Gardening | The Daily Norm

Feb 13

Post 1001 | Your favourite ever Daily Norm article

Continuing the week’s celebrations of reaching 1000 posts on The Daily Norm, I wanted to revisit the post which, statistically, was the most popular of my original posts. When I say “original”, I am referring to posts containing my own photography – for the posts when I reviewed art exhibitions scored the most visits of them all. But with over 20,000 visits, this post, which originally went out on 5 July 2012, is my post popular ever collection of photos. And happily, some 6 years on, we are still very much enjoying this little corner of urban garden paradise…

First posted 5 July 2012: My Urban Balcony Garden

When you live in a city, like I do, here in the big smoke of London, every inch of greenery becomes important. When I travelled down to Glyndebourne the other day, surrounded by all of those lush green hills, and the conspicuous silence interrupted only by the occasional sheep cry, it made me realise just how lucky rural dwellers are to be surrounded by that constant beauty and tranquility. Yet it is only human nature not to appreciate what we have when we’ve got it. For all I know, the residents of those sussex country manners probably envy we Londoners who have the whole cultural world right on our doorstep.

I do like to count my blessings however, and I actually think writing a blog, which encourages one to reflect more on one’s life, making the most of occasions, events and opportunities for the sake of sharing and recollecting interesting and unique snapshots of life, makes us bloggers appreciate life with a renewed vitality and a very sharp focus. And one thing that I have always appreciated, albeit perhaps more so as my time living in London grows longer and my hours of work increase, is the green space around me.

I may only have a balcony to exhaust my green fingers, but that balcony, which runs along the front of my entire flat, is my pride and joy. There is much to be said for the urban balcony. Not only does it help to make urban life more bearable, more colourful, and more sensorily enriched, but also helps to give nature a bit of a kickstart – there have, for example, been reports of huge rises in the numbers of urban dwellers keeping beehives, so many in fact that there are now a surplus of bees for the numbers of suitably pollinating flowers available across the city. I don’t have bees, but what I have created on my balcony is my own piece of tropical paradise. I’ve surrounded my small table and chairs and my all important sun lounger with my own little slice of Spain. There I have a large brugmansia (whose flowers are spectacular bell-shaped blooms which smell glorious at night – they’re not out yet but rest assured, I will share on The Daily Norm once they are), a passion flower, an olive tree, grasses and plenty of geraniums. I’ve also encouraged honeysuckle to grow up the wall, and this year, for the first time, introduced some strawberries into the mix.

Because my urban balcony garden is a natural extension of my lounge which has a very contemporary red, black and white colour scheme, I have attempted to continue that out onto the balcony, with modern galvanised steel planters, and plenty of vivid red geraniums, which mark a wonderful contrast against the building’s crisp white washed walls and the black and grey grasses I have planted intermittently amidst blood-red cala lillies and those red-burst strawberries.

Whether you’re a city-dweller or otherwise, I strongly recommend you import some plants into your life – even if it’s only a window box hanging out of the window. The introduction of plants always creates a new geometric mix into any design scheme, bringing curves and floral bursts into often boring square buildings, which are enhanced further as day turns into night, and interesting plant-shaped shadows dance across the surfaces of your home. Whats more, as a plant grows and changes with the seasons, your home too will adapt to the altering cycle of the year, and as the plants rise and fall, you will find a great sense of achievement in tracking their story and progress in your home (just remember to water them, occasionally!)

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2018. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

The Tiny Urban Balcony (radhagarima.wordpress.com)
Balcony Gardening (dayreturn.wordpress.com)
Celebrating all things radiant in RED – a photographic homage to Louboutin (normsonline.wordpress.com)

May 6

2 Comments

Across the Water to Menorca, Part 2: Pedreres de s’Hostal

There is something about the largely uninhabited central landscape of Menorca that gives it a mystical enigmatic quality like a magical bucolic setting for Tolkien’s hobbits or something out of Wonderland. But this sensation was deeply magnified at Pedreres de s’Hostal just outside the small city of Ciutadella. Formed out of a vast landscape of old and not-so-old sandstone quarries, the organisation Lithica has done the impossible, transforming what could have been an industrial waste land into the most stunningly unique gardens you are likely to see.

