Something for the weekend?

[Penners]

Many thanks to Gareth for bringing the Plantation Garden to our attention. We had a lovely afternooon there with Mr & Mrs Moo. Despite the forecast, the weather was lovely, and the garden was fascinating. It's a little island of peace and quiet in the middle of a bustling city, created from many hundreds of reclaimed architectural bits and pieces.

And thanks to the Heritage Open Day it was free - and there was cake!

Here's the remarkable fountain - very Gothic!

 

[Moo]

I wondered which picture you would choose to share with us, Penners.

(Actually, he seemed to take hundreds of 'em with his wonderful new toy. If someone asks him nicely, I'm sure he could be persuaded to post a few more...)

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Please? Pretty please.

 

[Flyfisher]

Now that's what I call a fountain!




(Excellent composition to include that little boy to provide some scale.)

 

[MdB]

I think it was very generous of Penners to climb up the ladder to take the picture with his bad back and all.

 

[Penners]

Please? Pretty please.

I've never been able to resist a really effective grovel...

As I said above, the whole Plantation Garden has been constructed from reclaimed architectural thingummies. Here's what was presumably a church window:

View attachment 1

And here's a view of the main part of the garden. As MdB will understand, I went through agony to obtain the shot, but of course I didn't complain. Ars gratia artis and all that:

 

[JoceAndChris]

Ah, it brings back many happy memories for me, of a folly filled time too long ago!

I love the phrase "architectural thingummies", Mr P. That sums it up so nicely.

 

[Penners]

I love the phrase "architectural thingummies", Mr P. That sums it up so nicely.

Oh good - I was afraid it might be a bit too technical and esoteric. :wink:

 

[Penners]

One more shot, showing one of the many walls. As you can see, there's a very high thingummy count:

 

[Matt Green]

It seems to satisfy all of your requirements.

Well, except "small" perhaps.

And maybe "charming".

But it's Gothic all right.

I wouldn't have it any other way

 

[Schoolmarm]

Is that you and your wife, Matt?

 

[Matt Green]

Is that you and your wife, Matt?

It is. Although I was young then.

 

[Schoolmarm]

Aww that's lovely.

 

[Penners]

Aww that's lovely.

It is indeed.

Matt - where was the wedding ceremony performed?

 

[Matt Green]

Matt - where was the wedding ceremony performed?

Inside the Temple of Concord and Victory at Stowe.



At the time (6 years ago) licences for wedding venues could only be given to those with a roof and that temple was one of the very few civil venues around Buckinghamshire that wasn't either a hotel or a register office. I understand this has now changed and open-air marriages are more easily arranged.

 

[Penners]

Very grand! That was one of the first buildings that the National Trust tackled. I can tell you, it looked very different 40 years ago!