At 10.26am, it was 11°C , and the car was just getting moving: the river was quite high at the end of the town, and there were lots of people and swans visible in the Gardens, one street had a shop that said it was a specialist in ramen noodles on the front, I spotted a road called Gas Street, and just inside Witnash was something I forgot. Chesterton windmill was visible from the Fosse Way at 10.43am; Hill House Farm had a peacock, sheep, and several more creatures I forgot in fields; Mum was driving rather fast, and Dee Dogs Dog Grooming was nearby on Google Maps at 10.50am. We followed a big Highway Maintenance truck along Banbury Road, then Ettington was the next inhabited place; the big truck halted in the little village of Pillerton Priors; a Redwings Oxhill rescue centre was a bit further down the road, Edge Hill was passed through just before 11am, a motorcycle that looked a bit decrepit was followed up a hill; and we reached Upton several minutes later (and Google Maps showed we’d also passed the Sun Rising Natural Burial Ground).

A volunteer in the reception area (when Mum told her we were having Mothering Monday) said it was absolutely heaving yesterday; cloud shaped blobs were dangling from the ceiling, how pothole-y the once gravel driveway was during our volunteering time and the state of the (now very precisely trimmed) hedges…

…were in were reminisced about, and Mum wanted coffee. In the cafe, I saw (amongst other things) mini egg crunch slices, lemon curd biscuits, and blackcurrant and sloe gin in jars; a ‘Caution – Slippery Surface’ sign was outside the door, midges were all over the place while Mum consumed a mug, a robin was twittering in a hedge, an industrial lawnmower on the other side of the hedge was on the move, and we hadn’t been seated for long when the back of my neck started to burn due to the brightness of the sun. She took her jumper off, the cat called Mr Tibbs that patrolled the place (and people speculating that he was the reincarnation of Lord Bearsted – the Lord who bought the estate in 1927) was remembered, I heard crème eggs and preferred chocolate colours being discussed by a family of 4 at a table, and crows were making noises.

The apple trees in the orchard were just sprouting…

…the empty swimming pool had a mucky bottom, the ha-ha remained its sudden drop…

…and through a creaky metal gate was a wiggly path with lots and lots of daffodils (slightly past their best) around, an odd shaped tree, and the pond had 2 male ducks on it, tiny little birds bobbing around and intermittently submerging themselves while making chattering noises, and a duck joined in and quacked. Daffodils were everywhere, a woodpecker was making noises that continued while we went up the wiggly path above the bog garden – passing some oddly shaped fur trees, and then I got distracted by a wasp and a ladybird.

Up by the shop at 12.45pm were metal pig, hare, and heron statues amongst lots of plants…

…and at 12.53pm there were old plant trays doing something I forgot; it was ice cream, ale chutney oat biscuits, and and pictures of things called The Musses I observed in the cafe that time; and outside were lots and lots of women in lycra from a cycling club, the pea and mint soup delivered had lots and lots of peas in it (i.e. it was gloop rather than soup) (but was described to me as delicious)…

…a man in a flat cap and walking boots was at another table, and a couple of ladies were in puffa jackets, another woman had a sheet like dress on; a (4 year old ish) child on a tiny bike took his helmet off and went inside to browse food, a lady wearing very dangly earrings was at a table, another child was devouring a Twister ice-cream; and it was 1.45pm when we moved. In the shop were wooden snakes, hot cross bun chocolate, amusing greetings cards…

…tiny little felt vegetables and animals…

…120ml pots of Indian ink, lots of biscuits and jam, and lots of stuff I forgot; more big metal ducks, rabbits, and a couple of pigs were amongst the things outside, and free bags of used coffee grounds (a natural fertiliser) were available to take.

The woodland walk was the way back to the car, there were lots and lots of little yellow flowers, crows were making noises, nests were visible in the otherwise bald trees, and the car was returned to at 2.15pm and said it was 12°C (and my phone thought it was 15°C).