Inspiration

England at her best - that amazing moment in early May when it all happens.  I've been all over the place, in the nicest way - as you'll see. The blog starts this week with a visit to beautiful Chettle, the house in Dorset where I was so lucky to work, alongside the architect Hugh Petter and landscape architect, Pip Morrison, a few years ago - for wonderful, enthusiastic clients who truly brought this building back to life.  I was looking around with a new client, who's wanting to build a new house and was seeking inspiration from old places. It's a very good way to proceed. Here are Rosamond's fine chickens looking very at home - and you could almost imagine a cover like this on a book called, 'England at her best' (ideally with a foreword by the late Duchess of Devonshire).

That week I was in Hampshire too.  I was speaking at the brilliant Winchester Books Festival, staying with my great friend George Saumarez Smith, and on the evening before we went over to supper with Max and Jane Rollit, and family. Here is a glimpse of Max's extraordinary antique barn, filled with the best ever stuff, displayed in beautiful and brilliant room sets.

And, on a gentle curve in a lane, Max and Jane's cottage.  Old Hampshire. I felt like I had stepped into a Victorian watercolour.

Clumps of cow parsley and bluebells taking shape.  Everything that amazing, intense shade of spring green.

A glimpse into George's beautiful house in Winchester, filled with treasures.

The next day, after breakfast, I headed to London - for just a few hours. It was a book fest double-whammy - I was talking at the incredible Pitzhanger Manor, the country house of Sir John Soane - now encroached by suburban Ealing. I had a quick 15 minutes between arrival and being on show to revisit some of the amazing rooms.

Newly-painted Chinese paper by Alasdair Peebles in the George Dance Room - work of astonishing quality.

A highly recommended visit.  I gave my talk, Bridie came, we had a lovely lunch in an Ealing cafe on a balmy afternoon, and then, although it sounded strange, I was back down to Hampshire that evening to stay with Kim Wilkie.  The farm had never been looking more idyllic.

Primroses and violets on the woodland floor.

Pip's amazing auricula table.

Kim and I were off to the Isle of Wight for the day.  The solent looked and felt like Greece. Flat calm.

Such a happy part of our lives but it's good to simplify, and VERY good to halve our rent each month!

Meanwhile on the day that the Orcadian removers actually arrived - I was on another day of inspiration site visit.  We were first at beautiful Peckover House, Wisbech, owned by the National Trust, with it's astonishing Rococo interiors...

Look at this cookbook!

The china room.

Followed by Belton, Lincolnshire - also National Trust - far, far grander, but so beautiful.

The atmosphere in some rooms is intense - what a feeling of history.

The ancient stone walls glowed in the hot sunshine of this amazing month.

Wyattville's serene orangery... perfect.

With an extremely useful explanation half way along.  I could see why the speculator had gone bust during the project!

I loved this little crescent, too, where a kind owner saw me admiring the place and showed me the gardens - heaven. (no photos though).

A walk through Clifton...

The Clifton Suspension Bridge, so fine.

Serene.

Not quite so much can be said for some of the more recent architectural interventions in Bristol. I think this is M&S maybe?

Modernist architects love to call traditional architecture 'pastiche', or stuck on. I couldn't believe this building. 

Anyway, the wedding was brilliant.  Full of humour and happiness. We had the best time with old friends and new.

The next day, continuing the hurtle... I was in Poundbury taking a tour of Americans around.  It was looking lovely. Here is the crescent of houses I designed some 20 years ago now. Settling in.

That was Sunday. Monday was a bank holiday and Charlie and I were on the train to Edinburgh.  Charlie was having his new kilt fitted!  We walked out to Leith, to the makers.  This is not the sort of photo you'd expect me to show, announcing Edinburgh - but look at this fantastically rare 1930s survial - original curved Crittal windows.   The scourge of the plastic window replacement had infected all the other buildings - but one house has a remaining hint of art deco beauty and refinement.

It's a long time since I'd been down to Leith - wonderful.

The kilt was from Kinloch Anderson. Here are their Royal Warrants, very beautiful on the walls.

With plenty of good photos too.

An old Tartan book.

And the factory - closed because of the holiday, but wonderful to see right here in the centre of Leith.

We were measured up and on our way.  Fantastic warehouses...

Customs House...

And then to Leith Docks...

The late Queen saying goodbye to the yacht on its decommissioning - a sad day for her.

The state drawing room in its old fabric (Warner or G P & J Baker I think...?)

You then go on board.  It's very well done.

You can see why it was time to decommission - it's a wonderful ship, but she's old.

A Landrover would be winched on and off...

The Queen and Prince Philip on holiday. in the Highlands.

The Sun deck - with a modern sofa...

But with very good copies of Country Life,

And a fantastic games and stereo cupboard.

The Queen's cabin.

The Duke's cabin.

Rear deck.

Officer's mess - so much Morris & Co, to remind everyone of home (standard issue throughout the fleet, I remember it well from Dad's ships).

Napkin holder in the officer's dining room...

China room...

Silver room.

The Queen's study.

The Duke's study.  Such a great carpet.

Below decks...

The Sick Bay. A Morris & Co slip cover would definitely make me feel better.

The operating theatre.

The laundry.

We all need a shoulder shaper.

The engine room - impeccable.

The Queen and the Duke, sailing Bluebottle on the Beaulieu River, 1949.

A fantastic tour. I couldn't recommend it highly enough.  So full of atmosphere - how quickly the world moves on.

We've always loved this photo, by Snowdon, of The Queen at P&H - it's a key image in the P&H Alphabet (a few copies are still for sale here if you don't already own one!)

We had a walk in the New Town when we had finished on board.  A truly wonderful afternoon - hot sunshine.

Intriguing shutters.

The next morning, Charlie was off early to Orkney. I had an hour before I was taking the train to Inverness.  Another walk, this time down to the Raeburn estate and the Colonies, re-charging the design batteries.

Rob, from the office, and Lord Moray, inspecting the allotments - which have never looked so good!

The woodland nursery school in the background.

The community orchard.

The first square.

The Market Cross in the new square under construction.

Second allotment. The beautiful woven willow fence was designed by Nicole Petrie, who works for Tornagrain and does so much to make the place feel so amazing.

The newest phase...

A new apartment building, just completed.  Simple, but I hope dignified?

Meandering back to Phase 1.

The Tornagrain bluebell woods are a sight to behold.

And then - I was at Westness... at last...

But that needs to be a blog for another day, because all these travels have taken up too much of your day already.