A Duck's Diary from the Jinney Ring Craft Centre

Just some of the stuff that I see here!



Saturday 25 January 2014

Mud glorious Mud

We we have done it - we have been working so hard during the last month, and now I feel quite confident to report that we have achieved our goal of taking over the garden properly and turning it into a mud bath (really good treatment for the feathers and the worms love it too!).  The constant bouts of heavy rain have assisted our mission but we have dabbled and dabbled too for the creation.  What do you think?


The shame of it is that all this will have disappeared by summer and the grass will grow back but it is nice while it lasts!

It has been a while since I have written in my diary, and there has been quite a lot going on, especially over Christmas and New Year.  Santa popped in for Weekends into the lovely grotto (with its round 'port hole' window),  we saw lots of children visiting (they came to see us too and all seemed pretty happy!).

'Hanbury In Voice' sang carols and songs to a restaurant jam packed with visitors on Christmas Eve and then it went quiet at about 4pm for two whole days, the only ones in the year that the Centre is closed.   It was not completely quiet though as the local Hunt came right past the Centre on Boxing day - they did look smart!

New Year's Eve in the Restaurant was lovely with everyone dressing very smartly for the 'Agatha Christie Theme' celebration.  There were moustaches on the tables (Hercule Poirot style) and some knitting wool and needles (Miss Marple).  Everyone threw themselves into the spirit of the occasion and an impromptu knitting competition ensued!  Jazz duo 'Blue2' had researched the topic and played music to suit the occasion including the theme tunes to the TV Poirot series and did us proud, then there was dancing to finish the evening - what a lovely evening with a lot of familiar faces.

New Year's day was heaving with folk too - this time they were with us for breakfast which was on the menu for most of the day. The weather wasn't very good but it was good to see so many people coming out, with or without headaches following parties the night before!

Since New year the staff have been having a good sort out and cleaning everything in sight - it is fairly normal to catch up ion jobs in January and there is an especially big sort outs going on the back rooms of the gift shop with a sale of some lovely items so that they can free up space for other things.

Finally - we also hear that once again we have been featured on the TV - this time it was for the BBC's 'Escape to the Country' (Thursday 23rd Jan) . Lots of people saw it and said how good the Centre looked and also how inviting Worcestershire came across - there were some great shots of the Malvern Hills and well as Droitwich town too. (It is on i-player at the moment)  The program was shot last year when the garden was not looking half as muddy as we have made it now - shame really would be good to have our work on film!