"Janet Baraclough.." wrote
fSacha
"JennyC" wrote:
It was an interesting programme but I found the gardens themselves
rather chilling and soul-less. There was no sense of person or passion
which had brought them about; no spark.
Janet.

Dare I say that perhaps the gardens reflect the Queens personality ?
Jenny (ducking out of the way of the Royalists....)

It's 'the office' and where they do the equivalent of corporate entertaining
- hardly a personal space, I suppose.
Sacha

Good point Sacha, but now I want to see the 'home' garden :~)
Jenny

On 27/7/04 1:12, in article , "Toby"
wrote:

Sacha wrote:
What is astonishing is how large they are, slap in the middle of
London.

Of course when Buckingham House was built it was a rural area, every body
else moved there in an attempt to ingratiate themselves with the court. It
also probably helps to have The Grosvenor Estate as a neighbour.

I assume that St. James Park was once the garden for St. James Palace?

I'm not sure but I think so. Though I think it was always accessible to the
public.

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

On 27/7/04 5:47, in article , "JennyC"
wrote:


"Janet Baraclough.." wrote
fSacha
"JennyC" wrote:
It was an interesting programme but I found the gardens themselves
rather chilling and soul-less. There was no sense of person or passion
which had brought them about; no spark.
Janet.

Dare I say that perhaps the gardens reflect the Queens personality ?
Jenny (ducking out of the way of the Royalists....)

It's 'the office' and where they do the equivalent of corporate entertaining
- hardly a personal space, I suppose.
Sacha

Good point Sacha, but now I want to see the 'home' garden :~)
Jenny

My impression is that the Queen's interests lie elsewhere,
in her horses, dogs etc. It was the Queen Mother who was the great
gardening fan and so are Princess Michael and Prince Charles. Ray's feeling
about Highgrove was that Charles had tried to do altogether too much in one
place and that it had ended up rather 'bitty'. But he said the kitchen
garden was superb.
--

Sacha

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 12:03:33 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

On 26/7/04 11:54, in article ,
"John Edgar" wrote:

snip


Yes it was very interesting. Don't you think there is a case to be
made for opening them to the public? They are after all our gardens -
not HMs.
John
In limine sapientiae

8000 people get invited 3 - or is it 4 - times a year, so perhaps she'll get
around to you soon. ;-)
What is astonishing is how large they are, slap in the middle of London.


Agreed. I doubt I will ever be invited. I am much too badly behaved.
John
In limine sapientiae

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 12:03:33 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

On 26/7/04 11:54, in article ,
"John Edgar" wrote:

snip


Yes it was very interesting. Don't you think there is a case to be
made for opening them to the public? They are after all our gardens -
not HMs.
John
In limine sapientiae

8000 people get invited 3 - or is it 4 - times a year, so perhaps she'll get
around to you soon. ;-)
What is astonishing is how large they are, slap in the middle of London.


Agreed. I doubt I will ever be invited. I am much too badly behaved.
John
In limine sapientiae

On Tue, 27 Jul 2004 01:12:14 +0100, "Toby"
wrote:

Sacha wrote:
What is astonishing is how large they are, slap in the middle of
London.

Of course when Buckingham House was built it was a rural area, every body
else moved there in an attempt to ingratiate themselves with the court. It
also probably helps to have The Grosvenor Estate as a neighbour.

I assume that St. James Park was once the garden for St. James Palace?


Maybe. But if you look at the map, Buckingham P stands right in the
middle of, and is surrounded by Hyde Park, The Green Park, St. James'
Park, and its own gardens. It looks as if all of said parks were BP's
gardens before they were handed over to the people (sort of).
John
In limine sapientiae

On 27/7/04 15:28, in article ,
"John Edgar" wrote:

On Tue, 27 Jul 2004 01:12:14 +0100, "Toby"
wrote:

Sacha wrote:
What is astonishing is how large they are, slap in the middle of
London.

Of course when Buckingham House was built it was a rural area, every body
else moved there in an attempt to ingratiate themselves with the court. It
also probably helps to have The Grosvenor Estate as a neighbour.

I assume that St. James Park was once the garden for St. James Palace?


Maybe. But if you look at the map, Buckingham P stands right in the
middle of, and is surrounded by Hyde Park, The Green Park, St. James'
Park, and its own gardens. It looks as if all of said parks were BP's
gardens before they were handed over to the people (sort of).
John
In limine sapientiae

I did a bit of Googling:

St James's Park: The Park was once a marshy watermeadow. In the thirteenth
century a leper hospital was founded, and it is from this hospital that the
Park took its name. In 1532 Henry VIII acquired the site as yet another deer
park and built the Palace of St James's. When Elizabeth I came to the throne
she indulged her love of pageantry and pomp, and fetes of all kinds were
held in the park. Her successor, James I, improved the drainage and
controlled the water supply. A road was created in front of St James's
Palace, approximately where the Mall is today, but it was Charles II who
made dramatic changes. The Park was redesigned, with avenues of trees
planted and lawns laid. The King opened the park to the public and was a
frequent visitor, feeding the ducks and mingling with his subjects.

