An excellent day! One of the best.
I caught the bus to the Butser Ancient Farm – a lovely drive (just over an hour) through the country, then a long walk. Saw a herd of deer in a field.
I thought I’d got lost and crossed a field of broad beans, getting very wet in the process (it rained last night). Made it to the farm just in time for the start. Discovered that I hadn’t been lost and could have just kept walking the easy way. Not to worry.
Spent the day finding out about Roman herbs and cooking Roman food with Christine Stapley, who really knows her stuff.
There was only three of us (there’s a maximum of 15 for the workshop) so we received lots of personal attention and a great Roman lunch.
We were in the Big House which is a huge Iron Age round house that they’ve built at Butser. We had a fire going in it all day and lots of tourists wondering what we were doing. They were disappointed we weren’t in costume.
Anyway, all up, it was brilliant and augurs well for the other two workshops I’m booked in for.
We finished at 4 and I had a long and lovely walk back to the bus stop (going the easy way), followed by another long and lovely bus trip through the countryside. Reached Farnham just in time for the start of the festivities – crowds lining the streets, traffic stopped, Castle Street a sideshow alley. Heaps of people.
Walked home and Mirinda arrived mere minutes after I did. She was at the Writer’s Conference in Winchester. Quite disappointing but very honest, she said. She forgot her purse so you can imagine how that was!
At the farm we made these perfume rose beads (where rosary beads originated) and they sat drying in the kitchen.
