Welcome to The Sticks
The Sticks reflects our life in the little piece of Staffordshire we call home and our personal exploration of the connection between people and places over time; from the families who lived in our house before us, back to 1810, to the gardeners who planted the trees we admire on our walks; from the current generation born here to to their ancestors from far and wide and our appreciation of the places we have visited.
If you are investigating your own family history please check our genealogy database. If you have connections with our family we would be delighted to hear from you.
Latest ...
News
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Fighting for equal rights
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- 15 July 2020
At the Sticks
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Mexican Warrior arrives at the Sticks
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- 28 August 2020
Out & about
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Imagine a different life
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- 18 July 2020
Seeds&Weeds
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Highs and lows in a reliably unreliable summer
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- 02 September 2020
Travel Diary
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Palmyra at sunset
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- 04 September 2020
Genealogy
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From Refugee to Slave Trader
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- 16 July 2020
Spotlight
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Transformed with flowers
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- 28 August 2020
A few packets of summer flower seeds and a little patience transformed an eyesore into a colourful garden.
Recent features
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From Refugee to Slave Trader
When their church, the Bretagne Church in Pons, France, was burned... -
Spring crops reach our table
It's raining today so I have postponed some of the tasks I was... -
Constructing our poly tunnel has kept us busy
April has been a busy month. Constructing our poly-tunnel has taken... -
Spring sunshine, puzzled dogs and nettle roots maintain "social" distancing
After a cold, wet, windy and bleak winter which saw floods in many... -
"Catastrophe"
Each February since I retired and began to pursue the good life my... -
First taste of Damascus
Monday 29th November 1993, 11:00am to 1:00pm We pile off the bus in...
More Sticks Stuff
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Palmyra at sunset
After a morning in Bosra, lunch in Damascus we arrive at the desert city of Palmyra just as the sun is going down. Wow! -
Highs and lows in a reliably unreliable summer
As summer begins to fade into autumn a look back at the successes and failures in the vegetable garden at The Sticks -
Mexican Warrior arrives at the Sticks
After months of separation and a few last minute problems the Student and her dog are finally reunited. -
Plum Jam
We had neglected the fruit trees for years. Overgrown, damaged and a haven for wasps, could we save the plum trees?
Old Favourites
Travel Diaries
Transcription of travel diaries made during the last 36 years starting with India and Nepal 1981 and including USA 1983, Syria 1993, South America 2000 and South Africa 2014 together with photographs. This is a work in progress as the diaries are transcribed, so check for updates.
History of Ladymoor Gate
Tracing the history of the house from early 1800s to the present day using historical documents and idenitying people who lived here before us
Maps for local Walks
Selection of our walking routes on the edge of the Staffordshire Moorlands. All accessible from convenient public car parks
Genealogy
20 years of family history research available in our webtrees database (over 800 surnames and nearly 5000 individuals) plus a collection of birth, marriage and death certificates.
The Good Life
Seeds & Weeds
We weren't gardeners, we don't even listen to Gardeners' Question Time very often, but we have a large garden with plenty of potential and since retirement at the end of 2017 we have become amateur gardners. We favour the wild, natural look and like the birds, butterflies, frogs and other small animals but we want it to be looked after and we have recently revived and extended our vegetable patch. Ths Seeds and Weeds section is dedicated to reluctant gardeners in constant fight against the weeds - solidarity among the nettled and scratched - the caterpillars, slugs, snails and multitudes of insects, and those with the romantic idea of growing most of their own food.
From the plots
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Highs and lows in a reliably unreliable summer
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- 02 September 2020
As summer begins to fade into autumn a look back at the successes and failures in the vegetable...
From the Diary
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Cucurbits and cabbage but fewer beans
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- 08 July 2020
After a wet few weeks there have been problems in the garden but successes in the poly-tunnel -
First garlic in the bag despite rust
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- 22 June 2020
After concern that crop would be lost to rust, the Early Purple Wight garlic has delivered a...
Other stuff
Route to the Soul
Began as a romantic mixture of emotion and practical tips from two young students discovering themselves and life as they recounted their adventures away from home. Now the blog is maintained by the Student who studies and works part time on-line while she and her boyfriend continue their travels to explore the world. Her blog focuses on healthy lifestyles, wellbeing and politics affecting the state of the planet & the lives of its inhabitants.
Rooted to the Spot
Magazine style section with articles about life at the Sticks on a theme inspired by Brexit.
DizzyMissLizzie
General, occassional blogs about the small (or sometimes major) incidents happening, usually outside the safe zone of the Sticks, that left an impression. Often but not always political. Uses Beatles song titles to set the themes.
I used to think when I'm sixty-four the world would be a better place, now I'm not so sure.
Don't Let Me Down! Altogether Now.