If music be the food of love, play on

We've been braving the summer weather again. (Where did the sunshine go? It has rained almost every day in July!) We spent last Friday on the Terrace at Eastnor Castle watching a bit of Shakespeare. How terribly cultural! It was performed by an all-male cast in proper Shakespearean tradition so, as it was Twelth Night, we had men, playing women, playing men. It was exceedingly good!

We were there for doors opening so go a pretty good spot near the front - close enough to see and hear, but far enough from the front that we weren't starring in the production. We got settled in, dug out the picnic and opened the fizz. It is a truly stirring sound - the virtually simultaneous popping of 40-odd corks. It was a veritable salvo of synchronised popping to the silent 1812 overture playing in our heads!

I was too busy listening to the silent 1812 overture to pay much attention to what Stephen was saying. Which is why I did a double take before bursting into hysterical laughter when he spoke to me. He was brandishing a camera and a bottle of fizz when he said to me "blah, blah...get you... top off, take your photo". Queue choking/laughter.... Of course, what he actually said was "we'll get you a top up and take your photo"... Thank goodness he wasn't actually suggesting that I begin my Page 3 modelling career!!

We only had one small downpour to contend with, but it did get a bit chilly. I had my cozy fleece (with a hood) and the picnic blanket for my knees, but I really could have done with my pashmina too. I had forgotten how many clothes its necessary to take to an evening picnic in England!

A lovely summers evening in England - only a hooded fleece required to keep warm!!

We only had to dodge one shower - any more would have diluted the champagne

The all male cast in action