Chiddingstone Celebrations

Last weekend we took a trip to John's hometown, London, to celebrate the birthday of Tim, John's oldest friend.

Our celebrations took place in the lovely Tutor village of Chiddingstone in Kent, my home county. While the day was grey, our spirits were bright. Conversations ran high, with barely a pause for breath, throughout the car journey & during the whole afternoon. We heard wonderful accounts from Joel&Marysia, our friends who were fresh back from a 5 week road trip across America. They have returned with a fresh understanding as to why 50% of Americans don't have a passport, having experienced the length and breadth of the beauty of the United States.

I loved the tiny quirks of the village, like the pavement which looked like this

...and the gentle hill on which the pub stood, making it look a little wonky.

The beautiful Castle Inn was the perfect place to spend our afternoon. We had ended up in this little village by way of recommendation of the food served at the Castle Inn. The boys seemed most excited about the prospect of eating freshly made scotch eggs with a runny yoke. Probably a little something like this. Personally, this held no appeal for me, so I opted for the Winter Brunch Menu. When my platter came out, boasting a mini casserole pot of sausage & mash, a goats cheese salad, a tiny bowl of potato gnocci & a bitesize brownie with clotted cream for dessert, I didn't know where to begin. So many delicious flavours, all in one place, just for me! I loved every bite.  

We grazed on the delicious food until our bellies were so very full and the sky was dark, and  plenty of rounds of bananagrams had been played. (I love that game!) A perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.