I've been lucky enough to spend the weekend in the glorious surroundings of an Oxfordshire country house. There was some wonderful artwork on the walls, including this fantastic quilt done by my friend Pat Lumsdale on my bedroom wall.

This superb quilt hangs on the wall next door and is hand painted with many varieties of apple, each named in stitch.

Although you might think that I normally inhabit such grand surroundings, I can tell you that Chez Nous isn't quite furnished like this, and I am not used to having a crystal chandelier in my bedroom!

And though we enjoy fine views at home, our garden isn't quite like this one, and our pond is a little smaller than the lake you can see in the distance.

So, playing the Lady of the Manor for the weekend has been fun, even if it did take an hour or so to lock up every night - dear me, those full length drawing room curtains are so tiresome!

What a good job I took a few friends along to lend a hand!