The Coady's Collective
Coady's Cabana and The Studio have been created by Matthew and Jane Coady over the past 24 years. Matthew is a retired Architect, and Jane a retired newspaper publisher and former City Councillor. Over the 20+ years that they have been married and living on the property there have been constant changes. The gardens were started and enhanced, art was acquired, as were cats, dogs, chickens and horses... even people!
The people.....
Jane and Matthew love creating a place for people to enjoy. Initially having two young adult off-spring opened their eyes to the fun of having diverse people around. This has now been carried forward to having more people sharing their home
......all pitch in
Sometimes house guests sing for their supper, other times they put their backs into work! Everyone pitches in.
The Studio!
Originally a part of the house for Jane's Mum and Dad, the Studio is a ground floor unit, complete with a full kitchen is now available. Natalie
Natalie lives at "Idle Cottage", in her ground floor apartment.
She started to get dirt under her finger nails, and help in the garden, but now she has her nose in the books doing her Masters in Social Psychology by distance ed. She still has time to enjoy time at the pool! News!!
Matthew is seriously considering setting up a solar system to help heat the pool for next summer. Hopefully this would extend the season at either end. But this year, even without an added boost, we were all in the pool on October 1st for our final dip of the season. It was bracing, but worth it!! We shall see how, or if, this idea moves ahead! |
The chickens
The chickens are now our only "pets", and live in the back garden closer to the house. Please ask if you would like to visit them in their "chicken condo". There are just two chickens now, a Red Sussex Cross, the ever-friendly "Buddy", and White Leghorn, the flighty "Isay, Isay, Isay", so named after the cartoon character Foghorn Leghorn for those old enough to remember!
Work AwayersAs for the past 5+ years, we invited young (or older!) people who want to learn about growing their own food, how to cook, what it takes to maintain a property and home and to live well to join us.They come through the Work Away program. We love the energy, and help, they bring into our lives.
Our first worker this year was Cassian, a 20 year old young man our first workday from the former East Germany. Very interesting to hear the differences in life, particularly that of his parents. Next came the wonderful Holly from Iowa - our first US workaway. Christian followed, also from the US! We are now enjoying the potatoes he planted! Hot on his heels was Suse, then Janine, both also from the former GDR, and both in their late 20's. Sebastien was an interesting young German workaway with whom we had extended conversations around the EU and Brexit!! Next came our Swiss contingent - the first time we have hosted Swiss people! First Svenga, from the Lucerne the German side of Switzerland, and now Vincent from Lausanne, the French side. Al and his girl-friend Kate from Australia were special as Al is a newly graduated architect from Australia, and they have moved to Canada so we look forward to having them as part of our lives into the future! Katharina from Germany is with us now helping to put the garden "to bed". An interesting year of first for the nationalities of people staying with us, and as always, new ideas and enthusiasm adding to life around here. Marlene and Don were our house sitters looking after both the house and property, and the Cabana and Studio in October. We plan to have more sitters from December to February while we are in San Miguel d'Allende, hopefully learning some Spanish!! We look forward to continuing to welcome work-awayers into our home in 2017 to help with gardening, renovations, maintenance, B&B chores and cooking. We can guarantee they will all leave having not only learned a few things but having had a very enjoyable time, as do we with them! Not sure how we would manage without them!! |