Having equipped myself adequately for dog-walking in torrential downpours it's not often that I feel a bit trapped indoors by the weather, but this last week had been a bit extreme and cabin fever was setting in.
So wet that I will confess to occasionally opening the back door and hoping Nell will go out, perform and return of her own accord. Nell, in return, knows that if she just ventures around the corner of the house, out of sight, I will panic and think "Supposing she goes out onto the lane...and the one of three cars a day that go past happens to come along this minute," and end up getting togged up and doing a proper walk.
Anyway it was heaven to get out to meet a friend, who comments here as PineHillNotes. PHN lives down in Cornwall so we met halfway at Lanhydrock House, the National Trust property at Bodmin. The theme to Downton Abbey was playing on the car radio as I drove through the gates, and the news was reporting an upsurge in the number of UK trained butlers now being sought in China and Russia (and earning £150k...I may send Bookhound for a stint) which all felt spot on for this beautifully preserved Victorian pile, now very much an Edwardian preserve. The house is closed for the winter but the grounds, cafe and shop are open.
We immediately did coffee/hot chocolate and cake, and exchanged books for wool. PineHillNotes has recently completed the Betty Mouat Cowl designed by Kate Davies and there was wool to spare, enough for another for which I paid in books...
Fans of Kate Davies will be up at dawn on Monday to order a copy of her new book of patterns, Colours of Shetland. Kate has been dripping tantalising previews of the patterns onto Twitter this week, (you can find her on Twitter here,) and I will be as interested in the essays that accompany the designs as the tempting knits.
I have never really explored the estate at Lanhydrock so a walk round (well, hobble for me with a sprained ankle sustained in time-honoured fashion slipping off a pavement) and an inspection was in order...
Predictably stunning on a sunny Cornish day...
On the way round we stumbled upon a gem of pottery, as you do, I'll show you around there soon because it all segues well with my current read of The Potter's Hand by A.N.Wilson, a novel about the life and times of Josiah Wedgwood which I am really enjoying.
Recent storm damage much in evidence as we made our way back...
...by which time we have missed lunch and it is time for tea and crumpets. So back into the cafe which is located in the old stables, so you sit in nice little individual equine quarters and, rather than hay, make difficult decisions about whether you want jam or lemon curd to accompany.
As PineHillNotes drove west into a glorious setting sun, and I drove east with the sun gleaming in my mirror, the miles flew by as I pondered the intricacies of knitting the cowl with a puppy and a kitten in attendance, but also the blessings that are good days in the company of friends.
And apropos of no connection beyond the setting sun, we have had some corkers this week as the winter sun makes its way (left) across to its Shortest Day setting point, which will be exactly behind that woodland on December 21st, before setting back across the valley again.
Good for the soul, sights like that.
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