When we moved into our new home in 2022 I dictated the phrase telling friends “We’re custodians of this old place” which we are.  

Our home is around 350 years old and has so much history and quirks to consider and look after.

My dictation app got confused with a word I don’t (or didn’t) use that often.  

Custodians.  Instead of that it came out as Custard Ians.  Now my husband Snowy is never one to shy away from a bowl of custard but there have been times since moving in here the we’ve thrown ourselves on the floor (metaphorically most of the time) with the responsibility of our not-so-new-now home.

There’s no shying away from looking after something which is both precious and valuable in equal measures.  Us on moving-in day below!

Think of your business, your place of work.  

Making decisions, taking risks, acting with integrity for the good of the business as well as your colleagues…and you – is something we do daily.

Remembering and honouring those who went before and, critically, those who follow in your fortunes is so important.

We have a staircase down to our cellars which was “the servants’ staircase” and another which was “the Rector’s“.  

Which one do you think is the most worn? Has real signs of wear and I imagine those men and women running up and down the stairs looking after the fires and paraphernalia of the time?  

The Rector’s staircase is remarkably unworn.  

This might sound whimsical and irrelevant to you but I put this to you.

• How do you want others to think about how you contributed and cared for your business, your home etc?
• Fast forward 100 years and others will be in our place – what can we be custodians of that’s within our control for them?
• What do you see or understand about your own place of work and/or home that someone else has done/created and you’re benefitting from?

In these times of drives for sustainability thinking of ourselves as Custard Ians/Custodians is both appropriate and more important.  It’s a good word.

A final word on the matter…

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“A garden was one of the few things in prison that one could control.  To plant a seed, watch it grown, to tend it then harvest it, offered a simple but enduring satisfaction.  The sense of being the custodian of this small patch of earth offered a taste of freedom.”  

~ Nelson Mandela

 And in other news…

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We had a Tree Specialist out to our home today to survey our Cedar tree which is huge and which needs regular attention to keep it sturdy and safe.  It’s about 320 years old and is a local landmark.  Having had a branch crash down recently, it’s definitely telling us it needs attention.