Under Bledlow Ridge.

I had a traumatic day - I had to go to John Lewis, which I hate.

I hate the fact that it's cheaper and easier to drive miles along two motorways to High Wycombe than to go to the Kingston branch.

I don't like the shop and above all I can't stand the middle class 'ladies who lunch' there.

Anyway we had to go - I'd promised Robyn that I'd take her so that she could spend wedding present vouchers, which we were given, with great kindness.

I had to listen to half an hours worth of revolutionary songs before I left, to cope with it all.

It was all the nightmare I expected it to be!

Anyway, we eventually emerged....into an unexpected afternoon of bright sunshine and it seemed a shame to waste it.

We drove on, under the shadow of Bledlow Ridge where the Chiltern Hills come to an abrupt end at the flatlands of Oxfordshire.

Above us the Red Kites flew lazy circles over the fields.

We stopped at Chinnor and after looking around the charity shop we had coffee and cakes at The Village Community Centre and talked until they threw us out.

Then we drove back, driving directly into the setting sun as we skirted Bledlow Ridge above us.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home:helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Ewelme and The Chilterns.

With another visit to Hospital looming we went out for the afternoon and ended up on the fringe of The Chiltern Hills at Ewelme.

It's very old and has some 15th century buildings although we didn't actually take a close look at them.

I liked this house - to get to it you have to cross a ford;

The little stream runs through the village and is as clear and bright as you can imagine.

It's set out in beds for watercress;

The water trickles through the beds so that there is always the sound of water, wherever you are.

It was looking very lush;

Then we sat, eating our sandwiches and peaches, looking over the village sports ground and the valley carved out by the little stream.

It was idyllic although just a little spoiled by the R.A.F. base at Benson where they were practising war games; gunfire, helicopters, even a 'Chinook' overhead.

We ended up at Chinnor, which seemed almost empty, and had a coffee at the community café.

I bought some Chinese lanterns at the charity shop.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com