Sun 20th Sept 2009

In west Sussex in a cottage called Dill One Hundred which is situated near the village of Horam. The house is set in a remote rural location and is surprisingly large consisting of a central one storey building flanked on either side by two storey wings. Nick and I are in the south wing and the ladies are in the north wing.

We arrived here on Friday late in the afternoon so Saturday was our first full day. To say we are only 250 miles from Lancashire the increase in warmth (and sunshine) means we can sit in the garden and look out over the broad green fields undulating into the distance. We’ve got cows on one side and sheep on the other. The average temperature is 21 degrees so you can imagine it is very pleasant.

We visited Bodiam castle Saturday which is a very ‘King Arthur and the Round Table,’ type of place. Almost magical in a way. Shame how a lot of castles fell into disrepair because the y must have been quite spectacular. After Bodiam we took a drive to Hastings (a bit dilapidated) and then went on to Eastbourne (which was markedly cleaner and more upmarket.) Caesar salad for tea and in bed by 9pm. Then we were both up again at 3.30 watching the stars set in the blackest sky I have seen for some time while being serenaded by ‘Alfie’ the asthmatic sheep. Yes we did go back to bed for a few more hours though. But I suspect sleeping in the country may not be the easiest thing. The highlight of the morning was seeing a fox stroll across the field at 7am...bold as you like and with a great bushy tail tipped in white. I shall have the camera ready tomorrow but I don’t expect we’ll see him again. But blow me if another didn’t come along at 9am...why they’re like buses here!