What makes the gardens so unique is the landscape. The shapes left my stone cutters long ago are surreal to say the least. In sharp angular spaces of yellow rock, plants and flowers of every Mediterranean variety appear to have reclaimed the land from the hand of man as they twist and turn across the rock’s surface. Amongst unique anthropomorphic shapes, trees scatter light and herbs their heady aroma. My favourite two gardens were a pristine medieval courtyard garden set within one of the deepest mines like the cloister of a monastery, and a medicinal herb garden planted amongst a twisting path of stone.

At the centre of it all are two vast mines more recently quarried, in the largest of which a labyrinth has been crafted from stone. Led into the maze by the challenge of finding the centre, we felt almost mythical in amongst a near Minoan landscape of ochre, half expecting the Minotaur to rear up before us at any turn. With the walls soaring up around us at the most peculiar angles, it was truly like being in a fantasy world.

Sadly the weather that graced our visit was for the most part vexingly cloudy. Nevertheless the photos I took are full of the magical spirit of this place, and when, at the end, the sun finally shone, it was like the golden reward bestowed upon us as the centre of the labyrinth was reached.

More information on the gardens can be found at www.lithica.es

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2016 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Apr 15

1 Comment

Spring has arrived! – Vol. 2

Only two weeks ago I enthusiastically published a set of photos which warmly welcomed the arrival of Spring. When a few days after posting it, temperatures turned towards winter again, I feared I had been hasty in making my salutations to the season. But happily Spring has arrived all over again, the temperatures are back up, Londoner’s white legs are starting to get an airing, and the flowers which were mere buds when I had photographed them but two weeks previously had now burst open into the most stunning kaleidoscope of colour.

The photos below were taken in some of London’s most beautiful open spaces. In St James’ park at the front of Buckingham palace, the sea of daffodils which I shot a few weeks back has dwindled away, only to be replaced by a stunning range of vividly coloured tulips. Similar flowers also grace the flower beds of the Embankment gardens, which I am lucky enough to pass through on my way to work.

The colour kaleidoscope of London’s parks

Meanwhile, in the elegant streets of Chelsea, the start of April had brought about the reopening of the Chelsea Physic Garden. This garden, set on prime realty just round the corner from Gordon Ramsay’s flagship Chelsea restaurant and alongside the Thames is a perfect solitary spot, where the chaos of London’s streets immediately dissipates as soon as you walk under the trellis-covered gateway. At this time of year, it’s early days for these neatly tendered flower beds which are packed with specialist medical plants from around the globe, but in these early weeks of the summer season, the garden is resplendent with blossom, with newly shooting exotic plants and a pond full of quivering tadpoles. Bliss.

The Chelsea Physic Garden

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2014 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Nov 8

2 Comments

The Daily Norm’s Photo of the Week – Summer harvest in November

It’s been a rather heavy week on The Daily Norm. With my latest artistic output exploring the themes of my brother-in-law’s loss, I could not share these new paintings with you without exploring the meaning behind the images. But with the door hopefully closing on that tragedy, as I pursue instead the happiness which will, I hope, come with a hearty autumn and a celebratory festive season for 2013, I thought I would end this week with a lighter touch. Yep, this week’s Daily Norm Photo of the Week is actually a couple of photos, straight from my autumn balcony.

You wouldn’t know that these photos were only taken last weekend, on a fresh November morning, but these reddening olives and my sun-drenched brugmansia are actually the last remnants of the summer still holding strong on my balcony as the cold sets in. Checking out our plants after the ravaging storms of late, Dominik and I were delighted to find that after a summer of hard labour, our olive tree has born fruit – and not just the green olives to be expected, but plump olives slowly turning a sultry shade of red. Surely olive oil chez de Lacy is to follow? Then over to the right of the olive tree, my magnificent Brazilian Brugmansia is past its summer’s glory, dropping a little as it soaks in as much warmth from the wintery sun as it can, but it’s peach-sunset edges and vibrant green leaves shine still full of the balmy promise of summer. Ahhh, those were the days.

