I am back at the Old Rectory. The sun is out! But I can see that it has rained overnight. Phew. As watering the whole garden by hand, by hose, is a big job and I always miss bits.

Yesterday I went for a ladies charity lunch at Steep, which is a stone’s throw from the Old Rectory. The hostess was someone I occasionally play tennis with. She is a very nice pheasant. Her house is idyllic – Georgian – like a doll’s house – with arched, gothic windows, and lilac wisteria growing over the garden door leading down to the terrace. I parked the car on the immaculate lawn, and made my way up to the front door. Drinks were in the hall, large and square. The ladies were older than me and high octane pheasants. I felt that old feeling of being shut outside of the paddock enclosure, with them all milling around inside it.

I was introduced to various pheasants. But all during the event, I had the same sort of conversation. It went like this.

Question: Do you have children?

Me: Yes, two. Anna, 22. Hugo, 20. Ranking stable. Only two children, but at least one of each.

Question: Are they at University?

Me: Yes. Anna graduated from Cambridge last year. Ranking goes up. Hugo is studying chemistry at Warwick. Ranking stable.

Question: Where do you live?

Me: We just moved into an old rectory nearby. Ranking goes up. But we spend some of our time in London. Ranking goes down as we are part timers.

Question: How long have you lived there?

Me: Two years. Ranking goes down as I am new to the country.

Question: Do you play golf?

Me: No. Ranking goes down.

Question: Do you ski?

Me: No, not anymore as I did my ACL (ligament in knee) a few years back. Ranking stable as at least I did ski – once.

Question: And sailing? (We are not far from big sailing waters.)

Answer: No. Ranking goes down.

Question: You’re foreign. Australia or New Zealand?

Me: Australia. Ranking remains stable as at least I am from the Commonwealth.

Maybe this would happen in any new terrain you enter, but it felt prickly. Icky.

The food, however, was delicious and plentiful and the sun shone and I was in a gorgeous location. Can’t complain. I am lucky.

Today lots of gardening as the garden grows as you watch it.