I am reminded of The Darling Buds of May (an excellent English tv series from the 80’s) as I drive around the countryside here in the last throes of summer. When I waved goodbye to my charming host in Malvern this morning a light rain was falling.

Having some time before I needed to return the car I drove through the Malvern hills to the market town of Ledbury.

What is not to like?! Even better I easily found a park and set off to appreciate the fine Elizabethan architecture and quirkiness of the town.

Truth to tell, whilst my eyes were roaming the delicious scenes in these photos my craving for a decent espresso coffee had reached fever pitch and great was my joy when I saw this in front of me:

I was inside in a jiffy and partaking of these soon after:

Refreshed, I turned back towards Worcester and drove the 30 mins it took to reach the car hire place, returning my trusty white car. Glyn and Chris Blythman and their enthusiastic pup, Bree, a Patterdale, awaited me in their car for the drive back to their home in Ludlow.

I am cosily installed upstairs overlooking the jigsaw of gardens below, all tended lovingly by the Blythman’s and neighbours.

It has been wonderful catching up with them both – Chris is an artisan blacksmith, and Glyn is my Outlander friend, who met her husband through their interest in re-enactment groups back in the 90’s. (?)

Glyn drove around Ludlow after an afternoon nap, reacquainting me with layout of the town – and castle where Arthur and Catherine of Aragon first lived and where Arthur died – his brother Henry VIII taking over both kingship and wife.

We returned to enjoy a wine and then superb steak dinner in the drowsy light amid the bees and birds in the back garden.

Even Bree was worn out.

It has been relaxing to mend a hole in my long pants whilst chatting over coffee inside, but the pull of the cosy bed upstairs with its freshly ironed sheets has proven too strong to resist.

Tomorrow is another day …