The Daily Norm’s Photo of the Week – Morning Sunrise II (daily-norm.com)

Oct 16

2 Comments

Second Chance Summer – a weekend in Marbella

Having spent last week extolling the virtues of the recently arrived season of Autumn, those posts followed a pleasant Sunday walk, on which the sun shined and magnified the kaleidoscope of autumn’s palette to magnificent effect. Come the end of the week, when the wind direction turned swiftly northern, lambasting all who stood in its path with a wintery chill, I upped sticks and left the British to it, flying out of London’s Gatwick and heading south for still-sunny Spain. There, arriving into the balmy evening warmth of Mediterranean Marbella, you would have been excused for thinking that it was the height of summer still, a conclusion confirmed when, 5 minutes into our walk from bus station to family home down in the core of Marbella’s Andalucian old town, we were shedding British jacket and jumper, stuffing our newly aired scarves back into our bags, and swiftly replacing trousers with shorts, despite the late hour of the day.

And so, as a long weekend proceeded in these indisputably superior climes, (it’s primary intention being to celebrate the birthday of my mother who, like me, cannot bear the thought of spending a birthday in any weather other than guaranteed sunshine), we enjoyed what felt like a second chance of summer, albeit just for a couple of days. Naturally enough, where we strolled in the relentlessly charming town of Marbella, my camera came with me, and the photos which result show Marbella still glowing in the late summer sunshine, but itself showing a few signs that the season is coming to an end: green tiled roof tops for example are partially covered by a scattering of golden leaves; and beaches, their sparkling glow perfected by a stronger winter’s sun, are emptier and more sedate. But these signs are but small when compared with the seasonal variety which descends upon England’s landscapes at this time of year, and in my photos you will once again see a city which, but for a few days exception, is a perfect summertime paradise, all year round.

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2013 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Marbella Twenty-Thirteen | Favourite Photos (daily-norm.com)

May 25

7 Comments

Chelsea Flower Show (ii) A festival of flowers

As the name suggests, Chelsea Flower Show is quite literally a festival of flowers – a splendid, multifaceted, rainbow coloured floral extravaganza of these natural masterpieces, and wow, how many masterpieces were on display in the show’s magnificent floral marquee, where some of the world’s best growers have brought the very best in floral finesse to show the world’s most beautiful species at their very best. From magnificent lush rhododendrons, to sunburst citrus coloured lilies, from lilac and cream tulips to vivd pink cacti, and from delicate mystical orchids to the poker straight, architectural forms of the star-burst allium flowers, I have frankly never seen a collection of floral gems quite like these. And these are just the photographs. Can you imagine the combined perfume of this paradisal bounty? Moving form one stall to the other, I was flushed with memories engendered by the different scents with as great an influx as I was bombarded with the multicoloured, multi-shaped spectacle that was before my eyes. As a floral tribute, it just doesn’t come much better than this. Enjoy!

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Chelsea Flower Show (i) The grounds and the gardens (daily-norm.com)

May 8

6 Comments

Marbella in May: a photography experiment (i) – my patio garden

For me, a travel camera needs to be three things. It needs to be small enough that it can be hidden away in my pocket, ensuring that I exhibit none of the tell-tale signs of being a tourist that a camera strung around the neck shouts out like no other. It must have a good zoom – sometimes the best photos are details seen from a distance so that you can benefit from “framing” the detail with some far off backdrop. Finally it must be capable of exceptional close-ups, as nothing thrills me more than an almost microscopic photo of an insect or flower, exhibiting more exciting detail than can easily been seen through the naked eye.

So when my small pocket camera decided to take early retirement, a tough research trail ensued as I set about trying to find a camera with the triumvirate capabilities I demanded.

Eventually I settled on the Sony Cybershot DSC-HX20V. It’s not exactly pretty to look out, but what it promises to do ticks all of the boxes. For a pocket camera it has an incredibly large 20x optical zoom with a further 20x digital zoom capability. It’s easily pocket size although a little bulkier than my former model (which admittedly only had a 5x zoom). And the real winner is its ability to take incredible micro shots from only 1cm away from the subject (see the lizard below!)

