SHUTE HOUSE

A visit to a country house in the wonderful Dorset countryside will raise the spirit and 'take you out of yourself'.  And what better than to make that visit with a group of friends.  Twenty members of WeyBay WI went to visit Shute House in Dorset, the magnificent and atmospheric water garden designed by Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe in 1969 and best known for its famous musical rill. The garden was completed 25 years later in 1994 when the present owners John and Suzy Lewis arrived and asked Sir Geoffrey to return and finish the garden, and is said to be Jellicoe’s favourite design. The River Nadder rises naturally high in the garden and has been magically diverted into a series of canals, pools and waterfalls that pass through several of garden rooms, culminating in the rill as it drops down over a series of copper lined steps to create a musical cascade. 

It is primarily a private garden, a place of quiet reflection and tranquillity, but laced with theatrical delight. The water cascades into octagonal, square and hexagonal pools, each one with a bubbling fountain in the centre. All of them had to be painstakingly restored. 

Shute House shares its deliberately restricted colour palette, and the elements of water, stone and evergreen planting. A formal lake, with black swans that follow Suzy as she walks, contrasts with the informality of willow, fern and wisteria bordering the water. Each glassy surface acts as a mirror to the sky, so on still days you are not sure if what you are experiencing is real or a reflection in the water.

After the wonderful tour of the gardens the ladies enjoyed delicious home made cakes, up to WI standard, in the garden before returning home to Weymouth.

WEYBAY COUNTRY FAYRE

 The WeyBay committee is imaginative in coming up with new ideas for the monthly meetings and the September meeting will be a fresh and different evening for the members – a WeyBay Country Fayre.   Members are invited to submit their entries for the several chosen categories.  Details have been advertised to all members and applications forms will be available at the next meeting, but you can apply by email.

The categories include cakes and baking, preserves, homemade drinks alcoholic and non-alcoholic, craft, photography and floral arrangements. Prizes will be awarded for first and second. Entry is free. Entries must be at the Vic Bars between 4pm - 5pm for judging on 19th September.  Closing date for applications 31st July.

A good turnout ensures a successful evening so sign up and enjoy this novel event.  Happy cooking and creativity.

The speaker for the evening was James Feaver of Hedgerow Harvest who gave a talk on Foraging and Wild Food.

James started with a brief history of how and why he began foraging and how as word spread it led to him building his current business.  People wanted to know more, so he developed courses on foraging in the countryside, on the sea shore and generally the highways and byways of the land. 

Members guessed successfully the most commonly foraged foods – blackberries, elderflower & berries, mushrooms, samphire, wild strawberry, garlic & stinging nettles, puffballs, sloes, hazelnuts, sweet chestnut and elderberries. James explained how the WI were actively involved in the Second World War by sharing the benefits of foraging and providing recipes to help food go further, be healthier and enhance the wartime diet.  He also mentioned some of the negative press that foraging had received over the years, with the WI being named as the biggest organised crime group by a police sergeant!

James explained that wild food was anything edible and not managed to improve production this applied to plants, fungi, seaweed, animals on land and water (fresh and salt) and that foraging was the act of looking or searching for food or provisions not used for survival but was combined with conventional foods plus use for medicine and dyes for cloth. He pointed out that the benefits of foraging included being out in the fresh air, getting exercise and accessing good cheap food reaping natures harvest. It made a connection with the land and changing seasons, it’s free, relaxing, gives enjoyment and teaches the next generation who have far less knowledge or access to the land than their parents and grandparents.

James emphasised that every forager has rights and responsibilities. The right to forage on common law land but to take responsibility and ask permission on private land and to abide by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.  Picking should be a considered activity so that all wild food has the opportunity to regenerate. He pointed out that there is always a risk and a forager should know what fungi, plants, berries are poisonous and what areas may be polluted by heavy traffic or pesticides.  James recommended always thoroughly wash all foraged food. He went on to talk about the seasons with spring being the most prolific for new growth both in the countryside and along the shoreline – salad leaves spinach, asparagus, ground elder, wild garlic, chickweed, nettles, some fungi, wild rocket, samphire, sea beet, wild fennel, sea buckthorn and various seaweeds. Summer continues with the berries ripening along with the other crops that started in the spring. In the autumn its harvest time with focus on the fruits, nuts and fungi. During James’ presentation, he mentioned so many foods plus all the recipes that could come from these wild and free goodies by using preserving methods such as pickling, syrups, ketchup, jellies, soups, jams, drying, and of course alcohol with wines and spirits!

This very interesting and informative talk ended with a busy Q&A session. Clearly everyone had enjoyed the talk and learnt a little something along the way.

1.     If you are interested to find out more, check the websites Foraging – Hedgerow Harvest www.hedgerow-harvest.com The English Truffle Company www.englishtruffles.co.uk