GOOD FENCES - Mount Stewart Conversations

These are some of the scenes that were photographed with staff and volunteers working hard before the Mount Stewart Conversations Weekend opening a few hours later on 17 September.  Below is the Stretch Tent where we had some briefings and it was also one of the Bars and used for entertainment.

This is a group being briefed in the Stretch Tent.

This is in the Marquee and these volunteers were waiting for their briefing.  This area was used for some of the speakers later.  Below the sound men were setting up the sound desk.

This is another group being briefed and 

all the staff were in communication by radio.

Bins had to placed in many areas and 

more than normal dog bowls were filled with water.

 These are some of the food venders setting up shop, so to speak.

This was the Camper Van of Dreams that I showed you other shots of.  

CLICK HERE to see the lovely couple who interpreted your dreams.

Many signs were erected so the public knew where everything was easily. 

This is the Main Entrance Hall in Mount Stewart House and they were preparing it for some of the speakers later on.

Now what was he thinking?  Do I need to wash that chandelier?

I hope you enjoyed seeing staff and volunteers get Mount Stewart ready, for what turned out to be a FANTASTIC weekend.

I am linking with GOOD FENCES.

Many thanks for your visit and also your comments. 

Mount Stewart's Garden Flowers

These are mainly close ups of some of the flowers I photographed during the recent Conversations weekend at the National Trust Properly, Mount Stewart, near Newtownards.    I do not know all the names of the flowers but I hope you will enjoy the photographs anyway. 

 Many thanks for visiting today and also to all who leave comments.

WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY

Yesterday I went down to my old caravan to cut the grass, hopefully for the last time this year and these are a few shots I took of this Little Egret at the sea.  The other scenes are just along the road at a farm I visit.  Isn’t the view gorgeous? 

Although you cannot see any birds in these shots below, there were Redshank, Godwit, Teal and a Heron.

 I am linking this post with WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY.

Many thanks for visiting and also to all who leave comments.

THROUGH MY LENS - Mount Stewart Nursery (Part 2 )

As promised from last week, today I am showing you the room that was used for a sitting room, classroom and dining room when Lady Rose lived at Mount Stewart as a child.  CLICK HERE to see her bedroom and the Nanny’s bedroom.  She spent many very happy years growing up at Mount Stewart and had the whole of the estate to explore and have fun in even though these were her quarters and she was only allowed half an hour with the adults each day.

I loved this room and there was so much to see but not enough time to take all the shots and ask questions that I would have liked.  The table was 

beautifully painted and each chair was different.  

Note that all the the painting were old fashioned for a child and not as children would have nowadays.

I loved looking at all her toys.

There were many interesting book that she read over the years and of course I spied Enid Blyton, books that I had read as a child.

Just as I was leaving this room I spied an old wireless set and a First Aid kit.  All these things brought my own memories flooding back as I am the same vintage as Lady Rose.  

I hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for visiting.

I am linking this post with THROUGH MY LENS.

Many thanks to all who leave comments.

SUNDAY THOUGHT - Great Saltee Island

God blessed them and said, 

“Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.”

Genesis 1:22 

Photographed on Great Saltee Island in 2015

If you look careful, you will see the young Gannet chicks.

Many thanks for visiting and also for your comments.

Have a blessed Sunday.

SATURDAY CRITTERS - Birds In My Garden

These are birds that I photographs in from garden through the windows (dirty) of my summerhouse.  There are Collared Dives, Sparrows, Starlings, Robin and Dunnock.  At the end there are my 2 bears that keep me company.  I am linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS.

Don’t mention that they look stuffed as they come alive when I am around and have the most wonderful adventures although today, Honey (the one on the left) has had a little too much vino and her hat is skew whiff.  Maple is always more restrained in her drinking habits!   That’s me relaxing, listening to music and watching the birds.  

Thanks for visiting and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  

Also many thanks to all who leave comments on this post.