Four feet on the ground

Sharon finds walking with her crutch difficult because of her blindness. She has a tiny bit of peripheral vision in her left eye but absolutely no perception of depth. Things she can make out from the murk of the remnants of vision appear as if they are on a flat page.

A change of colour in the ground could represent a different bit of carpet or it could be a step downwards or something to trip over. Not surprisingly, this makes for big problems. With her left side badly affected by her stroke her balance is also uncertain when she walks with her crutch held in her right hand. The crutch only has a single point of contact with the ground.

Yesterday the kind people at the rehabilitation unit she attended for the first time gave her a four-footed stick and she is very happy to be trying this out. The four feet give much more stability, although the movements needed with this instead of the crutch are different and will take some time to master.

Four footed things are much more stable. When is the last time you saw an elephant fall over?

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Daffodils at last

Here they are at last – the first daffodils to be spotted this Spring.

The daffs and everything else are very late after the harsh winter but these two buds were spotted the day before yesterday. Sharon says that she has heard that observers all over the country have reported that gardens are weeks behind normal. But a careful inspection of the bare branches of plants show that the buds are there, just biding their time. And in greenhouses and sunny shelves inside houses seedlings and shoots are being brought on in the warmth ready for planting out. Sharon has the seeds for beefsteak tomatoes in a pot and a growbag read to plant them in once the spring really gets under way.

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Falling for Mr Darcy again

Sharon's all-time favourite story is Pride and Prejudice with the devilishly-handsome Mr Darcy. She must much have watched the video with Colin Firth a hundred times

So, she knows every word almost by heart and is absolutely delighted by the news that Pride and Prejudice will be performed in the open air in the beautiful gardens at Castle Kennedy, near Stranraer, in August.

“I will be on the front row for sure,” says Sharon. “I can't wait to see the lovely story again in the most appropriate surroundings of Castle Kennedy. You can just imagine Miss Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy in roaming the gardens. There are even two lochs for Mr Darcy to emerge from with his dripping wet shirt.”

All the details from the team at Castle Kennedy are below and Sharon is looking forward to seeing all her friends on the night.

Of course, the best place to stay if you are travelling for the performance is at Hillcrest House, just over half an hour's drive away in Wigtown, Scotland's book town. This elegant guest house is run by Sharon's sister, Deborah, and husband Andrew. Debs is a magnificent cook and has won top awards for her menus which feature the finest local ingredients, such as salt-marsh lamb. Picnic baskets for the show can be ordered, with wine-expert Andrew making sure that something suitable for a summer evening is included. See www.hillcrest-wigtown.co.uk email: info@hillcrest-wigtown.co.uk. Telephone 01988 402 018.

Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austin: 7.00 pm, Tuesday, 10th August
Presented by Chapterhouse Theatre Company, open-air theatre at its best
Take a step back in time with Chapterhouse Theatre Company as we meet Elizabeth Bennett and her sisters. Whilst their interfering mother engineers various courtships, sisters Elizabeth and Jane must pursue their own quest for true love. Amongst misunderstandings, mistakes and miscommunications, the two girls must fight for the men they love until Elizabeth can finally surpass her prejudices to see past the proud exterior of the enigmatic Mr Darcy. After all, it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife…
Picnic with family and friends in the magical surroundings of beautiful gardens and enjoy a wonderful evening of theatre under the stars.
Detailed Information
Grounds will be open from 5.00pm for picnics for Pride and Prejudice, and in addition to our normal light refreshments, wine and beer will be available to purchase.
Tickets are priced at:
In advance: adults £10, students and children £6, families (2 adults and 2 children) £25
On the night: adults £12, students and children £8, families (2adults and 2 children) £32
For the box office please phone Castle Kennedy & Gardens on 01581 400 225
There will be light refreshments, free parking, toilets and baby changing facilities available. Please come suitably dressed for the weather, and bring insect repellent. Please also bring your own rugs or low backed seating and torches.
If you would like any more information regarding tickets for competitions and press reviews, interview with directors and actors please contact the office on 01776 702 024 or info@castlekennedygardens.co.uk

Chapterhouse Theatre Company is a professional touring theatre company, bringing its wide range of experience to venues across Britain. The company prides itself on fully accessible, traditional, but innovative productions. It now enters its eleventh season of productions, with a selection of ever-popular Shakespearean plays, adaptations of fine, classic English novels and our beloved children's show, featuring Milky-White the cow touring country houses and gardens throughout Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Ireland.

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Warm welcome from Diva

Sharon visited the beautiful gardens of Castle Kennedy, near Stranraer, at the weekend. There were snowdrops everywhere.

