All the pretty things

We're home by cup-of-tea-time, thankfully well before the train and tube strike bring London to a grinding halt.

It's been a fab couple of days, full of simple pleasures. My top five things coming up.

Me on the phone to the hotel receptionist a couple of days before our visit: 'We're coming to stay with you on Monday'
Her: I know!! That's so exciting!

What a lovely response. It still makes me smile.

Number 1: A warm welcome.

Freshly baked scones, homemade biscuits and cakes on plates to help yourself to, bread warm from the oven, leek and potato soup that's more like mashed potato with leeks in, pigeon ragu, pea risotto, thin chips, calves liver. Stuff you really want to eat which then goes and totally exceeds all expectations.

Number 2: mmmmmm .. food.

3. Pretty china plates, teapots, higgeldy piggedly mismatchy glass vases full of flowers from the garden, sparkly chandeliers, faded mirrors, old fashioned wallpaper and faded glamour. Cut glass Champagne goblets. I'm a sucker for pretty things. I can't help it.

4. Nice comfortable chairs, deep sofas, footstools, tables at the right height, places to lie down on, out of the wind, in the sun, out of the way. Would you like me to bring you some ....? Oh go on then.

Comfort, and deep joy.

5. Time to take photos, talk, sleep, think, plan, switch off, do nothing or a lot of something. A bit of both. Just a bit of time.

My plan, as it always is following an escape from real life, is to bring some of those simple no-cost, touches into my everyday life to make it more blissfully pleasant.

I could start by making scones, served with love on pretty plates, in a comfortable place, taking time out with the people I love. And then take a photo of it.

If I do, you'll be the first to know.