A bit of April sunshine, the company of good friends and a weekend away to look forward to.  Mary and Diana were here from California, doing a bit of a recce for a forthcoming tour, so it was good that our corner of the world was looking at its best.  Standing on Crickley Hill at the viewpoint which many of our friends will recognise, we were able to identify the landmarks last Thursday morning.

 

 

We were on our way to Ledbury, where the door of the Shell House Gallery caught our eye moments before the offerings on the window alongside.

 

 

 

Tempting, n’est-ce pas?

 

 

Tempting, too, was the lovely local butcher’s shop opposite, where the secrets of black pudding, scotch eggs and faggots were shared!

 

 

Ledbury has many secret corners and a surprising number of excellent shops, including Hus & Hem where we could have spent a fortune!  For once, it was my hero who couldn’t resist a purchase – the most comfortable slippers ever, he’s declared.

 

 

A fun night at the pub with our sweet friends and we said our goodbyes and made arrangements for Friday morning, when we had a very early start.  We left them fast asleep and hoped that everything would go according to plan with keys, burglar alarms and Ian, the painter!

It did.  Of course.