You could not make it up, but right now I am carving a horse and corgi onto a block of the good old Portland stone of which most of London was made in its 1667 incarnation. Once finished, it will have a bronze plaque of a quote by the Queen. This has been in the planning stage since the beginning of last Winter, but it just so happens (due to typical procrastination on my part) that I am making it during the Platinum celebrations.
It was commissioned by an American gay couple who had a lifelong interest in horses and corgis long before they bought the large country house in England which is now their main residence in Europe. Since moving there, they have done all the right things to gain the acceptance of the locals - not least by being extremely likeable people. Last Summer they opened their gardens to the public, charging an entrance fee and providing refreshments. All the considerable profits from the event went to the local church fund.
When they bought the house they retained all the estate workers, some of whom rent the local fields as a family-run farming business, so they benefit from all the accumulated local knowledge of the area and the way things are done there.
Last Summer I was in one of their barns and found many hand-painted signs saying things like 'This way to the fortune-teller', and 'Archery - beware arrows!' They were from a garden fête in the 1950s, when people did not need the excuse of a jubilee to hold them. Even as a stroppy kid I found these communal events charming and I miss the innocence of them.
A lovely, relevant commission ..... I used to love the local fêtes as a child ..... they were very simple to todays standards but were fun. I used to love the swing boats and the ring toss that never quite went over the prize !!! XXXX
ReplyDeleteI bet you perfected the technique in later years, Jack@.
DeleteYou are not suggesting you are still stroppy are you?
ReplyDeleteI am stroppier now, but not so political about it.
DeleteCorgis and horses heads sound like a nightmare to me.
ReplyDeleteEvery schoolgirls' dream of artistry.
DeleteA good commission from some very worthwhile commissinonees
ReplyDeleteYes, I have worked for much worse.
DeleteI miss the flower show ….
ReplyDeleteCan't you rejoin?
DeleteIt’s not run for three years
DeleteWill it start again? Chelsea flower show is back after all.
DeleteWorking with nice people must be a pleasure. Is the Portland stone Corgis and horse a garden ornament?
ReplyDeleteIt's a memorial.
DeleteI think the horse and dogs would please the Queen enormously, even if it didn't happen on purpose. She still seems to be in charge.
ReplyDeleteYes, she's still delegating.
DeleteYour post has made me miss them too. And I've never even been to one.
ReplyDeleteSadly too late for you.
DeleteNear my village in Wales the 'big house' used to have a garden party each year with games and high tea and a swing band and even the ceremonial goat from the nearby army camp. It only stopped a few years ago when the old lady who lived there died - a pity, it was piece of the past that won't come again.
ReplyDeleteYou should not have roasted the goat.
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