Every two years our village throws open our garden gates to celebrate the English country garden. Hundreds arrive, in coaches, on bicycles and in their cars (to be left in the car parks at the edge of the village)
Brass bands play in the gardens of the old vicarage, harps and sopranos in the church and Morris men outside the Axe & Compass, where Nigel does hog-roasts. The weather is a perfect English summer's day with blue skies, fluffy white clouds and warm sunshine. Some of the gardens are doing tea and cakes, some sandwiches and the pub has brought all sorts of guest beers in for the weekend (Black Sheep! yummee!)
It is a well run affair, with marshals, car park monitors, first-aiders, marquees and bunting. There are vintage and classic cars on display dotted around the village.
Today I am garden sitting and selling programmes, tomorrow I am on car parks. Lynnie is making cakes for the cake stalls. The whole village mucks in. This afternoon we have the Bigamist and the Plumber (no longer potentially bigamistic as they are now legally wed) arriving to stay the night and this evening Lord Elpus and Miss Whiplash are coming over to join us for a spot of dinner.
This is what makes Britain great.
Brass bands play in the gardens of the old vicarage, harps and sopranos in the church and Morris men outside the Axe & Compass, where Nigel does hog-roasts. The weather is a perfect English summer's day with blue skies, fluffy white clouds and warm sunshine. Some of the gardens are doing tea and cakes, some sandwiches and the pub has brought all sorts of guest beers in for the weekend (Black Sheep! yummee!)
It is a well run affair, with marshals, car park monitors, first-aiders, marquees and bunting. There are vintage and classic cars on display dotted around the village.
Today I am garden sitting and selling programmes, tomorrow I am on car parks. Lynnie is making cakes for the cake stalls. The whole village mucks in. This afternoon we have the Bigamist and the Plumber (no longer potentially bigamistic as they are now legally wed) arriving to stay the night and this evening Lord Elpus and Miss Whiplash are coming over to join us for a spot of dinner.
This is what makes Britain great.
Sounds like a wonderful village Alan. Some of the 1950's/60's spirit about the place.
ReplyDeleteI wish you all sucess.
Fenlander
Sounds more like Midsomer to me. Be very careful - and if you see John Nettles around, get out of there!
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