Much to my delight the English weather has remained fab  and even reached 29 degrees one day,  so really loving wearing summer clothes !!!
I next headed off to visit my dear friend Lucy Jackson, who now has her own yard with some super horses not far from Oxford.  Lucy rode two of my eventers for me in NZ prior to returning  to the UK to embark on  her career as a professional event rider and is doing remarkably well already.  
Whilst in the area, I spent  a very interesting day absorbing all the action at Aston Le Walls Horse Trials near Banbury.  It  is  the most wonderful event with several hundred horses competing each day, and runs  like clockwork  with superb facilities.
Next on the agenda was a trip  to Mistley ,   in Essex  to have a glorious  long weekend with some non horsey friends,  doing ' normal things '  (  well I assume they are normal things !! )  like sun bathing, enjoying wonderful food, wine and just chilling out .    Mistley was the town where they used to kill  "witches"  which is not the most savory  of stories but it is very true. They were not real witches but merely "herbalists" .  They say  there are real ghosts in some of the village houses ( including the one I stayed in but not in my room ). The ancient  stocks they tied them to in the town square are still standing.