Barford House May 2012

The bunting goes up ready for the Jubilee weekend.

Flamingo chicks hatch at WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre

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   Six greater flamingo chicks have been born at WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre.
   Twenty three eggs have been laid so far this year; so the Grounds team are still expecting many more chicks to hatch in the next week for the award winning Downy Duckling Week, starting Saturday 2 June when visitors can watch and interact with the whole egg to duckling process.
   
   The flamingos, traditionally from the Mediterranean and parts of Africa, nest on bark chippings in their enclosure. They would usually make mud nests in the wild, but they have grown to prefer bark chippings after they were placed on their Island to assist the breeding of the eider ducks, who were found nesting on the chippings under the slide in the children’s play area.
   
   Centre Manager,Andy Wooldridge, said: “All the greater flamingos that are at Martin Mere have been bred and raised in captivity which makes them very friendly and sociable birds, you can get very close and even hand feed them. It is very unusual for the birds to use bark chippings but great that the chicks have hatched close together as they form a crèche; giving the community the opportunity of seeing the parenting skills of the flamingos whilst the chicks are huddled together”.
   
   
   
   The Greater Flamingos are one of six species of flamingos found in the world. They are the least vibrant coloured of the six species, being a pale salmon pink.
   
   Flamingos are very social birds which need to be kept together in a large group in order for them to be happy. At Martin Mere there are currently have 57 greater flamingos and they choose the same partners every year. A single egg is laid by each pair and both the male and female take it in turns to incubate. Incubation takes approximately 30 days and all chicks are parent-reared as these social youngsters benefit from being with their mum and dad as well as with each other.
   
   In addition, adult flamingos produce a special crop milk to feed their babies on (- pigeons are the only other bird to do this). The fluffy chicks grow very quickly (up to 2cm a day) and they are fully-fledged by the age of 3 months. They are usually grey or white in colouring and it takes approximately 2 to 3 years to obtain full pink plumage.
   
   Come and see them during the award winning Downy Duckling Week from Saturday 2 June to Sunday 10 June. The week is your unique opportunity to see and discover how some of the rarest ducklings in the world develops inside an egg and breaks free from the shell into a young bird that you can meet whilst exploring the duckling nursery

Our Lovely Rear Garden At Barford House May 2012

The rear garden of Barford House is packed full of perrenials, shrubs and bedding plants.

There are two seating areas in the back garden for guests to enjoy the afternoon sunshine.
The main patio area seats four guests around the large glass patio table. The second area is on the opposite side of the garden and seats two guests on large comfy garden chairs.

Barford House Apartment 4 newly decorated for 2012

Apartment 4 has recently undergone refurbishment to a high standard and new plush carpets have been fitted throughout.

Apartment 4 lounge offers guests two reclining leather chairs, 32" flat screen TV with freeview, DVD player, Hi-Fi and a table and chairs which seats four guests comfortably. This room has two windows which make it bright and airy, the sun is on this apartment all afternoon and into the evening.

The bedroom in apartment 4 offers a double bed, bedside table, a chest of drawers, flat screen TV, bedside lamps, alarm clock and hairdryer. All the windows are double glazed, the wardrobe has plenty of hangers for those holiday clothes.

The kitchen in apartment 4 is fully fitted with hob & oven, fridge with freezer box, microwave, toaster, kettle, ample cutlery, crockery,pans, frying pans, george foreman grill and various size glasses.

Queens Diamond Jubilee tour of Merseyside

 

Queen to take ride on Liverpool's Yellow Duckmarines during her Diamond Jubilee tour of Merseyside    

The Yellow Duck Marine goes past the tall ships in the Albert Dock.

 

THE Queen will take to the waters of the Albert Dock in one of Liverpool’s famous Yellow Duckmarines during her Diamond Jubilee tour of Merseyside next week.

 

She will embark on the famous craft before taking lunch in the Maritime museum.
The half-hour ride will allow the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to see the crowds before splashdown in the world heritage site.
The royal party will also be treated to a commentary during their ride in one of the amphibious vehicles, originally designed in the 1940s to take troops from ship to shore during World War II.

Jerry Goldman, managing director of the Yellow Duckmarine, liaised with the Merseyside Lord Lieutenant’s office to finalise the details for the VIP passengers.

There is no better way for the Queen to see Liverpool than from a Yellow Duckmarine.
"The Queen will be doing a short tour round the dock and the crowds will have a great opportunity to see her.
"We’ve already decided who the driver will be and picked a crew member to provide the live commentary.
"Normally these will lead the tourists in a rendition of the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine, but I’m not sure we’ll be doing that with the Queen."

Her Majesty arrives in Merseyside next Thursday as part of her progress round the UK to mark her 60 years on the throne.
The Queen and Prince Philip will also visit and officially open the Orford Jubilee Park in Warrington

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Rufford Old Hall's Secret Garden

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Discover more about Rufford Old Hall's 'secret gardens'

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   Some of the secrets that lie behind Rufford Old Hall's delightful gardens will be revealed next week.
   
   Gardener-in-charge David Roberts will be hosting an evening tour of the garden, telling QLocal: "We'll be looking at the garden's history -for example, and rather surprisingly - its layout was shaped by the Industrial Revolution.
   
   The present garden - around 5 acres - is largely Victorian and is the period when most of the existing mature trees and shrubs you can see today were planted. We also have our wonderful topiary which has its own interesting, historical tale to tell - and I'll be advising on the best way to look after what is, in effect, outdoor living sculpture.
   
   "Visitors will discover how the gardens are run and maintained on a daily basis at Rufford, and the way in which its trees and plants make up an ever changing picture across the year.
   
   "The soil here is lime – free sandy loan, drained by ditches to the canal, and suited particularly to woodland gardening – although the generally mild climate and moderate rainfall of south-west Lancashire also promotes good growth in the mixed borders, lawns and shrubbery - all beloved by Victorian gardeners.
   
   And if you've ever wanted to know how to date an herbaceous border or manage the health of your trees - then this is the tour for you!"
   
   After the tour, visitors will be treated to a cup of tea and a delicious slice or two of cake on the lawn.
   
   Rufford Old Hall is open Sun - Weds, 11am - 5pm.Tickets for the garden tour, which takes place on Thursday 10 May, 7 - 8pm are £8 and booking is essential