With the jubilee weekend afoot I tied up all outstanding paperwork, gave instruction to our staff for the busy weekend ahead and locked the office door. I was really looking forward to a weekend of relaxation and valuable family time down on Gloucestershire Farm where my inlaws reside.
Packing for the farm has always been a bit of a task for me. As much as I would love to slip into the country-chic attire that suits so many young fillies, my outfits always seem to cry out “look out there’s a townie about!!” – It’s not that I don’t own the obligatory Barbour or the tweed jacket. It’s just that the tweed jacket has a fur trim and the Barbour might be occasionally paired with sparkly flip flops! I distinctly remember the comment that my mother-in-law admits to lamenting on first sight of her son walking me up the garden pathway to introduce us to each other. Admittedly I wasn’t decked out for a visit to the farm but I don’t think that I had ever visited a real working farm before so in my defence, how was I supposed to know? I was wearing pale blue shiny tight trousers, a cream twin set and a pair of diamanté kitten heel flip flops. My hair was really blonde, I had sunglasses on top of my head and I was spray tanned to within an inch of my life! “What the h*ll is that?” she exclaimed to my now father-in-law! However, on meeting it was clear that we were going to get along like a house on fire and over the years, two kids later, the glitz has all but disappeared and a much plainer, mumsy Louise can be found collecting eggs from the chicken house and feeding Gregory the turkey!
Anyway, off we jolly well went, just the girls and I. We were meeting hubby at the farm as he had been away on business. 3 hours stuck in traffic on the M6 and a whining 2 year old, I thought that things couldn’t get any worse… Of course there is always some emergency around the corner to prove you wrong… A tyre blow-out on the fast lane of the M5. Luckily we were all safe but spent an hour sat at the side of the motorway waiting for assistance!
Once we finally arrived at the farm, the itinerary of Jubilee celebrations was thrust upon us! Pram race through the village at noon, garden party at the neighbours house at 12.30 and beacon to be lit at 10.15pm… A fun filled day ahead for everyone!
The garden party was quintessentially English with straw hats, croquet on the lawn and strawberries with cream.
I was given 15 minutes to team together a red, white and blue outfit and take my place at the starting line in a wheel barrow! We all took part in the sack races, Lucy won her heat, I won the ladies race but Mr Lucy Willow disappointingly finished last!!
It was a memorable diamond jubilee weekend. Even Gregory the turkey was feeling patriotic. Amazingly he was sporting a red, white and blue face… Sorry Gregory, but you will never win any beauty contests!
I hope that you all had a fantastic Jubilee weekend too.