Visiting Warwick Castle

Hello everyone.

Another week has flown by, and it has been very hot in this small corner. Many parts of the UK have experienced unusually hot weather for this time of year, and lots of us have been trying to find a shady spot to stay cool. 

For most of the week, we have managed to avoid the sun's intense rays, but on Wednesday, we braved a day out. D is on a half-term holiday, and she suggested a trip to Warwick Castle. Although we bought the tickets before the hot weather arrived, thankfully, Wednesday was not as unbearably hot for us as Monday and Tuesday.

Inside the grounds, we made our way to where the trebuchet demonstration was about to start. Sadly, it was mostly a talk, as part of the firing and arming mechanism was faulty, and they didn't want to cause an accident. This did actually happen in 2015 when a burning projectile damaged a Victorian boathouse on the River Avon. The trebuchet is currently the largest functioning construction of its kind and was built in 2005, based on historical designs. It stands 18 metres tall and can fire missiles weighing 36kg up to 300 metres.

We then enjoyed the newest attraction at Warwick Castle called 'Viking Invaders'. 

This was a live-action, action-packed stunt show with horses and riders, explosions, and bravery, telling the tale of Ethelflaed, daughter of Alfred the Great, and her bravery in leading her people against Viking invaders.  

While we were having lunch, we were treated to a wonderful falconry and birds of prey display, which was linked to a story about a young falconer's quest to bring back the finest birds of prey to Warwick Castle. 

Then it was on to the castle itself. We joined an excellent guided tour that gave a whistle-stop talk on the history of the castle and the Earls of Warwick. 

One of the interesting facts we learned was about the castle's defences. D was especially interested in the gatehouse and Barbican defences.

Anybody attempting to attack the castle needed to breach a portcullis, knock down a heavy oak door, and avoid the murder holes, through which the defenders could throw boiling oil and quick lime on your head. Once, there was an uncovered space where you might have a deluge of arrows fired down at you. If that was not enough, you then had to repeat the process of getting through the portcullis and the oak door, only a few steps further into the castle.

I think if you managed to survive all that, you deserved to get into the castle.

We did not try entering by this method. Instead, we enjoyed a leisurely walk around the inside of the castle to view an impressive display of armoury and some of the rooms showcasing furniture and items from various time periods. Some rooms also featured waxwork figures of historical characters to enhance the experience. 

We had not been to Warwick for many years, and we were glad to make a return visit, enjoying both the castle and the grounds as well as all the other attractions on offer. 

I hope that you have all had a good week, whatever you have been doing. 

Next week, hubby and I will be away, but D will keep an eye on things until we get back.

Thinking of you until we return from our travels

B x

In the Garden

Hello everyone. 

I have been outside in my garden this week. Everything is growing quickly in the garden after all the rain and sunshine we have had recently. Bees are buzzing, birds are singing, and it is a real joy to work and sit in the garden.

The area along our back fence has long been a problem space; we couldn't think of anything to grow there until a few months ago. I scattered some wildflower seeds and a few other old packets of seeds, and let nature take its course. While we have not had any flowers yet, there have been plenty of leaf varieties, and I'm sure the wildlife will enjoy the area regardless.

Some plants will undoubtedly turn out to be weeds, but I'm happy for them to survive in that part of the garden. In the photo, they look a little wilted with the heat, but they will be fine with some watering. 

A little further up the garden, we have the pond, and growth is exuberant with lots of plants. I think the bark mulch we put down last year has really helped keep weeds down and reduce the amount of watering we need.

Elsewhere in the garden, I have plenty of both veg and flowers growing.

And speaking of growing, this year, I have been trying to grow a few new things for the garden. So far, they all seem to be doing well with plenty of leaves emerging; I'm just waiting for the flowers to bloom. The lily is called ' Star Gazer' - pink, the begonias are 'Sunray'- peach/lemon and the dahlias, 'Banana Latte' - cream, and 'Pretty Woman'- pink.

Another new project has been the jute string and bamboo cane trellis to grow my peas and sweet peas along. I shall make a few adjustments for next year, but I like the idea of my veg and flowers growing up together. I will let you all know how that works out later in the summer.

Inside the house, my patience has finally been rewarded with the orchids starting to flower again. It has been over twelve months since this last happened, and I had almost given up hope. However, over the last few weeks, I noticed new growth on two of them, and this morning the first bud has opened. I am hoping for more flowers in the coming weeks. 

Here in the UK, many areas are going to be very hot next week. Stay safe in the heat if that applies to you. If you are getting a cooler week, may it still be a good week for you, whatever your plans.