This, that and the Other

I can't believe it's been nearly a fortnight since I last divulged a little piece of my mind. Since then, there's been quite a bit going on in our little world. Firstly, it transpires our most distant blog watcher (I'm sure there is a proper term) is in Durban, South Africa. Hello Margaret if you're reading this, it's lovely to have you along for the ride. Secondly, according to an item I heard on Radio 4, your popularity is now proven by the number of left clicks you get. can you believe this? To be credible in anything, apparently, you need to have thousands of likes - Houston, we have a problem, we only have 15! It seems the hundreds of lovely customers we have each week don't count - well in our world they do and we're really happy to see you all.

Preparations are well under way for the big Jubilee weekend. I love the Queen, she looks like my grandma used to when she'd just had her hair done, but I've got to say I'm a bit overdone now with Union Jacks, I seem to have been seeing them since last summer. All those people who went mad on the interior design Union Jack inspiration (cushions, cups, teapots etc. etc.) you not going to be fashionable again for a while, in fact not until 2027 when the Queen could celebrate her Platinum jubilee. I think I might book that weekend off, in the meantime, for this one I've had a bit of a cookie fest.

 Very excitedly, this week Renishaw has been used as a location for a photography shoot for a magazine for a French shop. We've had all manner of gorgeous artistes and models wandering round. We were asked to produce some cakes for the shoot, think Marie Antoinette's tea party, was the brief. How scary? Didn't these people know whey we're coming to the farthest corner of Derbyshire from London? Anyway I did my best and it gave me an excuse to make pink macaroons too. The cakes were used and this is a picture of some of the remaining ones. I now need to persuade Adrian to take me to Paris for when the magazine is published so I can pick up a copy. How cool!


 This week has also seen the demise of the bee hives at Renishaw. unfortunately one of the hives swarmed for a second time and the bees were particularly aggressive. Adrian got stung twice and unfortunately three people from the farm got stung too. I was terrified even in a full bee suit. The guard bees we just doing their job a bit too well, they chased me and Lizzie B a good 300 metres away from the hive (and I do mean chased in my case) and were still attacking us. Liz took the decision to destroy one hive and has relocated the other. It isn't necessarily the end of that little project but a location rethink (could Phil and Kirsty help us out here?) and some nicer bees will be required. Honey will still be available via the cafe a little later in the summer.

Hope to see you this weekend, if not, whatever you're doing I hope you have a fabulous time.

Take care, Lou x