A Bedford Day Out.

 

Today we had a spontaneous day trip to Bedford to see Laura and Laurence.

We had a birthday present for her that Sarah had sent here rather Bedford, so that was one excuse for it. But there was another reason too. William had phoned on Friday asking if he could come home for the weekend. He arrived with a pile of his washing, as the one in his shared house is currently broken. But ours is disconnected so he couldn't use Mum's laundry service... so we took it to Laura's!

Dawn took them some tomato plants so we went out to get a couple of growbags. We went a few miles north of Bedford to the garden centre at Milton Ernest.

It is quite a large garden centre and has all sorts of things... including the local post office.

We then took a trip a few miles further north, passing where Laura goes to work, to the pretty village of Riseley for lunch at the Fox and Hounds pub there.

Back in Bedford we took a trip to the park...

...and then the little  Hill Rise Nature Reserve.

There were newts and lots of tadpoles in the ponds.

We returned via the cemetery.

Collecting William's washing we headed for home to be in time for the Eurovision Song Contest.... and I've just heard Dawn's sister-in-law Natalie and our nieces Eliza and Lola are coming to watch it with us!

[Update later}

And here they are as the  music is about to start. I've printed out a scoresheet for each and assembled what I could of nibbles and drinks. Let the party begin!