Hardy's Cottage with Caps!

Caps from the National Trust kindly invited our young people to Hardy's cottage again and the young people and Jane had a great time!

They had an absolutely brilliant day despite the murky start weather wise. Caps as always was fab. They are so enthusiastic and engaging with the young people. Caps little dog Oddie joined the young people for the day too. Caps asked all the young people if they were ok with him being with us, which they definitely were. He is very sweet and most unobtrusive but loved rummaging in the garden waste!!

First to warm up they were all in the gardening shed to do pumpkin carving. Some pumpkins were home grown with interesting shapes. These were to decorate the shed ready for the local children when they come on Thursday for a big Halloween event. 

At lunch Caps asked the young people what they would like to do later as an activity outside. They decided upon rebuilding a bug hotel. After lunch they did apple pressing. Everyone got stuck in and industriously worked as a team with delicious results.

Then as the weather cleared they all went outside to move and rebuild a bug hotel to keep it sheltered over the winter. It meant big old gardening gloves and wheelbarrows but everyone loved it. 

Again everyone worked as a team and helped each other especially where creepy crawlies were concerned but fears were conquered as they tucked them into new dwellings.  Lastly they had a tour of the cottage and Caps gave them some history of the cottage and gardens. 

Caps sat with the young people to find out what activities they may like to do next year. Something with bees and a bee keeper and a trip to Cloud hill (Lawrence of Arabia's home) to pull a pine etc were the suggestions the young people liked. Everyone thanked Caps for a wonderful day before they left.