Green Park: The Park was first recorded in 1554 when Sir Thomas Wyatt led a
rebellion in protest against the marriage of Mary I to Philip II of Spain.
The area was meadowland used for hunting and the occasional duel.
The Green Park is now devoid of buildings and has virtually no artefacts,
but it was not always so. The Park once contained lodges, a library, an ice
house and two vast 'temples' called the Temple of Peace and the Temple of
Concord. During festivities in the Park the two temples were destroyed. In
1749 the Hugh Temple of Peace, erected to mark the end of the War of
Austrian Succession, exploded during a firework display and in 1814 the
Temple of Concord, erected to mark 100 years of the Hanoverian Dynasty, was
also destroyed in a similar way during the Prince Regent's gala.
The Park was enclosed by Charles II in 1668, stocked with deer and provided
with a ranger's house. It was known as Upper St James's Park but by 1746 it
was called The Green Park.

Hyde Park: Henry VIII acquired Hyde Park from the monks of Westminster Abbey
in 1536; he and his court were often to be seen on thundering steeds in the
hunt for deer. It remained a private hunting ground until James I came to
the throne and permitted limited access. The King appointed a ranger, or
keeper, to take charge of the park. It was Charles I who changed the nature
of the park completely. He had the Ring (north of the present Serpentine
boathouses) created and in 1637 opened the park to the general public.
In 1665, the year of the Great Plague, many citizens of London fled the City
to camp on Hyde Park, in the hope of escaping the disease.
Towards the end of the 17th century William III moved his court to
Kensington Palace. He found that his walk to St James's was very dangerous,
so he had 300 oil lamps installed, creating the first artificially lit
highway in the country. This route later became known as Rotten Row, which
is a corruption of the French 'Route de Roi' or King's Road.
Queen Caroline, wife of George II, had extensive renovations carried out and
in the 1730s had The Serpentine, a lake of some 11.34 hectares, created.

"Sacha" wrote in message
...

8000 people get invited 3 - or is it 4 - times a year, so perhaps she'll
get
around to you soon. ;-)
What is astonishing is how large they are, slap in the middle of London.
--

Sacha

We watched the programme and it was beautiful and brought back happy
memories. I actually did go to a Garden Party (in 1986) and was presented
to Princess Diana. It was a memorable experience. The gardens when you are
actually in them are beautiful, particularly the borders. We actually
strayed too near one border very close to the apartment where HM actually
was at the time, and were very politely moved on! The lake is wonderful and
at that time had hundreds of flamingoes. I didn't see them in the programme.
We wandered around rather than just standing about, and found tucked away
one very "normal" summerhouse full of children's toys and games. OK, some
of you are not Royalists, but for me it was a day to remember.

For me too, Monty Don is the absolute best, a real gardener. He can all
the pseuds a thing or two.

Regards
Iris McCanna

"Sacha" wrote in message
...

8000 people get invited 3 - or is it 4 - times a year, so perhaps she'll
get
around to you soon. ;-)
What is astonishing is how large they are, slap in the middle of London.
--

Sacha

We watched the programme and it was beautiful and brought back happy
memories. I actually did go to a Garden Party (in 1986) and was presented
to Princess Diana. It was a memorable experience. The gardens when you are
actually in them are beautiful, particularly the borders. We actually
strayed too near one border very close to the apartment where HM actually
was at the time, and were very politely moved on! The lake is wonderful and
at that time had hundreds of flamingoes. I didn't see them in the programme.
We wandered around rather than just standing about, and found tucked away
one very "normal" summerhouse full of children's toys and games. OK, some
of you are not Royalists, but for me it was a day to remember.

For me too, Monty Don is the absolute best, a real gardener. He can all
the pseuds a thing or two.

Regards
Iris McCanna

On 28/7/04 19:38, in article , "Barry &
Iris McCanna" wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...

8000 people get invited 3 - or is it 4 - times a year, so perhaps she'll
get
around to you soon. ;-)
What is astonishing is how large they are, slap in the middle of London.
--

Sacha

We watched the programme and it was beautiful and brought back happy
memories. I actually did go to a Garden Party (in 1986) and was presented
to Princess Diana. It was a memorable experience. The gardens when you are
actually in them are beautiful, particularly the borders. We actually
strayed too near one border very close to the apartment where HM actually
was at the time, and were very politely moved on! The lake is wonderful and
at that time had hundreds of flamingoes. I didn't see them in the programme.
We wandered around rather than just standing about, and found tucked away
one very "normal" summerhouse full of children's toys and games. OK, some
of you are not Royalists, but for me it was a day to remember.

