Leper Fields

 Sign outside the two Leper Fields

 Field on left

 Field on right

 Looking down into Taddiport

Looking over to common walks & up to our village

Friday 30th November Had our first really white frosty start to the morning on Thursday so winter is well & truly upon us. Due to car being frozen up on driveway which is north facing & this time of year the back of the house never gets the sunshine it was just a local walk with Beau. On yesterday's walk looking down to Taddiport said to Ros that would be a good walk in the village, so today parked near the river now thankfully gone down with all the rain we have had! Looked down many times to the Leper Fields from our village but not close up, the village of Taddiport is famous for being a Leper colony & they were put down there to stop mixing with other people & the strips allocated to grow all their own food. Each year a festival is held to celebrate the Lepers from the 14th Century http://www.leperfestival.co.uk/ & all money goes to charity. The walk was about a mile & half a little cold but was well wrapped up.

After the walk it was lunch then up to the recycle centre with garden cuttings from dead heading in the week then a visit to RHS Rosemoor with a few purchased made & a visit into the village for banking & post office & yes we still have a bank & post office in our village which is becoming rarer these days I still think villages should be self sufficient with cost of fuel & government making people drive out further what should be local. Sorry on soap-box I digressed.

Update on sitting room all decorating done & room back to normal I have been sorting out shack/study did not realise how much junk was in the cupboards, the study is the old maids room with pine cupboards & yes someone who lived here had a maid/servant & we still have the bell box in the room. No more dead fish in the small pond & if you follow the blog you will understand that comment. Anyway we are battening down the hatches for snow the pantry has been stocked for winter after last years minus 18 & roads were grid locked. Long life milk is in stock & a bread maker purchased & home brew wine as a back up can you tell we were brought up in the 1950s our mum's always had a pantry/store cupboard hard to let the tradition go & why if it works yes I know 24 hour supermarkets but not in our village!

Village Walk

 Obelisk on the commons 

 Looking over to RHS Rosemoor

Looking down the valley into Tadiport 

I think a puff ball mushroom

Been some time since I did a posting & have done two this afternoon. So what have I been up to taken down four trees the three at the bottom of the meadow close to common land were saplings which had got out of hand & causing me to worry that the pressure being put onto a old tree with a bowing branch which could cause it to snap & if that did break, down it could come onto some one walking on the footpath. So the electric chain saw came out & job was done with a big saving on cost & I have the logs for the open fire.  The other one was a specimen fir tee which was close to the house & the neighbours moaned about it taking out their light & it was also taking ours out as well! now it is down I will be able to fit my HF vertical aerial in the space (Radio Ham talk) anyway after doing all the physical work been suffering again with acid reflux & got told off by my doctor & was told to rest until the end of the year she said I thought you took early retirement!

After the joy of having new baby fish in the pond came a disaster. Ros was concerned the baby fish where unable to feed from the adult floating food so was asked to grind up the adult food in the pestal & mortar which I did every day sadly we poisoned the small fish with kindness! after a water test we found out to much ammonia in water! so home we came & I took out 30 buckets of water & put in fresh rain water & a good clean around still lost about 20 small fish but still loads left!

Then another problem arose! I replaced the last cast-iron down-spout outside & found it to be broken! the rain had been soaking into the wall indoors so the newly decorated wall & old Victorian prints & picture  soaked up the water & ruined them with mould! thankfully I was able to scan in the in-laws photo & re-touch it up in one of my photo programs then re-printed onto photographic paper & that is now at the picture framers been re-done. Had the dehumidifier on for the last two weeks today finished off the fine filler & will paint on the damp proof paint tomorrow & hopefully put up the lining paper on Friday then repaint the wall next week.

Raised veg beds have been dug over & the over wintering Japanese onions are planted also planted Chinese Salad Tatsoi Tahtsai an unusual vegetable which is perfect for Autumn planting & incredibly cold hardy they can be used for salads, soups or oriental stir-fry.

