Spent a wonderful afternoon at Rainham Hall, getting ideas for more poems and planning for the open garden weekend with Jesse (@jessemuddyboots), the community gardener, who was leading a brilliantly mucky Muck-In Day with local children. Painting the insect mansion, rolling down the grassy hill (specially mowed to entice running and rolling!)
It's fascinating, gradually piecing together the history of the hall and people's memories of it through the centuries since it was built in 1729. Today I raided the friendly local library and found records of 'up river smugglers' sailing their illicit goods up the brackish waters of Rainham Creek. Also a transcript of an advertisement written by the sea captain who bult the house, full of words and phrases to delight a poet's heart. Some will find their way into the poems I'm writing for Remixed Borders.
Then I walked back to the Hall, so excited I fell into a forget-me-not bed!
It's fascinating, gradually piecing together the history of the hall and people's memories of it through the centuries since it was built in 1729. Today I raided the friendly local library and found records of 'up river smugglers' sailing their illicit goods up the brackish waters of Rainham Creek. Also a transcript of an advertisement written by the sea captain who bult the house, full of words and phrases to delight a poet's heart. Some will find their way into the poems I'm writing for Remixed Borders.
Then I walked back to the Hall, so excited I fell into a forget-me-not bed!