The Aardvark Blog

Sumer is icumen in
7/08/2022

Out of nowhere we are in high summer and the shop is full and we are madly trying to prepare for our incredible range of summer and autumn events.Back in the pre-plague era this happened every year and we had kind of got used to it ( like the Batsman in the Monty Python sketch), but after several years away from it this year seemed suddenly overwhelming.

And the emotional return of so many of our regular irregulars ( people who have been coming to the shop once a year for years), many of whom we haven't seen since 2019 has been rewarding but a little exhausting. So much life to catch up on.

Still amazingly we have made it through to scarecrow Sunday today and Peregrine has even had time to paint a masterpiece ( with help from the ever brilliant Meg - always employ ex-teachers they can make anything from scratch within seconds and never question why you would need an abstract portrait of an Aardvark at short notice).

Then next weekend is our last ever re-enactment featuring the English Civil War Society. A wonderful weekend is in the works with the biggest Living History village we have ever hosted. If you have never been this is your last chance to commemorate the bravery of Brilliana Harley, and to learn all about life and  war in the seventeenth century. Still amazingly thanks to a  grant  from the Heritage Lottery Fund the amazing Tom and    his team from Lush Films will  be filming the event so it will be around for ever in the digital realm.

Then after next weekend we have a short breathing space - during which Ethel and I are clearing out an art publisher's officers and bringing them back to the Aardvark's burrow - before our biggest ever August Car Boot on the Bank Holiday Monday featuring an amazing number of stalls and live music from the brillian Jack Brett.

And then Herefordshire Art Week and Ludlow Food Festival to follow. A cornucopia of wonderful events which madly all need to be planned out for at the same time.

For those coming to the re-enactment our beer will again be coming from Ludlow Brewery after the sad ending of Leominster's Swan Brewery, with ciders and perries from Newton Court. All the meat for sale will be from the ever reliable Herefordshire Meats so it will be a truly local event all round.