Astrantia

One of my favourite plants, Astrantia, struggles to be prolific on my garden. But while they are in bloom, Roma above and Snow Star below are a delight.

But when I visited Holehird Gardens in the Lake District, I saw how they were really meant to be. They had a number of varieties, all thriving where mine are nearly over. And then I read they need heavy, humus rich and damp soil. They certainly get that in Cumbria.

What I would really like is a dark red like the one below.

Holehird Gardens

It was on the Tuesday of our week in the Lake District that, after two tiring days walking, I grabbed the chance to go to the ten acre Lakeland Horticultural Society's Holehird Gardens. And what a spectacular day it was. Not only was the weather warm and sunny, but planting was at it's best and the views were quite something.

I started in the Walled Garden where borders not only follow the walls but there are five island beds full of fantastic plants.

I loved the fact there were so many Astrantias (my favourite flower), all far more prolific than mine.

The Lower Garden is great to explore as it falls downhill towards the valley below. Some of the half hidden features include the Gunnera Pool and Cascade, the Hydrangea Walk, the Woodland Walk and the Lower Terrace.

The views are breathtaking with Crinkle Crags and the Langdale Pikes in the distance.

Even Lake Windermere comes into view.

The Upper Garden follows the contours of the fellside uphill and here are many different borders including certain national collections.

I was lucky to see the gardens on such a perfect day, and having lunch tucked away at the far side of the water feature with views to the fells in the distance, well I couldn't ask for more.

http://holehirdgardens.org.uk

A Week in the Lake District - 2017

Our third successive year at Coachman's Cottage in Grasmere and our eighteenth visit to the Lake District. Let me say first of all that we have never had such sunny weather on any of our previous holidays there. We were able to sit outside at the end of all the first six days. Thursday was the first day I wore a jumper.

FRIDAY

We traveled up the day before and stayed in the guest suite of  Alison's father's home near Stockport. We had lunch at The Plaza Cafe that is situated in the restored theatre/cinema.

In the evening we were invited to dinner at Alison's sisters and caught up with niece Emily.

SATURDAY

Alison had chosen the National Trust Lyme Park for our parkrun, mainly because we were meeting her brother John there. A lovely morning for a run but it was the hilliest course you could imagine. When you were not running up steep hills, there were precipitous descents to endure. It was awful. I finished in a time of 34 minutes 20 seconds, well behind Alison. No wonder there were not many runners. But what was nice was the tea and cake with John in the Timber Yard Cafe afterwards. And talking to the ladies from Redditch.

We arrived in Grasmere in warm sunshine and sat outside the cottage with Anne and Chas who arrived shortly after we did.

They were staying with us until Wednesday. After unpacking, we had time for a walk around Grasmere and drinks outside Tweedies Bar with their famous beer triples.

SUNDAY

The weather was again warm and sunny and we walked from the cottage past Grasmere and took the high level path to reach Rydal Water before heading up Loughrigg Fell. A superb climb on a glorious day.

At the top we could see the path that went down towards Ambleside, and although we missed the most direct of the two routes down, we did reach the valley and the River Rothay. The path along the river took us to Rydal Water where the lake had never looked so blue.

A six hour walk in the sun, we were glade of the shade on the last stretch.

MONDAY

The second morning we had breakfast outside. Quite surreal. We drove to Glenridding to take the steamer down Ullswater for the walk back as we had done in the past.

We managed to get the last parking spot in the car park and only had a short wait for the boat, again trying to keep out of the sun! The steamer takes half an hour to Howtown where we disembarked. The walk back is only 7 miles but it is very undulating and, at times, rocky underfoot. But great views of the lake.

So it took us four hours, but that was with a few stops for lunch and refreshments, including the isolated Lowther Barn Cafe.

In the end I was pretty tired in the 24 degree temperature. In the evening we drove to Chapel Stile for dinner, but Wainwright's was extremely crowded so it was back to Ambleside. Our favourite restaurant Dodds (who do not take bookings) found us a table. Back at the cottage, we sat outside for coffee at 10pm!

TUESDAY

We were all pretty tired after the energetic last two days so we plumped for something less strenuous. On another sunny day, (after breakfast outside again) Anne and Chas wanted to walk to nearby National Trust property at Allan Bank, Alison decided to walk up to Easedale Tarn and I wanted to go to Holehird Gardens. I have a separate post for my visit to these superb gardens.

