23rd May May
The summer weather has made for a welcome change and I have been recuperating by sitting in the Manor gardens and reading. Of course, I keep bobbing up and down to tend to some plant or other that Spencer has failed to notice, but all in all everything in the garden is looking good.
The children have been busy as usual. Marcus is supposed to be revising for his A levels, and is walking around most of the time with a permanent frown on his face. Violet-Elizabeth has been on a “Survival Skills” weekend with the local Scout group, which involved camping in the open (no tents), “dealing with” a rabbit, a woodcock and a mackerel, and then cooking and eating them on an open fire. She seems to have survived the weekend, so that I suppose was the object. She stunk to high heaven of fish and other unmentionables, when she got back and I had to instruct Spencer how to use the boil wash on the machine.
Whilst the children were busy I had in mind for Spencer to take me for a little outing, as I have been cooped up for some weeks here now following my operation. Imagine my delight then when he swung the Bentley into The Meadows car park, and I clambered gingerly out of it to head towards M&S. However, my delight was short lived as after 45 mins, I could manage no more and the Bentley had to be brought round to the front of the shop to take me home.
I could tell that Spencer felt sorry for me, and he assured me that I just needed time and some sea air to get my strength back. To this end he has booked a few days by the sea in Bournemouth to coincide with our 26th wedding anniversary next month.
You might remember last week that I told you about a planned reunion at my
old school, which me and my old friend Penelope are planning to attend.
Penelope and I lived near each other on the Estate, and spent happy days
fishing for tiddlers in the nearby brook, climbing trees in the orchard and
playing hopscotch on the sweeping driveway. We have kept in touch over
the intervening years and I will let you know more about our exploits over
the next few weeks.