Glifford Circus & Tweedy the Clown

11 years ago, almost to the day, we attended Joanna Joy and Kai Xiang’s wedding in Iceland; so much has happened since. They drove out to meet up and it was blessed to celebrate on a glorious midsummer’s evening with our two families.

Red-letter last day with a delicious birthday set lunch at Heston Blumenthal’s Hind’s Head in Bray, last-minute tickets sniped to the Harry Potter studio tour and the highlight that was Giffords Circus. This traditional village green circus turned out to be the best recommendation from Grace TanEh, with live music and sweet refreshment cars, all camped aside the shining big top tent. We were all enchanted but the children were mesmerized by the thrilling acts, hilarious Tweedy the clown, fat ponies and ice lollies amidst the hay strewn field. The show broke up by inviting the audience to dance in the circus ring before we dispersed into the cool air and still-bright dusky sunset.

It wasn’t till we decided to swerve the City altogether, that I realized how London-centric I’ve become while working and how faintly it represents the shuttered shops, the rolling green hills, the fondness for royalty and houses, the dogs and garden-and-flower-mad rest of England.

1000 miles, 24 car ride hours, 1 ferry, 1 pack of colour pencils, 6 dozen packs of eggs, 22 punnets of berries, 1 jar of peanut butter, 2 boxes of cereal, 2 cans of pork floss, 2 wands, 3 loads of laundry and one lost shoe later, we’re headed home from a good break- Home Farm, Elstree.