When we all had arrived back, we had drinks outside. For dinner, we wanted to try the menu at Tweedies Bar. There was a wait for a table (which we should have booked). The food was ordinary but there is a great selection of beers. Another sunny day around 24 degrees.

WEDNESDAY

The day started with rain but it soon dried up. Anne and Chas were leaving so it was late morning when Alison and I went for our run down the Langdale Valley from Elterwater. Five miles later it had become very warm again. A late lunch outside the cottage, and the sun was out again as we took the (very) short walk up to Allan Bank.

Anne and Chas had recommended the Woodland Trail for a rocky climb up to a good viewpoint.

Later there are views to our cottage and the main house of Ryelands.

We even saw red squirrels, although they are hard to find in the photos.

Back at the cottage, we sat outside for tea and cake. Another warm and sunny afternoon.

THURSDAY

We had always saved Thursday for our big walk. Last year it was High Street and this year Bowfell. It was a cloudy start to the day, but the forecast was for it to clear in the middle of the day. We drove to the National Trust car park at Dungeon Ghyll and walked along Mickledon at the end of the Langdale Valley. We tried a route up to Hell Ghyll but came across what looked like a dangerously wet rock, crossing a stream. Not knowing the path, we headed back to the bottom and instead climbed up The Band. It became cloudier and mistier the higher we climbed.

The top of Bowfell was in the cloud, and people we met told us they were unable to see anything in the distance. We had reached three tarns at a height of about 675 meters and after starting and stopping, with the dramatic mist rolling down the fellside, we decided to head on back downhill. It was not long after that the sun came out at lower levels and we had great views of the Langdale Pikes to the left.

And Crinkle Crags to the right.

Although Bowfell was still in cloud. So being a little lower was fine as the sun made it a lovely afternoon for the descent. a six hour walk was enough for me.

And tea outside again on our return. We tried Dodds again for dinner in Ambleside, but the wait for a table was far too long. That turned out fine as the wonderful Thai restaurant Doi Inaton had a table upstairs. The food was great as usual.

FRIDAY

Back to normal Lake District weather with heavy rain in the early morning. We decided to do some of the packing as we were leaving early the next day. It was still light rain on the way to Keswick but this had stopped when we arrived. The only photo of the day were the new trail shoes Alison bought at the New Balance outlet shop she had sourced before the holiday. I wondered why Keswick was the back up day.

We had a very filling lunch at Brysons. Fortunately it was dry as we wandered around the town. Back at the cottage we watched some of the tennis from Queens Club and waited for a shower to pass for a late walk around Grasmere and shopping for gingerbread and a couple of things at the Herdy shop.

Friday was a lot cooler at 17 degrees, but it was nice to have another quiet day.

SATURDAY

An early start to pack the car and get to Fell Foot Park for parkrun. A nice morning for a run, but too cool to sit outside the NT cafe for tea and a sausage sandwich. On previous occasions we have walked around the lake, but instead we headed for home for an untroubled drive of exactly four hours. We had missed the days of 30 degree plus temperatures in the south, so our holiday was perfectly timed. And back to fresher weather.

My Cousin Rachel, The Mummy and Churchill

Did big time director Roger Michel think this was a good idea and then got bored? The film is handsome to look at, the script by Michel from the book by Daphne du Maurier is fine and the acting from Rachel Weisz and Sam Claflin is up to scratch. So why did it not have the punch the novel deserved? Somehow the chemistry between the two leads was missing. All down to the director. It was good but could have been so much better.

I cannot remember Tom Cruise trying to play the lovable rogue. In future he should steer clear of any such role. He is so unconvincing, you laugh with embarrassment, not at the wit. The story and the action sequences are fine, but the dialogue is awful. And Russell Crowe. Well!

Another movie that fails because of the awful script. At least The Mummy had action whereas a drama such as Churchill depends on the screenplay. Brian Cox and Miranda Richardson are superb, but they cannot rescue this dud. Such a shame.

The Gustav Sonata, Runaway and Before the Fall

Gustav and Anton, two boys who encapsulate post war Switzerland. Gustav, the unloved son of Emilie who works in a cheese factory, and Anton who is from a much wealthier family. But it is Gustav, whose philosophy is based on being master of oneself, who is Anton's rock. But does Anton really appreciate that friendship? When the story jumps to them in middle age, we find out who loves who.

This poignant and sensitive novel is also about betrayal. And for this we travel back in time to when Gustav's parents met. Betrayal can take all sorts of forms, and how Gustav's father's position in the police is in jeopardy in 1938 is crucial, both for the neutrality of Switzerland in WW2, and for Gustav himself many years later.

