EVENTS HOLIDAY AT CHARTWELL
JUNE 1999

From 18th to 25th June 1999 I led a working holiday at Chartwell, Sir Winston Churchill's former home in Kent. (Click here to see the National Trust website's entry on Chartwell.) It was an Events Holiday, the event in question being an open-air 1940s dance at which the Herb Miller Orchestra was playing. We helped prepare for the event, acted as car park marshalls and cleared up afterwards. During the rest of the week we cleaned the ponds in Churchill's water garden and also Churchill's swimming pool. We also managed to fit in visits to Emmetts Garden, Bodiam Castle and the mediaeval town of Rye.

I think it's true to say that a good time was had by all!

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Views of the house at Chartwell

Octavia Hill basecamp, Toys Hill
This is where we stayed.

The 1940s dance
Our group, ready to go into action
During the event

Cleaning the ponds in Churchill's water gardens...
The first pond, drained and ready for cleaning
Fiona at work in the first pond
Starting to drain the second pond (the one with the golden orfes - Churchill's favourite fish)
Recovering coins for the gardeners' kitty
John demonstrates his fishing skills
Refilling the second pond after cleaning
Gill and Elizabeth cleaning the filter bed - one of the muckiest jobs of all!

... and the swimming pool
Before draining and cleaning
Getting stuck in
Cleaning in progress
Our beautiful clean pool!

Raking grass

It was time to cut the long grass that had been left to grow where there had been daffodils, so this was what we were raking up.

Volunteers at rest and play
Posing with Winston...
... and with Gill's bottom
A well-earned rest
Bodiam Castle (on our day off)
Gill and Clare at Bodiam Castle
Gill does her yokel act
Paddling in the swimming pool
Barbecue on our last night - John blows out the candles on his birthday cake

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