We got up early and had tea, toast and orange juice for breakfast before setting out for Leeds Castle with my Brother in Law and family. The day was lovely and sunny, but a little windy making the air quite bracing in exposed places.

We walked through the parkland towards the castle in glorious sunshine, spring flowers lining the grassy lawns with ducks and geese preening themselves in the sunny glow. We enjoyed a tour of the castle before stopping off for lunch time refreshments in the cafe. I enjoyed a little bit of cake indulgence;  ginger and marmalade cake. It was delicious

After lunch Mr C and I failed miserably to find the centre of the maze before time ran out and we had to get back to the ranch for nephews and nieces to do their homework before they needed to depart for a birthday celebration. This left us to have a board gaming afternoon, followed by an early dinner to accommodate two young boys.

After the boys had gone to bed, we retired to the sitting room to watch a film and the cheese board came out…

The few photos I took are organised and ready but I don’t want to start posting about the weekend until after another expedition that we are due to go on tomorrow. More on that later…

PS: there is also a blog post pending on this mornings unsatisfactory attempt to fix the shoddy workmanship on our backdoor

I need to go back and test out the theory!!

Once in the centre of the labyrinth the only way out is via the underground grotto containing the elements of earth, air, fire and water; not to mention a legendary giant.

From the guide book:

Planted in 1988 with 2400 yew tree, the Leeds Castle maze leads to a spiralling path up to a raised viewpoint overlooking the park.  Reminiscent of the traditional geometric style of planting, the maze takes the form of a topiary castle.  The pattern includes a chalice and a queens crown, which can only be seen only once the puzzle has been solved.  The only way out of the maze is through the underground grotto, where the elementals of earth, air, fire and water are joined by the legendary giant Typhoeus, who tried to overpower the Greed gods but was vanquished by Zeus and placed under a volcano, where he became the source of fire.

So after lunch we duly headed in that direction, taking in the aviary on the way. The aviaries were opened in 1988 and currently house over 100 species from around the world. Whilst looking round the aviary there was the sudden loud roaring noise of a low flying aircraft which scared most of the visitors and the birds too. The poor parrot I was observing at the time jumped up from it’s daily activities and paced backwards and forwards along a branch in the cage, with sideways glances at me. When I made to walk off, it said ‘Hello!’, which made the other people nearby do a double take. I guess the parrot didn’t want me to leave just yet.

The goose in the second photograph is quite elderly and was very vocal if anyone stood right behind her where she couldn’t see them. I can’t blame her really, I hate people standing right behind me.

The third photograph shows a statue that is just outside the aviary, it is the work of Malcolm Murduck and is entitled ‘Le Chateaux des Oiseaux’.

It was still pretty chilly though.

This picture is in the Henry VIII Banqueting Hall at Leeds Castle. The hall was created for the visit of Catherine of Aragon on 22nd May, 1520 when he was on route  for Dover to embark for Henry’s historic meeting with Francis I of France, known as the Field of the Cloth of Gold.

Fashion has certainly changed a lot since Henry’s day

For more of this weeks PhotoHunt pictures check out tnchick.

Queen Catherine’s coat of arms, incorporates the three lions of England and the fleurs-de-lys of France, it is lozenge shaped rather than shield-shaped. This signifies that she was a widow.