We went to Harlow Carr yesterday but decided not to repeat either the scones from the garden or the cost of the main tearoom.
I couldn’t get all the way down to the bottom of the garden this time, as going downhill (I refer here to my direction of travel, rather than in my accelerating physical decline), is tricky with a bad knee. So I returned to sit near the sycamore key sculpture.
As I sat, a robin played hide-and-seek and a blackbird perched on a dead tree turned it up to Number 11.
Here I eavesdropped on several bizarre conversations (which may have been more mundane if heard in their entirety) and waited patiently, taking a few photos, as Julia went to fetch tea.
Eventually she returned, and placed a cup of tea on the bench next to me. Then she sat down next to me and we talked of robins, rhubarb and whether she had anything in her bag. Knowing her as I do, it seemed unlikely she’d been to a tearoom and not purchased comestibles.
She had done us proud, with a pair of Fat Rascals.
Yes, make all the jokes you like. They are rock cakes with spice. My Mum made them like this for years. Betty’s claim them as a traditional recipes, add cherries, nuts and a daft name and suddenly a legend is born!
They were very nice. They were even better with butter (though the butter pat was a bit chunky and needed slicing rather than spreading.
Of all the things I’ve eaten in the Scone Chronicles, this was the tastiest. It was also the best dining experience. No sticky tables or dirty cutlery here!
Fat Rascal at Harlow Carr
Still no pictures, Julia pointed out that the netbook actually does have a USB port, but when I connected the small camera, with yesterday’s card, the computer refused to cooperate.
I’m beginning to hate this bloody netbook…
As you may have noticed I can now add photos…