Dear All,
Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting Spetchley House and Garden here in England to see if I could find any historic daffodils.
The house has been lived in for the passed 300 years by the Berkeley family..
In the 1800's Rose Willmott married into the family and her sister was Ellen Willmott who sat on the RHS Daffodil Committee with the great names of Engelheart, Backhouse and Barr so you can imagine my interest as Miss Ellen was a frequent visitor to Spetchley and developed one of the garden.
Two other facts that I found out about yesterday may be be of interest to some, I was fortunate meet Miss Berkeley aunt of the present incumbent Mr Henry Berkeley who told me that as a boy Edward Elgar (English Composer) stayed in the ground of Spetchley and that later in his life use the sound of the wind whistling through the pine trees at Spetchley as inspiration in his work "The Dream of Gerontius"
The sound fact is that American airman used Spetchley during the last hostilities, one taking the top of a ceder tree while showing off to his friends on the ground, I'm told that both pilot and tree survived the ordeal, but Anglo, American relations were not good for a week or two!
Back to my pictures if this works I'll be surprised
If you cut and paste the link below it should take you to my Picasa Album Spetchley House and Garden 2012 of 8 historic daffodils I found, if any one has any ideas of what they I would be grateful for any help or assistance.
There are 3 picture for each flower, 8 flowers in all.
My best wishes to all
Ian
Cut and paste this Link