Great day at Great Dixter Gardens with Leeds Castle Senior Leadership Team developing thinking about audiences at a place that attracts adult garden fans. Dixter stunning as ever, with really good learnings for us about gardens approach, as well as really idiosyncratic catering. (In a good way!)

At lovely Birmingham Botanical Garden today where they are planning major project to restore glasshouses & experience. Loved giant lily pads (on which 28kg worth of gin bottles were balanced recently!), stunning aeoniums & ‘lobster claw plants’! Great to catch up with Anna Eavis.

Apprentice Greenkeeper today! Drove ride on mower clearing Chipping Green! Created new holes on greens & filled old holes before repairing goose damage (v Leeds Castle) with sand/seed. More Back to Floor coming up soon, in Events, Gardens & Grounds, Castle, Catering & Finance.

After busy first week back & very enjoyable @leedscastle.bsky.social Concert, we are enjoying celebratory Roast Lunch before relaxing with Pimm’s for @wimbledonltc.bsky.social Final 🎾🍹 Huge thanks to Castle & Heritage Events teams for hard work to deliver an excellent Concert night. #teamwork

Travel Magnets’ fridge now has new magnets from Loire. Sure Lorcan will bring fresh batch from his Turkey/Romania/Austria/Germany trip when he returns next Saturday. This pic is only one side of the fridge. We are going to need a new fridge soon just for the magnets!

To Amboise to see Chateau (not good) & excellent Chateau du Clos Luce, home of Leonardo da Vinci, polymath engineer & artist. Brilliant exhibition of designs for tank, car, swing bridge, paddle boat, constructed as models. Last dinner tonight, then back to England tomorrow. 🥲

Great 20 mile cycle along Loire, to epic Winemakers’ Lunch at Domaine de Roche Blonde. Lunch al fresco in vineyard, trout terrine, cheeses, apple & almond tart, all with excellent wines. 3.5 hours & 6 glasses of wine later, wobbled 10 miles back to Tours. Current mood 😵‍💫

Driving vintage Citröen 2CV to Chateau de Villandry (epic gardens) & Chateau D’Azay Le Rideau today. Almost as bad as driving E German Trabant! Crazy Hidden Portraits exhibition in Chateau! Celebrating surviving 2CV driving this evening with a cracking fondue!

To Royal Chateau de Blois today, location of Francis I’s court from 1515 (salamander motif), Louis XII (porcupine motif) Stunning interiors & tiled floors. Now enjoying Loire sunset cruise with local food (saucisson, goats cheese, mackerel pâté) and rose wine. Very pleasant!

WHS Chateau Chenonceau today. Stunning Chateau & water reflections, loved Parterres, Kitchen Garden & donkeys. 🫏 Even had a Russell Page tribute garden! Tours tram expedition with Mövenpick ice cream later. In Istanbul, Lorcan rode trams, visiting mosques & Spice Bazaar.

Day 2 in Loire at 40 Degrees. Alfresco breakfast, Food Halls, Cathedral (stunning stained glass windows), Old Quarter visit. Finished with excellent Ethiopian lamb & injera pancakes. Meanwhile, Lorcan has visited Asian side of Istanbul, riding train under Bosphorus, vintage trams & multiple boats!

Day 1 of Loire via HS1, @eurostarnews.bsky.social Paris Metro & TGV to Tours. Great evening at local bistro - Loire wine, duck breast with figs & epic charcuterie plate. Meanwhile Orla is enjoying first day with dog sitter & Lorcan is in Istanbul learning about Sultans in Topkapi Mosque.

Great time yesterday with BFF Sally at Frameless - series of immersive experiences bringing artistic masterpieces to life in giant format. Particularly enjoyed the Dali, Munch, Monet, Turner & Canaletto, but all impressive! As was Dishoom Kensington with its Deco touches!

Epic tasting menu paired with @chapeldown.bsky.social wines. Fabulous food, including beetroot hummus, broad bean salad with black garlic oil, local cod with curry & raisin dressing, chicken with wild garlic & nduja risotto, yummy pavlova with passion fruit curd. Great job Graysons team!

