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My new role is as PA / EA to the MD at J Rigg Construction. It is a part-time role (afternoons) and it is based just this side of Broadway, so only about 8 miles away. For those friends who are overseas - Broadway is a very pretty “go to” Cotswolds village, full of chocolate-box Cotswold stone cottages with thatched roofs and roses around the door!
Riggs Construction do fabulous projects - for example, one estate started off with a £3 million budget but over the next six years it became £7m...! GULP! At the moment, apparently, the trendy place-to-be is the area surrounding Chipping Norton (Oxfordshire) where the uber life-style venue [i.e. pretentious] is SoHo Farmhouse (“Surrounded by 100 acres of Oxfordshire countryside, Soho Farmhouse is a rural escape offering food and drinks, wellness experiences and outdoor activities”.). Also, Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm and Farm Shop are at Chadlington – this is the “Clarkson’s Farm” as aired on Amazon Prime. Also, the Beckhams’ estate is at the village of Great Tew, and that’s in the same pocket of the Cotswolds. Anyway, Riggs Construction have a number of rural estates or country houses that they are renovating, or building, or conserving for members of the great and the good … but I am sure there will an expectation of confidentiality from anyone linked to the various projects. However, it should be interesting. I still have my Sports Hall job too and, as you know, that is self-employed and predominantly when-I-want-to-do-it, so that's good. Therefore, I am still a part-time employee in the general sense but, in all honesty, this is just what I need at the moment whilst adjusting to the eye trauma and everything else that has been going on for the past couple of years. I start the new role on 11th November… wish me luck!
During the talk Monty Don shared “his passion for gardens and the unique role they play in human inspiration and wellbeing”. As my friend said, Monty’s approach was “engaging” with a balance of fun and levity as well as serious observations. It was not a lecture on gardening per se but more about life, love and the universe! As the website says “a timely and thought-provoking celebration of the ever-surprising and comforting presence of nature”. The Malvern talk was the first in a run of 24 shows (see Talks & Events).
Starting in Madrid and working his way north through the verdant gardens of Galicia, the Basque country and Barcelona, Monty then heads south to the rugged tropical climes of Mallorca, Alicante, Andalucia, Malaga, and Seville. It's a chance for him to explore how Spain has evolved from the darker days after the civil war to its successful transition to democracy over fifty years ago, tracing those changes through its gardens - from the more conventional gardens created after the war to the rich and inventive approaches of contemporary designers. Accompanied by Derry Moore's stunning photography, Spanish Gardens is a remarkable and personal journey through one of the most popular country destinations on earth”.
On the RHS website, Clare Matterson, RHS Director General is quoted saying: “Along with RHS Ambassador and fellow plantsman Jamie Butterworth, whose dog, Hector won lots of fans at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival last year, Monty will create a garden both for dogs– with a lawn for rolling and playing, but also, about dogs – with an area exploring some of the less dog-friendly plants to avoid. Her Majesty the Queen’s adopted Jack Russell Terriers, Beth and Bluebell, will also feature in the garden, their names inscribed on the garden path, along with beloved pets of RHS Ambassadors and Radio 2 presenters”. RHS Chelsea Flower Show runs from 20-24 May 2025  The RHS and Radio 2 Dog Garden, William Nathan, Form Plants Ltd |
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