CREATING BEAUTIFUL GARDENS

A recent case study…….

My clients recently acquired a beautiful house but with a nightmare garden on a slope. All the rotting decking and paving slabs had to go and be replaced with a multi-use garden comprising of a new composite decked area, a large paving/entertaining space, a lawn and low maintenance raised flower beds.

The decking needed to be large enough for a pathway from patio door to back door and yet still room for a small table and 2 chairs. This in turn led down to the lower levels.

The main sandstone paving area was laid adjacent to the existing summerhouse and large enough for a table and 8 chairs.

A new lawn softened up the hard landscaping areas and the raised beds helped link together the varying levels. The beds comprised of mainly evergreen shrubs with seasonal colour of spring bulbs, summer flowering perennials and autumn grasses

Now is the time to start thinking about any changes to your garden before the summer is upon us. Contact Colin to arrange a visit to your garden and free initial consultation.

Oliver Cromwell(1599-1658)

O.k. youmay besurprisedthatI’m looking at Oliver Cromwellin alocalhistorycolumn. What didheeverdo forus? It’s arefrainakin to ‘The LifeofBrian’andthosepeskyRomans.Well, he did featureinChristchurch’s storyacoupleof timesbut I’llpickthatuplater.

Cromwell(1599-1658) wasaHuntingdon-born Puritansonotthelifeandsoulofanyparty. He wasrelatedtobothThomas Cromwell (c.1485-1540), executed by HenryVIII,andJohn Hampden(1594-1643)the Parliamentarianand oneofthe‘FiveMembers’whose attempted seizurebyCharles IprecipitatedtheEnglish Civil War.

Ilikedhisdepictioninthefilm ‘Cromwell’ (1970)when ahuskyRichardHarrisfilledhis considerableboots.Aswithanyhistoricaldrama therewereinaccuraciesbutit wasaworthy effort. Ilikedthe re-enactmentofthefirstmajor battleofthe war, Edgehill (October1642),when the twosidesparleybeforehand,trying to agree atimeforthebattleasthoughthey’rediscussing when to headdownthepub.Cromwellgets boredwiththedelayandfiresoff afewcannon (as youdo).Thatgetsthingsstarted. Cromwell foughtatEdgehillas acaptainofhorse.

Thewar’s earlystagesdidn’t go well for Parliamentbut Cromwellintroduced rigid discipline,formedhis formidable‘Ironsides’, and at Marston Moor (July1644)it washiscavalry chargesthatweredecisive. Healso,underSir Thomas Fairfax,ledtheNew Model Army to victory at the war’sdecisivebattleatNaseby (June1645). Cromwell wasoneofthe regicides whosignedthe king’s death warrantwhichsaw himgetthechop (January1649). Cromwellthen wonanotherdecisivevictory overthe king’s son,CharlesII, at Worcester(September1651) effectivelyendingthe warwiththeheirapparent heading forexile.

Cromwellbecame Lord Protectorand waseven offeredthecrown. Yes,we couldhave had aKing Olly.Hedeclined.Hisrule wasmarked by reform at homeand avigorousforeignpolicywhich tried to achievehisboastthat‘he wouldmake thenameofEnglishmanas respectedasthat of Roman’. Those Romansagain.Noteveryone lovedOllythough. TheIrishhatedhim(andstill do)forhisbrutalendingofthecivil warthere whilst renegade Royalists were alwaysout to assassinate him. Apparently,therewas a‘strainof coarseness’inhisbehavioursomaybehe would have been o.k. on alads’nightoutafterall.After hisdeath(September1658)it wasn’t longbefore themonarchywas restored(1660).

AndthoseChristchurch connections? Well,Olly decidedourcastleshouldbedestroyed to stop itbeingheldagainst Parliamentagain. Idon’t thinkhe washerewhenthebulldozersmovedin (c.1652). Also,our venerable RoyaltyFisheryhad Ollypersonallyhear apoachingcasein1657. Cromwell wasburiedin Westminster Abbeybut wasdugup by revengeful Royalistsafterthe Restorationandhanged at Tyburnbeforebeing reburiedthere.

ByStephenRoberts www.steveroberts.org.uk

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