Post Comment Love 13 - 15 June

Hello there, and welcome to this week’s #PoCoLo - a relaxed, friendly linky which I co-host with Suzanne, where you can link any blog post published in the last week. We know you’ll find some great posts to read, and maybe some new-to-you blogs too, so do pop over and visit some of the posts linked, comment and share some of that love.

Please don’t link up posts which are older as they will be removed, and if you see older posts are linked then please don’t feel that it’s necessary to comment on those. If you were here last week it was great to have you along, if you’re new here we’re pleased you’ve joined us.

My image this week is the view from our airplane window earlier this week as we headed back to the UK from Vancouver. We’ve had quite the trip starting off with a few days in Chicago, then taking a two day train journey across the US to Seattle. After spending some time exploring Seattle we were off on the train again, but only a short hop taking us to Vancouver where we spent some magical time with family.

We arrived back in the UK on Wednesday and as well as readjusting to the time difference, there’s a lot of post holiday stuff to sort out (isn’t there always?!) so I don’t yet feel back in the swing of things, but I’m sure I’ll get there before long.

Have a brilliant week!

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Floral Art at the Devon County Show

In one of the marquees at the Devon County Show we stumbled across the most incredible Floral Art, which reminded me of some of the exhibits I’ve seen at previous RHS Chelsea Shows.

With categories such as Ladies Day, Gold Cup, Out to Pasture, Winning Rosettes, Parade Ring it wasn’t hard to work out there was a horse racing theme! And all the exhibits far surpassed my ‘plonk it in a vase and tweak’ style of arranging flowers, these were as the competition’s name suggests pieces of Floral Art.

I snapped a few pictures of the ones which most appealed to me, and my view may or may not coincide with the more experienced judges, let me know which are your favourites.

LADIES DAY, JEAN ADAMS - SECOND PRIZE

LADIES DAY, HELEN HERRIDGE

LADIES DAY, DIANNE WEST - THIRD PRIZE

Now wouldn’t any of those be fabulous to wear, hay fever aside?

OUT TO PASTURE, ANN TRIGG

OUT TO PASTURE, HANNAH BEST - SECOND PRIZE

OUT TO PASTURE, HELEN HERRIDGE - THIRD PRIZE

WINNING ROSETTES, JEAN ADAMS - FIRST PRIZE

It was around this point that my favourites tended to align more with those of the judges, so I’m taking that to mean that one or both of us have an idea of what we like, and in the case of the judges the criteria for each category!

GOLD CUP, JUDITH WOOLLVEN - FIRST PRIZE

PARADE RING, KATRINA HOLMES - FIRST PRIZE AND BEST IN SHOW

I told you they were all stunning didn’t I? I really enjoyed walking around and admiring the work that had gone into each and every one, but don’t worry, I know where my flower arranging skills are - and they are way, way below this! These ladies, or those entering competitions anywhere in the country, have nothing to fear from me!

The bedrooms at Belton

It’s been a wee while since I shared details of my last visit to Belton where I saw their new exhibition, crafting a new narrative, and finally got to revisit the orangery, and I promised to share more from inside the house. So today let’s take a virtual wander around the bedrooms at Belton.

I didn’t remember these from our previous visit, and that’s because I hadn’t seen them. The whole of the upstairs was closed off as we visited soon after the Covid restrictions were starting to be lifted and understandably things were not able to go back to before’s normal straightaway.

The Blue Bedroom was originally designed as a family bedroom, but the information in the room said that the scale and quality of the bed implies it was not made for this room but for a more luxurious state bedroom. It was re-upholstered which covered an original crimson damask.

During the 2002 room’s restoration and conservation of the bed, it was decided to remain sympathetic to its clearly faded colours. The once bright blue silks were reproduced in this paler hue, with the wallpaper reproduced in keeping with the bed, which is why this blue bedroom is a bit paler, and not blue at first glance.

The Chinese Bedroom was one of my favourite rooms. The wallpaper was hand painted in China and intended for export. It’s pink background is now faded and the figures were stylish adaptations to appeal to European consumers. It was hung, unbelievably, in 1830 but probably made much earlier.

What always surprises me by these older wallpapers is how modern and relevant to today’s decor they are. While I’m not sure many of us would have hand painted wallpaper at such cost, or at such scale as here in Belton, but wouldn’t it be nice if we did?

The Queen’s Bedroom has a central position in the house, and was defined as the ‘Best Chamber’ in the 1688 inventory. It was the most lavishly furnished bedroom in the house at that time and would have been offered to only the most prestigious guests. Some of the fabrics have been replaced, but the braids, fringing and tassels are all original.

Another of my favourite rooms is the Boudoir, and while it may seem a strange inclusion here it was originally furnished as a bedroom but then entirely remodelled to create a dressing room for Lady Brownlow. The room has changed over the years, but some of James Wyatt’s design from 1776-7 remains, most noticably the ceiling and the cornice.

The ceiling is amazing and has so much detail, but directly underneath it is a beautiful rug. Isn’t it gorgeous?

The information in the room said that the National Trust have some of Wyatt’s original plans, many of which were never realised. One of those was his design for a carpet to mirror the ceiling, I’m sure that would have been as amazing, but I’m glad it didn’t happen!

Just as we were about to leave the room I spotted these fabulous elephant book ends, now they would definitely be welcome in my house, even more so than the rug.

It was great to see the bedrooms, and I’m sure we’ll be back to see more of the house at some point. Like many places, I think the more you go to a place, the more you get the feeling for it and the more you see, and I know there’s so many more layers to discover and explore.