Wednesday 13 June 2007

Statesmen And Sprouts.....

I had Mum & Dad staying with me the other week, and for a day out, we went to look around Winston Churchill's home, Chartwell, which just outside Westerham, and is a National Trust property these days.

The house itself is an interesting mixture, with some rooms set up to look as if he and Clementine had just popped out for cocktails, while others, more like museum displays, are stuffed with Churchillian belongings, uniforms and memorabilia.

The grounds are very well maintained, and they are also in the process of restoring the walled kitchen garden, using the planting records of the Head Gardener of the period. All the produce seems to be used in the cafeteria/restaurant on site, which looked pretty good I have to say.

It was also Biggin Hill Air Fair the same day, and whilst we were standing Winnie's vegetable patch, a Spitfire flew low over us, which was most apposite of course.

Here are a few pics for the curious...






I doubt somehow that the folks will thank me for showing the world a shot of them hiding underneath a large gunnera, but some things of course are just beyond my editorial control!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lovely photos and a really nice one of your folks - you look just like than - naturally you would I hear you say

Greenmantle said...

Well it's to be hoped that I resemble them rather than anyone else I suppose!...Although as a toddler I apparently embarrased Mum by having a fixation about calling the milkman "Dadda".

angelfeet said...

Chartwell is one of our favourite places to visit and it is only twenty minutes' drive away, but we haven't been in a while, so it's lovely to see your piccies and be reminded of that lovely place.

Frankie said...

The folks look lovely. Have you seen this http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6761485.stm ??

Greenmantle said...

Thanks Frankie - Loveliness runs the family of course.

I hadn't seen the bountious potential...er I mean, terrible problem with the Milanese Hares.

My favourite food my far is rustic Italian - the thought of what they are probaly doing with all those furry nuisances is making me salivate.

Probaby something involving, shallots, chanterelles, butterbeans and white wine I expect...and saffron!

I had the rabbit version of this in Rome once, sitting on a terrance, on the Colle Opio, a wishbone's toss from the colesseum
below, with very good chianti - the sort they never send over here!