Starting a picnic habbit

My family used to picnic a lot when I was a child, locally in the fields or along the river, or out in the woods, moors and beaches of Cornwall.

As an adult I have often sat on a bench or on some grass with friends each eating our packed lunch, but I can remember only 2 picnics. Once was when a group of us who had done a storytelling course met up for a picnic on Hampstead Heath and the other was when a friend and I went to a National Trust house in her car and had a picnic in the grounds.

Every year my local History Society is given a talk by a local archeologist about the archeology he has been involved with the year before. Last year he had been involved with a dig at Berkhamsted Castle "a nice castle, right by the station, a short train journey from Euston". So I put a visit to Berkhamsted Castle on my list of things to do this year.

At ruined castles there is usually a lot of short grass, so I thought I would use my picnic basket (used only once before), and some of the enamel crockery I've collected and have a picnic. As there would be only me, only a simple picnic and no tablecloth.

I enjoyed my picnic sitting on top of the mote.

Being without a car and on my own limits what I can take, but I do plan to have more picnics. My recent visit to Dulwich Picture Gallery on a nice day was a missed opportunity, as the gallery has some nice lawns in front, but I will be more alert in future.