What are we reading?

There’s no hiding the fact that the Winterbourne team are all avid book worms, we’ve a second hand bookshop on site and are regularly swapping books we’ve enjoyed between us.

We thought we would share what we’ve been reading during lock down to keep us entertained. Let us know if you have any recommendations for us or if you’ve read any of the below, we’d love to know!

Ellie (Learning Officer)

I’m reading Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. It’s one of my favourites and is a simple, classic and comforting story in these uncomfortable times [I’m just reading part one so there’s no character deaths!]

Abby (Horticulture Supervisor)

I’m reading Starbook by Ben Okri. Ben Okri is one of my favourite authors – I love the way he used language, he takes you to a world of dreams, myths and omens. This was a beautiful book about seeing and not seeing what is in front of us, about the life lived in the heart and soul and how that can be perceived by the individual, and by those around them.

Sara (Visitor Service Supervisor)

After years of being told to read this book I finally got around to reading Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. This is a historical romance which is not a genre that i would usually gravitate toward however i can’t deny that this story was escapism at its finest and therefore exactly what i needed.

Jude (Member of the Horticulture Team)

I’ve been reading Garden News each week which gives readers an insight on how to care for certain plants, which ones are good performers and has a wide variety of expert horticultural information. I look forward to its arrival each week!

Henrietta (Collections Officer)
I’ve just finished The Mirror and the Light, The long-awaited final volume in Hilary Mantel’s trilogy about Thomas Cromwell. It came out just before lock down started and I just managed to get a copy before everything closed down.  It was as absorbing as the first two volumes – historical fiction at its absolute best. It’s already on my list to read again!

Dan (Head gardener)

I’ve been reading ‘Gardens of the Imagination’ which is an anthology edited by Sophie Biriotti. It’s all about fictional gardens that have appeared in great works of literature – anything from Alice in Wonderland to The Secret Garden. It’s interesting to read about how many great writers are also great garden enthusiasts (and vice versa). And interesting to observe what brilliant gardens can be created when all of the weeds, slugs and snails can simply be imagined away!

Thank you for reading this article, don’t forget if you want to stay up to date with everything going on here don’t forget to sign up to our e-newsletter!

Being closed during our busiest months of the year means that we need your support more than ever in fundraising to continue the essential maintenance and upkeep of Winterbourne House and Garden, plus make headway with our projects, such as restoration of our important nursery glasshouses. 

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