Golden Pond

Some 30-40 years ago there was a movie called On Golden Pond - starred Henry Fonda in one of his last roles - which I loved, so I was thrilled to spend a week in the summer of 1984 staying in a wooden cabin on the shore of the "pond" adjacent to where the film was shot, Pine River Pond in New Hampshire. But this pond, in Benmore Gardens, looked more golden this afternoon than any in New England; the late afternoon sun slanted over it from a blue sky and reflections mingled with whatever lay on the floor of this ornamental feature.

And come to think of it: in the 80s, when we brought our young children here, there were huge goldfish in this pond, which at the time was a much more sterile and weed-free environment. I wonder if it's all part of the policy to cultivate the wooded hillsides and move away from the formal gardens as the centrepiece?

Whatever the thinking behind Benmore Gardens, it's a wonderful place and a privilege to be able to wander through it.