Things We Used To Do On Grass...

Sir Jasper and Sir William - the Hinge and Brackett of the Knights of Royal England.

Another day, another jousting show at Leeds Castle.  Oh, and what was this strange yellow hot thing in the sky?  The sun, you say?  But it's burning my eyes...  Oh what a difference 48 hours makes - from being virtually drowned on Thursday, here we were on the Saturday roasting under the sun.  Lady Emma from the Tudor Roses was there again, along with new Rose Lady Rachel who had travelled up in the wee small hours from Cirencester in Gloucestershire, for which she deserved a medal.  Emma was joined by Lord "Sideswipe" Wilkins and her two lovely sons who were dressed in superb mini Tudor outfits and looked just wonderful.

With the nice weather we had a big turn out for the shows, and with more people there we always respond better when doing the shows.  Lots of laughs and some good jousting by the boys, Sir Sam of Castille in particular took a massive blow from Sir Jasper in the first show which brought an audible gasp from the audience.  During the second show, young James, aka MUNGO!!!, somehow managed to stumble and fall through the fence surrounding the arena which gave us the best laugh of the day amongst ourselves.  My little mate Owen was there again with his Mummy, this time decked out in a superb Tudor King outfit.  He has promised to return tomorrow as a Knight - I can't wait to see the garb!

After the show we had a little wander around, while the Knights of Royal England's younger sect, namely James, Sam, Ashley, Dan, Lucy et al, set up a long water slide and proceeded to career down it at breakneck speed risking life and more importantly limb, all in the name of having a laugh.  Oh, to be young again...

Tomorrow is the final day at Leeds for this particular run, and the weather forecast is actually getting better, so fingers crossed we will get away without too much interruption from the rain.  This has been such a fun week - I don't want it to end.

Barrington Court on a Bank Holiday

A large erection in the gardens of Barrington Court. And on the right, a sun dial.

Summer is reaching it's climax with all the usual signs that we see so often. Temperatures are slowly ebbing away, back to school adverts are dominating the airways and the Pakistan cricket team are embroiled in another controversy. And so the World keeps turning. Another sure sign that summer is fading is the request to come over to Barrington Court on a Bank Holiday Monday and have a quick stroll round the gardens. And on a day like today, truly nothing could be finer. The sky was a Canaletto blue, the wind but a gentle breeze, the sun was a warming and trusted friend in the sky, and only one bloke asked me that stupid bloody question about which wife was I with today. Can it get any better than that?

We had a really good turn out today, the over flow car park was over flowing - that's how busy it was. I wandered the gardens and met some lovely people. It would appear the town of Bideford was empty today as nearly everyone I spoke to was from there. There was another family where the father had a strong Scottish accent. I asked him where he was from - Yeovil was the answer. You haven't always come from Yeovil, I said - where are you from before that? His response? Cornwall. Eventually I got it out of him that he was originally from Edinburgh, but the first two answers made me laugh. There was another little boy who every time he saw me would burp alarmingly and then burst out laughing. Possibly something that is tremendously amusing when you're six.

Matthew Applegate looked very relaxed and sun tanned after his two week break in France, and we are sure to be getting together soon for another session of "choir practice".

All in all, it has been a pretty nice day, and sitting here now with a cool breeze coming in the windows, a fine sunset across the valley and the distant bells of St Bartholomew's Church pealing across the other side of town there is no where else I really could want to be.

First new Henry show will be on 8th September in Newbury in Berkshire. But before that I might just put another wee advert on Ebay...

Barrington Court Walkabout

A lovely summers day at last! And in the middle of September! When it was roasting back in 2006, we were frequently warned by various people that this was "global warming". Now we have frozen and been soaked for the last two summers they are now telling us it is "climate change". Personally I preferred global warming, so I am off out to buy some CFC packed aerosols and about three elderly fridges.

But back to today at Barrington Court - it was just a joy to be there. Lots of people, everyone in happy moods, Matthew Applegate in fine form and the sunshine... wow, the sunshine. How we have missed you.

I am now sitting here in a warm glow of a lovely day, just gearing up to watch the Last Night of the Proms, and getting my usual ridiculous lump in the throat when they sing Jerusalem. I mean, I ask you. I'm not even a member of the WI.

Monday I am at St Andrew's Junior in Yetminster, Dorset. See you there.