Chim Chiminey

No football today, we were having a day out. The overnight thunderstorms missed us entirely and whilst there had clearly been bit of rain it had amounted to nothing. By the time Cousteau-Cub left for work, the pavements were dry and it was warming up nicely. In fact, though it remained fairly overcast throughout the day, the temperatures reached the mid 20s.

We hopped in the car and went across to Lewes where we we scheduled to meet with Badger and Mrs Tiggywinkle for lunch. It was a surprisingly good run across the south coast and we were there  and looking for a good car park in an hour.

We strolled up the hill to the High Street and then sought out the restaurant. It was right next door to the Courts. We had reserved a table, but asked to move out to the roof terrace as the weather was so nice. The views across the rooftops of Lewes to the Castle made it quite quaint.

We had a lovely and leisurely meal. The choice wasn't vast, but it was very good. Between us we tried their fishcakes, black bream, calves liver, and fish and chips. Every one of these dishes was presented beautifully and was excellent. The Gorse Fox would heartily recommend you stop off at "The Rights of Man" if ever you visit Lewes.

Time wore on and the car park times were winding down. We returned to the cars and headed onwards to Michelham Priory at Upper Dicker. The Gorse Fox and the Silver Vixen had been here before, but it was a first for Badger and Mrs Tiggywinkle. It turns out that the Priory is a part of Historic Houses Association, so being members we all gained entry for nothing (saving about £10 each).

We only had about 90 minutes before they closed but had a lovely time wandering round.

We entered through the crypt and then made our way throughout the house, reading the various explanatory plaques and listening to the stories from the guides.

Having exhausted the inside, we headed outside and wandered round the gardens, chatting as we went. It really was a very lovely day.

We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways at about five o'clock. The Gorse Fox was a little worried at the thought of the rush hour traffic, but whilst heavy, it was no real problem and we were home before too long... just in time to see Cousteau-Cub cycling off to get herself a kebab!