Inspiration

A month has passed since the last blog.  The day after I'd posted it, you'd find me flying into London, with these amazing views over the city.

But I'm always so much happier to see this view.

In early June we had Valentina and Vito staying; it's so lovely having old, old friends to come and stay and understand what it's all about. Some, we have a feeling, are intrigued and want to come once; others, we feel, will want to come back year after year!  That was definitely Val's department.

Here we are in Stromness...

Back home after a day of touring.  It's good to see the sights but it's always amazing to be home.

Charlie let the grass grow for the first year, last year.  Now we have orchids cropping up, hopefully many more in the future.

The buttercups have been amazing too.

Drinks on the terrace.

And we all got so hot it was time to go for a swim.

For which there is a definite reward.

Off to pick some veg for supper.

Monuments and cliffs the next day.

The headlands are covered in sea pinks (or thrift), everywhere.

And then we were down.  I had to head down with Val & Vito, who were then back to the US.  I had a busy week in London and Charlie came down on the Thursday, in time for our friend Beata's insane summer party, which was so next level than I can't publish any of the (few) photos I took in the taxi on the way home.   At 4am the next morning I had to take a taxi to the airport. I was sitting on the jury of an architectural prize in Madrid. A difficult journey, putting it mildly.

But Charlie and I were in London for the weekend and we had a lovely Saturday meeting friends but with a wander along the canal connecting Kings Cross to Regent's Park. The first time that we'd ever been here.

I have to say, it felt underutilised. This was a nicer group of buildings facing the water, which should have been incredible but wasn't.

It's a strange set up.

I secretly loved that a boring semi-tasteful modern apartment building has been covered with graffiti.

Sir Nicholas Grimshaw's 1988 apartments overlooking the canal - now Grade II listed.

Things get a little more bougie as you head towards Regent's Park.

But the whole waterside is still oddly underused.  At times, even on a busy Saturday, we felt a little... unsure we wanted to be there.

We headed into Regent's Park and found a huge sports day about to receive prizes.

Then we found the new Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Garden, for which I am sorry to say, I am awarding no prizes.

It continues the theme of 'abandoned car park in Portugual' genre of landscape gardening that has gripped Britain in the last decade.

This is the weird viewing platform in the middle of the horrible garden.

I can't help but think the late Queen would have been a lot happier in the Queen Mary Rose Garden, a short walk away.

We headed to lunch with our friends Skye and Anthony but arriving early popped into this dreamy St. James's pub, complete with original Victorian interior, for a little pint.

Supper with more friends.  On Sunday, we went to the incredible exhibition of the late Queen's clothing at the King's Gallery, so popular that it has now been extended until next year. I include these photos for blog readers who may not be able to visit.

Her coronation robes for her father's coronation:

So many incredible photographs and dresses:

Liberty prints for the young princesses:

For a visit to America in the 50s. So unbelievably modern - this could be by Bode, right now?

War time uniforms.

Wedding dress and shoes...

Obviously everyone's favourite cabinet:

Probably my favourite exhibit in the whole show:

Fulton clear plastic umbrellas (retailing today for approximately £25).

Luggage.

And many dresses....

The Coronation Gown.

Silver Jubilee 1977 - I remember it so well.

Olympics 2012 - with the body double parachutist's dress too...

A brilliant show if you can make it.  Followed by lunch with Ruth Guilding, aka. The Bible of British Taste, in the garden, on the edge of the heath.

Two days later, in the heat of the London heatwave, I was at Windsor to be given my OBE by HMTK.

Here's Zoe from the office, Charlie and me on our way in...

And Bridie, me and Charlie on the way out!   A wonderful day.

Back to Rousay early the next morning.  It was so good to be back in the cool clear air.

Garden walk... always the first thing after a few days away.

All this will soon be Charlie's new veg garden, inside the old Victorian walled garden.  Plans are afoot.

Picking flowers for Jackie Milner for a small event the next day.

A beautiful sunset that evening.

Interlude - a few old photos that we've recently discovered in the Tommy Gibson archive - a children's picnic at Westness in the 30s...

Peacocks - date unknown.

Servants at Westness, 1920s...

And 1930s...

They all look so happy! So do these visitors - date unknown.

Hot the next day...

Sibyl and I love going for our swims...

Veg garden going crazy - compare to the photos at the end of the last blog... this is three weeks later.

The maestro at work.

More swims:

Jolly japes at the pier, with the Orkney Rugby Club on their visit to Rousay...

Sibyl needed to go out in the middle of the night. This photo was taken at 1.30am - the white nights are with us at this time of the year.

Jackie's flowers!

A walk that morning started with blue skies...

We were soon caught in a massive rain storm.

Blue skies by the time we were home.

More jolly japes at the pier.  The Rousay skiff goes out every Sunday afternoon and Tuesday evening.

Windy the next morning.  I was off back to London.

And then back this weekend....  Beautiful light on Friday, although we were cool by comparison to the south, where yet more heat is moving in.

The wildflowers in the verges are amazing this year.

Potatoes for supper...

And lettuce...

And lobsters from Tingwall.

Looking over to Westness, the chimneys gleaming in the sunshine.

The woods are full of ground elder now - so beautiful, so long as it's welcome.

Rousay garden festival this weekend - here is the BRILLIANT primary school garden.

And this is the remarkable woodland garden at Trumland House - astonishingly beautiful.

Home.  Charlie's not ready for visitors to Westness garden this year!  Give us a year or two.

Rare Henry appearance on the blog (especially rare downstairs!).

Today was Rousay Regatta day. it's been running since the 19th century (I would have to check the precise date).   Kicked off with the Round Wyre Race....

Followed by the children's raft race...

And lots of fun on the water (and in the pub).

Home - to a still evening.

Time for one more swim, for Sibyl and me.

It's mirror calm tonight. We're all off to bed, tired, and very happy.  It's been a wonderful month.  I apologise for so many repetitive photographs - but I guess, we're settling into the rhythms of life here, and they are good.