Sunday 19th May 2013

And so to the weekend. Oh no, but first, a day working from home, and I have a stack of stuff to do. So, i sit at my computer, the back door open and from outside I can hear the sound of spring and a gentle warm breeze blows through the house.

At half one, a headache brought on by a lack of sleep accumulated over the course of the week drives me to switch off the computer and lay on the sofa with my eyes closed. Outside, it clouded over, and inside the house it got cold, but I know that was due to me feeling so tired. I put the heating on and returned to the sofa.

The cross trainer went unused.

Again.

Friday night was a mix of Gardener's World and Have I got News for You and then an early night. Next morning I am awake at the crack of quarter to eight after nearly nine and a half hours sleep and feeling much, much better. A couple of cups of fresh coffee, into which I dunk two croissants make for a fine breakfast. We gather our cameras and head out into the spring sunshine.

My first thought is of orchids: so we drive out to Folkestone then up the Elham Valley to Park Gate to check on the Early purples and maybe see how the Monkey Orchids are doing. The Purples are going to seed, little else to see, although there was a very nice albino Early purple which to snap.



Our next destination was Chartham to photograph Tangmere on her way to Canterbury. It is a great location because of the old fashioned level crossing and signal box, makes a great shot with a steam locomotive going by. So, we park up and I think about trying to get into the church which always is locked when we visit. Two ladies are outside, and it seems there is a wedding that afternoon, and on the first chime of midday the vicar arrives and unlocks the church. I work quickly to get my shots as the weeding is planned for sometime around one.



I say around one, as the air is full of the sound of the church bells from about twenty to one until after Tangmere steams past, me walk back to the car and we drive off in search of a pub for lunch. On the way to Petham we see the bridal car, a vintage Rolls Royce making its way leisurely to the church.

We stop off at I place i had seen a few weeks back, The Chequers at Petham, and once inside we are dazzled by the wonderful menu, I order the rack of lamb and Jools orders the duck breast. Both were wonderful, I mean this was the best rack of lamb I have ever had, and told them so, washed down with a very nice dark mild.



On the way home we stop off at McDonalds in Whitfield, and we picked up a couple of ice creams, and headed home. Jools sat outside eating hers whilst reading Game of Thrones, and I looked at the shots I had taken that morning.



At half five I head out again, this time to see Tangmere again as she screeches her way past the docks at Dover and head off back towards London.

All in all, another one of them great days.