orchard idylls

I've spent the last two Fridays lazing in orchards. This Friday we strolled slowly through Granchester Meadows (currently awash with cow parsley)

to spend a lazy afternoon lolling on deckchairs, whilst sipping lemonade (and eating cake!) in the Orchard Tea Rooms. But it was the Friday before last when we had the "real" orchard experience.

The day didn't start too auspiciously, we spent 2 hours at a total standstill on the infamous A14, but eventually we reached our friend's smallholding, enjoyed some of the cider he'd made from his apples, and soaked up the calm and beauty...



and then used thetastefully lidded, strikingly blue,er, "thunderbox".

Alas, we got to spend less time here (the smallholding, that is, not the thunderbox)than we did on the A14; but what memories...