** Please take a look through our website to follow the progress of the new build.  Exciting times for us** 

Well it is a glorious morning.. and the Bank Holiday threat of dreadful weather was in the end not as fun-spoiling as it threatened to be.  There were plenty of beach walking opportunities, places to explore and Easter Egg hunt adventures.  A happy Sunday morning was spent on a sunny stroll through the dunes looking for the Easter Bunny and building sandcastles.. and eating homemade simnel cake and yummy Easter eggs...

Monday was a fantastic storytelling morning by the fire followed by a visit to Alford Craft Market where the local crafts are going from strength to strength, there was live music and a fantastic, relaxed atmosphere and we happily decorated Easter eggs... today we are returning to make fimo dragon eggs with the fabulous Charlotte of Fantasies in Fimo at the Alford Craft Market Shop.  they are running a fantastic range of courses, some for children and some for adults - but open to all - and if you wish to book on any of the courses while you are on holiday we can happily arrange that for you.

you can find information at their website and on their Facebook page, where they respond very quickly to messages

https://www.facebook.com/AlfordCraftMarket?ref=ts&fref=ts
http://www.alford.info/craftmarket/

It's nearly Easter!!

A rather lovely little girl keeps reminding me excitedly that it's nearly Easter!!  It seems it is nearly more exciting then Christmas - but I do think it is the prospect of 2 weeks off school, being able to go on adventures, play in the garden, be on the beach and generally have lots of fun that is creating the excitement!  Easter eggs are surprisingly ( for a 6 year old) low on the list -- though of course we will have garden Easter egg hunts for probably every day of the two weeks of holiday!! :-)

We are excited too about the season coming to life at Easter.  Places that have been closed to us all over the winter months are springing into life once more.  One of our first visits this year will be to the gorgeous Gunby Hall near Skegness - I adore the gardens at any time of year and the house is a wonder.  We have been to theatre productions in the gardens and some of the fabulous events they put on throughout the year.  They never fail to disappoint at Gunby Hall, which is why I am so looking forward to them being open again - and, of course, if you are a National Trust member entry is free, and the cakes are good whether you are a member or not!

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/gunby-estate-hall-and-gardens

On Mother's Day this year we went to the Manor House in Alford for afternoon tea.  It was amazing!! So so tasty - the homemade scones and cakes are defintely to be recommended!-  and such a gorgeous building to immerse yourself in.  We also discovered the beautiful walled garden on this visit too - a real gem.  A fairly new orchard sitting alongside vegetable growing areas, parterre garden, fruit bushes and sculpture encapsulates a perfectly relaxing and traquil space - and, very best of all, the trees and many of the plants all had name labels - I love that!  This, along with the fascinating history of the building itself, is a must for both visitors and locals.

http://www.alfordmanorhouse.co.uk/

Just a couple of the amazing places to visit nearby ..

Spring... progressing

Well here it is -- Spring!!  and how beautiful it is so far.  Clear skies, warm days, amazing beach walks..

Yes - we have had a couple of days of undeniably torrential rain leaving the footings for the new build 3 inches in water... but the builders bailed out and got on and the block and brick work is growing to meet the imminent arrival of the timber frame.

My mini 6 year old supervisor checked out the progress herself this evening and is happy that things are going to plan!  Hopping over the walls and exploring the new rooms in their very basic format is bliss for a creative mind... soon she will have a structure of an actual cottage to explore and that is exciting for all of us.

Gardening is the order of the day for me at the minute -  catching up with the left over splendour of last year and putting it in order for the growing year ahead.  The veg patch at Roman Bank is work in progress.  Begun last year with varying successes and failures, this year is determinedly setting out to be a productive year.  A couple of raised beds, new composting areas, an influx of re-placed raspberry canes and digging are underway.  I adore the earth.  I adore the process of growing, the breathing of the earth and I am fascinated by the moon phases in relation to growing crops - something I will be exploring much more this year and recording progress!

The garden of the new build is in a state of flux.  Necessary changes to the border and garden area will bring new life to it and I look forward to putting it in motion.  Sweetpeas and cut flowers are going to feature for the first time this year and in future years I would love to provide crops that people can use while they are here holidaying - peas, beans, carrots, radishes, salads, herbs .. you never know it some of it might happen this year, but with so much going on it just may not be possible.