Crowning glories …

Barbara, Anne and I drove over to Windsor Great Park to see how the vineyard is getting on. Been planted a fortnight now. Sunny day. The Crown Estate have laid us a proper access road of re-cycled tarmac which is a nice surprise. In winter the farm track to the top of the vineyard would have been a bit tricky.

Their fencing is immaculate. Six foot deer fencing with buried rabbit netting below. The little devils have already been trying to break in. There are plenty of abandoned attempts at digging under. The old wooden huts at the top of the hill have been placed out of bounds because they are actively falling down. Rabbits?

But we are to have a meeting to see if we can't save them; they just seem so 'right' where they are on the crest of the hill. From them the vine rows run due south down the hill to the little lake at the bottom. Today the rows consist of almost invisible posies of tiny green leaves every couple of feet in the bare earth between the tractor tracks.

Six large ducks of an unfamiliar breed are wandering around down at the bottom. This has been worrying me. So many waterfowl here. Fences can't keep them out. They fly off as I head towards them. I can see where they have been but thankfully there is no sign of them attacking the babyvines. Relief! We have ducks and geese at home and they are very destructive of any green plants. I think we must resign ourselves to
putting the plastic tree guards on next week. Don't look pretty but I shudder to think what a mess a flock of Canada geese could make of this lovely vineyard.

It really is a magical spot. Just being in this little valley with only the waterbirds is soothing. Took a couple of panoramas. We go off to the Parkinson family's 'pub' at Paley Street ... very good food and a huge and adventurous wine list. Sir has moved on from the days he would come to my Arch at Windsor ... always for his 'usuals' - Chateau de Pannisseau Bergerac white and Bergerac Red from St Laurent des Vignes.

Later B and I pay a visit to Eleanor and her parents. Realise that because of this tiny new person the centre of gravity of our family has just shifted. And a very good thing too.