Three Little Misses (and an Elephant and a Zebra)

What a lovely afternoon we've had at Birmingham Botanical Gardens with Mrs T, Mr K and Miss C.
It's been over a year since we've seen them and Miss C has a changed an awful lot!!
We set off up the motorway early enough to have time to stop at the "best services in the world" on the M42 (Hopwood Park Services). Hours of fun as usual in WHSmith, Waitrose, the claw toy grab game, and the outdoor pay area.
Then it was to Halesowen to Mrs T's mum and dad's house. 
When I first met Mrs T in Thailand in 1997 she wrote her address in my Thailand guidebook. I still have the guidebook and have never forgotten the address! Seeing the street sign today made me smile - over twenty years since she wrote it in the book.
We had been due to meet them in London on Saturday for a picnic in the park but poor Mrs T - only back from Dubai for a few days - slipped on leaves in a drain and broke her ankle. Ouch!!
Miss C was having her nap when we arrived so we had tea and chatted for a bit before heading to the Botanical Gardens. 
When we got there we got a wheelchair for Mrs T and I pushed her round. 
Channelling Lou and Andy we felt it was a new high in our relationship!!!
The gardens are so beautiful - so many interesting and beautiful plants in the greenhouses, the birdhouses, the play area, peacocks wandering around, giant beech trees to climb. Lovely!!
We were having such a nice time climbing trees, smelling roses and taking photos of bananas that we were late getting back to drop off the wheelchair - because God forbid we're not the last to leave somewhere on a day out!  We got a proper telling off from one of the women behind the desk. It was 6.07pm and they shut at 6pm!
She was shouting about having had a doctors appointment which she'd now miss and stomping around shutting doors and banging things around. 
We did apologise and blame it on the wheelchair but she was muttering and stoping around like a mad woman!!
Miss L hit the nail on the head when she said "She's being a bit weird!!!!"
As if we're the first people to be a few minutes late back to the exit!
Then it was back to Mrs T's for a cup of tea and half an hour in the garden. We had a little picnic mostly involving cheese!!
All too soon it was time to say goodbye and head home. We'll see them again at Christmas so not too bad.
The journey home was super quick. Miss L fell asleep immediately and only woke up for long enough to stumble up the stairs to bed as soon as we got home. 
Miss E disappeared immediately too.
Definitely a good day out when bedtime is that quiet!!