Sold, I bought the camera for a snitch at £229 (from John Lewis) and took it with me, the very next day, when I headed to my second home of Marbella in southern Spain. Notorious for its vivid blue skies, beautiful sea views, consecutive days of sunshine (allegedly) and an old town which is truly a gem of Andalucia, what better place to experiment with my new camera?

What follows are a series of posts which share my first photos using my new camera. I’m so pleased with the results. The details captured at the end of the 20x zoom are really impressive, as are the microshots at the other end of the spectrum.

Up first are photos of my family’s little patio garden out in Marbella. A small plot behind our cosy little old house, it’s a very petite but pleasing garden – our own small slice of paradise.

While it looks at its best in the summer, even at this time of year it’s flourishing, as milky white lilies poke up between a large-leafed bird of paradise, the jasmine springs back to life and brightly coloured hibiscus and bourganvilla inject the garden with a panoply of colour.

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Aug 13

4 Comments

My urban balcony garden Part 2: Brugmansia in Bloom

In my July post, My urban balcony garden (which was so spectacularly well received after being featured on “Freshly Pressed” – thanks everyone for the generous comments and feedback), I promised that once my favourite plant – my Brugmansia, came into bloom, I’d get it up on my blog asap.

The beauty of a garden, even the smallest and most controlled of little urban gardens such as mine, is the power of the seasons and the relentless passing of time to change the shape, colour, fragrance and feel of a garden as plants grow and recede, flowers bloom and shrivel, insects come and go and leaves grow and fall. No greater is this change felt on my balcony than the time in mid summer when my Brugmansia bursts into a cornucopia of sunset pink flowers.

The plant, which is a native South American plant but which I first saw in the carefully tended gardens of Sunny Marbella (in a Southern Spain), is an absolute stunner which is not exactly common in England. In fact the only other time I’ve seen one here has been inside the greenhouses of Kew Gardens. However somehow, perhaps because some kind of green-fingered god is waving his wand over my balcony, my Brugmansia, which resides outside subjected to the seasonal capriciousness of London’s weather, has survived the six years since I moved into the flat, and has given me a spectacular bloom year after year.

The plant does not flower for long (generally two cycles, once around July-August and again around October-November) but when it does, it is utterly spectacular. The plant almost doubles in size and at any one time can display around 50 huge trumpet-like flowers. The blooms are incredible. They start off a creamy white, and as the first evening of their life draws on, the end of the flower becomes gradually pinker, like an ombre sunset design. They really are summer flowers, since they are at their best in the evenings – by day time they hang fairly limply, but at night the open wide and strong, aiming to attract night time insects with their colour and their fragrance. Oh that perfume, that smell! – if only this blog had the power to transpose it. The perfume wafting from these flowers on a warm summer’s evening is exquisite. Like lemon and jasmine all rolled into one. It’s incredible.

So when capturing the flowers for my post as promised, I had to get up at 5am, at the first light of dawn, to photograph the blooms open but in good light. The results are glorious, as the warm golden early morning sun brings out the potency of pink in the flower and the luscious verdant green of the leaves.

My urban balcony garden never looks better than when its Brugmansia blooms. Take a look at my little slice of the tropics in London. Sadly, you’ll have to imagine the smell.

: Flowers freshly out, turning a pale pink at the edges

: Silhouette from my bedroom

: And at 5am in the morning – stunning

: In the day – the flowers look wilted before bursting back to life at night

: At night, with Bilbao and the nearby urban environment

My urban balcony garden (normsonline.wordpress.com)

Jul 5

171 Comments

My urban balcony garden

When you live in a city, like I do, here in the big smoke of London, every inch of greenery becomes important. When I travelled down to Glyndebourne the other day, surrounded by all of those lush green hills, and the conspicuous silence interrupted only by the occasional sheep cry, it made me realise just how lucky rural dwellers are to be surrounded by that constant beauty and tranquility. Yet it is only human nature not to appreciate what we have when we’ve got it. For all I know, the residents of those sussex country manners probably envy we Londoners who have the whole cultural world right on our doorstep.

