Ashtead

We moved on Sunday from Rowledge to Ashtead, Surrey, to friends from Nottingham days, Ann and John.

Ann has just authored her second book on early childhood learning in the context of children and gardens. It really does make you want to encourage young childen to  get into a garden where they can grow things, explore, climb  etc

Their daughter, husband and three children  were there, also one son and his wife, Chris and Jenny. It was Jenny's birthday!

Ann and John's daughter was attempting to study and when I enquired about the course, she said that she was hoping for promotion from Detective Inspector to Detective Chief Inspector, with the Berkshire Constabulary, where her husband is the custody sergeant!

They manage different shifts and their three children with the help of a Spanish au pair.

When I jokingly asked if the series 'New Tricks' had any basis in reality, she replied that there were hundreds of such units in the UK.

She mentioned that the  four murder cases she is currently directing, are a bit 'boring'--not at all like 'New Tricks', it seems.

After lunch we all set off for the nearby woods, to go blackberrying, which are in abundance this year. One of the grandchildren insisted on having a 'leaf' eye-patch!