Come to Finca La Marina for Easter. I´m down here in Denia, in the beautiful Spanish province of Alicante (Comunidad Valenciana) preparing our Rustic Escape, Finca La Marina, for Easter. It´s still available if you want to come! It´s amazing here! While only five minutes from Denia seafront and the beaches of the Costa Blanca, and just off the A7 motorway link to both Alicante and Valencia airports (both no more than an hour away) and a lovely array of shops, little...
Spring Cottage and Monk House; the best places to spend Christmas!. I´ve just returned from decorating Spring Cottage and Monk House, our two beautiful Rustic Escapes in West Sussex. There really isn´t anywhere as perfect as England at Christmas time! I enjoyed cosy evenings in front of the fire in Spring Cottage and shopping in Petworth, at our fascinating fifteenth century Monk House.. Both Spring Cottage and Monk House are booked for this Christmas. ¡ There´s still time to book for next...
Your dog will love Monk House, our new Rustic Escape! I have spent two weeks this month preparing our new Rustic Escape, Monk House, in the beautiful rural town of Petworth, West Sussex, and was joined by my sister and her dog, Finlay. The house is ideal for dogs as it has a beautiful walled garden and a 50 metre lawn which runs all the way down to the lovely Shimmings´valley. To my delight, when it was time for ´walkies´we followed...
My first walk in the Valencian ´huerta´since before lockdown. Do you know how to pronounce the spanish word for kitchen garden, huerta? Its ¨where-tah!¨. Hence my little alliteration above...a walk in the w...huerta. Such a joy. I love it and used to do it every afternoon after school, with my four lovely little dogs. They were so excited, and I´m sure , amazed, yesterday evening, when I shouted the magic words...walkies! I don´t think they believed me until they tumbled...
I'm back! September. As promised. I always keep my promises. Hence the old, old photograph, from 35 years ago; depicting the very first day in my school, my dear Cambridge House Community College. You can see me, the young, terribly naive Headteacher, having a welcome cup of tea: while my first ten students settled in, around me, in our little school. I was the only teacher! I now have over 168 of them! All those years ago I promised those...
I´m sharing these heartwarming photos with you from Amberley, the beautiful Sussex village where our Rustic Escape, Spring Cottage is nestled in the Southdowns, overlooking the Wildbrooks nature reserve. Steve, one of our Local Representatives, sent me a couple of photos taken this winter; one of a robin redbreast and the bare winter trees at the back of the garden, along with one he took of the same garden last summer when we had just mown our meadow under the...
Today we get 'out there'! You can join us! I must confess to feeling slight trepidation. Monday, March 2nd I go live! Here's what's been going on. In September of last year I became a part time founder,owner and Senior manager of my school so that I could fulfill my ambition to develop Rustic Escapes. We find and restore interesting historic properties in distinctive rural locations, in or near small villages yet well communicated ,by public transport to a larger...
Las setas son el motivo principal para visitar el monte en otoño: es toda una tradición ir con la familia o amigos a recolectar setas con la cesta colgada del brazo. Es esta época del año, una vez pasado el verano y el calor, antes de que llegue el frío del invierno, donde las temperaturas se suavizan y, sobre todo, aumenta la humedad, lo que propicia que proliferen esta maravillosa especie. Su variedad y riqueza gastronómica son ilimitadas, pero no sé...
Bringing rural history to life in Sussex Rescued rural homes and buildings bring history to life at the Weald and Downland Living Museum in Sussex which demonstrates the lives of the people who lived and worked in South East England over 1,000 years. Join their programme of traditional rural trades and crafts courses such as stone carving, blacksmith skills or participating in a medieval feast. Or just enjoy exploring the beautiful gardens and the woodland, seeing the farm animals – and don’t...
When staying at Spring Cottage in Amberley, Sussex last month, I was delighted to realise that it coincided with my annual visit to the Garden Weekend at Parham House and Gardens. This is held on the second weekend of July each year in the grounds of this beautiful Elizabethan country estate amidst rolling countryside and is just a stone's throw from our Rustic Escape in Amberley. Having watched the Morris dancers and a local jazz trio welcoming the visitors I passed...
