Charting A Churchillian Dahlia Display

My brother was still unable to work due to his hand (although it is now less painful and swollen) and to cheer him up I suggested another micro trip. We decided on a visit to Chartwell, the country residence of Winston Churchill. 
Churchill first visited Chartwell in 1921 and it was the view overlooking the Weald of Kent that he first fell in love with. The grounds were always a source of solace and inspiration for him, from views that he painted, to the butterflies he cultivated in the orchard meadow, and the spot where he could feed his beloved Orfe fish.
We arrived just after it opened as we knew it was going to get much hotter later in the day. Being a National Trust property it isn't that cheap to get in (£15 a head just for the garden and £4 to park your car!) but the setting is truly spectacular and there is a vast estate to explore.
We stared by strolling through the grounds next to the house (where my second extra was taken) with a small orchard, formal flower beds, sweeping lawns and a large pond surrounded by luxuriant shrubbery. We then moved on to the walled garden where I took this main shot through a dazzling display of bright yellow dahlias towards this image of Churchill with his archetypal Homburg hat and large cigar. The first extra is of a row of sunflowers in a different part of the walled garden - they really stood out because I've not seen them in these colours before.
We then continued our walk past Churchill's studio, down to the lake and on into the woodland, where through the gaps in the trees you get a true sense of the glorious backdrop.
The walk felt a little strenuous as the heat started to build and we were feeling a bit parched so we decided to stop at the Bullfinch pub in Riverhead on the way back for a cooling pint, where we were served by a really morose barman! However, the cool pint was very welcome and the pub garden was a great place to sit just as a lovely breeze kicked in.