Five go mad in Robertsbridge

A gorgeous sunny Autumn day. Still feeling extremely tired, but had a mid afternoon nap which was gold. Lorraine finding it hard to relax. She has realised she needs to keep busy, and Star Dew Valley is the perfect blend of relaxation and busyness.A happy time hanging with Rosie and Innis sitting outside our nicely converted cowsheds on a beautiful day. A short mooch into the countryside, where we encountered donkeys, a farmer in a pink shirt, and walked past some kind of dog farm, where dozens of dogs bayed threateningly at us, and made little Pippi shrink between Rosie and Lorraine, and through lots of lovely undulating countryside. This is definitely a countryside for horses and dogs. Pippi found some fox poo to roll in, and Rosie was very disappointed in her. 

Rosie negotiated us leaving a little later tomorrow. Much amusement when the owner said she would be out competing with her horse tomorrow. Mental images of her playing chess with the horse or racing against it, and so on.

In the evening, after payout our respects to the new moon (and Innis whipping out his tripod to get a good image of it, off to a pub called The Ostrich in Robertsbridge. Unpromising at first, walking into the pub with a group of what I took to be local landowning local men drinking beers glancing coldly at us, but we were shown around to another bar, brightly lit and full of strange pictures, including a local lady's painting during lockdown of the publican surrounded by animals, a portrait of a minor TV celebrity Gabby Roslin, landscapes and so on. 

The publican very hospitable and was dog mad, we were fed four plates of good, homely grub, and Rosie was given custard with ice cream floating in it, which is one of her favourites despite it flying in the face of nature. I had a worthy apple pie (one of the allowable puddings). Pippi was treated to cuts pieces of gammon.

I popped into the gents before we left, and I found this to be a weird slightly Twin Peaks style place covered in vintage erotica, hand picked for the micturating gentleman.

Wandered back up the dark lane, using our phones as torches, with fireworks going off miles away in the still night. Someone had been burning a field nearby and the air was full of smoke and very still. Not really the imaginary fresh air of the country, but strangely evocative nevertheless.

Below, where we were staying; Donkeys and Innis; Mr 'Are you lost' Local; Rosie and Lorraine in the dining room at the Ostrich; the new moon not thankfully first glimpsed through glass; an outbreak of black and white: and the urinal. I love this photo, although I think I am in a minority.