Emmetts Gardens - hot stuff and a thunderstorm

The rockery 

Dogless, Sister and I chose to go to Emmetts gardens, one of the National  Trust's babies and discovered we can have the dog on a lead. Joy! However the day was not spoiled because when we arrived, along with many other visitors, old people, families and camera wielding blokes the  gardens were in full  bloom, raring to show off their beauty. Is it not amusing (I also include myself in this) how men seem to want to the best and most ostentatious gadgets?  The women and general tourist visitors were content with their phone cameras and hand held digitals but we macho blokes with our semi-professional gear had to have a variety of cameras with lenses of all types and take photos using tripods or poles and look serious whilst doing it. Fun, we haven't a clue really. 

Bluebells

AFountain in the formal garden 

There was an Easter trail for the children to follow and it was great to see parents encouraging their offspring to get involved.   The day was hot and building up for a thunderstorm - the atmosphere was electric - and so it proved when  the rain came down at about five.

Visitor snoozing

Emmetts is close to Ide Hill which can be seen from the gardens and not far from Toys Hill  - The Cock Inn and The Fox and Hounds respectively both giving good food, good beer and friendly service.  The Fox and Hounds is dog friendly.

We settled for a sandwich at the NT snack bar.

Tulips

But the bluebells.  You have to see the bluebells.  April and May are the times of the year when the tender, soft and fresh foliage and flowers appear.  The magic months that precede June and July and roses.  Great stuff and hopefully with rain now and then to keep things growing we will have a good Summer.

We walked the pathways, enjoyed the beauty and located ourselves between Toys Hill and Ide Hill.

A quick look at the Isle of Grain

Cherry Blossom at Grain

My artist friend, Bob Collins and myself, collected our paintings from the Historic Dockyard Exhibition on this bright Spring day - April 2nd - and out of curiosity instead of turning right to go back home to Sheppey we turned left and wandered into Grain.  From Sheerness and many points on the Isle of Sheppey the huge chimney tower of the power station dominates the skyline.  It is ugly, the sight of the gantries on the other power station and such is also ugly giving the impression that there is nothing but silos, tanks and pipes across the Medway estuary.  So, the curiosity of two ageing painters got the better of simply wandering home, dropping into a local pub and shooting the breeze and we wandered to the end of Grain.

Tanks - Grain

Spring means daffodils, tulips,hyacinths, cherry blossom, blackthorn blossom, lambs, fresh green buds, primroses and bluebells and of course better weather.  This day was sunny and warm; so much so that we discarded some clothing in favour of being cooled by the breeze.

The odd thing about being between two rivers, the Medway and the Thames is that the air is fresh although we have chosen the rivers as a ports and places where we set power stations, oil refineries and massive freight shifting docks.  Everywhere there is evidence of this industrial exploitation yet we found an abundance of daffodils on the roadsides, neat and well cared for gardens, a clean, fresh looking farmland and some attractive buildings in pretty rural settings.

St Mary at Hoo

We paid a visit to Grain Village and looked at the church, walked to the reserve at the end of the island and gazed across the estuary at Southend and discovered a view of Sheerness from the outside, from the water without a boat.

Naturally we found a pub choosing The Pilot at Allhallows to have a drink and a meal.  I cannot say the pub was good because it wasn't but at least the food was good and we were entertained by a drunken bum who wanted to play Johnny Cash records - go for it man!  I guess you have to like caravan sites and chalet's to relax in to enjoy Allhallows, or maybe use the place as a base to walk the area.  Nearby attractions are the soft beaches and the RSPB reserve at Cliffe, Upnor Castle and I suppose a quiet exploration of the villages.

View across the Thames

We left Allhallows and drove to Saint Mary at Hoo which proved to be a pleasant place, quiet and peaceful  with some marvellous walking and views across the Thames.  Pleasant walking, very pretty hamlet and as Bob said, a place where paintings suddenly present themselves and us without a pad or pencil between us on the day.