Hosepipe season is Orla’s absolute favourite! Now have a soaking wet, muddy, happy cocker spaniel snoozing on my lap. #happydays

With Visit Kent Leaders today, touring @shepherdneame.bsky.social Brewery & discussing business. We fed back to @dcmsgovuk.bsky.social on tax burden (e.g. Employer NI) & statutory legislation inhibiting investment in visitor experiences & staff. LOVED the light fitting made out of beer bottles!

Great Goat Experience at the fabulous Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats Brushing, ear scratching and walking some lovely goats before general feeding time! Lovely little local charity which we plan to support.

Trip to Hever Castle today to see my fellow CEO. Enjoyed seeing the lovely new Anne Boleyn rooms in the Castle, especially enjoyed seeing her beautifully illustrated Book of Hours. Also a treat to see behind the scenes Astor’s Pink Bathroom (you can see this by booking special tour with Hever).

Today at Visit Kent Strategic Advisory Board at Eastbridge Hospital in Canterbury. Great tour of new accommodation at Hospital, with stunning views. Tonight is @leedscastleuk Board Dinner ahead of tomorrow’s Board Meeting. Tonight I am staying in the Turret Room in the Castle.

Very entertaining evening trying out new RG Live Squid Game Immersive Experience at Excel Waterfront. Korean Grape Milk, sinister Guards & rather stressful game of Red Light Green Light! Huge thanks to Joni Marks & team - very welcome break mid-A Levels for Lorcan.

At Visit Kent Reception at House of Lords. Great to meet new Kent County Councillors & Patricia Yates from @visitbritain.bsky.social Opportunity to thank outgoing VK CEO Deirdre Wells for her excellent work & welcome new CEO Jo Richardson.

Any offers for a small and soaking wet working cocker spaniel? Currently in disgrace after taking a flying leap at the hosepipe and upending my entire herb planter.

May be one day my awesome wife @hbwleedscastle.bsky.social will commit to paper her career story! Making a brew 🫖 behind our @maryrosemuseum.bsky.social momento. Just back from #BankHolidayMonday Morning Incident Call Out @leedscastle.bsky.social All safely now under control! #ALifeLessOrdinary ⚓️🏰

Gearing up @leedscastle.bsky.social for Queens Joust. England, France & Norway competing for trophy on Saturday, Sunday & BH Monday, with medieval camp set up around arena. Will be huge fun! Today, I also met our new Kookaburra babies and gave them a good head scritch!

Dinner menu tasting @leedscastle.bsky.social today. Delicious options including Asparagus & toasted quinoa, smoked salmon & lemon curd, corn fed chicken & Caesar dressed hispi, verbena lemon posset & lavender shortbread & chocolate mousse with mango sorbet. A hard life sometimes!

ALVA Fundraising Managers at Buckingham Palace. Great insights & private view of Edwardians Exhibition, loved Tiffany Opera Glasses, coronation throne, Faberge cigarette case, John Singer Sargent portrait of Edward VIII & Queen Alexandra’s watercolours. Thanks @bernarddonoghue.bsky.social & team!

Very enjoyable & thought provoking day at Windsor Castle talking to Windsor Leadership Emerging Leaders course about my personal leadership journey. Glorious day & zipped into car park just ahead of lockdown for Changing of Guard.

A most satisfactory #GoodFriday. Lovely to welcome cousins over for coffee in sun. Spent afternoon gardening, Rob dug my final flower bed & I planted Tequila Sunrise rose, red lupins & sunflower seedlings. Now enjoying slice of Lorcan’s excellent Easter cake! Happy Easter!

Trustees dinner tonight & Board meeting tomorrow, so I am trying out Yellow Bedroom tonight, with four poster & lovely view of the Moat!

For Orla’s 5th birthday today I shaped a mini tier cake out of her food and popped a spare 5 candle on top 🤣 She loved it!

Love this pic of one of our resident ducks amongst the crocuses this week @leedscastle.bsky.social Photo credit to our Marketing Director, Mark Delin.

Lovely day in Portsmouth today having lunch with @waterloosunsetrail.bsky.social former @maryrosemuseum.bsky.social Trustee Van Gore & wife Jill. Weather was stunning in Old Portsmouth, this photo taken at Hotwalls overlooking the Solent

Stunning sunset from plane window this evening en route back from Belfast

Amazing ALVA meeting at Titanic Belfast & Titanic Hotel. Museum now has original artefacts (deckchair, lifejacket, violin that was played as ship went down. Great hospitality from Titanic team. Did my own Rose & Leo selfie…Looking forward to todays ALVA Council meeting.

