Secret Garden

We've been at the house today - beginning to uncover just what is there.
In front of the house is what looks to be a traditional cottage garden - at some 45 feet square it is pretty substantial. It is so overgrown that it has begun to take over the house, with ivy rising over the roof.It's really hard to get a feel for the size of it from the outside, and impossible to get into it.


There are three garden gates, one in each wall We have started to fight our way in.


We didn't think much would have survived the overgrowth of 33 years of neglect, but amazingly, plants are staring to appear!


We have roses, laurel, ornamental grasses, and more - a list will follow!

It is so exiting to work our way through

the jungle

a glimpse

still preserved: the formal path edges

like a sleeping beauty

hidden away - a secret garden

more to discover!

Legananny

less than two miles away is Legananny Dolmen; one of Ireland's finest prehistoric monuments.It has been standing for over four thousand years.

The New Beginning

We are delighted to report that we now have bought our new renovation project; the home to the new Turnip House.

It will need a new roof to begin with - of course!

We are on the Dromara Road out of Leitrim Village in County Down. Still in the Mournes AONB, and only a few miles from Castlewellan Forest Park.


In the foothills of the Dromara Hills, Slieve Croob rises behind us, giving some of the best views in Ireland.


There's an awful lot to be getting on with - which was the point really!


Keep an eye out - we will be blogging our journey toward the new Turnip House


Here are a few tasters:

The House from the road -

 yes we are on the road this time - no long lane to negotiate!

From the back - what a sight!

The Views!

 Charlie in the yard - in clover!

Charlie: Back in Newcastle

Well, we're back in Newcastle again for a little while, whilst the acquisition of our new project proceeds at a snails pace.


Still, with the weekend just gone, it cant's be said that we're not in the best place to kick our heels.


Sunday Morning Murlough:

Red Arrows over the Mournes

What a fantastic weekend here in Newcastle!
The centenary of the first official powered flight in Ireland, made by engineer and inventor Harry Ferguson across the sands from Dundrum to Newcastle was marked by a festival with the Red Arrows flying in a perfect summer sky.

read the story in the Mourne Observer

Red Squirrels in Tollymore Park

We're spending time back in our old Turnip House haunt of Clonachullion, whilst feverishly working away at our next big thing - like wading through treacle at the moment!
Hopefully we'll be in a position to move onwards very soon.
Still we're not complaining as it is so good to be up in the Mountains again.
Thanks to the great work of the Tollymore Red Squirrel Group there is a resurgence of these beautiful creatures around here.
We were sitting after lunch and saw this one helping himself to the bird's food right outside the kitchen:

David Mitchell: are smug Apple users losing their cachet? | Comment is free | The Observer

David Mitchell: are smug Apple users losing their cachet? | Comment is free | The Observer

I always love David Mitchell on radio or TV, now he's writing in the Guardian - too much of a good thing? Not yet anyway judging by the standards of this piece!

A Walk In The Park

This is Charlie with his new 'master' for the afternoon walking around the Lake at Mount Stewart yesterday

now you behave yourself 

I'm in charge!

Mount Stewart

Busy week making stuff - We have Mount Stewart Garden and Craft fair this weekend. 


We've been doing it since about 2004, not every year, but whenever we go,we enjoy it - it's a great event in a wonderful place!


Well worth a visit. Mount Stewart has one of the finest gardens, don't miss Tir Na Nog by the lakeside. 


With a whole host of Craft, food and garden related stalls, There will be lots of other things to see and do this weekend.


The weather is set fair; so make it a date!

21st Century Man � One Straw: Be The Change

21st Century Man � One Straw: Be The Change

Looking around the internet for ideas and came across this blog; some really practical and thought provoking stuff.

Read this article to see what I mean

Tollymore National Outdoor Centre

We went to the AGM of Bryansford Village Committee yesterday (we are of course now only 'honorary members'!)


The meeting was particularly memorable as it was held in the newly completed Tollymore National Outdoor Centre.


This is a truly landmark building worthy of any setting in the world, and made even more spectacular by it's setting in the Forest at the foot of the Mournes.

It was heartening to hear that the centre was fully booked this week.

A real triumph for Consarc Design, and brilliant to see vision elegance and quality all put into practice

The Mound Of Down

The Mound of Down

I'm looking forward to what's become a Wednesday afternoon tradition for Charlie and me.

Elaine teaches drama in Downpatrick most Wednesdays, and we go for a walk around the Mound Of Down.

This is a spectacular earthwork, and least 2,000 years old situated right next to the town behind the Down Museum and near to the Cathedral.

There are deep ditches surrounding the site, and what could be a Motte inside. Great views can be had of Downpatrick, The Mournes, the Quoile river and Slieve Croob.

Here's some pictures taken last week:

Check out the Guardian's interactive National carbon calculator - can you cut UK emissions? | Environment | guardian.co.uk

The Guardian has produced this fascinating tool to see what drives our carbon emissions, and what the effects of policy lifestyle changes have. It is really worth a look.

Interactive: National carbon calculator - can you cut UK emissions? | Environment | guardian.co.uk

Carlingford - and beyond

Another Sunday in Carlingford

A great day. Carlingford has the feel of a place apart - the natural landscape of mountain and sea, coupled with the historic buildings of old Carlingford creates a special atmosphere. If you've not been before, or not gone back recently, then I really recommend a visit. Even the journey to Carlingford is inspiring.

Coupled with that is the cosy, informal atmosphere of St Michael's Hall where the Food and Craft Fair is Held on the first Sunday of the month (and other 'high days and holidays')

The organisation is great, there's always a selection of good food and craft artisans at their stalls, from whom you can get a nourishing snack (that's us!), that gift that you were always looking for and something to make the night's tea really special.

