J. Sunday started with another lovely breakfast. Our last in Hononton Cottage, it is time to travel further. After packing the car, it is time to pay the bill and say goodbye. Simon, our host, surprises us with a gift from his garden: 2 hop cuttings and a perennial pea! Carefully placed in a box with some water so they will survive the trip. Needless to say we are very happy!
Our first stop today is Tudeley, where we will meet with the F’s and S’s for lunch. The small church is famous for its stained glass windows, designed by Marc Chagall. We park our car near the restaurant and walk along the road to the church. The service has just ended when we arrive, and are invited to go inside to experience the beauty of the windows.
We walk along the graves behind the church and see some lilac shimmering – it turns out to be a field, full of flowering flax. Never seen that before.
Back at the Poacher & the Partridge, we reunite with our friends and re-arrange two tables in the garden, so we can all sit together and enjoy an outside Sunday pub lunch. The weather is beautiful, blue skies, white clouds, perfect temperatures.
After lunch it is time to add the luggage of the S’s to our car, and travel to Kingshoath Cottage in Beckley, where we will stay for the next couple of days. The accommodation is great, with a large garden and in the kitchen loads of treats to welcome us. The men are running errands, and after our extensive lunch, we have a light meal with sandwiches and finger food. We start making plans for the next days: a beach day, a steam train and castle day; and a citytrip to Rye are on our wish list.
