In erecting a climbing frame for the juvenile roses, Aaron completed his invaluable contribution to their playground. The top bar was the stair rail; the posts had been found lying about in the undergrowth; we bought the retaining spikes. Jackie couldn’t wait to plant the Aloha. Jackie drove us to Mat and Tess’s new home in Upper Dicker, for lunch. Becky and Ian arrived before us. August in our popular holiday area meant that the journey took three hours. After enjoying a splendid lunch and spending a most enjoyable family afternoon together, the return journey occupied half an hour less. 
Our son and his wife are in the process of buying The Village Shop, which I have featured several times, the spacious flat above it, and a two story outbuilding. Tess has been running this shop for some years now. This surprisingly spacious building, approximately 350 years old, is steeped in history, and full of character. 
We lunched on the garden table. As always, Tess catered admirably, providing an array of salads to accompany Mat’s proficient barbecuing of sausages and lamb chops. Various beverages were also consumed, and excellent coffee accompanied the DIY desserts. 
The DIY aspect of this was to assemble your own selection from the choices on offer.
We were rather plagued with wasps. These fearsome little creatures swarmed over the table, some drowning themselves in the beer and wine, others escaping from the glasses.
Occasionally those we fished out of our drinks would shake themselves dry and crawl off in staggered zigzags.
Sunlight played tricks, making me think I was seeing one of the insects reflected on my napkin.
With the addition of nectarine juices to traces of wine, my lips became increasingly attractive to the vespas. I am firmly of the opinion that if you don’t disturb wasps, they won’t sting you. Therefore, when they choose to crawl on me, I leave them to it, grit my teeth, try not to emit the smell of fear, and hope for the best. Having two of them trample across your bottom lip, tests your resolve to the limit.
So it was today. I was reasonably courageous until I began to feel a pricking sensation. I wasn’t being stung, but it was getting a little uncomfortable. I eventually realised that one of the creatures was drilling into my lip in search of the source of the tempting juices. At that point I welcomed the attentions of Matthew and Jackie and their wafted serviettes.
Mat and Tess borrowed Scooby for a family photograph
that turned out to be almost a mirror image of one of Mat and Becky taken in Soho in May 1975.
Behind Mat and Tess is their additional building.
Beautiful food and location.
Thanks you, Sylvie.
The village shop building is absolutely gorgeous! You are very brave with wasps – although you are also probably right about their proclivities I’m guessing there are not too many people willing to actually test the theory! I’m more your batterer and flattener around them! All my Buddhistic principals go flying out the window with wasps and rats I’m afraid.
Thank you, Pauline. I did squash one I fished out, because it looked as if it might become angry.
Ugh. I call them garbage bees, because that’s where you often see them hovering about. In this case, they were lunch bees, neighbors who decide to wander over and partake, uninvited. Love the photo of the wasp in glass. While I’m a calm waiting person when they land, I’m not sure I’d have had your patience had they started to land on my face…That takes stiff upper lip a bit too far…
Thank you, Lisa. Love the lip joke
Gracious, what endurance you have. I must agree with Arling, and would not put up with wasps on my face. That is TOO MUCH. I do love the capture of the bee in the glass, and also the bee made of light – which I probably would also have given a start at, with all your pests at supper.
I think the Village Shop and it’s outbuildings are just wonderful and I think it is brilliant that Matt and Tess are buying it. That will be lots of work, but probably work that makes them happy. The food and desserts look mouth-watering. You and Jackie eat better than any of the bloggers I read, ha ha!
Many thanks for such a comprehensive response, Crystal
I always have to go to the pantry for a forage after reading Derrick’s blog!
What a great idea to get the Village Shop included in your family! That building is older than my country!!
Thanks, GP, I never thought of that
Scooby looks quite pleased with himself. How much of the barbecue did he have?
Thank you both. The poor chap has just had three teeth out, so not much