Of Bluebells, and Boleyn......

We spent much of the Bank Holiday weekend at Kim's with Rosie and Vicki (and the added bonus of Ben home for some of the time to rehearse with his band).    The household was somewhat depleted as Martin and Max had gone off to France for a rugby tour, but it was lovely to spend more time with the others.

Kim took us all to the cinema to see 'How to Train your Dragon' which was great fun - we all had to wear funny specs. to view the 3D film - a really amazing experience.     We were served delicious meals, as always, and played several games of Uno with the teenagers - their great speed completely flummoxed us at times (we are more used to playing with their much younger cousins), but it was all greatly entertaining.

Sadly the weather was rather chilly, but we did manage to go for a lovely walk with Kim in the nearby woodland where the bluebells surrounded the trees with a sea of azure - the whole scene dancing into life when the sun deigned to come out from time to time.

I scarcely set foot back home again than I was off down the M4 and M25 to Bletchingly, Surrey, to do a sleepover with my old schoolfriend Christine.   We met up with another of our oldest friends for a day out at Hever Castle.     What a magical place!  The childhood home of Anne Boleyn (whose family name was Bullen, but having spent some of her early years at the French Court, she adopted their more attractive take on her surname) - it was acquired by the wealthy William Waldorf Astor at the beginning of last century, who used his considerable fortune to restore the Castle, and acquire a fabulous collection of Tudor furniture and paintings.   Henry V111 visited the castle when courting not only Anne, but also 'The Other Boleyn Girl' so that the whole place is full of fascinating history.     On top of all this there are truly gorgeous Italian Gardens, laid out between 1904 and 1908 to display Astor's extensive collection of Italian sculpture, and if all that were not enough there are both yew and water mazes (the latter a children's delight), an Adventure Playground, and a couple of really good places to eat.  
    

I can't recommend Hever enough - it left me with so many lasting memories, as diverse at the beautifully illuminated Book of Hours (Prayer Book) which Anne took with her to her execution and bears the poignant inscription 'Remember me', to Henry's outrageously exaggerated codpiece!