Army Display

 Nice collection

 Now that is fire power

 Back Pack

 Same one different angle

SAS display

Junker Morse key

Did a local village walk today with doggie on way back home called into the pannier market & came across a very interesting Army display from WW2 to Falklands & up to the modern day what attracted me being a radio ham was the communications items especially the back packs. The displays with photo boards was put on to raise money for the poppy appeal for all the war veterans. The above Morse key is a German Junker purchased it on Sunday at Holsworthy radio rally & still in original box just got to solder on a new plug it is a joy to use & looking forward to using it live on air. 

Fish & Swimming Ponds

Recycled ex oil drum herons!

 Guarding the fish pond

 Nearly full

Water well over the reed bed

Monday 8th October Woke to a damp start to the day but had planed a day in the meadow digging up mombrisha which is a real thug could not believe how much it had taken over an area I had planted last year. Did manage to put in some new winter flowering shrubs which we got from RHS Rosemoor before the fine rain came. You may know if you follow the blog my time this year has been taken up finishing off the swimming pond & decking area. Now really pleased with the swimming pond the water is over the reed bed & starting to clean the water this will get better once I have fitted the pump to help circulate the water going to make a home-made filter which will be a water butt & hay for the filter.

 Ros is thrilled this year with the small fish pond we have had 40 baby fish! but been told they would not all survive in a cold winter. The small pond is only 16 months old so everything must be good in it  I keep the pond pump going 24/7 which is also a little heat in the water. Just recently purchased two recycled ex oil drum herons to stand watch over it because there is a real one flying about & my nice neighbour has koi carp that is the reason for the net which I hate so hoping the metal herons will keep the live one away!

Norman Lockyer Observatory

 What a lovely sigh yes the area  is call Great Seaside!

 In from a hard days work

 The entrance

 What a great man

 On the door entry

 Fabulous aerial set up

Saturday 29th September Woke to wonderful sunny start to the day & it was time to pack the car & make our way back home. Like to make the trip home part of the holiday so it was the coast road back into Exeter. First stop was Seaton then onto Branscombe beach famous for the sinking of the MSC Napoli http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branscombe when driving into Sidmouth came across the Norman Lockyer Observatory http://www.normanlockyer.com/ which also houses the Sidmouth Amateur Radio Club just had to stop & take some photos had many a radio contact with the club & also seen the observatory on the BBC 2 Sky Watch program was such a thrill to visit. Will be paying another visit to an open day did not realise we are only 50 miles away from where we live in North Devon!Drove up through Exeter & because we did not want the day to end stopped off at Killerton to visit the updated costume collection with Ros loving textiles this is another NT property close to us http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/killerton/ that was the end to a perfect weeks rest & relaxation a most enjoyable time had by all.

Cogden Beach art work

 Information board

 Looking back to Eype

Friday 28th September Woke to another wet day but thankfully did turn into light rain during the week had taken the coast road past Burton Bradstock & noticed a NT car park so thought would take Beau down to see what it was like. First part was easy walking with grass close to the pebble beach on the walk came across some wonderful beach art from items picked of the beach someone had spent a lot of time making some really good art work. Then is was a early visit back to the caravan to pack suit case for the drive home. .

Durdle Door

 Lulworth Cove

 Durdle Door arch

Thursday was a very showery day but a trip to Durdle Door was planed for a visit seen it many times on the TV but never been to this part of Dorset before. Lots of visitors & walkers on the day with the caravan  & camping site being so close.

Kingston Lacy north of Poole Dorset

 Looking back to Sandbanks

 Entrance to large house?

 Table laid for tea

 Stunning interior

 Wind up gramophone 

 Early valve radio!

 Rear of house

Well manicured gardens

During the weeks break we went back to Kingston Lacy another NT property http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/kingston-lacy/  there is so much to see & the location is stunning well worth a visit such a interesting property. With the drive in saw the deer statue on the arch do not know who it belongs to I expect the grounds to another large house.