Fantastic

Good morning Fortunately yesterday’s hideous weather and gales seem to have abated somewhat Atonement at Chichester was a disappointing production and we subsequently discovered it has had a real kicking from the critics It’s still good to go to live theatre though Hope you have a good day ahead!

Being in a slow moving traffic jam does have some compensations! #wildorchids #pyramidalorchids #anacamptispyramidalis

Good morning Matinee at Chichester Festival Theatre today! Real out out!

Good morning Flower Festival at Chichester was interesting in that very few of the arrangements were old school floral foam type. Even though we were on day 2 of 4 much of the floral material was wilting; insufficiently conditioned before arranging or mechanics not allowing for ongoing watering

Good morning Off to Chichester Cathedral today for their flower festival. Really looking forward to it. Will be interesting to see how much the move towards sustainable church flowers might have influenced the displays Will also go to the new exhibition at the Pallant House Gallery. Have a good day!

Oh this is lovely!

Been a bit lax in posting on social media recently. There’s just so much going on as we navigate our re-entry to U.K. life. Yesterday tried to join a Zoom call (in France) and completely messed up the time change so were two hours late. It had long since finished! Durrrr. Have a good day everybody.

Visit to a slightly odd NGS opening today. Garden very long and thin and in definite need of a very good seeing to! Always something to take home though. In this case we came home with the idea of mini-paths in deep borders, and six pots of succulents for about to go on the balcony.

Good morning Off out shortly while estate agent conducts a viewing. We shall see … Apartment has never been so frequently primped and polished!Wicker sculptures in last weekend’s NGS garden Have a good Friday

Good morning BlueSky A bit of a breeze this morning and feels cooler here at the Sussex seaside Nothing in the diary today so focusing on ticking a few more things off the “back to life in the U.K.” task list. Have a good day whatever you’re up to

Bought a couple of dresses online yesterday (to replace my French market dresses that were retired before we left) And Get me One of them is featured in today’s Times 2 fashion feature!

Good morning Excellent gym induction session yesterday. Fit Grandma ahead!! What’s that I hear you say? I have to go to the gym regularly to get fit? Doesn’t just joining it do the job? Ah. Really? Have a good day!!

Shalford House, open yesterday for the NGS, is absolutely magnificent. Loads of photos, where to start sharing them?! Let’s start with the white wisteria, trained over two gothic arches, with almost the most powerful scent I’ve ever experienced in the hot sun. Stunning Good morning to you all!

Good morning First NGS garden visit of our new “Back in the U.K.” life this afternoon tickets having been booked in advance on the NHS website Saw the temperature up to 29 yesterday, but we are still acclimatised to higher temperatures (and how to live in them) so not a problem 4 us Have a good day!

My all time favourite rose

According to the car it is 28 degrees. After 10 summers in SWFrance this feels quite comfortable 🤣

Good morning One aspect of our London visit that somewhat blew me away was to see the eastern end of the Strand completely pedestrianised I didn’t know this had been done It’s absolutely wonderful (contrary to what black cab drivers would like to think A wonderful public open space Have a good day

Totally wonderful evening. Stunning production of a stunning opera #PeterGrimes #BenjaminBritten #RoyalOperaHouse #BigTreat

Out out

I’ll tell you … Completely failed to activate a membership online. Tried on two different devices, ensured happening all characters rather than autofill, had a second pair of eyes on one of the several attempts … It was definitely not working and v frustrating!

Well, folks, the gym viewing went well so I’m going to join. What could possibly go wrong 😂

Good morning Big day today : am going to a local gym for a show round with a view to joining. I used to be a bit of a gym bunny a long time ago, but life took over, other things became more important, and it lapsed. In this chapter of our lives it feels important to take it up again. Wish me well!

Good morning from the seaside Some pictures of the wonderfully flowering beach. More admin jobs this morning 🙄 best to get it all out of the way as soon as we can. I hope you have a good day ahead. Any highlights expected?

