Postcard from Croome

Splat marks on a frozen lake can only mean some poor duck chose not to believe its eyes and tried to land anyway. I can only imagine what a nasty surprise that must have been. The snow may have been melting but there was a chill emanating from the ice.

I'm not surprised the ducks were tempted though. The lake is a 'Capability' Brown construction - designed for admiration and to entice. Which Croome does, even in such cold conditions. The 1940s tea room is slightly alarming though. It's housed in the sick quarters of the former RAF base on the site. I was just glad they hadn't decided to extend the wartime theme to ration the butter and sugar in the recipes.