A tiny bit of magic
So 2022 then. Lorraine and I found ourselves in Bromyard with Sue and John on the first day of the year. It was also the hottest New Year's Day on record in the UK, around 15C where we were. Up fairly slowly for a smoked salmon breakfast and then a trip out to Berrington Hall near Leominster. Grounds originally designed by Capability Brown, and a lovely house sat in excellent grounds, with trees planted not in copses but individually and slightly distant from one another. The house inside was okay, but there was one room which I found utterly magical. The dining room, which had been dressed for Christmas with tree branches hung with dried circles of oranges. See below. For me it was worth the whole visit, and put me in mind of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell . A drive back through a couple of picturesque black and white villages, down lanes strangely busy with bicyclists and horse riders. Hereford is gorgeous even in winter. Home in the afternoon, and after a judi...