Thursday 26 March

David set off for Tortona to taste Timorasso on the 06.03 and the Anton went grey with chalk after upstream interference

Friday 27 March

Met Margaret at Pitton and drove to beautiful Bentley Woods with Phoebe where Celandines, Wood Anenomes, primroses and even some Bluebells were all in flower together, followed by lunch at the Silver Plough

Saturday 28 March

Hugh filled me in on the radical changes and voluntary redundancies at his work. After lunch with him I drive to Hambleden to stay with the Stewards in the Chilterns ready for the next leg of the Ridgeway walk with Liz.

Palm Sunday 29 March

Liz and I met at the Lions at Bledlow, then travelled in her car to the Red Lion in Wendover, from which we walked back along the very beautiful edge of the north-west facing scarp, past Checquers, and memorial to the Boer War as the day became clearer. Lunch was a picnic of Liz’s very substantial homemade veggie pasties, overseen by a very attentive Red kite, eyeing left overs. We enjoyed a delicious pot of tea at Bledlow before using my car to ferry us back to the hotel for a shower and supper.

Monday 30 March

We drove both cars from Wendover, leaving mine at Bledlow once again, and on to Christmas Common NT car park, where we left LIz’s, and set off down the escarpment, through the woods, trees still skeletal but gradually beginning to break leaf, to teh track of the old railway line. Having left my boots in my car, I was fortunate that today’s trails were pretty level and dry. We stopped for lunch alongside the flooded quarries before reaching Bledlow just in time for another pot of tea before it closed at 15.00. I drove Liz to her car, and then headed home, meeting David on Mead Road returning from the station, in time to bathe and set off for the Palm in Deane for a tasting.

Maundy Thursday 2 April

Hugh and Janet tackle the crowds at Stonehenge despite arriving there before 10.00, and later made our way to The Malet in Newton Tony for a pint of Spring Green and lunch before finally seeing three Stone Curlews at the local RSPB reserve.

Easter Day 5 April 2026

We interrupted David’s marathon redesigning of his calling card and website brand with quiet train rides to and from Waterloo, and riverside walks both ways to and from Tate Britain for the Constable and Turner exhibition which closes in a week. Stonhenge was painted in watercolours by Constable in 1835; that of Old Sarum was painted in 1834.

By contrast, the work of Turner seemed fundamentally different, almost abstract:

Easter Monday 6 April 2026

Hugh and I spent a sunny afternoon bird watching in Bentley Woods while poor David slaved away at home on the IT marathon.

Easter Tuesday 7 April 2026

I collected Ernest and Olive at 09.00 and brought them back to Andover where Ralph, Louise, Luke and Sam joined us soon after. Ralph did sterling work as referee both before and after lunch, as all four children played football on Mead Field. Lunch was a great success. Ralph et al left around 16.00 to get ready for two days literally by the sea in Felpham near Bognor Regis, and Olive and Ernest settled down to watch first football, and then Big Cats… David child-minded while I went to choir.

Wednesday 8 April

We went book shopping on foot, via the important landmarks of Andover: the Billy Goats Gruff, the Troll under the bridge, and what Olive described as the Goat (the White Hart) on top of the hotel. We paid our respects to the plaque on the Guildhall to the 37 hour 271 mile journey by horse (22 changes) undertaken by Lieutenant Lapenotiere in 1805 from Falmouth (via Andover) to report to the Admiralty in London the death of Nelson, and at the same time, the winning of the Battle of Trafalgar.

James joined us for lunch, and after swimming, took the children home.

Thursday 9 April

Ralph’s birthday, celebrated by the sea, followed by our departure the next day for Verona and VinItaly via Gatwick instead of Stansted!