How dramatic the mornings have been this week with the fields and woods shrouded in mist and the sun struggling to break through. All that abundance of blossom earlier in the year has now produced bumper crops of fruit, both cultivated and wild and we are all into jam and preserving mode. The birds, too, are already laying into the rowan berries and the hedgerow blackberries.
What do you think of this beauty? Anyone know its name? As I approached the fungus, it looked like a carved wooden sculpture of a bird with its wings outstretched. It was growing on the stump of a newly felled tree on the footpath to St. Mary's Church and its perfect form was breathtaking. I think it may be a good season for fungi with customers reporting frequent sightings of field mushrooms in damp grass and different fungi clustered in the crevices of dead wood. All that wet weather in August and the sudden warmth this month must have created ideal conditions.
In the Garden Cafe, our crab and smoked salmon salads have been a hit. We have also re-designed our deli platter on a huge white dinner plate. Served with mixed Italian olives, Sour Dough bread and Seggiano virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar it may include Toscana Porchetta, Mortadella, Serrano or Parma ham, Wild Boar Prosciutto, Milano, Napoli or Finnochiona Salamis. Quite a feast! Our Saturday Evenings are really taking off now and September 25th. is already fully booked. We are receiving such encouraging feedback from you all and one couple have been four times! We thought we had better give you all our dates until the end of the year as many of you have asked for more notice. so here they are:
OCTOBER 9TH & 23RD.
NOVEMBER 6TH., 20TH. & 27TH.
DECEMBER 4TH. & 18TH.
Call me mean but you cannot resist the tempting range of toiletries that are displayed on the dresser before you walk into the Cafe. Alongside our lovely Nesti soaps we now have another Italian range with dry oils and room diffusers. The packaging is all hand finished and the scents are divine. These ranges are unusual and so they make interesting and 'talked about' gifts for friends and family. Watch as we get more stock in for the run up to Christmas...I am always looking for something that will surprise you!
This month I thought we would step outside the shop and tell you a little about what is happening in Colston Bassett and nearby. We have an excellent Village Hall which is clean and warm and even has a sprung floor. So it makes the perfect venue for exercise classes of all descriptions. There's Total Body Workout with Katherine Gordon on Tuesdays 7.30 til 8.30pm, Tai-Chi with Lisa (01949 860013) from 10.00 til 11.00 on Thursday mornings and Yoga with Angela & Roger Tuck (01159 335719) on Thursday evening 7.30 til 9.00pm. Further afield, Toot Hill Academy have an exciting new range of evening classes including Jewellery Making, Italian Cookery and Latin Dancing on Tuesdays and Thursdays 7.00 til 9.00pm(01949 863044) So now the kids are back to school and the summer is over, sign up for a new challenge and say hello to Autumn!
When you next come into Colston Bassett you will be greeted by our new Boundary Signs. These have been funded by the Local Improvement Scheme run by the County Council and depict some of the landmarks of the Village. They are different at each end of Colston and we hope you will feel welcomed by them. At the same time we will be unveiling a new Village sign which will be erected outside the village hall. It has historical images which display the amazing pedigree of Colston Bassett and allude to the long reign of the Basset family from Norman times onward. Look out for it...it is unique!
See you soon
Jan
