News from the Hall
Clifton Stories
Life at Clifton Hall goes well beyond concerts and celebrations. Here are a few of the little stories from our house and gardens.
New Flamboyant Trees Planted at Clifton Hall
Clifton Hall has a little more colour to look forward to. We have recently planted a couple of new flamboyant trees on the lawns, and Mary rolled up her sleeves to put the first one in the ground herself.
There are few trees more Barbadian than the flamboyant. In summer its canopy is covered in brilliant red and orange blooms, and its wide, shady branches make it a natural home for a great house garden. Planting them here is a small gift to the future of Clifton Hall, and to everyone who will one day sit beneath them.
Some things take time to grow. That is rather the point.
Flamboyants are not quick to reach their full glory, but they reward patience. We look forward to watching these young trees settle in, stretch out and, in time, light up the grounds in the warmer months.
James the Pigeon and His Growing Family
Every great house has its regulars. At Clifton Hall, one of our most faithful is a pigeon called James, and he has just introduced us to his family.
For the last three months, James has been fed here at Clifton Hall regularly. He arrives, settles on his wooden perch, and gets stuck into his grain with the confidence of someone who knows he is welcome.
Lately, Mary noticed he had been eating rather a lot, even for him. Then, the other day, the mystery was solved. James turned up with a female pigeon and two babies in tow.
He had been collecting food and carrying it back to his nest to feed his family.
It seems all those hearty meals were not greed at all. James has been a devoted father, quietly taking his share home to a nest full of hungry mouths. We think it is a lovely little story, and James and his family are very welcome to stay.