Good morning Still at the Sussex seaside, as we will be for the foreseeable … pic is of crows on the beach sheltering from wind Long list of varied jobs today including book dentist, join gym, re-register the car we brought over from France, bring washing up to date, organise papers … you name it …

Good morning BlueSky friends (some of whom overlap with friends in other places, even in real life!!) Another day of “dealing with stuff”ahead, one of the most important being writing a definitive list of tasks that need doing now we are back in the uk. Church first though … What are you up to?

For anyone who needs this today 😊

Good morning BlueSky A day of pottering with a purpose ahead as we continue to sort out the apartment which is newly stuffed with a car full of the last things from our French life. We may visit a garden centre and furnish the balcony with some pops of red pelargoniums! Have a good day yourself

Trying to fit a quart (of possessions from France) into a pint pot (Sussex seaside apartment) Loads & loads in store of course, but this is what we’ve had to keep us going over the last four months of peripatetic living (other than the 2 large crammed suitcases to be retrieved from a friend in June)

Good morning Pic = standing stones at Chaumont Embarking on our new life today, initially based at the apartment at the Sussex seaside until it sells and we can buy another garden Part of this new life is going to involve a whole lot of getting much physically fitter than currently Wish me luck!

Coming in to Portsmouth

Good morning Later today we will have left France for the last time (apart from future visits, the first of which is in just 6 weeks 😂) End of an era End of this lengthy period of transition (discombobulation doesn’t come anywhere near describing it!) Start of a new chapter … Chaumont yesterday

In a 5* hotel on the Loire which has two restaurants One is closed tonight and the other is allegedly fully booked Room service doesn’t seem to be an option 5 stars and they can’t give us dinner Absolutely ridiculous imho!

Good morning Chaumont today Will report back

Staying two nights in a hotel near the River Loire and have decided to go to Chaumont tomorrow. Very excited!

Can I just ask, #r4today, as you seem to be very keen to talk about and investigate Polanski’s council tax issue, why not the same feverish scrutiny over the far more troubling and glaringly corrupt £5M bribe Farage took from that crypto billionaire, Harborne? We can hear your strings being pulled.

Good morning Lovely relaxed supper last night with dearest friends who’ve been so supportive to us. Appreciate it so much (esp as others have been conspicuous by their absence 🤪). We start the final drive north today in our tiny Toyota Aygo, packed to the gunwales. Stop off in the Loire.

Good morning Strange day ahead filled with a variety of final French errands, all important Hoping all go well & don’t cause any delays Will report back! In the meantime A levels begin today so best of best wishes to all doing them inc our GrandBoy Whatever your day holds I wish you well with it!

It’s not my photo, and it’s not my orchard either. But it is a friends … just wonderful. This mainly Anacamptis pyramidalis, there’ve also been Ophrys apifera, and several Serapias species Magical place!

Don’t you just love what you can find out on the internet?!!

Good morning Back in the lovely Chateau les Merles between Bergerac and Lalinde for our last few days in France to complete some errands before the final drive north. Sicily was spectacular (still processing it!) Have a good Sunday everyone

Luxurious leg room on Air France! They get my vote for sure.

Cute

Very very important

Straight out from the hotel into the airport terminal (T2). A good choice!

Good morning from Paris Charles de Gaulle Our flight is not until 14.00 so a leisurely start to the day followed by a leisurely hotel breakfast awaits Very happy Grandma here : darling Junior Somerset GrandBoy has sent me four group photos of him and his various friendship/study groups. 😍😍😍

Good night from the Sheraton overlooking the runway at Paris Charles de Gaulle.

Our Junior Somerset GrandBoy had his last day of school today How do I know? Because like all good Grandmas I stalk his school on Instagram and saw a group photo of Year 13! A levels start on Monday 🙏🙏🙏

Quick and smooth progress through Paris Orly. Now in a slightly bouncy car en route for Paris Charles de Gaulle.

Quick good morning from Catania Airport, en route for Paris Orly after a wonderful week with @mariposanature.bsky.social searching on the beautiful hillsides of Sicily for wild orchids, the precious jewels of the plant world.