The darling buds of March

We worry about our parents quite a lot. All in all they are doing pretty well, but as my Dad put it this weekend they are at the "rack and ruin" stage of life. We have had a busy weekend.

We stayed in a little guesthouse, and had breakfast at Costa. It was astonishingly busy. Long queues on a Sunday morning, what is that all about ?

The flower shop in the blip is opposite Costa on the High Street. It was fascinating watching people going in getting flower bouquets and baskets. Mothers day must be one of their busiest times of the year. 

Both yesterday and today we had a brief stretch of the legs walking up the Avenue towards St Nicholas Church. I always like to say Hello T'Jane, my great great great aunt who is buried just beyond the lychgate (dates 1810-1849). 

The Horse Chestnuts are budding and leafing. Most were planted in 1987, the year the great storm felled the big ones I remember collecting conkers from when I was young. I found the buds fascinating, and took quite a few pics.

And the magnolia is leaning over into my Mum and Dad's back garden from the neighbours.

Literary note: The walk up the Avenue is part of the route  described in the opening pages of Howard's End by EM Forster. The house lies half a mile beyond the church. The railway station described in the novel is long gone, although I remember it from my youth :)