Minnowburn Encounter

It has been such a fine spring day that I decided to jump into the two-seater, take the roof down and motor over to Minnowburn, near Shaw's Bridge, Belfast.

I made a bee-line for the pond. Firstly I have to say that the National Trust staff at Minnowburn have accomplished a tremendous amount at this property.

The paths, pond, surrounding fields, new plantations, Rose Garden - everything is looking magnificent, mainly due to the diligence and dedication of a small team at Minnowburn.

I bumped into Craig, the warden, and his lovely family, who were foraging at the edge of the water.

Adjacent to the pond is a brand new sculpture of wood art, a kind of mythical reptile.

I walked through the property, admiring the work achieved at the rose garden atop the hill.

Ambling along the tow path, I encountered a passer-by who accosted me. To my absolute delight it was Harvey Cross, a former master at Brackenber House School, my old prep school.

Now I haven't met Harvey Cross for almost forty years. He looked well and we chatted for five minutes about this and that, the Old Boys' dinner; and I urged him to come to the dinner in 2013.