But for Sharon the highlight of the visit was the welcome she received from Diva, the black Labrador. After being greeted with a smile by Jim at the entrance Sharon moved on into the little area where plants are sold. Dozing in the sunshine was Diva. But, you know Labradors, they can't resist a friendly face and soon the tail was banging on the ground. After a few moments, Diva got up and came over to the wheelchair for a proper greeting and a good pat. Sharon and Diva got along famously, smiling at each other and obviously agreeing that life was pretty good. It is not surprising that dogs are welcome at Castle Kennedy.

The weather was kind and Sharon really enjoyed her visit to the gardens. They cover some 75 acres and are amongst the finest in the country. The warm climate of Galloway allows exotic species to flourish and everyone is expecting an outstanding show as spring and summer arrive. The snowdrops are just the start of things. There are two Castles, the old Kennedy Castle which burned down in the early 18th century and Lochinch Castle, home of the Earl of Stair (not open to the public).

Many people enjoy visiting places like this and then finishing off with a visit to the tearoom. Not Sharon. She started with the tearoom. There she met friendly Fiona, with her tempting home made treats. On display were: apple tart, toffee crispy (“very popular”), iced chocolate cake, iced orange sponge, iced coffee cake, carrot sponge with soft cheese icing and walnuts, ginger and fruit cake, empire biscuits, shortbread, rock buns, plain scones, fruit scones and two savoury quiches. Sharon opted for a scone with butter and blackberry jam and a coffee.

She was delighted to hear that Mr D'Arcy will be coming to Castle Kennedy in August, when there will be an outdoor production of Pride and Prejudice, on August 10. Sleeping Beauty will be staged on 24 July. A Teddy Bears' Picnic will provide fun for the children on 19 June.

There are full facilities for the disabled at the gardens, including toilets, ramps and parking. A wheelchair is available for loan. The grassed areas near the entrance are no problem when dry and the beautiful walled garden near the entrance is ideal for wheelchairs. There are long walks for the energetic wheelchair pusher but, obviously, not everywhere is accessible in such a large and varied area. A road encircles the beautiful Black Loch with plenty of places to stop and admire the views.

The gardens are currently open at weekends but are open from 10am to 5pm from April 1 until the end of September. Check exact details at the website: www.castlekennedygardens.co.uk. At present only events for 2009 are listed on the site but, no doubt, it is being updated. Admission charges apply.

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The things they say

A lady was carrying a very young baby yesterday and another lady, accompanied by a lad of five or six, opened the door of the Wigtown doctors' surgery for her.

“What a beautiful baby,” said the lady holding the door. “How old is she?”

“Seven weeks,” said the proud mother.

The young lad was amazed. “That's the same as my hamster!” he said.

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Leeks on the menu again

Sharon's enthusiasm for leeks continues unabated and last night leek pie was on the menu for dinner.

This is very easy to make. Wash a large leek, run under water to remove any grit from between the leaves and chop. Peel and chop a couple of onions – red onions are good. Sweat the leeks and onions together in a little butter, with a light shaking of salt and pepper. After a bit add lots of sliced mushrooms. Continue cooking until things are soft. Then add cream and stir in well. Put the mix into a pie or quiche tin and cover with a lid of pre-cooked chilled puff pastry from the supermarket. Pop into the oven until the pastry is golden brown. Enjoy.

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Leeks take the title

Sharon has just decided that she has a new favourite vegetable dish – creamed leeks. The previous title holder was honey roast parsnip.

The leeks have moved into top spot after she enjoyed them several times Hillcrest House, Wigtown, where her sister, Deborah, is the chef. Deb has won top awards for her cooking and is particularly noted for her passion for local ingredients.

Sharon says: “The leeks are lovely and creamy and go with just about anything, roast lamb, roast ham, grilled steak and fish. They are also ideal for vegetarians. I could eat them at every meal no bother at all.”

To make Hillcrest Creamed Leeks, take some leeks, cut off the green tops and the bottoms and split them lengthways before washing them under the tap to remove any soil that may be trapped between the tightly-packed leaves. Then chop them. Obviously, use as many leeks as you think are needed for the number of hungry people who are going to eat them.

Then simmer them gently in vegetable stock until they are very tender but not browned. Stir in double cream and serve. There is no need for salt and seasoning as the dish is flavoured by the stock.

The leek is a very ancient part of the human diet, being popular in Mesopotamia, where civilisation began, and in the Egypt of the Pharaohs. It is a member of the Alliaceae family, which includes onions and garlic. It is easy to grow and hardy and some varieties can be harvested right through the winter. Summer varieties are grown for the fiercely competitive leek championships that are held in the north of England, complete with betting and all-night guards against attack on leading title contenders.

The leek is much favoured as an addition to stock to add flavour and it is, of course, essential to the Scottish classic soup Cock A Leekie.

The Welsh have claimed the leek as their national symbol. Legend has it that this is because Welsh soldiers put leeks in their caps to identify themselves in battle, although scholars express doubt about this tale. Never mind, the leek is the cap badge of the Welsh Guards who are today still distinguishing themselves in battles such as those in Afghanistan.

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