NELLIE KNOWS

Favourite half-term Making Hay In the wilderness Light and shade

Nellie Williams www.nelliepompoms.co.uk

WELL that is half term done with and now it’s downhill to the end of term and the summer break or uphill if you’ve got exam takers in your house.

Thankfully there are no large exams in this house but there is learning to drive which is a whole different ball game!!

This year is the calm before the A Level storm of next year, followed by a break of three years before GCSEs for our youngest, then a break of two years and that will be it for school exams in this house. Phew!

Of all the half terms I think that Whitsun is my favourite, it feels like the beginning of summer with a Bank Holiday.

Our Whitsun week this year was spent in West Wales and we had brilliant sunshine which was bliss.

Obviously we kept an eye on the weather and the weather warnings but we had so little rain compared to many places and no thunder or lightning. I get so annoyed when people say “oh it always rains in Wales” when it doesn’t, I assure you it doesn’t.

To be woken up in the morning by sun streaming through the windows and then having the first cup of tea outside is a real treat, especially when surrounded by fields.

On the way back from New Quay I met up with Elizabeth BurtonPhillips the founder of DrugFam and we went off to Hay Festival to see Eve Myles and Matthew Hall in conversation with Guto Harri about Keeping Faith.

I know I have banged on about Keeping Faith since February 13 but truly and honestly it was fantastic telly. 9.6 million people watched it on iPlayer alone so what does that tell you?

The garden has become a wilderness in the time I was away so there’s plenty of work to be done there. My seedlings were babysat by my friend Plum so they’re all shooting up, still no clear idea what they all are but there’s definitely sweet peas and nasturtiums.

The hostas are looking very healthy and thankfully not damaged by slugs. I love being in the garden, pottering, plotting and generally soaking up the health benefits of being outdoors.

My garden has featured a number of times in Berkshire Life and last year Naomi Slade suggested adding in some yellow, so I’ve taken her advice and am painting the patio area yellow!

With the weather turning more summery (depends which day you read this) the dog has been lounging in the heat, then heading for shade before repeating the cycle numerous times.

I recently met Toby and Ellie at Dinton Pastures (pictured) on an early morning stroll and got on to the subject of poo bags with their owners. One of my bug bears is seeing poo bags hanging from trees or discarded on the side.

Yes I can appreciate the dog owner might be coming round again to pick it up and there’s no poo bin in sight but it’s one of those things.