Another cool night and an overcast grey morning. I can handle dull mornings I have had plenty of experience of dull and damp.
I apologise for yesterday’s quality. It was a senior moment during RAW conversion. Here is one I re-edited.
I prefer the re-edit.
This morning I went in roughly the same direction. I decided to get some details of the house.
It’s not easy without paying to go in. It’s not easy if you do pay as a thousand others have also entered. In any case it was shut. I am waiting to pay till the sculpture exhibition arrives in September. It’s called ‘Beyond Limits’. Should the Duchess of Cambridge pay a visit prior to autumn then I may change my plan and take some snaps of her frolicking on the terrace.
The new Duke of Devonshire is doing a grand job. He is spending a fortune restoring his vast estates to their former glory. This is his crest and Cavendo Tutus means stamp on the plebeians…..only joking your Lordship. It means Safe through Caution. I’m not a pleb.
MDCCII……1702 to us less privileged folk.
All the gates are being painted and gilded. I would like to try living in a gilded cage. I would employ a man or two to keep the peasants away. Perhaps it’s as well I’m not a member of the peerage.
We got side tracked on the way home…………………………………..
What have the dogs seen………A flock of ………………………………………….
Sorry… a herd of Fallow Deer. It took us almost an hour but I managed to get within a hundred yards. I crept and sidled up closer and closer. All the while exhorting the dogs to be quiet on pain of rapid conversion to carrion.
Wary but pretty relaxed for the time of year.
I suspect these are all stags. Some have got their antlers still. A great find. I often see them in the distance but unless they are rutting they are not usually so accommodating.
That’s all for today, I’m off for a shower and a polish up. Lunch is back on….arrangements were jeopardised yesterday by my thoughtlessness. What!… Me!…. Thoughtless? I know you find it hard to believe.
Have a great week,
Beautiful pictures of the deer Adrian! Lovely to see the herd. I wouldn't mind living there occasionally :)
ReplyDeleteIt's a bit on the cool side Ruby. Then so are the uplands of India. Two hours of sun yesterday and I couldn't function....Sunstroke I got!
ReplyDeleteWell at least you have your own pheasant outside your door, I recall from your previous post. Maybe you need to employ a couple of peasants to keep the lord of the manor away...?
ReplyDeleteThe weekend I've have been surrounded by townies. No. The duke should shoot a few...they need culling like the deer. The latter are culled the former unfortunately not. We just employ droves of folk to guide them through their miserable lives. The result is I have to associate with the great unwashed.
DeleteI know you have a thing about the pheasants at the moment, Adrian, but why would you pay people to keep them away? Oh, sorry, just re-read that sentence...
ReplyDeleteIf the Duchess brings her sister to frolic as well please let me know.
After the weekend I've had with pond life I'd shoot them myself. Save the country a fortune.
DeleteI wouldn't be informed of such a visit. One has to buy the Telegraph and look in the little bit they call Court Circular it tells you where the leeches are going at your expense.
PS. Only the Duchess of Cambridge flashes her tits so unless it is contagious it may not be worth the petrol bill.
I sympathies on your thoughts on a cull. The world desperately needs one just now. I'd start in Asia, and work west.
ReplyDeleteThat's me doomed then.
The Duke is doing a grand job of restoration. I'd spare him.
All white Angly Saxyies...were the pond life. Dogs running amok, likewise their offspring....not the dogs issue...the parents.
ReplyDeleteLaura was round this morning and was watching the birds on my feeder. Two little girls where playing hide and seek round the van.
Laura had never seen a Nuthatch...told her they were very very rare and I'd had to buy cashew nuts soaked in vintage brandy to tempt one.
The kids went away...amazing how a girl can get away with opening the van door and shouting. 'Fuck off you wee bastards and now! I'm trying to watch a rare bird'.
Laura is a rare bird so she should know one.
We have had a visit from the Indian site warden over the children and Laura. She gave him a hug and a kiss and thanked him for doing an impossible job. Could he have a word with the little children, if the word failed could he curry them for a Take-away?
Don't get paranoid Keith. Bad behaviour is not a racial issue. It's the issue of bad parentage that is the issue.
Have a good trip to the sanity of Wales and don't let those Welsh bastards get to you.
I like your Deer, who live with the Lord, gord help us.
ReplyDeleteFallow Deer are great for me. They hide their young in bracken. The fawns don't smell or crap. Then by July they are hopping and skipping about like Bamby.
ReplyDeleteCome and see what he is preserving. Come here to Chatsworth or Bolton Abbey where by cutting and judicious replanting he has created the vistas that Turner painted. What is more it is all wheel chair friendly. His dad was a wanker but though I've never met the current Duke he is doing a brilliant job.
That "guy" the Duke has a pretty fancy house! I find the large ornate structures fascinating. I can never understand why somebody in his right mind would want such a structure for a residence?
ReplyDeleteAnyway , for rest of your post you have some more interesting critters to show..
Red, anachronistic as it may appear to you and me. The Brits and your southern neighbours are still very colonialist. It's an easy way to wealth.
ReplyDeleteHe has not one but several houses similar to this. This is the jewel in his crown.
Canada gained independence long after the war of independence. We Brits hate the death but do love the war. We torched the White House just before you became free.
Canadians have a climate to fight. We do need restraining. Perhaps our new governor of the bank will restrain us. I don't think he has a chance. He'll be back westward to home and freedom within an eighteen month. He'll have ripped us off.
His house runs out to two villages, all more or less dependant on the success of tourism and how attractive it is.
He is doing his best.
What beautiful deer! Good job getting so close to them--it says a lot about both your patience and your dog training.
ReplyDeleteJoLynne they were tied up. It would have been chaos otherwise.
DeleteDeer and pheasant are the only things they chase....I have given up.
I'm not really sure which side of the gates I would prefer to live on, as both have advantages that one desires. LoI like the close up of the gate gilding, and the crest.
ReplyDeleteIt is well worth a visit Gary.
DeleteNothing left for me to say really. It would be far to mild or just plain pointless after all that lot. You not only provide some great pictures (I'll pass on the first two if you don't mind) but some good diatribic repartee.
ReplyDeleteI have never been on a site with so many badly behaved children and dogs....I wish i knew where they all came from.
DeleteSplendid pictures. You can tell the personality of the dog, even from the back!
ReplyDeleteOlga, Molly is the boss though half Alf's size. She is in charge of me come to think of it.
DeleteNice shots of the deer and architecture. Looks a bit like Margam Park and castle down her, only grander. Wouldn't mind swapping my little flat for either one!
ReplyDeleteJeremy...I used to work on this estate...it was brilliant....better than milking cows.
ReplyDeleteIt's a great place....a great place with draw backs. Mostly pond life drawbacks.
Such beautiful details in these structures.
ReplyDeleteIt's a wonderful House Hilary.
DeleteNow that is a herd of deer! Loved the photo of the back of the dog's heads and the commentary :) Terrific photos of the estate.
ReplyDeleteIt was a really good morning Glo. Deer fascinate the dogs...just as well they were on their lead.
DeleteMakes me wonder how much is spent on the renovations when you look at some of the detail involved, I wonder if the Duke has a discount card for B&Q
ReplyDeleteDouglas I seem to recall the budget was eight million sterling. They have replaced a fair bit of masonry as well as painting and gilding. It does all seem money well spent.
DeleteWow these photos are absolutely breathtaking sir.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to see you and thank you for your comment.
DeleteLove the Deer Adrian. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteI still struggle with the system swap. It will get better. I don't like Canon format so am cropping many images. Canon will see me out.
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