1st August 2023

“Sisters make the best friends in the world.”
—Marilyn Monroe

July was a cool and wet month, with the UK receiving more than double the usual rainfall. Towards the end of the month, we had a visit from Sue’s sister, Philippa. Arriving late afternoon on the 27th, she travelled up from Buckfastleigh by train to spend six days with her sister and to visit the Palmer family.

Early the following day, Sue took her to see Sarah and her family, and together they spent the day at Twycross Zoo. Thankfully, the weather was a little kinder than it had been recently, allowing them to enjoy a pleasant day with the Gruffalo. Unsurprisingly, with the school holidays in full swing, the zoo was very popular, and those without pre-booked tickets were being turned away.

After the zoo visit, they returned to Newbold Verdon for a cup of tea and a chat before heading back to Willow Bank.

The following day’s excursion (Saturday) by the sisters began with a visit to the once-royal Apethorpe Palace, a residence of Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, James I, and Charles I.

Currently, the palace is a private residence open to the public only by pre-booked guided tours on certain weekends during July and August. It has undergone an eleven-million-pound renovation by English Heritage, and the resulting series of state rooms, including the King’s Bedchamber and the impressive Long Gallery, is one of the most complete survivals from the Jacobean period. After their one-and-a-half-hour, strictly conducted tour, they enjoyed a brief walk around the village of Apethorpe before moving on to Great Brington to visit its church, have a picnic, and catch sight of Althorp Hall.

Local rumour has it that Lady Diana is buried in the church crypt along with other members of her family, rather than the official explanation that she is interred on a small island on a lake on the grounds of Althorp Hall.

On their way back to Harborough, they spent some time with Charlotte and her family in Rothwell.

I spent the morning in Waltham on the Wolds helping Jamie with his newly acquired allotment. I took my mower and petrol strimmer to tackle the overgrown plot, then dug over a couple of raised beds he had constructed. The soil was a lovely, rich, dark brown and should be excellent for growing all manner of vegetables, though he will need to clear the couch grass that is spread throughout. We finished by lunchtime and quenched our thirst, and replaced spent calories with a meal at the local pub. Afterwards, I hit the road home while he and Ruth drove to stay overnight at a glamping site near Grimsby, close to the coast.

Sunday saw Sue, Philippa and me drive to Kirby Muxloe to visit the moated, fortified mansion built for Lord Hastings, who was dramatically seized and executed by Richard III in 1483. It was a dull day, with a constant threat of rain, but we managed to inspect all the internal structures and amble around the very picturesque moat without getting too damp. A wedding couple, dressed in their finest, were having their photos taken with the castle and moat as a backdrop. I suppose the rain clouds will be photoshopped out of the final shots. The castle is unfinished, its completion cut short by the execution of its owner by Richard III, but nevertheless, even on a dull day, it forms a very pretty panorama for the camera. Strangely, unlike all other English Heritage sites we have visited, signage around the building and grounds was poor, and what there was was brief and lacking much interest or description.

We continued our exploration of the area with a walk through the village and a fruitless search for a geocache that we suspected no longer existed, before settling down to a splendid Sunday lunch at the Castle Hotel. Originally a farmhouse, it is now a beautiful 17th-century pub and restaurant overlooking Kirby Muxloe Castle.

Monday morning threatened to add to the overnight rain, but thankfully, the predicted precipitation stayed away from Leicestershire. While I spent the morning in the fruit and vegetable plots catching up with necessary gardening tasks, Sue and Philippa had a wander around town before travelling to see Jamie to enjoy a very sumptuous afternoon tea at Stapleford Park. I, on the other hand, had to make do with a bowl of mushroom soup back in Harborough.

It was Ellis’s 13th birthday on the same day, and he and the family had a fun time in Swadlincote at the Swadlincote Ski and Snowboard Centre, enjoying its exhilarating ‘Viper Slide’. The celebrations concluded with his favourite meal in an American diner.

On the morning of Tuesday, 1st August, Philippa returned home. Sue went on a full-day ramble with the U3A walking group, which culminated in a splendid lunch at Northampton Golf Club. I contented myself with another tin of mushroom soup while watching England beat China 6–1 in the Women’s World Cup in Australia.