The Queen's New Throne

Many of us find ourselves in this little village because of Nicola and Teddy. They owned the biggest house in town for over a decade where they ran courses and created fantastic events. People fell in love, with them, with each other, with the village and its surroundings. I think of them as the trunk of the family tree, and we're their branches. Lizzie and Ali attended a wedding there, bought the big house 'round the corner. I bought the house above, negotiations assisted by Nicola and Teddy. The English class they ran for local people accelerated my meeting Henny...the rest is history.

We were dumbfounded when they announced they were going to sell up and move back to the UK. It's been a tough decision for them, and we're all silently weeping into our pillows at night. Nicola gave Teddy a birthday present this year. 3000 sqm. of river land just outside town. Now he can always wiggle his toes in the local earth he loves so well.

Today the mates were summoned for a work party on this exquisite, tranquil patch. The weather's been dreadful for weeks, but today the sun shone, just the right amount. Not too hot to be productive! We cleared, chopped, slashed, burned, planted and created. These beautiful steps appeared.

And they work, as tested by Teddy and Ted.

We cleared an area for the eco-latrine, complete with privacy screen, the bambooloo. Here's Nicola on a dry run.

Teddy and Nicola have generously urged us, one and all, to use the land whenever we like. I can see myself dangling my feet in the cooling stream after a bike ride. A superb day.