Lucy had her Ferrari drive this morning! (We bought it for her for her 18th birthday way back in December). She drove a Ferrari 308 for 3 laps round Goodwood race track. It suits her don’t you think?
Of course, Maurice had to have a go too! Luckily they weren’t too busy, so he had the very next drive:
I am beginning to harvest my vegetables! I have had loads of tomatoes already (in fact, I am trying to keep tabs by weighing each batch!), and I dug these potatoes at the weekend. I have yellow courgettes, runner beans, and beetroot too!
Maurice and I are planning a big adventure! I am really excited about it. We are planning a motorcycle trip to the isle of Skye!
We are planning on 1 overnight stop on the way to Scotland, probably in the Lake District. We will also stop for breakfast (if we can start out early enough!!) with DS in Oxford. We are stopping 2 nights with DH's brother and SIL in Ayr, Scotland which is not too far up. Then we plan to spend a few nights on the Isle of Skye - I have always wanted to go to the Hebrides!!! It will be a dream come true.
On the way home, we will have 2 overnight stops. it is over 600 miles from here on the South Coast to the Isle of Skye. We have been from John O Groats to Lands End (from the very Northern tip of mainland UK to the very south) on the motorbike in the 1980s.
But now I am very much out of practice of riding pillion for long distances! I have only been on the back of DH’s bike a few times each year since the kids were born. So, we decided to practice! Last week we went to Newlands Corner up near Guildford. This week we motorcycled along the coast to one of our favourite ever places, Highcliffe castle, a beautiful Victorian castle right on the clifftop just past the New Forest. (this is the place we want to retire to!)
First things first, a cup of tea!
The castle has been restored and is now used for exhibitions and events, but what a stunning location for a wedding!
We walked along the beach to Mudeford, another fabulous place!
Here’s the view from the cliff top looking west towards Mudeford and Christchurch.
And the obligatory photo! I have several of these on different bikes through the years!
Wow! What a fabulous place! I went today with my oldest friend (that is I have known her the longest, not that she is old LOL!) We had a fabulous time, just wandering, chatting and taking the odd photo. Not brilliant photos, but the rest of the day was!
The garden is only 2 years old, and not at all what you expect! It’s kind of mediterranean, middle european all rolled into one!
This sizzling hot border is set against the magnificent backdrop of Arundel cathedral.
The meadow garden was so pretty even though it is a bit past it’s best. Here’s a view from the ground: (Idea from Shimelle’s latest class, Love your Pictures, Love your pages)
There are loads of water features there, really cool. The weather was just perfect, blue sky, fluffy clouds, nice and warm but not too hot. A great day!
Nicholas is going away on Sunday. He is off for his ‘year in industry’, and will be living and working in Oxford. WE were going to take him out for a meal, but he wanted fish and chips!
Nicholas had battered sausage and chips
Maurice and I had savaloy and chips
And Merlin just looked ‘uber-cute’ at us trying to cadge a chip!
Mum and I have been to RHS Wisley garden today. Here’s a couple of my favourite pics:
Have a look here for more stunning pics!
Mum and I went to a little village north of here for a garden open day. Mum’s friends Ray and Wendy had their garden open along with 12 other local gardens. It was a very hot afternoon, and it was quite a treck round the whole village! I didn’t take many photos – but here’s the best ones:
Hostas in pots, seems to be the way to grow them without holes in the leaves!
One little corner of Ray and Wendy’s garden. I have bought some of that pink phlox!
These hanging baskets were superb!
Heucharas are one of my favourites, but I never seem to have success with them:
This little corner was in a secret part of the garden, all shady and cool, but look at the shadows that the dappled sunlight cast of the fern leaves!
WE went up to London again last night! It was Maurice’s nephew Simon’s 30th birthday bash, and we met in a little Spanish restaurant in Fulham.
Here’s Simon and Alice, his girlfriend:
Part of the Spanish tapas:
Mark (Simon’s older brother) and Nicholas
Maurice and Me! It was actually Maurice’s birthday yesterday, so it was a double celebration – Maurice had a cake too!
Back on Clapham Junction station again, this time a little later, not sure I have ever caught a train home this late before!
Me and Nicholas went to see a tv program being recorded at the BBC studios in Wood Lane London. We caught the train to Shepherd’s Bush:
It was just round the corner to the iconic BBC television centre:
Here’s the studio all ready for the recording:
The show was a little disappointing!! It turned out to be a daytime quiz show!!! But it was hosted by Alexander Armstrong which is why we decided to go. The other problem was that it was a double recording, and boy did we wish we had left after the first recording LOL!
We didn’t get to leave until about 5.30! Here’s Clapham Junction railway station:
Lucy has left school! That means we have no more school kids in our house. Gosh! That is the end of an era for me especially! Nicholas started school in 1993, so that means I have had school kids for 17 years! WE took them all out for a meal on Saturday night to commemorate this fact and to thank them for looking after the house and dog while we were away:
Tom took this one, wonder why Lucy is looking like that!
The sun was at a difficult angle but the waitress tried to take a photo of us all, that’s Lucy, Tom, Maurice, Nicholas and Me.
Just look at the size of this portion!
I love this photo of Maurice
And here’s Tom and Lucy
Here’s my 3 most favourite people in the world!