I do like to count my blessings however, and I actually think writing a blog, which encourages one to reflect more on one’s life, making the most of occasions, events and opportunities for the sake of sharing and recollecting interesting and unique snapshots of life, makes us bloggers appreciate life with a renewed vitality and a very sharp focus. And one thing that I have always appreciated, albeit perhaps more so as my time living in London grows longer and my hours of work increase, is the green space around me.

The centre of this flower looks like little dancing aliens

My favourite photo – looks like the ant has cottoned on to my presence

I may only have a balcony to exhaust my green fingers, but that balcony, which runs along the front of my entire flat, is my pride and joy. There is much to be said for the urban balcony. Not only does it help to make urban life more bearable, more colourful, and more sensorily enriched, but also helps to give nature a bit of a kickstart – there have, for example, been reports of huge rises in the numbers of urban dwellers keeping beehives, so many in fact that there are now a surplus of bees for the numbers of suitably pollinating flowers available across the city. I don’t have bees, but what I have created on my balcony is my own piece of tropical paradise. I’ve surrounded my small table and chairs and my all important sun lounger with my own little slice of Spain. There I have a large brugmansia (whose flowers are spectacular bell-shaped blooms which smell glorious at night – they’re not out yet but rest assured, I will share on The Daily Norm once they are), a passion flower, an olive tree, grasses and plenty of geraniums. I’ve also encouraged honeysuckle to grow up the wall, and this year, for the first time, introduced some strawberries into the mix.

Because my urban balcony garden is a natural extension of my lounge which has a very contemporary red, black and white colour scheme, I have attempted to continue that out onto the balcony, with modern galvanised steel planters, and plenty of vivid red geraniums, which mark a wonderful contrast against the building’s crisp white washed walls and the black and grey grasses I have planted intermittently amidst blood-red cala lillies and those red-burst strawberries.

So without further ado, here are some focused shots of the plants which are currently thriving on my urban balcony garden.

: Black grass

: Sumptuous red geraniums

: My first strawberry (looking a bit dried up, but at least the fruit’s ok!)

: Minuscule olive flowers

: The almost alien forms of the passion flower

: Olive tree flowers

: Honeysuckle buds

: Don’t miss the little ant on the leaf of my olive

: My favourite photo – looks like the ant has cottoned on to my presence

: The centre of this flower looks like little dancing aliens

: White wash and red geranium – the colours of a Spanish patio garden

: My balcony on a wider view – a lounger to enjoy the sun and geraniums aplenty

Whether you’re a city-dweller or otherwise, I strongly recommend you import some plants into your life – even if it’s only a window box hanging out of the window. The introduction of plants always creates a new geometric mix into any design scheme, bringing curves and floral bursts into often boring square buildings, which are enhanced further as day turns into night, and interesting plant-shaped shadows dance across the surfaces of your home. Whats more, as a plant grows and changes with the seasons, your home too will adapt to the altering cycle of the year, and as the plants rise and fall, you will find a great sense of achievement in tracking their story and progress in your home (just remember to water them, occasionally!)

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

The Tiny Urban Balcony (radhagarima.wordpress.com)
Balcony Gardening (dayreturn.wordpress.com)
Celebrating all things radiant in RED – a photographic homage to Louboutin (normsonline.wordpress.com)

Jul 2

4 Comments

A night at Glyndebourne Part 2: Damp Grounds; Delicious Dinner

When you attend the opera in most theatres, doors will open half an hour before. No sooner have you arrived that the bell will go and you’ll hurry to your seats. The interval will provide at most, the opportunity for a rushed glass of something bubbly before your brisk return into the theatre again for the second half. Once the curtain goes down, it’s home as quick as your legs can carry you, avoiding the waves of leaving attendees wherever possible.

