Today is Claire’s birthday and all her pals came together at the Eco park for a thali and some Irish music, to see her presented with her birthday present and to hear the wonderful speech given by one of her beautiful daughters – just a few photos from a colourful evening full of love.
We had all contributed to Claire’s present, an electric bike, and here she has just been presented with a cardboard cutout and a voucher so that she can go and choose what she wants. 
First in my discoveries was a wonderful photo, caught up with some modern ones, of my Grandparents in 1919. Here is my Grandfather, the Reverend Richards, on his beloved motorbike and with my Mum on his lap and my very lovely Granny in the sidecar with my Uncle.
Next I found a little book which turned out to be the Manchester University Student Union Handbook the year my Dad was President of the Union..
I love his address to the students where his principles are clearly on show. 
Lastly, for today, going through my sewing projects box, I found an unmade Clothkit for dungarees for a 2-4 year old. I never got around to making them but have a lovely young friend with a two year old. I asked her if she might like to make these for her little boy and she was delighted, saying she had grown up wearing Clothkit clothing herself. I am equally delighted to be helping her to carry on the family tradition. 
I look forward to seeing A in his smiley lion dungarees……..
Welly Dog looks happy in our meadow.
The Sunflower given to us by Daughter No 3 has its first bright and lovely flower.
Our day was busy and hard work so I booked dinner at our favourite place, The Royal Oak in Perranwell. They have an airy marquee as a dining room extension and that’s where we chose to be. I started the evening with a Cornish gin flavoured with blackberries. It was delicious! That was our first visit in eighteen months though we did collect many take-aways during lockdown. We are so glad they have survived though like many places in Cornwall they are short staffed and working really hard to keep customers happy.
Nasturtiums are poking through a neighbour’s hedge.
Winter flowering pansies, still flowering (!) are in my G&T along with some borage, very pretty, such beautiful shades of blue and purple.
The daisies look like poached eggs, this one with some wildlife. 
A couple of years ago we went to an excellent day of talks and exhibitions run by Chacewater Community Energy Group. Last year there couldn’t be one but again this year they put on a very informative day. We were very interested in a Kia e-Nero electric car. They are so expensive! We’d love to have one but will have to wait until second hand ones come into our price range. 
The e vehicles exhibition was held in the recreation ground in Chacewater and, in the spirit of the day, we went by bus. There were two lovely tree carvings in the field which is next to the village school.
The lovely Mr S brought me a G&T this evening with a nasturtium and some borage flowers and a few blueberries. Delicious!
Tonight is the Buck Full Moon but as tonight is expected to be cloudy and last night was clear, I took the photo of the wonderfully big full moon.
We stopped at our favourite coffee shop, Home Ground, this afternoon and were joined by Charlie, the Coffee Shop Cat, a very self assured individual. He reminds me of Orlando the Marmalade Cat, a favourite storybook from my childhood.
After town, we dropped into the allotment to collect the veg for our vegetable curry this evening. But for the courgette , tonight’s blog is almost colour co-ordinated!
It was our last session for singing with The Suitcase Singers until September and next week is our lovely choir leader’s half century birthday. To make it special each member of the choir was asked to bring a couple of blooms or greenery from their garden so that we could put together a more personal bunch than one from a shop. The resulting bouquet was absolutely amazing, full of colour and scent and most of all, full of our love for Claire
Thanks to Mandy Rolleston for this photo.
There’s a new shed at the allotment and it is gorgeous!
Coming back up Church Lane after watering and harvesting this evening, we met a new cat. Just look at its eyes!
We met friends for a very sociable and tasty breakfast this morning and afterwards had a very brief and very hot walk on the beach.
On the way back to the car park these beauties caught my eye.
Our beautiful little guest, Fern, has settled in already, is loving being stroked and has a mighty purr – just delightful. What lovely and unusual markings she has. .
One of the allotment plots near us is a wonderful riot of Crocosmia.
I’m growing a purple, white and green border for the bees at the allotment but the verbena has taken for ever to come up. Here it is with its first flower.
Tomorrow we have a little visitor arriving to stay with us for about 6 weeks. She is a beautiful little cat called Fern and today we bought some Feliwell, on the recommendation of our daughter, to help her settle in. We also bought her a little toy. We are both really excited to have a little cat in our household again. 
Such a hot day! We aren’t used to it. Simple turkey salad was an easy to prepare and easy to eat lunch. The lettuce and borage flowers are from our edible garden in the trough. 
It was not a sensible day to make jam but the crop (600 grammes) was harvested so needs must, despite the heat …… I haven’t made Blackcurrant jam before and it is delicious. 
Our Day Lilies are gorgeous.
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