Goodhand in Banbury

  Our first visit finds broken driveway and over growth. Well what do you call this thing on the right? It's more than a hedge and yes the neighbour was delighted when we asked 'You don't mind if we take it down?' The shrubbery was so over grown you couldn't see out the front window or what plants etc were really there. Though this picture makes it look quite good. So the front needed a major make over  Driveway sorted and first eyesore resolved.  Next onto the garden itself with lots of digging out of roots, shrubs, pruning the front tree all in readiness  to lay a liner . Then we can put in the plants we brought from Sheffield. Hole ready for the Hamamelis Yes just there on the curve it will look great. Jills standard rose survived being dug up after 14 years and now it's in the ground once again. The Berberis which came from Geoff Hamiltons garden has also survived its brutal upheaval from near our Sheffield pond and is ready to go back into the ground. That&

  One of our hopes for retirement was that we might be able to walk out from the house into countryside without the need to get into a car. There were so many places to go to from our home in Sheffield but it did mean a journey to get there first.  So we are delighted to be able to put on our walking boots and head out from the housing estate. In one direction we can go down the Oxford canal into Banbury and beyond or out of Banbury heading south with detours into villages on route.  Or we can go west from our home onto walks that quickly mean we are in the country side.  Of course with all this potential walking I had to download the Ordinance Survey App so routes can be planned before we leave, or download the route onto my phone in case we can't get a signal, as well as using the sat technology to know exactly where we are.  This is vital information if we are to know where the next coffee shop might be!!  There are also many delightful villages around which you can do a circula