Sunday 19 June 2011

Father's Day

I took a trip down to Kent to visit the cemetery where my Dad is buried. It is a lovely rural spot - peaceful and full of birdsong... and today a brief rainshower for the duration of my visit!






After that I swung by the house where my mother grew up and I spent a lot of happy childhood moments. In a serendipitous coincidence my cousin and his girlfriend were down for a visit so I stopped for a cup of tea. It's an amazing cottage in a hamlet in a beautiful part of Kent. 

It's a Grade II listed building and here is what the listing website has to say about it "Probably C16 timber framed house with later façade. 2 storeys, 3 windows. High pitched tiled roof half hipped at left, with ridge stack. Tile hung lst floor, red brick ground floor with diaper of blue headers. Modern casements mostly leaded and one old leaded iron casement. Plain boarded door. Roof sweeps low at back."

Behind the cottage are woods. As a child we used to have the "Little Grey Rabbit" stories read to us when we stayed there and I was quite convinced that she and her friends actually lived in that wood! The stairs to the first floor have a bell rope instead of a balustrade on one side (still there) and there is a sinister hook on one  of the beams in the kitchen (probably used to hang food of some sort from) - also still there. The garden is glorious - my cousin and my uncle have done a lot of work out there - although the cherry tree that had the swing has fallen victim to a storm and is no more, shame as the blossoms were wonderful. It is a wonderful peaceful spot although not for the modern world as there is a limited bus service and no shop!