In the mix

A tad late with the result, but that other referendum has rather taken centre stage.
The in-crowd (fruit scones) outnumbered the outers (plain scones) by 60-40%.
One lady who voted late on Thursday was very worried about the whole thing:
"Don't tell me the EU is telling you whether you can use sultanas in your scones?" I reassured her that our referendum was just a bit of fun. She picked up an A4 sheet of paper on which was printed:

"May I take this for my husband?" she asked, "he'll be really interested."
I'd be very surprised if he were.

Washday blues

After the briefest of respites over the weekend we are back to rain this morning.
Last week I hung out washing on Monday (sunny morning) and it didn't dry until Saturday. It would be dry-ish and then sheets of torrential rain would come again.
Not great for full washing lines.
Not great for business.

Lucky girl.

We hosted a Christening party for baby Bella today.
The conservatory was a sea of pink.
Pink flowers, pink napkins, pink cake, pink balloon, pink cloths, pink sweets in jars for the children.
It was like a mini-wedding, complete with photographer.
Bella shared her day with fathers everywhere who were brought out, en masse, for lunches and afternoon teas.
I finally rang my own dad when we were clearing up at 5.
I had not sent a card. I am not a good daughter.
But I do love my dad.
I did very, very well in the dad lottery.

Outrageous fortune

Voting in our referendum is brisk. I keep running out of ballot papers.

Today we got very excited when an arrow was found in the grounds of Witley Court. English Heritage have hidden 1066 arrows around their sites. Here are more details.

This young man had found one under a bush and was speculating on what his prize might be. Mum quite fancied the night in a castle. He just wanted a holiday. Perhaps he should eat crisps instead of searching for arrows?

The Hokey Cokey

Our referendum has begun. Voting started today and ends on Thurs 23rd June. Even teenagers are being trusted to vote.
Fruit or plain scones? It's the question which divides families.

Rain, rain, go away.

Rain.
Lots of it.
It was pretty bad over the weekend, when I was away at Ragley Hall for a food festival, but the first three days of this week have been even worse.
When it's like this we can't believe anyone would venture out. But they do, thankfully.
Yesterday among them was a lady who'd brought her friends from Utah.
She came to visit the avocado plant she had asked us to take on after it grew too big for her house. She had grown it from a stone and we've been looking after it since October 2012 (the other rainy season).
It loves the conservatory. She was happy to see it thriving.
Not so happy to be drenched when she took her US visitors up to see the church. They were back after a few minutes for cream teas.

Deluge

An interesting day.
We opened early for a group of 24 who were coming from Cheltenham. They wanted coffee before their tour of the Church at 11.15. We were poised and ready at 1030.
Except they didn't arrive.
Well, they did, just not at 1030, or even 11. And then not to us.
We had a call from the Court Visitors' Centre at 11.15 to say the group had pitched up there and were making their way over.
And that a second group of fifty one had also arrived and were coming straight to us for lunch.

So which is better? A group of 24 who are expected but don't turn up? Or a group of 51 from Buckinghamshire who are wholly unexpected and need to be fed and back on their coach by 1pm?

Both groups were actually delightful, grateful and understanding.
Group A (Cheltenham) had their preordered two-course lunch in the warmth of the garden after their church and crypt tour.
Group B (Bucks) had coffees with us and ordered takeaway sandwiches so that they could see the Court with the little time they had.

By 2pm we were pretty quiet.
We waited for the forecast thunder storm which never came. Much like our morning guests.

Bread and Wine

A fantastic Bank Holiday weekend.
I would even go so far as to say I enjoyed it.
Which doesn't always happen.
It was busy, really busy. There was a Victorian weekend going on at the Court and the good weather brought hundreds and hundreds of visitors.
We ran out of panini by the end of Sunday lunchtime but this was deliberate. Honest. On busy days panini-cooking can hold everything up so it was good to start Monday without them on the menu.
It also meant the panini presses didn't have to be on and were not adding heat to an already hot kitchen.
It also meant that we ran out of sandwich bread when families switched from panini to sandwiches. I became chief bloomer-bread slicer.
So, note to self:
a) don't bother with panini for the August Bank Hol (unless it's pouring with rain)
and
b) order plenty of bread.
and
c) make a mountain of scones
and
d) order plenty of cream.

I have a day off tomorrow. I am going to meet my oldest friend at the Hay Festival, part of the We Are Fifty celebrations so I imagine a drink or two may be taken.