Power dressed

In recent years, there has been a move towards villages choosing a day in the Summer when private gardens are open (and teas available in the Village Hall). Guiting Power Open Gardens took place yesterday, and Caroline and I went along. Mrs. Watson, the baker, who used to bring her bread round in the van when I first moved to the Cotswolds in 1974, was serving out tea, proud to be 88. The gardens were full of colour; the rain held off, and it wasn't too hot - a perfect day for it in fact. We didn't visit all of the the thirteen gardens, because we had walked to Guiting from Tally Ho through the boggy but beautiful wetland nature reserve.

A sinister film used Guiting as its location a couple of decades ago: it left a bad taste in my mouth after I saw it on television. In spite of this, the village remains about my favourite in the Cotswolds, especially when dressed up and on display as yesterday. We plan to return for the Music Festival at the end of next month: Natalie Clein is playing.