Spring is on its way, my little seed propagation centre planted with tomatoes, herbs and cosmos 🍅🪴Raspberries, blueberries & cherry tree planted in fruit cage. 🍒🫐Asparagus, peas, broad beans & strawberries to follow. 🍓🫛

Lovely day to be in Dover with @VisitKent Leaders. Great tour of stunning new suite at Marina hotel, good food & helpful discussions about EU Entry/Exit system, campaign to get Eurostar back to Ashford/Ebbsfleet & growth dampening impact of Employer National Insurance rises.

Fantastic evening at House of Lords, hosted by Baron Bassam & Baronesses Hodge & Keeley, with fellow ALVA CEOs. Great discussion about business prospects, innovation & existential threat posed to many by sharply increased Employer NI. Thanks @bernarddonoghue for convening!

Enjoyed Medieval Women exhibition at British Library. Stunning artefacts (birthing girdle, vibrant illustrated books, Joan of Arc letter, skull of Margaret of Anjou’s pet lion). Great to see @leedscastle.bsky.social significant Battel Hall Retable in prominent position.

Icy & beautiful @leedscastle.bsky.social today, photo credit to @waterloosunsetline.bsky.social

Christmas being packed away @leedscastle.bsky.social today as we head into 2025. This beautiful Egyptian Goose was delightfully indifferent to it all….

Our NYE dinner theme is Charlie & Chocolate Factory. Chef Lorcan produced; - Mr Gloop’s Sausage Surprise (home made pretzels) - Squirrel Satay (chicken!) - 3 course gum (tomato soup, roast beef & blueberry pie) - Wonka’s Whipplescrumptious Fudgemallow Delight Happy New Year to all!

❤️ #RudeNotTo ‘No Hafta Colada - Frozen pineapple-coconut classic - with lime juice, syrup of pitaya (dragonfruit) and papaya two ways (purée and garnish) Plenty of shimmy, but no rummy’ - Birthday Lunch at Dishoom, Canary Wharf, London 🍍🥥

Winner of Annual BW Christmas Lights Drive Around is Colonels Lane in Faversham who raise money for charity with their Wow lights. Entire house festooned, miniature fairground, train running in snow globe. Dancing Christmas Trees & Snowmen. Happy Christmas to you all!

Great Nutcracker afternoon tea at @leedscastle.bsky.social today as part of our family Christmas celebrations. Themed in line with the Nutcracker in the Castle, you can enjoy this in the Castle View Restaurant until 1st January. Good job Graysons team!

❤️🐶’Exhausting work for a girl, having been the centre of attention at a Christmas Afternoon Tea Party 🧁🍰🫖hosted by @hbwleedscastle.bsky.social for a Leeds Castle Team!’ 🎄

Christmas Parties coming up, so Lorcan & I busy with festive baking. Millionaire’s Shortbread & Chocolate Key Lime Pie complete, Key Lime Cake & Brown Sugar Meringue with Berries part-done. @hmcoronerwatch.bsky.social had great day cleaning cake & icing bowls! #Christmas #thankstostaff

Hosted launch of Visit Kent 2023 stats today with Council Leader Roger Gough & Deirdre Wells. Kent Visitor economy is £4 billion, supports 78,000 jobs & increased 8% year on year. Also showed Nutcracker in the Castle Christmas Experience - Deirdre made a great Sugar Plum Fairy!

Board Xmas dinner tonight ahead of tomorrow’s @leedscastle.bsky.social Board meeting. Lovely to see everyone, but some key Board members much missed @roskerslake @annaeavis.bsky.social & Adrian Tinniswood. Sleeping in lovely Queenborough Room in the Castle while wild weather whips around outside

‘A hazy shade of winter’ Leeds Castle, Kent

Great morning @bankofengland.bsky.social Business Breakfast with Maidstone Borough Council & other local businesses, discussing inflation, growth outlook & impact of recent Budget with Patrick Campbell, Deputy Agent at the Bank. Bacon sandwiches appreciated!