CHIDDINGSTONE

 Nick, Di and I went on an expedition yesterday.  We ended up in Chiddingstone … which I recall visiting in the 1970’s with the “mutual rellies” mentioned in yesterday’s blog … though on that occasion we just had afternoon tea and returned to Sevenoaks.

This time however, we visited Chiddingstone Castle - which started life as a “house” (manor, I think, really) but later had turrets added.  The owner, Denys Bower, left it to the National Trust who turned it down - so it is now run as a charity and is used for weddings and similar gatherings and nosey visitors like us.

Nick read everything “going” and relayed it to Di and me, so we now know that our Denys spent time in prison, had an eclectic range of interests and collections (including a room full of Buddhist memorabilia), 3 wives (one lasting 6 weeks) and died in his bedroom, which may or may not have contained a single sized four poster bed … or may have been one of the rooms we didn’t have access to.

It also had tearooms and a souvenir shop - where Nick and I shared a Devonshire tea (jam first, then the cream) which gave me, at least, the energy to walk back to the car -  visiting St Mary the Virgin church en route but avoiding the local pub to Nick’s disappointment!

On our way back to Sevenoaks, we took a nostalgic trip to a cricket ground where Di and her father had spent many happy years - she as the scorer - and which housed a number of photos of the young scorer.  There was even a game in progress - featuring a past UK lady’s cricket team captain (now aged in her 70s) and her ladies versus a visiting team of men - all of whom should have known better … and over breakfast this morning, I learned that both (Dr) Nick and I had spent most of our time wondering who would be first to require resuscitation and/or a defibulator.  Drinks every 10 overs.  

Home in time to change and on to Christine and Alan’s for supper … the recipe for which I must get to impress NZ (and visiting) friends - 16 ingredients - or perhaps not!!  But it WAS delicious.  Plus champagne.

Waist bands still fitting … though I admit this hotter weather is requiring looser clothing, anyway.

I could get used to this lifestyle.

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I would have inserted a photo of a Chiddingstone mole hole here for my NZ friends but you’d probably have thought it was of a bench seat, anyway.  Despite all my training, it is still very much hit and miss, addingphotos.

Failed!