A Fortnight in September…plus a bit more!

One of the best books I’ve read is this one, ‘A Fortnight in September’ by R.C Sherriff.  It’s superbly yet simply written and although I’ve read it a couple of times, it seemed apt to take it from my bookshelf and read it yet again, right now! 

A story about an ordinary, lower middle class family, who take pleasure in the simple things in life, the Stevens family have chosen to holiday in Bognor for twenty years, returning to the same guest house each year ! I mentioned the word  ‘simply written’  as I think that runs alongside how the family live their lives. 

Call it old fashioned but there’s something so appealing about this book and how it transports one back in time, to the 1930s, and a far more gentle way of life.

This is a book that you don’t grapple with! Its easy. It’s a book for cosying up in your armchair and enjoying it with a hot drink as well as going along with the Stevens family on their annual holiday. There’s something almost magical in its simplicity. There’s no drama; there’s no real plot as such…but my goodness it works! 

My copy came from Persephone  books, a few years ago. I’ve long been a fan of Persephone books and I particularly like the end papers that they have in each book! This one is a design called, ‘Dahlias’ and it’s taken from a 1931 design for a dress silk by Madeleine Lawrence. 

(Although, personally, I think they look more like Marigolds!)

You can find Persephone books here

Meanwhile, talking of a fortnight in September, the first fortnight of the month, here in South Devon, has been dire! I really feel for anyone who has come here on holiday! And after such a good summer, too! We generally have a good September yet this time around, it’s done nothing but rain!

However, the pansies are loving it! And the previously mentioned Antirrhinum, ‘Dazzling Lips’ has gone nuts! It must love this weather! There was me thinking that it would soon be time to save the seeds and there it is throwing out more and more blooms! Incredible!

But…it’s time to also think about the grand, autumn tidying (as I’d sooner try to do it now than leave it until March!) And so on Monday, that’s what happened and I’m glad that it did! After an enormous amount of weeding and pruning, a layer of Strulch was added and I can now ‘see the wood for the trees’  as they say! Or ‘the gaps for the foxgloves’ , which will be planted in due course.

One plant that I did discover in this bed, after all the weeding was done, was this Stokesia laveis. I can’t even remember planting it! 😱 But it’s lovely!

Finally, I managed to acquire these three bare root plants:

Physalis franchetti…otherwise known as Chinese Lanterns.

I’ve potted them and I now hope for ‘wondrous things!’😁

As is the motto in our family…‘Let’s see what happens!’