It's well worth a visit - and that's not just marketing hype.

The next one is on Sunday 6th June 2010 12pm - 6pm

It's all a far cry from the recent news of the continuing debt crisis, which is a big deal for every country and their citizens, but particularly for Greece - the current 'basket case'. Don't be surprised when it is not the only one.

I'm not alone in thinking "We ordinary people have been put into enormous debt by our governments in order to rescue the broken financial institutions. Now they are bouncing back, paying huge bonuses, and 'downgrading' whole countries for being too far in debt"

I know it's far more complicated than that (what would I know, I'm just a craftsperson) But everyone should know - That way madness lies.

It has and will be said far more eloquently by others. I recommend the interview with David Harvey on thinking allowed on BBC radio 4 (always a good listen)

Even more thought provoking material is in his lecture at the LSE given last week.

No pictures for this post except in your head!

Felt Workshop at Down Arts Centre

Saturday was spent with 11 lovely people at the Down Arts Centre creating felt bags.

All but 1 had never made felt before and the results of their labours are stunning.

Great colour combinations and wonderful shapes of bags!

I really enjoyed the day, and I'm pretty sure they did too!

Keep watching for more delightful products made by creative participants to the workshops!

Spring Time, Dundrum

At the foot of the Mourne Mountains lies Dundrum Bay, and on the hill above, is Dundrum Castle.

This is one of the most majestic 12th Century Castles in Ireland, started by John De Courcy, but settle well before that, back into the days of the Red Branch Knights.

Around the castle flanks lies the wood, planted in the 1800's now a semi-native sanctuary for wildlife.

Castlewellan

It's a great joy to be out and about in the Mournes these days!

Travelling around, for work and leisure really brings home the diversity and beauty of the landscape around us; from the dunes at the sea in Murlough, to the gorse clad drumlins on up to the heights of Slieve Donard and Bernagh.

So I'm going back to the original reasons for this blog for this post: showing pictures of the area.

Kate was home for the weekend, here are some of the pictures she shot in and around Castlewellan Forest Park and on the beach in Newcastle

Felt Making Classes start again

Elaine is holding the first of what we hope will be many more 'peripatetic' felt making classes on Saturday 24th April. It will be held at Down Arts Centre in Downpatrick - an altogether great place to hang out.

They say about the course:

Create bags, hats and even flowers, turning wool into felt. This hands on workshop will show you how to create beautiful felt projects you will be amazed at the results.

This course is full, which is great.

There will be more, at other venues also. Watch this space. If you are interested, Elaine can organise a special day for groups of 10 - 12 contact Elaine on elaine@turniphouse.com for more details.

Intimations of Summer

Walking this morning with Charlie the dog in Donard Park; the Mournes stunning against a brilliant blue sky.

Some leaves just beginning to burst out, but the trees still quite bare.

Thinking about summer though - and plans to go to a music festival perhaps?

By inspired synchronicity got an invitation from our old Leeds University friend Roz to go to her Littleborough Music Fest the last weekend in June.

One advantage of not having Turnip House to open every weekend is the freedom to travel! So we'll be there. Denise, also from Leeds days is trying to get a sort of reunion of all our old mates.

So if you remember us from Leeds University 1978 to 1981 (gosh - that long ago?) get in touch!

Easter 2010

We're preparing for the Easter Craft fairs. In the last couple of days Elaine has made 19 big brooches and 6 felt bags. we are doing Castlewellan Forest Park on Saturday and Monday, and Carlingford on Sunday.

As you can see from the pictures, the usual seasonal weather is back!

Happy Days see you there!

Turnip Greens

This is the 4th week away from Trassey.

We're loving the sea, the 'nearness' of everything, and being in the buzz of Newcastle Weekends.

But there is a big hole - we are beginning to miss our country life, and the Turnip House. This is a good thing. Now we begin to form in our minds the next steps; to begin to make solid all the things we thought about over the last couple of years after we decided that we needed a 'new challenge'.

The general consensus is that now is the time that we should settle down, do the sensible thing, and go for comfort and ease (in our declining years!) I must say that the relief of finally getting sold, and then the drama of actually moving out, was so draining, that for a time, it did seem a seductive option.

I am happy to report that that feeling did not last too long, we are settled (and excited) in our determination to proceed with the greening of Turnip House.

Turnip Greens

Our desire is to continue what we set out to do in 1987 -

• to shift the work/life balance so that we work to live not live to work,
• to gain more connection with life, nature and landscape
• to take less and give more
• to focus on life's real priorities

What does this mean in practice? Well, that's the journey!

Sustainability and a small (carbon) footprint are all in vogue now, for obvious reasons. We bought the books 'The Self Sufficient House' by Brenda and Robert Vale, and 'Seeing Green' by Jonathon Porritt 30 or more years ago. Being hopeless romantics we have always been inspired by these ideas, and not embarrassed by that.

When we gave up the rat race in England in the eighties, and moved back to Mourne to found Turnip House, this was our attempt to move towards these principles. It was great, enjoyable, extremely difficult at times, painful, clumsy, imperfect but overall totally rewarding.

Now we have the lucky chance to have another go, older (and wiser perhaps)

So here we go!

We are reading, researching, and planning. We will try and find somewhere where we can put into practice our plan.

Watch this space!

“The truth is that if we all do our bit to go self-sufficient – some doing no more than insulating their homes, others trying to go the whole hog and work towards going off grid – then the country, the world even, will go a long way to solving it’s ever pressing energy needs.”

Alan & Gill Bridgewater

The Self Sufficiency Handbook

New Holland Publishers 2009