I'm never quite sure of the difference between a royalist and a monarchist
but I'm certainly one of the latter, politically speaking. And we went to a
garden party in (IIRC) the year one of the young princes was born. William,
probably.

One of the things that struck us most, apart from the size and interest of
the gardens themselves, was the horrible thing of the 'VIP tea tent' in
which the Queen and e.g. Mrs Thatcher sat while others, in the 'commoners'
marquee' sat and watched them eat. It struck me as being just like the
chimpanzee's tea party at the Zoo! I have no pro or anti Mrs T bias BTW but
I did find it funny to watch her bustling in, trying to pretend that she was
unaware of the attention she attracted.

For me too, Monty Don is the absolute best, a real gardener. He can all
the pseuds a thing or two.

Yes, I think he does a great job. He isn't promoting himself but his work
and his love of his work, IMO.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

On 28/7/04 19:38, in article , "Barry &
Iris McCanna" wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...

8000 people get invited 3 - or is it 4 - times a year, so perhaps she'll
get
around to you soon. ;-)
What is astonishing is how large they are, slap in the middle of London.
--

Sacha

We watched the programme and it was beautiful and brought back happy
memories. I actually did go to a Garden Party (in 1986) and was presented
to Princess Diana. It was a memorable experience. The gardens when you are
actually in them are beautiful, particularly the borders. We actually
strayed too near one border very close to the apartment where HM actually
was at the time, and were very politely moved on! The lake is wonderful and
at that time had hundreds of flamingoes. I didn't see them in the programme.
We wandered around rather than just standing about, and found tucked away
one very "normal" summerhouse full of children's toys and games. OK, some
of you are not Royalists, but for me it was a day to remember.

I'm never quite sure of the difference between a royalist and a monarchist
but I'm certainly one of the latter, politically speaking. And we went to a
garden party in (IIRC) the year one of the young princes was born. William,
probably.

One of the things that struck us most, apart from the size and interest of
the gardens themselves, was the horrible thing of the 'VIP tea tent' in
which the Queen and e.g. Mrs Thatcher sat while others, in the 'commoners'
marquee' sat and watched them eat. It struck me as being just like the
chimpanzee's tea party at the Zoo! I have no pro or anti Mrs T bias BTW but
I did find it funny to watch her bustling in, trying to pretend that she was
unaware of the attention she attracted.

For me too, Monty Don is the absolute best, a real gardener. He can all
the pseuds a thing or two.

Yes, I think he does a great job. He isn't promoting himself but his work
and his love of his work, IMO.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

On 30/7/04 12:14 pm, in article ,
"Magwitch" wrote:

Sacha muttered:

Yes, I think he does a great job. He isn't promoting himself but his work
and his love of his work, IMO.

I only get the Observer on Sunday to read his gardening column - I'm a
little worried though, as this week he's announced that it will be more
practical and "how to..." whereas before he used to write about just
standing around and his thoughts and feelings about his garden (something I
do a lot of as well - standing around and looking at things

An essential part of gardening, to be sure. ;-)
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

On 30/7/04 12:14 pm, in article ,
"Magwitch" wrote:

Sacha muttered:

Yes, I think he does a great job. He isn't promoting himself but his work
and his love of his work, IMO.

I only get the Observer on Sunday to read his gardening column - I'm a
little worried though, as this week he's announced that it will be more
practical and "how to..." whereas before he used to write about just
standing around and his thoughts and feelings about his garden (something I
do a lot of as well - standing around and looking at things

An essential part of gardening, to be sure. ;-)
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

In article , Sacha
writes
On 30/7/04 12:14 pm, in article ,
"Magwitch" wrote:

Sacha muttered:

Yes, I think he does a great job. He isn't promoting himself but his work
and his love of his work, IMO.

I only get the Observer on Sunday to read his gardening column - I'm a
little worried though, as this week he's announced that it will be more
practical and "how to..." whereas before he used to write about just
standing around and his thoughts and feelings about his garden (something I
do a lot of as well - standing around and looking at things

An essential part of gardening, to be sure. ;-)

An essential part of everything

When I used to paint and decorate, we used to insist that we had to give
it "a good coat of looking at".

--
regards andyw

In article , Sacha
writes
On 30/7/04 12:14 pm, in article ,
"Magwitch" wrote:

Sacha muttered:

Yes, I think he does a great job. He isn't promoting himself but his work
and his love of his work, IMO.

I only get the Observer on Sunday to read his gardening column - I'm a
little worried though, as this week he's announced that it will be more
practical and "how to..." whereas before he used to write about just
standing around and his thoughts and feelings about his garden (something I
do a lot of as well - standing around and looking at things

An essential part of gardening, to be sure. ;-)

An essential part of everything

When I used to paint and decorate, we used to insist that we had to give
it "a good coat of looking at".

--
regards andyw