From Thursday, 1 May The Stables restaurant is open every day. For all enquiries please see www.thestableshospitality.com
Had a productive meeting this morning to ensure we are all singing off the same hymn sheet as the date of the first night of Illumina looms large....
Illumina tickets are hot hot hot! 7th, 8th,9th & 14th, 15th 16th September. Get the best prices by…
Coming up.... SEPTEMBER OFFERS: O.P.I Gel colour manicure £20 (2 week chip resistant, hight shine…
The Garden History Society is working to compile a reference list of Conservation Management Plans (CMPs) and…
...and looking relaxed after a week's holiday with his young family including three very energetic little boys... Kevin is our Welsh Wizard Head Chef and even on his hols he has been thinking about the new Autumn menu. Always seasonal, I think we can look forward to pumpkins and butternut, sweet potatoes and casseroles but he does promise to keep the hand made burger on the menu as it has been very popular. I thought it was going to be a sunny day today but the gloom has set in and we have had a spit and a spot of rain. Oh bother! Still - it is the summer holidays and Hestercombe has a cosy restaurant, shop and art gallery to while away some hours and actually the gardens do look splendid as we have had rain and lots of sun to ensure a lush and fragrant experience in both the landscape and formal gardens. The glossy Newsletter is being printed today and assembled by our jolly group of volunteers on Thursday. It's packed with information, news and events to take us up to the end of the year. First big summer event is of course the evening performance by Folksy Theatre - 'Much Ado About Nothing' - this is on the Orangery Lawn, in the moonlight on Sunday 19th August. I always remember my son studying this hilarious Shakespeare play for his GCSEs and watching the Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson film which was deliciously brilliant but having seen Folksy Theatre in action last year doing 'Midsummer Night's Dream' I know that 'Much Ado' will be sensational. Nothing like live theatre - and wow what a backdrop Hestercombe's Orangery makes. So book your tickets, bring along picnics and enjoy the wonderful production filled with vibrant colours, music and laughter www.hestercombe.com/events/august Coffee, tea, wine and snacks will be available. See you there!
I can immediately report that the sun is definitely shining over Hestercombe this morning....I can see it out of my office picture window including a view to the Plant Centre with a smiling Helen Barsby who is glad she will not get soaking wet today! This is bound to last 'til December so please get booking for our two major outdoor events coming up - Folksy Theatre's 'Much Ado About Nothing' on Sunday 19th August from 7p.m. - bring along your picnic blankets and folding chairs to enjoy this wonderful production - set in 1820s Spain, it is filled with vibrant colours, music, laughter and passion. Booking is essential www.folksytheatre.co.uk or phone us today 01823 413923. The other huge evening event - and I am sure you will have heard about it - is Illumina which takes place over 6 nights - 7th, 8th, 9th and 14th, 15th 16th September. World renowned light artist, Ulf Pedersen is putting on a solo light show through the landscape and formal gardens. Past collaborations include Power Plant which took place in Hong Kong, Sydney and Hobart. His other lighting events were in the botanical gardens in Oxford, Edinburgh and Durham. Ulf will be creating something unique for Hestercombe with both subtle lighting and spectacular displays. Do book your tickets as soon as possible on our own website www.hestercombe.com/events. Sorry to keep harping on about it - but to see the sun today is simply INVIGORATING!
Another wet and dreary day! Where on earth IS the Summer? I was everso pleased to see lots of waterproof visitors walking the gardens, regardless and enjoying cups of tea and hot teacakes dripping with butter in the restaurant. A warm welcome to tiny wee 'Teddy' the Jack Russell puppy on his first outing! I have been trawling this dazzling new website to make sure I haven't made any typing errors - I'm sure I will have done so if you spot any errors or have difficulty finding stuff, do ring me - like the gentleman yesterday who couldn't find our charity number. I've made it more prominent on the About Page and Support Us page. This input from 'fresh eyes' is jolly helpful to me! Also this week, the lovely beth@hestercombe.com is making technical tweaks - again - if you find a link doesn't work - just let me know!
Young Harry Bond, aged 10 of Staplegrove School beat off strong competition at the Taunton Flower Show's Young…
Cat has some fabulous offers in August .. Luxury O.P.I Pedicure - £25 .. Luxury O.P.I Manicure -…
Welcome to our new website which we hope you'll agree is rather lovely. The site is packed with information and…
- amazing footage... Take a look at this incredible footage of our Lesser Horseshoe Bats http://vimeo.com/46079231
Brendon Books of Taunton presents the Taunton Literary Festival 22nd to 30th September 2012 Hestercombe hosts a special day of lectures by eminent authors in Hestercombe House. Lecture tickets are £6.50 each. Booking is essential. Pop in for lunch at the Stables Restaurant & Coffee Shop before or after the lecture. Coffee, tea and cake will be available in Hestercombe House before each lecture. Sunday 23rd September (Day 2) Hestercombe Gardens Cheddon Fitzpaine Taunton TA2 8LG 11.30a.m. Rosemary Penfold 'Posy of Wild Flowers' 2.30p.m. Stephen Moss 'An interview with Stephen Moss' 4p.m. Duff Hart-Davis 'Man of War' 6p.m. Graham Harvey 'Quest For Real Food' 7.30p.m. Miriam Darlington 'Otter Country'
