Hedgehog and an umbrella Wedding

After a couple of dry weeks, yesterday saw some serious "weather for ducks" at the Jinney Ring, the forecast 'showers' translated into thunder, lightening and extremely heavy down pours.  All this did not manage to spoil Lucy and Andrews wedding we are happy to report, even though they had some outside activities planned into their day.  The gardens were set up for the event with an array of gazebos and they had skittles, horse-shoe throwing and coconut shy, just like a village fete!  The big garden marquee was also ready for them after they arrived (in their lovely Rolls Royce car) for their pre-dinner drinks and photos.

The highlight of the evening (from a ducks eye view) was watching bridegroom Andrew pick up his new bride and run up the garden to the restaurant to stop her dress getting too wet....wow, we were impressed!

Andrew and Lucy just wanted a really relaxed wedding breakfast with food that everyone likes so went for a "grazing" style BBQ meal - just as well it was cooked in side in the restaurant though as a BBQ outside would probably have made it a very damp affair, as it was everyone stayed warm and dry and had a really "chilled out" time with some lovely speeches at the end of the evening.

Behind the scenes making BBQ super

The Bride grooms father Mark was spotted in the children's activity area on his PC during the evening! -- no he had not got bored  - he was checking the couple in for their Honeymoon flight!

Aside from the wedding which was great to watch from the gardens, we also had a visitor in our duck pen - this hedgehog.  He had been found in the gardens rooting about and the gardener suspected he was not very well so gave him something to eat and drink before letting him back outside in the pen for a while.  There are so many slugs about at the moment in the garden it is difficult to think that we was just hungry, but he did seem to perk up a bit when he had been given some cat food!

 
Busy weekend ahead in the gardens - The Roving Crows on stage tonight we hear - surely not more birds!

Lots of celebrations

Gorgeous weekend for a sunbathing and splashing about, we have had a great time with tons of duck food, (although we will always make you think we are never fed!).  It was a good weekend for celebrations too - on Sunday we had three separate events going on at the dame time:

Firstly the Cain family came along for lunch and to plant a commemorative tree in memory of Christine Cain who was a regular visitor and loved the gardens.  They planted a lovely crimson decorative maple next to the bottom pond.

Second up was a "big birthday for Claire Parry - Claire and her husband have celebrated with us for other occasions as well so we were delighted when she asked us to look after her and the family for this "unmentionable" big birthday (she certainly does not look it!) Shirley also made a cake for the party - lovely summer colours!

Claire and her family

Having her cake and eating it!

The final party was held in our meeting room and started with Kir Royale in the gardens enjoying the lovely sunshine. This party was to celebrate the confirmation communion for Maud.  She looked pretty as a picture and the whole family turned out to celebrate with her.

  

60th Celebrations

After a very wet week we were worrying ourselves about how Christine's 60th birthday party was going to come together yesterday.  Christine and her husband are regular visitor to the Centre (we normally see her husband when he has been cycling - we did not recognize him with out his lycra!).  They put a lot of work and effort into their evening and it would have been a shame if the weather impacted it --- but happily the sun shone at the right time and the party had an opportunity to enjoy the early evening in the gardens with us whilst enjoying their canapés and drinks.  after this they moved into the restaurant which was all decorated out in blue and while, they ate, drank and danced the night away - it all looked and sounded lovely!

We have had a number of daytime parties lately too - some high tea, some special lunches and have also had some smashing people staying overnight through a group called Britstops, they park up their motorhomes in the car park over night and enjoy the Centre during the day before moving on with their travels.  Without fail they come and visit us in the gardens and are very appreciative of everything.

Out on the ponds the newest ducklings have now been let out for their first "swims" - they did really well and took to it like ...well you know what I was going to say!

Unfortunately we lost two of the earlier batch of ducklings when the weather was so wet on Wednesday - they were allowed to stay out because their pen was waterlogged and a fox took two of them and left a third with a nasty gash on his neck - we think that they must have been all huddled up together on the grass and the fox could not believe his luck - it is very sad, but hopefully the others now realize that they need to come to the islands like us.

The next thing on our agenda in the gardens is a wedding followed by the have a go craft day and the Roving Crows in concert (28th June)- we are really looking forward to hearing another bunch of birds "singing"!