Non-stop rain. The worst kind. The heavy, cold, large vertical rods of wet stuff kind that soaks through all your layers in seconds. All day. Facebook is littered with hilarious 'British summer time' photos and videos. Very funny. The central heating is on "constant" setting.  The tortoise is in the kitchen. 

Bro and I went to Hylands House late morning to see the little exhibition about how the place was turned in to a military hospital during WWI, - lots of reports and photos of wounded brave faced boys - and then we walked around the rest of the house, which I have never done before, and as bro worked there for a short while, he was able to give me the full guided tour!  Then we went to the Running Mare in Galleywood for lunch and took the extended 'Essex is beautiful' green (and wet) country lane route home. 

Hylands House is a Grade II* neo-classical villa situated within Hylands Park a 232-hectare (574 acre) park south-west of Chelmsford in Essex in South East England. It is owned and operated by Chelmsford City council.  Wikipedia