Cows and Ceilidh!

This weekend was hot and' hopping' in the gardens !!

We knew something was afoot on Wednesday morning last week when the guys from  Hanbury Marquees arrived in the garden with some boards and started laying them out on the lawn - the cows arrived soon after to make suitable helpful suggestions and "cowments"

The guys were already "moo ving" as fast as they could!

A day or so later a splendid marquee was up -- it is the biggest we have seen in the gardens here.  Lots of work then ensued, setting it up to make it look really special for Bride Amy and Groom Simon who got married in Northfield on Saturday and then brought their guests here to celebrate their marriage.

The couple could not have had better weather for their special day - and they had a big surprise waiting when they came into the garden as Amy's Mum and Dad had arranged a piper to pipe them into the gardens  -  another first at the Jinney Ring!

Amy and Simon -- a lovely couple and a super day!

The marquee was boarded throughout, as the couple chose a ceilidh band and dance for their party - this was really successful with everyone dancing and clapping in no-time. The band "Big Jessie" talked them through the dances and then they all had go -- not bad considering it was such a warm night!  As you can imagine we kept out of the way and stayed on the ponds most of the night but we could see that it was great fun...

It was a good job the marquee was so big when the dancing started! 

Everyone was quite tired by the end of the night and went off to bed - they were a very nice group and left the garden really tidy and clean for us - we hope to see many of them again, although the guests seemed to be from all over country and some from abroad too.

The next day the staff worked really hard to tidy up the marquee and move all the furniture for a Wedding Fayre, so once again we did not get much sleep!  Within the Wedding Fayre we had flute players "Champagne Flutes" and Electric Violin Player Pete Hartley playing to the visitors and to the garden, both were lovely to hear.  There were a good number of local wedding service providers including flowers, jewellery, fireworks beauty and hats.  Lots of brides and grooms came along to have look.

All sorts of things for a wedding!

We would like to think that this week will be a bit quieter but is does not look like it as there is another wedding next weekend just before the Diamond Jubilee celebrations  -  oh well sleep is for the other birds!!

Breaking news -- a couple of mallard ducklings have just hatched in the incubator - we are waiting for more arrivals shortly.......

Bunting and Balloons

Laura and Mike got married yesterday at Hanbury Church.  They had decided they wanted a really relaxed day and chose the Jinney Ring to celebrate in their own style.  Laura's mum on the other hand was not quite so relaxed -- she was busy making bunting and table runners right up to the wedding day - and what a good job she did - the style of decoration looked lovely in the restaurant and conservatory and was perfect for party.  Laura and Mike opted for a pig roast for their meal, this was cooked outside slowly all day and was apparently very moist and tasty accompanied with salads and babs.  DJ Richard then had them all dancing well into the night (in the conservatory). We watched them through the windows, great fun!

Bunting and Balloons!

Bride Laura resting her feet!  Mum is in the foreground.

The weather has not been very warm this week but there has been a lot more planting going on in the Jubilee Garden -- We ducks have continued to try to help out and have been "pruning" the new blue flowers for Jean -- oddly she is not pleased with us at all!

All the flowering baskets are out now so we are hoping no more frost.  

Getting ready for the Diamond Jubilee

Top Glass have kicked off the Jinney Ring Diamond Jubilee celebrations in style this week and have  changed the glass tree decorations this week to get ready!  It looks stunning!  All of these pieces are for sale but we hope they don't go too quickly as it is creating quite a talking point for visitors.

The red white and blue tree decorations at the front steps

The centre is also now adorned with union jack bunting and the gardeners are well into the planting for the Diamond jubilee flower beds, despite the rain and all the help all of us (ducks) are giving them!

Adorned!

To celebrate the Jubilee the centre has a High Tea planned in a large marquee on the lawn on Sunday 3rd June and also a "folk in the garden" afternoon on Tuesday 5th June.

On Monday 4th June Hanbury Village are celebrating in style too with a picnic at the village hall in the daytime and then a barn dance and other music at the Jinney Ring in the Evening.  There will also be a beacon lit at the Church so everyone in the garden will see it

News from out on the ponds - the ducklings have moved in from the school and are now out and about on the ponds - they are beautiful ducks and really friendly - I watched them lifted out of the pond tonight to get them back into the pen..... the school children have obviously been taming them a little too well!

Windy week!

The wind last Sunday caused a lot of ruffled feathers and not that many visitors - we were blown all over the place and it was not that nice on the ponds.  There were a number of trees down around the centre, but fortunately the one that fell in the forest school area managed to narrowly miss the shelter.  Monday was a day of tidying up, picking up benches and cutting up the fallen trees !

 A near miss - it was tidied up by the time Hanbury School came to visit.

We hear that the ducklings at the school are growing fast and are now due to be with us next week - this will mean that the others will need to move into the larger duck house, it is about time as they are also growing fast - they will probably be out on the pond this week.  

The cows arrived back in the field yesterday -- you should have seen them charge around - we think it is the first time they have been let out this year, they are still pretty frisky now.  Good to see them back though as the grass is now so so long!.

This weekend has been a bit brighter weather wise, with plenty of visitors. Yesterday we had a classroom full of bee-keepers too.  They were on a course and this seems to be something that is increasingly popular here, partially as the local bee-keepers have hives here and are regularly checking them throughout the summer months.  They do look strange in their white gear walking through the fields (the cows find it fascinating too!).

Next week the site will start getting decorated for the Jubilee -- lots of red white and blue, bunting, plants and some glass too --- can't wait for the parties!  http://www.jinneyring.co.uk/acatalog/Diamond_Jubilee_Celebrations.html