The Chelmer RiverThe weather is beautiful this week, autumn at its best, soft winds and no rain. So today we went on a secret trip, at least it was secret for me.
The first call was The Food Company, very expensive, but nice to browse round, the first thing I noticed when we came in was the vegetables and fruit, but no home grown apples and pears in this month of beautiful English apples! Large mushrooms for stuffing, a pound each, and the large white Spanish onion which I have'nt seen for years. The meat counter had lean saltmarsh lamb chops, but the prices per kilos ranged from £20 to £30. Fish counter was good and enough comestibles to stock your larder for life but small jars at £3,£4,£5 is going over the top a bit. Fresh baked bread at £2.50, and beautiful hand made cakes and sweets. We did buy things, frozen mixed berries, cheeses which are my weakness and something reduced to eat for tea tonight.
Next the Cats pub, a favourite of mine, the inside of this old pub is covered with all types of cats, be they ornaments or prints, a large ploughman then we sat out in the garden, which overlooks a great brown field.
Late afternoon and as we drove back, and stopped at a small crossing, in an opening of a field gate, young grouse pottered around, whilst a small rabbit chewed grass at the side. We stopped off for a walk through Blake's Wood, and met a rather agitated couple who were doing a nine mile walk from Danbury and could'nt find the right path. The cleared space in the wood I had photographed this spring full of bluebells, now has thick bush like growths round the stumps of the trees cut.
One of those 'stolen' days that are not often experienced in our temperamental weather, the countryside at its best as it gently slips towards winter.
Grouse and small rabbit
The Cats Pub
Blakes Wood
View from the pub garden which blends into the field
Ah the Cats! a favorite of ours as well and a pub we will certainly be returning to in the very near future rest assured.
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