Ready, steady, timber!

After all the frantic preparations we're open again - and it was alright on the day!
There's a real buzz about the start of a new season, getting back with old friends and looking forward to getting to know the new seasonal team - not to mention greeting all our visitors.  We also get a sneak preview of the new exhibition in the Beatrix Potter Gallery (lots of things we didn't know about Beatrix on holiday) and the little touches in Hill Top house which suggest she might have just returned from one.
There was some quick painting of the toilets at Hill Top and some hard work by Janet cleaning up all my splashes!  (You don't want a picture of that!)
It's an ill wind - our green entrance sign was a casualty of the wind - so we've got a brand new one which is much prettier. 

Luke putting up our new sign

 

Apart from that, we escaped lightly weather-wise - just one or two extra lakes and a few trees down on Claife Heights.

Other

Sam (the ticket office dog) reckons trees are easier to climb when they've fallen.  This one is in Ash Landing car park.

 

 

 

 The rabbit (part of the children's trail at Hill Top) seems to be doing fine tree climbing - and proved difficult to find.  Other ducks and rabbits can be found kite flying, swinging and bird watching to complete their '50 Things'

 I thought this was a 'white van' convention but turns out they were working on the electricity supply for Claife Courtyard!