Cherishing Children

Running a holiday business near Winterton keeps Diane Le Grice busy, but home is just a few steps away.

- Tony Hall

REGULAR READERS may remember the feature I did on the holiday cottages, Big Sky Cottages, in the grounds of Diane Le Grice’s lovely home near Winter ton. When I did that feature, I also saw Diane’s home which was really lovely, so I was delighted to re-visit her recently to photograph the house and bring the story up to date.

While we are having coffee in the conservatory, which overlooks the extensive gardens, a mother and her young daughter are playing hide and seek around the bushes, having a great time. They are guests staying in one of the holiday cottages, Martin’s Nest, and Diane kindly allows guests to access this fantastic garden. When they leave (it being their last morning), they come to say goodbye and thank Diane as they have really enjoyed their games in this garden, which pleases her a lot.

“It always give me great delight to see children playing simple games with their parents, just as we did,” says Diane. “It is something very special, not an iPad in sight. I really do cherish my experiences with young children and it’s wonderful, even after the closure of the nursery school, to still have the opportunity of having them here and hearing their laughter.”

Diane and her late husband Peter bought the property in 1979. They did extensive renovations and improvements, resulting in planning permission to open a nursery school in 1982. This fitted in very well, as over the years Diane’s husband’s health started failing so she was able to be nearby if needed.