Going to see an opera at Glyndebourne is very different. It’s an event; it’s practically a day trip. Before the start of a performance, you can stroll around the grounds, walk around the dammed stream and look at the sheep, enjoy a glass of champagne on a bouncy lawn, or take high tea in one of the restaurants. There is even a small art gallery in the basement of the opera house for your entertainment, and walled gardens bursting with multi-coloured blooms. When it’s finally time for the Opera to begin you watch the first half followed by an interval of 80-90 minutes. It’s during this time that the spirit of Glyndebourne really comes alive, as picnics, already set up by opera-goers all over the perfectly maintained grounds are enjoyed, with time to sit back, sup, and discuss the first half of the performance.

A dammed stream in Glyndebourne’s extensive grounds

It’s the picnics that are, for me, emblematic of Glyndebourne, and offer a wonderful insight into a slice of English society. It’s hilarious to see how people subtly compete with one another. Far from picnicking out on a mere blanket, the Glyndebourne picnickers bring practically their whole dining room with them. They’ll be those who bring a fold up table and deck chairs which are fairly easy to carry and unpretentious. Of course they’ll have a Fortnums hamper with them, but then who doesn’t? They’ll be the ones with the plastic plates and food wrapped up in foil. But on the table next door they’ll be no such shortcuts. For those proud picnickers, the presentation of the picnic is a status symbol. So they bring chairs which are sturdy and firm. Their table is covered by a linen tablecloth with matching napkins. They’ll bring china plates and glass champagne flutes. And who could picnic without a crystal vase of flowers to set off the contents of the table? I wouldn’t be surprised if some of these picnickers bring a Butler too. I adore the charming pretention that comes with these picnics, seen equally as guests vie for the best spot on the grounds, marking their claimed territory with grand extensions of blankets and umbrellas, huge picnic baskets and other tokens of home. All done of course with a broad smile and exchanged pleasantries with the picnic table next door.

Flowers in the walled gardens

Sadly, of my four trips to Glyndebourne, I have never once been able to picnic in the grounds. I’m clearly cursed, as on each of my visits, it’s been either raining, perilously windy, or both. Such is the instability of the English summer. On good days it must be amazing in those grounds. Sadly I am yet to find out. On this visit my mother and I had long given up the hope of picnicking. We were travelling from London with minimal time to prepare, so we booked a table at the Middle & Over Wallop restaurant. As the day approached, we did not regret our decision. True, the rain just about held off, but with a keen wind and grey skies, picnicking conditions were not ideal. Yet still the majority of guests braved the conditions and stuck with their picnicking plans – another apt demonstration of Englishness – to stick it out, no matter what.

For we, perhaps more cynical diners, the Middle & Over Wallop restaurant, run during the season by Leiths with chef Albert Roux overseeing operations, provided a delicious mid-Opera feast in opulent surroundings (the restaurant must be hung with about 50 or so separate chandeliers) which was, most importantly, cosy and dry. What with time being on the short side, everything was chosen in advance, so a swift service was guaranteed.

The Middle and Over Wallop Restaurant

We both started with Hure of organic salmon, smoked salmon, crab and quail egg with watercress dressing. That dressing was light and peppery, and the smoked salmon delicate and moist. It was a fairly simple arrangement but full of flavour.

Next up for me was a blanquette of veal with mint, baby onions, Chanteney carrots and basmati rice. It was exquisite. The cheesy crumb on the top of the veal was to die for, while the meat just fell apart under my knife. Meanwhile my Mummy had a loin of Cumbria fell bred lamb wrapped with saffron couscous, and cumin rataouille. She too was aptly impressed, and this once can even be recreated at home – bonus!

Blanquette of Veal

Saffron couscous encrusted lamb

Dessert was a raspberry triple – a millefeuille of Kent raspberry, raspberry mousse and raspberry coulis. It tasted as good as it looked.

The raspberry triple

Luckily the food, while swiftly served, was light with fairly small portions – I was wearing a waist-repressing cummerbund after all!

So you see, Glyndebourne ain’t all about the Opera – it’s very much an occasion, and one which I cannot wait to repeat again. You never know, next time the sun may actually come out, and I might get to enjoy that picnic after all. But just watch me coming fellow picnickers if I get out on that lawn. Competitive is my middle name.