Spiders, poo and springtime

And where to go in the Cotswolds to avoid the crowds and Chelsea tractors

Farmland near Stonesfield in Oxfordshire, close to the remains of a Roman villa at North Leigh

Hello! I hope you are enjoying the Easter break and are full of the joys of spring.

Last night I asked my nephews, aged three and five, what I should write about today. ‘Poo,’ said one of them. ‘Spiders,’ said the other.

They wanted to know what kind of playing I was going to do as they said goodnight to me at the Cotswolds cottage we are staying at over Easter, and I told them I was going to do ‘writing playing.’

This newsletter is pretty much ‘writing playing,’ because most weeks, I sit down and I don’t know what’s going to come out on to the page, perhaps in a similar way to how a child might pick up a colouring pencil and not know what’s going to happen when they start drawing.

Or, maybe they pick up some objects and make a story out of them, as my younger nephew did when he found some metal and wooden chickens and ducks and instinctively started pretending they were swimming in a pond – one of the circular placemats on the table.

Part of the reason I write The Honesty Box is to celebrate things that aren’t fancy or shiny, alongside being somewhere I can talk honestly about stuff that’s going on for me in the hope it might be useful for others.

So this week I thought I’d write about what my mother would call ‘real’ places in the Cotswolds, which is where she grew up.

These are less polished but maybe more genuine than the famous ones, the spots you don’t have to book miles in advance, be a member of or feel like you need to show up in a Chelsea tractor to visit.

Instead of Diddly Squat, go to Café de la Post

Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat farm shop and café near the village of Chadlington is just that – barely anything apart from a large car park and queue of people lining up to visit a wooden shed, hoping to catch a glimpse of that man off the telly.

But just down the road in the village of Chadlington is Café de la Post, a lovely little shop and café that is open every day for breakfast and lunch, sells local produce and cakes, and does pizzas on Saturday nights.

The owner told me the villagers are all a bit fed up with Diddly Squat attracting speedy cars that burn through Chadlington, but I’m sure the cafe would welcome well-behaved vehicles and their owners.

Instead of Daylesford, try Rectory Farm

Daylesford, Lady Bamford’s sprawling farm, encompassing places to eat, drink and stay is just around the corner from the beautiful Cotswolds town of Stowe-on-the-Wold.

But if it’s local produce you’re after, a (much) less fancy alternative and good stop off if you’re driving up the A40 towards Oxford from London is Rectory Farm near the village of Stanton St John, which sells fruit and veg that you can buy or pick yourself from the surrounding fields.

Rhubarb and asparagus come into season this month, with strawberries, artichokes, courgettes, broad beans and more to follow. There’s a café with cakes and a play area for children.

Instead of Blenheim Palace, visit Rousham House and Gardens

The gardens at Rousham in July 2021

Coachloads of people show up every day to Blenheim, birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, just outside the market town of Woodstock.

But a more down to earth alternative – which is still very impressive – is Rousham House and Gardens, not far away.

The house is still in the same family as it was when it was built in the 17^th century, and the William Kent garden has been described by Monty Don as ‘one of the greatest gardens in the world.’

Visitors pay £10 via a ticket machine to enter the gardens, and there’s no café or shop to exit through – bring your own picnic instead. (You can visit the house by prior arrangement.)

An off-the-beaten-track Cotswolds village

The River Evenlode near Stonesfield, where dinosaur fossils have been found.

Sand-coloured Cotswolds stone, pretty countryside and proud locals make for some very popular villages and towns, but it’s easy to get away from the crowds if you visit somewhere lesser-known.

Stonesfield, not far from Blenheim, has a gorgeous walk to the remains of North Leigh Roman Villa, including a 4^th-century mosaic floor.

Park on Church Street just where it meets Brook Lane and walk down a steep path through the trees to the River Evenlode. On the way you’ll pass a board describing life in the area 165 million years ago, as fossilised dinosaur remains have been found there.

Walk straight ahead through a couple of fields and over a railway bridge and you’ll get to the villa on the right.

If you need sustenance, head towards the town of Charlbury and eat at its little Deli & Cafe, or for great views over the fields try The Old Shed at Banbury Hill Farm, just behind the town.

Sorry I didn’t seamlessly fit poo or spiders into this one!

Things I like

Rave safe

I did a bit of raving in late 1990s Birmingham when I was a student there, but wouldn’t exactly say I’m a veteran of the scene. Anyway, the imaginatively-titled Instagram account ravemoments2 has been making me laugh out loud, especially this video of some middle-aged couples having a great time.

Springtime fritillaria

These are flowers with little bell-shaped heads and they grow wild in only a few parts of the UK around mid to late April.

They have distinctive purple snakeskin-type markings and there’s even an organisation that lists where you can see them. Right now there are some in Queen’s Park in north London, in the quiet garden at the southern end of the park.