Velma A.D 1884

L3 day 108 A dog walk round the local area...such changeable weather over half an hour...strong winds, sleet and then sun! The Amelanchier in our garden is looking lovely and lots of magnolias nearby are in full bloom. We went past the Velma Boathouse which now has big gates enclosing it’s garden, which is accessed from Broom Close. As it is a listed building it can not be changed or developed which is good as it is one of the few Victorian boathouses still in the area. The boathouse was built in 1884 for Dr John Langdon Down who first discovered and developed treatments for Down’s syndrome. He lived very near at Normansfield Hospital. The boathouse was apparently named Velma after one of his dogs!