The splash of rain that finally came last week answered the prayers of the farmers, who had become despondent, even by their standards, by the dry spring.
One described it to me as watching £10 notes fall out of the sky. However, in contrast, gamekeepers and racegoers will be praying for a dry week, with Royal Ascot now under way, as this is when the partridge chicks hatch. Rain is a killer for both chicks and high heels. Last week, I had my first cookery lesson with some of Hampshire's grander ladies.
We sat like children on our first day of term at Newlyns Farm Shop, near Hook, as Marco Pierre White wielded his knife, tapping it on the table to bring us to hushed attention. He then proceeded to conjure three delicious dishes with the minimum of fuss, at the same time as enthusing us with passion and fervour for seasonal goods. By the end, the ladies andI were confirmed zealots for a new, simpler cooking.
Back home, Mrs Hedges absorbed my latest enthusiasm with her customary patience before suggesting that I cook the next dinner party, adding: ‘The proof will be in the pudding.' Sadly, Marco didn't teach me one of those.
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David Beckham and Tom Parker Bowles whip up one of the guest editor's favourite childhood mealsFrom Sunday roasts to Spanish delicacies, good food is one of the pillars of Sir David Beckham’s life, as Tom Parker Bowles discovers when the pair cook up a comfort-food storm at Claridge’s.
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'One of the truly great gardens of the world' is at risk of having its vistas and tranquility blighted foreverThe views from Rousham, the birthplace of the English landscape-garden movement are at risk of development plans for the nearby former RAF Upper Heyford Air Force base get the go-ahead.
