Haywards Heath

A weekend in Sussex. My friends, having missed my 50th birthday due to a holiday, invited me down for a weekend in Sussex, with a view to going out on Saturday night for a meal.

First was a walk with their two tiny tots in Ashdown Forest. A surprisingly breezy day, ending in rain, meant the kids did very well, and were indeed well-wrapped up for the experience. Given how sunny it was when we set off, this was a bit disappointing. But a nice hilly walk, interrupted by various forms of roaming farm animals, sheep, horses and cows. Very rustic.

Our first attempt to enter a pub for lunch in the by now teeming rain met with defeat as it was heaving, no doubt in part with walkers attempting to escape the downpour.

But second time lucky. And a chance for the little ones to look cute on the leather furniture.

The evening meal was something else. Ockenden Manor is a Michelin star owning restaurant in a country house hotel and spa. Tremendous meal. We went for the taster menu - 7 courses each with a different wine. Pumpkin soup, scallops, venison, sorbet, cheese trolley, lemon tart, and oh, another one too. sorry, the wine took its toll by the end, along with the champagne and canapes beforehand. I could cope with this sort of lifestyle.

But I have to admit the Sunday was a slow day! We were all just a teeny bit hungobver. Well, there were an awful lot of wine glasses to drain with the dinner, and it was all so good it would have been churlish not to do so. A very enjoyable Sunday lunch, and the kids had a bit of a runabout in the garden. And we managed to take in the two live games on TV. Bliss!

Daddy impressing an adoring audience