Unexpected pleasure....

The best day of the year so far... again. It got up to 24C which, after Spring, feels really hot as I'm not acclimatised yet. The sun shone all day and there was a delicious light breeze.

After church where D's grandchild was christened, I picked B up and we went to Brackley to pop in on PPP+H for coffee in the garden. Bilbo was still wobbly on his pins but doesn't seem to be in pain. The girls were beautiful in their summer clothes all fresh beauty, lythe legs and tumbling hair. Oh to be 15 again...

B and I found our way to Upton House and parked up. We didn't know much about the place except that it was a '30s millionaire's country party house. We didn't do the house but after a quick drink in the café headed out to the gardens. The wisteria and main lawn were beautiful in themselves, the view across the lawn and haha to the green fields on the slope opposite was gorgeous and there was a lovely refreshing breeze blowing.

Then we discovered the hidden gem, the terraced gardens leading all the way down the hill below the haha to a huge 'mirror' lake in the bottom of the private valley. (My blip is of this beautiful view.) We mooched along inspecting plants and planting schemes and the lake, where the swallows were dipping and diving. If we had been permitted, I would love to have gone for a dip, it was so inviting.

You could really imagine the rich and louche partying here in complete seclusion back in the jazz era. What a place!

We made the ascent back to the top for another coffee. It was a lovely day, quite unexpectedly interesting and beautiful and we'll definitely go again in a different season and see the house too which has a lot of serious art works collected by the owner who was the head of Shell in the '30s.

When I got home I had a welcome shower to cool off and then flopped on my bed. I listened to various radio programmes in between dozing and got up again at 8pm! I need to prepare for the photography course tomorrow.