Vegetable patch looking well. Plenty of broad beans and plenty of chard, this last in various colours and with some of it starting to bolt - decorative but not much use in the kitchen. With value added by an older couple from Leicester, formerly big cheeses in the affairs of the Leicestershire Lawn Tennis Association, down for Wimbledon. They were also allotment people and knew all about chard.
Through the palace to inspect the arm of the herbaceous border running down to the river, on which we caught part of a rowing regatta. Children and their supervisors having a great old time on the river. Refreshment tents and bivouacs on the bank opposite.
From where we moved onto to our own refreshment, refreshment which took the form of the very filling pies and pease of the old kitchens. Served, naturally, by immigrants from the continental part of the European Union. Value added here by a family from Warrington, who were very firm that the powerhouse of the north had yet to emerge from the committee rooms of London. We also learned that the Manchester Ship Canal was alive, well and busy and they were able to confirm the plausibility of the story from TB about a frigate paying a courtesy visit to Manchester - with much fun and games for the crew, this being in the swinging eighties of the last century. I think that they also said that they were 'Phantom of the Opera' people, with several visits under their belts, one up north and one forthcoming: not the first serial attenders of this particular musical that we have come across.
Onto to the privy garden, looking as well as ever, albeit rather different in the bright summer light from in the winter light in which we were more used to seeing it. A truly splendid bit of heritage work; much better value for money to my mind that painstaking restoration or replication of Renaissance curtains and bed clothes. And so back to Hampton Court Station, having had very good value for our £2 parking ticket.
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