Sunday 23 August 2009

One Minute to Mayhem

No, I'm not referring to cricket celebrations! But I must say I shall really miss the Test match coverage - TestMatchSpecial on the wireless must be The Best Entertainment in The Whole Wide World! My dear husband even bought me a great big black Slazenger cricket scorebook, so that I could follow the matches and keep my own scores. How great is that? Dot balls, wicket maidens and leg byes all neatly recorded in my own book! Woohoo!

No, the mayhem to which I refer is the unexpected and unwarranted intrusion on a genteel cream tea, being taken under sunny English skies in our orchard at the bottom of the garden. Vintage cloth was laid, lovely old family china found in the back of the cupboard, silver spoons polished up and home-made scones piled on lace doily.

So, cricket commentary playing gently in the background, tea was poured, plate piled high with scone and clotted cream when ...... flutterfluttercrashtinkleclatter Hilda Hen appeared from nowhere and landed in the jam. I'm sorry, dear reader, I can't go on but ...


this is by no means her only misdemeanour, so it's a bloomin' good job she laid her first egg yesterday ....

9 comments:

Gretel said...

LOL, maybe she had Australian ancestors! It still looks lovely, even post-chicken-tornado, is that a Queen's Jubilee tablecloth I see? (Is that vintage now? Lordy, that makes me feel old!)

Chrissie said...

PG - hmm, jammy claw-prints all over everywhere, including me.... The cloth is from the Coronation, so it (and I!!) are vintage.

AeFondKis said...

EGGXTRA-ORDINARY genteel afternoon then?
didn't know hens were attracted to jam?
nic pics!
Linda x

Chrissie said...

Linda - lol! This Very Naughty Hen is just so nosy - she stole the lemon out of my husband's G & T the other evening!

Pomona said...

We had two hens who used to hang around the back door, and would try to sneak in if ever it was left open. One day my husband walked into the kitchen to find them sitting on the sofa! Luckily I wasn't there!

Would love to see you in the B&B! Email me and I will send you a link to our website to tempt you!

Pomona x

Anonymous said...

Wow, she was lucky - saved by the egg. Cream tea in your orchard looks absolutely idyllic - can I come?
Anne

florcita said...

How I love having high tea! ahahah scones and all. Actually, I feel like having some scones now.
I think Hilda rushed to lay an egg after the emergency landing... it' s the egg or the neck!

Uta said...

Hilda was probably a little put out that she wasn't invited to the tea party.

Chrissie said...

Anne - kettle's on!
Marian - her neck certainly was 'on the line'!
Uta - that hen NEVER waits for an invitation!