This year was Nenna's 40th birthday. She organised a picnic in Kew gardens which is in West London near Richmond. A very beautiful area along the Thames and if you have a spare million pounds Stirling you can by a door step in the area. But for us it is a day trip to the gardens.

It was a Simson affair with 3 generations. The Baby Boomers were represented by Katharine (Nenna's Mum), Alice and Tony (Nenna's Aunt and Uncle). The X Gen had the biggest representation with Nenna, Sam, Chris, Jeanette, Bones and Me. Pippa, Jack and Ida for the Y Gen and the new millennium ?Z Gen was Michael, Max, Eve, Milly and Rosa.

We all chipped into the picnic and had heaps of cheese, salad, bread and cake after cake after cake before chocolate.

After the picnic we walked around the gardens. First to the Lilly House along the central path and around the pond. The gardens are set out more like an art gallery with space around each tree to appreciate its beauty.

The Lilly house has a central round pool with Lotus and huge plate like leaves. Milly enjoyed looking at the fish and a times got a little too close to the waters edge causing Pippa and I a little concern.

After the Lilly House we crossed to the Palm House. It is a huge Victorian green house similar in style to Crystal Palace. The house was full of all sorts of tropical plants from Australia, Africa and Asia Katharine, Pippa and I walked around the mezzanine balcony.

From the Palm House we headed for a walk through the forest to the Japanese Bamboo Garden. I liked this a lot as it looked at a different aspect of Japanese gardens. The Tea House had displays of silk art. The bamboo trees had a range of kites in the Ukiyo E art style.

After the Bamboo garden we walked as a group for a while but Pippa and I headed off home via the Australian garden. At first it was really small and we were disappointed, however after a bit further we came across a mass of Eucalyptus. It really was a very Australian scene and as England is having a drought at the moment the ground under the trees was dry and dusty.

It was a really nice day out and a reasonably quick trip home except getting lost in Brixton.