The characters who inhabit this story are vivid and real. Sometimes novels like this one can be a little disappointing in the final quarter. But not this one. Here it is something quite special. The author's writing is, as always, quite superb. Emotional and sometimes heart braking, but always truthful, the human stories burst from the page.

As an experiment, I decided to read one of the eight short stories when I had finished another book. Maybe that was the wrong choice as I think they should be read together. They range between 33 pages and 65 and are a type of domestic drama that I'm like. Even so, the first, from which the book takes it's name, is quite chilling in it's own way. The final (and longest) story, POWERS, is quite astonishing. It contains what could be considered as a number of even shorter stories, some with individual chapter headings, some extracts from a diary, some first person, others third person. Quite a rush through the life of Nancy, told at various times as she grows older. A real feat of ingenuity.

Although I hardly ever read thrillers these days, the reviews were so good I gave it a try. It was OK. The story was fine and the it rattles along at a good pace. But this is ultimately a book about sleaze and I was glad when it was over.

Colossal, Alien:Covenant and Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge

A relentlessly inventive movie, Colossal is perfect for the wonderful Anne Hathaway. The cross matching of alcoholism and a monster are only the start. Nacho Vigalondo has written and directed on a small budget but with "huge" results.

Instantly forgettable, but tense and exciting while it lasted, Ridley Scott's latest dose of the Alien franchise digs out all we had forgotten or remembered from previous episodes. Katherine Waterston is the new Ripley, aided and abetted this time by Michael Fassbender's creepy and devious synthetic Walter. Not much of a story, not much of a script, but it looks good on a really big screen.

The same can be said of the latest Pirates movie, a deliberate mash up "cut and past" as one critic described it) of what we have seen before. Fortunately I missed Part 4, and was encouraged to go by my post for Part 3 almost exactly ten years ago. (Although I referred to that as the last in the series. How wrong I was.) This one goes on far too long and sags somewhere around the middle. But there are some funny moments to go along with the general mayhem. Sometimes it's best to sit back and enjoy the production design, the music, cinematography, costumes, sets, sound and lighting. Here they all outrank the action.

My Name is Lucy Barton, This Must be the Place and An Unsuitable Job for a Woman

There are two stories I have read together about childhood hardship, one a short story by Alice Munro (I am dipping into her "Runaway" one story at a time) and the other this short novel by Elizabeth Strout. I will never forget the garage and the truck. So although we, as a family, had little money when I was young, there is always someone less well off. But that hardly matters at the time.

However, this book is not depressing, in fact it highlights that family alienation is not all there is for a fulfilling life. Our narrator, an older Lucy, is looking back to the time she spent in hospital when her mother, whom she had not seen for years sits by her bed for days. They reminisce about the old days and make a connection that Lucy treasures, even if it only has to be this one time.

I found the writing to be of the highest order: “Loneliness was the first flavour I had tasted in my life, and it was always there, hidden in the crevices of my mouth, reminding me". We have all been there. This is a powerful and emotional story that can be read over and over. I thought it was superb.

This is just a brilliant book, the best I have read for a long time. Up there with Maggie O'Farrells' "After You'd Gone" and her Costa winning novel "The Hand That First Held Mine". I loved the conversational tone ("Fill in for yourselves the usual reasons people go on vacation"). I loved the alternating first person, third person and even a section with the second person. I loved the switching backwards and forwards in time for each chapter, each sometimes presented difficulty to know where we are but not for long, they soon make perfect sense. Each based on a different character but always with wonderful cross references to another time. I loved the multiple narrators, I loved the chapter headings. I loved the auction catalogue. Each chapter is almost like a short interconnecting individual story, every one a little gem.

The characters, of course, are great. The reclusive Claudette Wells is hiding out in a remote area of Ireland. Daniel Sullivan is even more complex. Our initial sympathy for his divorce and alienation from his children soon disappears with his relationship with Nicola Janks, something that will haunt him the rest of his life. The writing, of course, is superb. "Mrs Spillane put her face close to mine. She was frowning, examining me, as if she had considered buying me but was coming to the conclusion that I had too many defects". I have made a note to read this again in a couple of years time.

My first ever P D James crime novel. It seemed a lot lighter than many modern thrillers, even the danger and murders are never gruesome. I was surprised how good the author is as a writer, there is well written drama and a decent plot. The succession of interviews once our young heroine embarks on her investigations are formulaic as any of the genre. But it was enjoyable while it lasted.