Picnic in the Park

“Fancy a family picnic in the park?” Harriet asked us last week. Oooh, yes please, we all said (except Andrew couldn’t as he found he was working), and so we arranged to meet up at lunchtime today in Abbey Fields. Gosh, we so enjoyed ourselves.

We had wondered whether it might be busy/would we get a parking spot/how would the weather hold? But we needn’t have worried. It wasn’t too busy. We sailed into a parking spot as easy as you like. We didn’t have far to walk to set ourselves up. And the weather held beautifully and it was very mild.

Here we are, setting up our little area and you will notice that we had our priorities right – everyone is getting a drink in hand. Tee-hee.

Not only that, but everyone behaved themselves. We were comfortable in each others’ company and we shared out the various activities between us. Of course, us girls had brought the kitchen sink with us ‘just in case’, but we had an amazing spread of food, games to play, adventures to be had and, of course, great topics of conversation.

Naturally, we were there courtesy of Her Majesty so Paul had brought cake…… and it was absolutely delicious. Red Velvet…..

We played football, tennis, chase, hide-and-seek and ‘pick-me-up-and-twirl-me-round-please-Grandma’. We took the boys to the park to play where they had a very happy three-quarters of an hour making themselves sick on spinny things. We practised flexing our muscles on the park equipment, doing chin-ups and hanging from a great height. We clambered over obstacle courses and squealed when we nearly fell off. And then we went on a riverside adventure…. and next time we’re going to take our wellies.

The kids had a great time dropping Pooh Sticks over one side of the bridge then chasing to the other side to watch them float by. Great excitement when they spotted their own and, what bliss, there was no competition, just delight that their Pooh Stick had made it.

Then it was target practice throwing pebbles into the river and aiming at a rock in the middle of the water. More thrills and excitement when anyone hit the target. Even the grown-ups!

When we had hoovered up all of the food, drunk most of the drinks, eaten our ice creams and generally exhausted ourselves at play, we thought it was probably time to leave. “I mean,” said Lily, “we’ve been here nearly five hours!” Wow. We were clearly enjoying ourselves.

We packed up and trundled the stuff to the car. “Pub?” Yes. Nods all round. Pub. So we walked up past the church and settled ourselves into the Virgins and Castle, where we whiled away another couple of hours….. Eeh, bliss.

The Kenilworth Sleaths all walked home to Michael and Danielle’s and were just in the throes of ordering a take-away when John and I left. We were tired. All that fresh air – it makes you tired, doesn’t it? And so we came home and put our feet up for a couple of hours, allowing us to reflect on a perfect day. We had had such fun. Thank the Lord for family and friends who hold us dear. Love is the answer whatever the question.

Take care everyone. God bless. Enjoy your extended weekend whatever you plan to do.

Oh, and before you go: Susie Dent reminded us today that ‘we can all be gruntled, ruthful, mayed, ept, couth, kempt, feckful and full of gorm. Each is a lost positive from the dictionary, just waiting for a comeback.‘ Any takers?