I’ve just finished writing the final weekly newsletter for our volunteers. We wrote one every week since we closed until this week, what would have been the last in our main season. A THREAD!

Looking back at the year, we did an incredible 30+ newsletters. Each week we updated them on what we had been doing, how we felt about it. We asked them to send us what they’d been doing. We shared photos, even from our time off and hobbies. They were worried when R cut my hair.

We had them back for one joyful day to see the gardens. We also hosted some super strange socially distanced meetings. But we really put the time in to keep them connected and informed. They were our biggest champions and motivation to keep going.

I’d like to just reflect on the things we shared. The garden was the main thing - key reps who had never gardened before took on 4 acres. We did surprisingly well, and put so much work in.

I learnt to do things that would have otherwise terrified me. Who knew I could use a strimmer? Not me.

We made so much content for social media. A garden and house tour, a lot of murder mysteries and toilets. We even found a wee bucket in an outside privy.

The cats weren’t furloughed and they kept busy all summer on pest patrol.

R and I got engaged. We were inundated with emails and cards from the volunteers. It was incredible.

Ferris loved every second of lockdown as head of security.

Marple... less so.

Chester still got to come over and hang out with us which were THE best days.

I hid behind a lot of things to amuse the furloughed staff. They had to guess where I was. No one was surprised I was in a bin which is a bit worrying.

R taught us all so much about wildlife. By the end of lockdown everyone had bought binoculars. The highlight was the Purple Emperor we found in the greenhouse

I painted so many signs. I still have more to do. I’m pretending they don’t exist.

There’s no conclusion beyond saying this has been the most terrifying, worrying and rewarding period of my life. I’m so proud of what me and my gang achieved. I’m still waiting to hear about my future but either way - we bossed this.