It should not involve too much defiance of doctor's orders to present a few photographs from a first visit to Kew Gardens in many years.
Not many Salut! regulars, I imagine, will need an elaborate introduction to the pleasures of this wonderful retreat, hugging the banks of the Thames, that provides such a feast for the eyes and the lungs despite reminders every 13 seconds that the Heathrow-bound flight path is above.
October can be a good month in England and there was plenty of sunshine to enhance the natural colours.
It seems almost churlish to complain about the prices. The Royal Botanic Gardens needs to raise a lot of money to supplement the grant aid from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and no one should expect the splendours it offers to come for nothing.
But £13.50 a head as an entry charge, even reduced by £2 if you're prepared to admit out loud how old you are, feels steep.
So does £4 each for the shuttle that trundles around the grounds, not to mention £1.20 for a packet of (excellent, Fairfields) crisps and nearly £4 for a sandwich. But remember what you pay for a glass of wine at the theatre (no one is forced to order a half-bottle at Kew's rate of £9.50), and indeed the price of your seat, and it at least becomes understandable.
What worries me more than a little, however, is that Kew will presumably, like nearly everyone and everything else, be facing lean times in the immediate and mid-term future.
If tough decisions are made and prices go still higher, what is the likeliest effect this will have on attendance figures and revenue as people worry about their jobs and financial security? No need for answers on a postcard.
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