public pathway to the "Bird in Hand" pub 20mins walk for Friday night drink and dinner. The English classic fish pie was pretty good washed down by a lager. A bassett hound and Omey ignored each other. 

Yes they still have post boxes in the UK but slowly disappearing.

Saturday due to visit our next housesit at East Garston for a famil. A woods walk for an hour and a half for the dog to take off the edge, she was quite happy to sit in the car for the hour to East Garston. Crane Farm is a big property and we will be caring for a horse and two black labradors. When we arrived all dogs got on well . Met Paul, Yvonne and tbeir cleaner; who has worked at Crane farm for years. Unfortunately the horse has laminitis so a lot more faffing about to care for him as he can not stay in the field after noon. Nice folks who had never had housesitters before. We were recommended to them from a job we did in Berkshire a couple of years ago. Agreed to arrive on the Tuesday night before tbey depart so as to go over the horse regime the morning of their departure.

Swept by the Windrush River on the way home for a dog swim, beside herself with delight.

Next day we headed out for an 8km loop at Asthall. Lovely rolling downs past St Marys church. We walked past headstones and to our amazement come across the infamous  Mitford sisters all in a row. Unity, the Hitler lover/ Nazi who tried to commit suicide when Britian declared war on Germany, Jessica the Communist, Diana the socialist and Nancy. There were three other siblings. An upperclass aristocratic family all mad as hatters, inbreeding seems to do that. All girls were expected to disregard formal education and marry young to a prosperous husband.

St Marys circa 1700's

Can just make out the Mitford name.

Sunday and the villages were heaving with tourists but nothing prepared us for driving past Jeremy Clarkson's lasted venture - Diddly Squat Farm Shop and "The Farmers Dog" pub. Hundreds of people, cars and coaches. It was rammed so we beat a hasty retreat back to Wood Lane. A neighbour in the village and his wife called in for afternoon tea. He had been design engineer for the Arrows F1 team then head hunted as design engineer by Renault Alpine formula one team which was apt as we watch the Formula One racing here every Sunday night on Channel 4 - Austrian this week and Silverstone next Sunday.

Next day another walk and another church called St Oswalds. A lady saw our small backpacks with "kiwi" on them and said "you must go into the church on your walk as it is on the site of a Roman Villa and is mainly 13th century...." She was not wrong. Murals from 1348 were still on two walls showing people alive and dead with the reminder to "live today" as death finds us all; whether king or pauper.

Note the floors, seven hundred years of use.

Private family stalls

Last day at Wood Lane we went back to Blenheim Palace for a walk on the grounds and to meet friends at Woodstock. We cycled with John and Maddy last year in France. John is a real cycle gear nut and we wanted to get his opinion on two new road bikes we want to buy on return to NZ in anticipation of cycling Munich to Rome May 2027. Alas Maddy forgot our date so Jeff, moi and the dog had a nice lunch at Hampers Deli in Woodstock anyway. Arranged that they come to East Garston mid July- written in the diary this time.

Went back to Huffkins at Burford with a wet dog after a walk and swim. Scrummy scone and clotted cream for Jeff and Victoria sponge for me. Delicious.

Jeff very keen to go back to the Jeremy Clarkson project before we left the area. Tuesday morning still very busy and to be honest we were very underwhelmed. People are like lemmings buying mugs, teeshirts, bacon burgers and beer. Farmshop produce was pitiful. The Hawkestone beer is good says Jeff but otherwise do not waste your time.

Beer garden at The Farmers Dog, 11am.

The bacon burger team

  

So owners of Omey arrived back 2pm, said our goodbyes and we headed off to Newbury to get supplies to take to East Garston. The Cranes Farm is 10 minutes by car from tbe village, pub only, and Newbury for essentials 25 minutes. Paul and Yvonne busy packing to depart for Canada for three weeks so we got ourselves setup - groceries, bedding etc.

Different area, plenty of tasks, friends will call in and super property.

Dogs Ella and Otto at front of the main house

View out the front of the main house.

Cottage that visiting relatives stay in and workshop, office at right.

 

Marco the horse with Laminitis. Jeff spent this afternoon setting up a horse cover rack to reduce the 6.30am tasks.

Oxfordshire continues...June 22nd to 25th June

 All the next week here in the UK is forecast to be hot. They send out  "red alerts" "danger of death" schools close etc. Although ironically thousands of Brits go to Europe - Italy, Spain, France for summer holidays where 35C is not uncommon. These temperatures are not bearable in the UK as generally housing is setup for cold, damp weather, domestic airconditioning is a dream for many. Not to mention the council zealouts who do not allow planning permission for aircon  - "open a window but close them at night"...I ask you. 

