Sudbury Open Gardens: Adventure at Three Feet

So it's the town's annual open gardens event, all procedures going to the local charity "St. Nicholas' Hospice". I thought it might be nice to see more of our adopted hometown and get a bit inspired for our own green handkerchief.  My original plan was to get there as soon as the gardens opened at 10.30am, so we could get all thirteen done before Celeste's nap time. Unfortunately, this happened to my wall:

Daddies who can, fix it.

Daddies who can't, phone their own Daddies.

A flying visit from the DIY God (known to mortals as Chapman the Elder) fixed it, but at what cost to time? By the time we got into town, it was already lunchtime. We needed a pitstop at Huffers Cafe (which does a decent burger, but is also one of the most child-friendly eateries in town.

Attention Social Services: That is milk in her cup, not Pepsi and definitely not gin.

Yes, it looks lovely, but eat now! We're behind schedule for Culture!

Celeste enjoyed playing with the food, but not eating it: everything was too interesting. We took it all with us in a box, a decision which was later to haunt me. Our first stop was the gardens of Gainsborough's house (Thomas Gainsborough being one of Sudbury's most illustrious sons). Celeste immediately escaped, trying to find the fairies she was sure lived there.

None down here... 

Not that way! That's the bit of the museum you've got to pay extra for!

It was about now that Celeste started wanting her chips again so, on this Cultural and also Civic Enrichment Experience, I was having to feed her greasy food from polystyrene containers. Attention Social Services: this is not a regular occurrence.

Garden Two was the Red House, a nursing home with a garden so lovely that I can't wait for my inevitable old age to spend some time there.

The first person to guess how many times my green handkerchief fits into this garden wins free bile.

 Aw...my ladies!

 Protection for old people against orcs? I honestly have no idea!

I've seen too many horror films to be comfortable leaning out over dark water near old mansions

Third up was a lovely house called "Cygnets" on Church Street, so called, I guess, because you can literally see cygnets from your back lawn.

No cygnets... 

Canoeists, ducks, but still no cygnets... 

Don't be silly Daddy! There're no such thing as cygnets!

Finally, as little legs were starting to tire, we made one final stop at Mill House to see the cows on Sudbury's beautiful water meadows.

 *Sigh* Green with envy. Geddit?

Celeste's suggested caption ten seconds later: "Cow done a poo in the river!"

Believe it or not, there were still nine more gardens in Sudbury to do, but we had to cut it short because...well...

Night night sweetheart; sweet dreams. Don't tell Social Services about the polystyrene and chips when you wake up.