Jo Seager's restaurant and ancient picnics

A few weeks ago we went to Oxford to have lunch at Jo Seagar's Restaurant. A glorious view of the mountains in clear air and bright sunshine, but of course I forgot to take a camera. Arriving early at quarter past midday to be sure of a table (you mayn't book) we were lucky to get one as everyone else had arrive even earlier. A good lunch - we both had kedgeree and shared a dessert sampler. As always I could have eaten more. With a beer and a glass of wine it all came to $65 so won’t do it very often.

We went via the Rakaia Gorge and returned via the Waimak. Reminded me of a disastrous outing long ago. We all like picnics except the old man, Tom, who drove, and resented a whole day away from his beloved workshop. Every now and then our mother, Win, would put the hard word on him and off we would go - usually to somewhere with an engineering feature which the old man could inspect - gorge bridges, Coleridge to look at the power station, Kaituna during the war to look at his radar installation.

The best thing about picnics was the food, Cornish pasties, whitebait pie, juicy sandwiches and water boiled in a billy or latterly in a Thermette. The smell from the boot, of Cornish pasties wrapped hot in newspaper, was a wonderful portent.. We never had to fill up with healthy stuff like fruit.

This particular outing we went to the Ashley gorge (even less popular because there was no engineering) via the Rakaia. At my mother's whim when it was time to go and over the old man's dead body, we came back via the Waimak. Or rather, we tried to, for when we got near the rive it was in full flood and we had to go all the way back to return the way we came - in dead silence for we didn’t dare get the giggles.