The weather forecast for the weekend wasn’t very inspiring so we picked what looked the best day (Monday) for a day out to Blenheim Palace. Despite it being the bank holiday we had no problems with traffic and arrived at Blenheim having made good time. The weather was kind to us, although it was cloudy at times. We enjoyed the formal gardens, the palace and the walk through the arboretum past the grand cascade before running out of time. In addition to the Palace tour we were able to visit the private apartments where by chance we were lucky enough to see the Butler at work, starting to set up the dining table.

Despite it being the bank holiday it wasn’t overly busy, perhaps due to the grounds being so big. It seems we were lucky to have chosen the Monday as I overheard one of the house guides say that they had seen 5000 people through the doors on Saturday!!

We had our day tickets converted to a yearly pass which means we can go back later in the year to see the other things that we missed.

The journey back was as pleasant as the outward journey. We did however encounter problems finding somewhere to eat. Everywhere had stopped serving and we ended up with our third option which was really a last resort.

After such a busy day yesterday I have spent today relaxing at home with some reading and a little bit of gardening. After such a lovely weekend I was saddened when a neighbour called round this evening to inform us that after the recent fallen branch ‘my oak tree’ has been sentenced with a severe trimming of branches. If I had known earlier today I would have taken some photographs when it was looking particularly beautiful in the early evening sunshine.