Sorry l have not written for a few days.....been in Rutland checking up on my son's new rented house. When we arrived we realised..no internet!gulp! withdraw symptoms ...so we set out to find an inter-net cafe...none! I wonder when Rutland will join the world of technology? Beautiful place but frustrating. Also, the only place we could get a decent signal for the phone ..was in the upstairs loo!Hax Tony found the stairs a little tiring but managed them.

One of the reasons we went, was because part of their lease states, that the house must not be left empty for more than 30 days at a stretch! The Estate checks up on it too! We had quite a few people ask who we were and why we were there? Not quite the Mafia or up to Luxembourgh style of questioning but definitely the Archer's ( Story of village folk on radio 4!) sort of questioning! Ha

The front garden is showing beautiful purple crocus in the grass and around the front door, while the back garden is beginning to show what is there and the snowdrops are amazing to behold.

The journey down from Putney was very easy and l drove all the way, as it is still tiring for Tony to drive for very long. We started off watching the TV and then decided to go to the local pub, as we found the house too cold. Sorry Andrew, he is getting more and more like his dad every day! We have got soft in our old age.

The pub, which is called The Fox and Hounds is an old Coaching inn, you can see the large curved entrance, to the left of the main building, which is where the coaches would have driven through.

Once inside, it feels like someones front room rather than a pub and resturant, very welcoming. On this particular evening, it was full of woman, mainly because all the men were at home, watching the football or so l was told by an elderly gentleman, who informed us, he was part of the village council ( every village needs one!) !!! Sensible women is all l can say.
The village is oh so picture perfect. Full of thatched cottages, beautiful gardens and a green with large elderly trees all round it. Chocolate box pretty actually but then most of Rutland seems to me to be like this. A very well kept secret! The image below is an example of the beautiful thatched cottages which are all around their village and it is so quiet...that is unless the Harriers ( as in vertical take off planes..gorgeous things!) fly over!

Ok..it is late and after driving for most of to-day...wandering, so took longer than usual...l need to sleep! so night allx