susie johns at the circus

Easter picnic

It has become a family tradition to visit a stately home over the Easter weekend and pack a gourmet picnic. My mum and dad drive up from Hastings, we drive down from London and we meet somewhere in the middle. This year, on Good Friday, in was at Hever Castle. It poured with rain but the day was certainly not a washout. We picnicked under an enormous tree and, from our nice, dry haven, feasting on chicken and sausages, sandwiches, home-baked bread, raspberries and cream, and, of course, chocolate Easter eggs, watched everyone trudging past with umbrellas and raincoats.

kittens

Edith's cat, Peaches, had kittens seven weeks ago. The photo shows them when they were just a few hours old. Now they are running around the house. They all have good homes to go to next week and we have tried not to get too attached to any of them. One of them, however, has decided to become attached to us. Stanley, the last of the six to be born, the biggest of the bunch, and conspicuous by his pale ginger fur, likes to climb up for a cuddle. I am tempted to keep him, I must say, but I don't want to become known as 'that woman up the road with all the cats'...