Blimey!

Blimey! What a week it's been.

Jane has been preparing her art exhibition. She's so cool, calm and collected that it didn't seem to faze her one bit.

We've both been preparing our Open Garden on top of Miss Baudet. I hope she doesn't mind! That was less cool, calm and collecting for me. Can you imagine the trauma when I discovered that the original tiger that had been offered, had been sold. But Nellie the Elephant came along instead.
Phew, that was a relief! And then we found a little tiger anyway.

And as well as all that going on, it is with great honour, I find myself welcoming 7 friends from Montolieu, France (including Monsieur le Maire and his wife) to our little town, to see Wivenhoe for the first time, and to attend our own Mayor's Ball this weekend. But these things don't just happen by accident, you know - it takes years of meticulous planning. Well, a few days, at least.

I would never have imagined two years ago, when I sheepishly suggested the idea of a 'town friendship' between Montolieu and Wivenhoe to Monsieur le Maire, that he'd actually be here, with an entourage that includes his wife, the museum curator, a bookshop owner, a restauranteur, an interpreter, and a wineshop owner.

.

C'est fantastique!