A special joy to be back at Barnsley House, now an elegant Hotel but formerly the home of Rosemary Verey, in the heart of the beautiful Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. I gave a talk about my biography in what had been Rosemary’s drawing room; it is now an inviting dining room where a delicious lunch was served to about 50 guests before my talk. Above, my husband, Charlie and I are pictured standing in front of the house with the Irish Yews now cut back hard and reduced in height.
Richard Gatenby, the Head Gardener, is carrying on and with new management at the Hotel, working to continue Rosemary’s gardens. 
He is shown here with me in his work clothes before dressing up to introduce me at the lunch. During the event, I had the great pleasure of sitting next to Kathryn Bradley-Hole, the Gardens Editor of Country Life. That allowed me to thank her for not only printing six pages of extract from the book in the October 10, 2012 issue of Country Life, but putting the book and the iconic image of the Laburnum Walk at Barnsley on the COVER! Here she is with me. 
And also pictured with me is Michele Mella, The General Manager of Barnsley House. Best of all, I had a little nostalgic visit to what had been “my cottage” when I lived and worked as one of the gardeners at Barnsley in 1991. It has been very much improved by the new owners and I understand quite well heated as well as modern inside, unlike the unheated stone walls of my days there. But still it looks much the same from the outside, as charming as ever. A little bit of memory lane for me. 
