Cherry Blossom

These beautiful cherry trees in our garden were planted by the previous owner of our house, Humphrey Beak. Humphrey's father, James, was given the tenancy of our farm in about 1917 by Algernon, 15th Duke of Somerset, who he met on his own father's ranch in Canada. Douglas Lake Ranch is still the largest working cattle ranch in Canada.

James and his wife Gertrude arrived with three young children, Humphrey, Linda Gertrude and Dorothy Florence. The older sister was a formidable woman, known to everyone as "Miss Beak". She bred Wire Fox Terriers, which she sold all round the world. She bred 5 UK champions, eventually becoming a Crufts judge herself. The younger sister was a teacher, who kept chickens. Amusingly she was known as Flossie Beak! Humphrey of course became a farmer. In the 1950s, two Dukes died in quick succession and the Somersets had to sell off a lot of land to pay death duties. James and Humphrey took the opportunity to buy their farm.

None of the siblings married and when the last of them, Humphrey, died, a distant cousin who had unexpectedly inherited, sold the farm to us, complete with beautiful trees including these pink cherries.