So we have plotted out the weeks activities allowing for our walks, swimming for the black labrador we are caring for before the 3pm forecast 33C arrives. Monday saw us drive to Newbridge (25mins drive) which is on the Thames River. The river is small and clear in this part of England. It actually starts near Cheltenham about 50km away. If you think of the, at times, brown very wide river meandering through London it is such a contrast. We walked about 11km on what was called " New Bridge to The Blue Boar loop".  Lots of canal boats, locks and good places for the dog to swim, she was overjoyed. 

Wandering along the path we kept seeing bright blue dragon flies. 

The path passed bird hides, avenues of trees and a field of cows and calves. The deciduous lime trees ( Linden sp.) are in full flower and the scent is a delight We had a couple of these at Jefferswood. Finished up back at New Bridge at The Rose Revived - such great pub names.

Later afternoon Jeff was chatting on the phone to a friend and there was a terrific thump. I thought one of the many pigeons that live around the house had undertaken a kamikaze on the house but no. One of the cypress trees, weighted with ivy, had just fallen over from the neighbours landing on the fence and the roof of the house. So neighbour got onto the "Town and Country" arborist and put up a sign to say the Public Footpath between the two properties is out of action. Next morning a couple of lads spent 4 hours removing the tree, Jeff repaired the fence, replaced spouting. A couple of stone tiles need replaced but not paramount. We tidied up gardens and hay presto all good. Heaps more light coming into the kitchen now.

Weirdly the owner of the home we are looking after, sent a whatsapp message next morning that the village community group had advised there was a burst water main at Poffley End, so no water. Barely noticed and given the panic about the temperatures they were onto it quickly.  We did not bother to tell him about the tree as it was sorted, but the village drum beats loudly all the way to Scotland where they are holidaying. He had already advised us "how to cope with hot temps" 😵‍💫.  Jeff replied all under control re tree. Got the lawns mowed and then a terrific thunderstorm gave everything a soaking, perfect.

Just below the Sainsbury carpark is the Windrush River in Whitney so handy for another swim for dog , Omey, at days end.

Stick chasing in action.

Next day in the car early heading to Waddesdon Manor near Aylesbury. Hectares of parklands and the "Rothschild pile" as Jeff calls it. Owned by the National Trust since it was gifted in 1957.  No one actually lives there and has been open; house, gardens, aviary etc to public for 65 years. Some 500,000 people visit every year. It was built 1874-1889 as a weekend retreat and to entertain the rich and famous. Also houses an enormous art and antiques collection. Rothschilds hosted evacuated children and asylum to jewish boys over World War 2. These days exhibitions, sculpting, artists get opportunities. Various films, TV programmes are filmed there. 

Rothschild wanted to replicate the French Chateaux style. Very OTT but amassing wealth via banking can have that effect, apparently.

The usual scaffolding for the endless maintenance required.

Gardens were stunning 

The parklands were excellent with many large deciduous trees. Although we are members of the National Trust via Heritage NZ, we did not go into the house, aviary etc. We love these walks.

Good views over Buckinghamshire.

A chap at the hardware store in Witney, where Jeff bought replacement spouting, bracket, was a lapsed kiwi having lived in the UK for 24 years. He mentioned a great village to visit, walk and a river Omey could swim in called Bibury. There was also a cafe in the area called "The Country Kiwi" run by a chap from Invercargill no less.

Bibury is on the River Coln and was in the Doomsday book, 1086 AD. It is a major destination for tourists due to the row of weavers cottages from 1380, historic mill and fab teahouse. We were really only interested in the 8km river loop walk and so we were there by 8.30am and had the place to ourselves before the hoards, and heat arrived. Omey loved the swimming of course.

The most photographed Weavers cottages at 8.30am. Masses of selfie takers by 11am.

Delighted to walk past a white heron

What was the flour mill.

This is a family home just out of the village, hidden out of sight really.  

We called into the teahouse and met a couple who have made a business out of taking in greyhounds while owners are on holiday, good opportunity spotted. They are booked out until November taking four at a time plus their own called Fox. A bit drippy but a gentle soul, the greyhound that is.

The Country Kiwi cafe was very busy with lunch trade so not much of a chance to talk to the owner, Aaron. They stocked some kiwiana - pineapple lumps, Whittakers peanut slabs which the lass serving said they sell out of "all the time".

One of the joys of countryside UK is the public paths, bridleways, permissive paths everywhere. A field of wheat, barley etc will have a path right through the middle of it. These public right of way exist independently from land ownership originating from pilgrimage routes, Roman roads and Neolithic tracks.  We are never short of paths through woods, fields, along streams etc. In saying that, many rivers are "Private" for fishing.