The strawberries in Kent are always ripe at this time of year
When we were younger we picked them for fun
It was a sort of working holiday
Were you paid?
Yes but it was only enough to pay for the evening drinks at the pub and catch a film in Maidstone
What do you remember the most about your strawberry picking holiday Papa?
Well apart from the weather which was very hot
I remember the lane that led to the ancient church
It was not much of a lane but it has remained in my memory ever since
The church had been restored in 1875 having been there since the late eleventh century
I almost expected to meet the long forgotten craftsmen as Beatrice and I walked towards the church and the farm
You mentioned that there was a nearby cricket ground
To our right there was a cricket ground
It was typically Kentish in appearance
But we never saw a match
Even though we were there for the two full weeks
Not one ball was bowled
We spend many languid hours stretched out in front of the cricket pavilion
Or played impromptu games of cricket with the other strawberry pickers
Who were camping with us in a nearby field
Do you visit the area often?
Not as often as we would like
But it does not change
Small details may differ
But overall it is the same
Kent is often called the Garden of England
And once you visit its garden
You never really leave
CH 2017