The Nuggets

Today the sun took a breather and the wind gradually increased.

This morning Aaron brandished a bramble he had found growing in one of our dead stumps.

Yesterday Jackie had photographed

the viburnum plicatum sprawling across the West Bed;

the Brick Path;

the view from the lawn looking past the eucalyptus and through the gazebo;

and a group of poppies, irises, and honesty brightening a corner of the Phantom Path.

Intending to weed it today, she also produced one of her “before” images of the brick section of the Oval Path.

In the event, Aaron did the weeding and I photographed the result

I printed our friend copies of the bramble picture above, and one of him mowing Laraine and David’s lawn next door.

Then, following John Knifton’s suggestion, I made an A3 print of the VE Day Street Party featured yesterday. Framing will need to wait until the lockdown has ended.

During a telephone conversation with Mum she told me that the outfits she had made for Chris and me for that occasion would not have been velvet as I had thought, because that would have been too heavy. It would have been material from her “rag bag” – probably an old coat. Her method was to turn the worn out garments inside out and wash them before creating the new ones. She explained that the reverse side of the material then looked in pristine condition – something that would not be possible today. As I reminded her the washing would have been done by hand, because she had no washing machine.

This afternoon Jackie was again beset by members of the Nugget family.

The only one who stayed for a chat when I was poised with my camera was Nugget himself.

We may be in a position of referring to the family as The Nuggets  in memory of

https://youtu.be/KnLhCXo_xfM

from the 1940s and ’50s.

Mrs Huggett was played by Kathleen Harrison who lived to be 105, and who Jackie knew in her last few years.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s rich red spicy pasta arrabbiata with which she drank Hoegaarden and I drank Carinena El Zumbido Garnacha Syrah 2018.

 

 

93 comments

  1. Another wonderful tour and I’m always amazed at your gardens, Derrick. By the way, do you have a wine collection or does the local liquor store hold it for you?

  2. The wartime clothing efforts made by mothers was pretty amazing! Though the fabric still looks like velvet – right side out. Glad to hear the entire Nugget family is visiting even if only fleetingly.

  3. I’ve never heard of the Huggetts, but 1950s television is 1950s television — the era defined it as much as geography, I’d say.

  4. Nugget is a REALLY handsome bird! South Africans have not been able to purchase alcohol for 45 days already – stories abound of the popularity of pineapples for brewing pineapple beer! I haven’t had to succumb to that yet, I am pleased to say.

      1. No, not necessarily. It’s different in each state. In Pennsylvania the state stores where they buy alcohol were closed for a time. In New Jersey, stores are private, and I think most remained open if they could do curbside or social distancing. We can’t buy alcohol in our grocery stores in PA or NJ.

  5. Thank you for providing the background information on the fabric for the little suits. That was a very fetching portrait of Nugget. He knows how to hold a pose.

  6. I love the brick path and archway. And I agree with others that Nugget is very handsome. It’s nice that the whole family came for a visit again.

  7. In all my many years of mum being in a nursing home, it seemed to me that people lost their memories in decades rolling back. You just had to find which decade they were in to have a reasonable conversation. Though your mum seems as sharp as a tack.
    Doesn’t the garden path look so inviting when it is weeded. I’d quite like to be led down it.
    And that TV clip was quite a treat! Gee, if only the worst of my bad language as a teenager, was “that’s torn it”.

    1. 🙂 Thanks very much for all this, Gwen. Mum can even remember conversations we had a week ago. If you ever come back to England you must walk down the garden.

  8. We just love the photographs of your delightful garden! And your words are just lovely too! Thank you so much. I miss my garden a lot. Autumn here and the leaves have turned!
    Xx
    Naomi

  9. Lovely photo of Nugget. I remember my mom making a coat for me from a second hand one she got from a friend. She unpicked it and turned the material inside out. It did look like new and I loved it. ?

  10. Well, glad Nugget posed for you. I’m awfully glad the liquor stores have remained open as I have been having a finger or so of Scotch most nights. It does vary from state to state and city/county. We still have dry counties in some states. You’ve been hearing about New York, I think, where the liquor stores were ruled essential and have kept my niece in rent money as she worked part time for one while building up her catering business. Given her sommelier skills, she’s been helping people order their wines for delivery on the phone! I must add that Aaron, your gem of a handy man looks a good deal like the Green Man. You already know you’re lucky to have him. Stay well, Derrick!

    1. Thanks very much, Lisa. Yes, it must be New York I had been hearing about. This period has been enlightening about differences between states. Aaron certainly does look the part. You stay well, too.

  11. Reading about your mother washing old clothes by hand to make “new” clothes for you and your family quiets any complaints I might have about current inconveniences. I imagine she sewed by hand, too, without a sewing machine. It’s so good to be able to get this everyday history from your mum. Thank you for sharing it with us. And thanks for sharing Nugget and your beautiful garden.

    1. Thanks very much, JoAnna. Mum did do everything by hand – that included washing our school clothes and drying them overnight for the next day.

  12. As others have said, a good job on the path. Shame you couldn’t get a photo of the whole Nugget family. Still, Nugget himself looked quite resplendent ?

  13. It is a wonderful photograph, Derrick, and I bet everybody will say “Surely you are far too young to have been in a VE-Day party ! “

  14. Good to hear your Mum share about making the cute suits for you and your brother! 🙂

    Nugget looks so handsome and happy! 🙂

    The VE-Day party photo is certainly frame worthy! It would be a joy for you to see every day! 🙂
    (I am the “keeper” of all the vintage family photos. Some are in very old frames…others were not framed. I have framed some of them and they decorate our dining room. 🙂 )

    The brick garden path is welcoming and beautiful! 🙂
    (((HUGS))) 🙂

  15. Nugget is making certain his family knows that this beautiful garden is safe for them.
    I’m still hoping to steal that hard working Aaron away from you one day, Derrick – so watch out!

    1. Yes, Uma, my friend. Such a resourceful era. I always cut buttons off discarded clothes and kept them in a box. About 20 years ago I decided one of my favourite shirts was too frayed and had to go. Unbeknown to me Mum fished the shirt out of the bin, rooted through the box for all the buttons, and turned the garment into a grandfather collarless one. Thanks very much.

      1. Yes, indeed. I too have memories of wearing many shirts with upturned collars, reassigned buttons. Compared to that, these are insane times, wasteful and heartless, when we don’t pause even for a second before discarding a garment for the slightest flaw.

  16. I agree with Uma. And I enjoy reading about frugal ways from another time gone by.

    I had never heard of The Huggetts. Kathleen Harrison lived to be 105? She must have had some interesting stories to tell!

  17. How resourceful our parents were. We are not even half as resourceful.
    I loved the oval path after the weeding. It does look nice even before the weeding.

  18. Loved to see the Hugget family but only vaguely remember them. Jack Warner, I do remember. I always regard/ed ‘That’s torn it’ as a southern expression! Certainly beats Init, which really does annoy me! Nugget looks well.

  19. We had that same kind of a day when the sun took a breather and the wind picked up. Bob wanted to spread fertilizer or administer weed killer, but chose to work inside instead. I can see that the weather did not deter Jackie or Nugget. The weeding must go on!

Leave a Reply