Every year, across England you can attend a local Proms in the Park event, and last year we finally got around to attending one held in Vale Park in Aylesbury. I’d read that it would have a relaxed and patriotic atmosphere where we could enjoy music under the stars. We never expected that the evening would end in fireworks a black eye.
Of course, the picnic element was of extreme importance, and we packed what seemed like the entire contents of Marks & Spencer into our picnic cooler. We had strawberries, crisps, dips, bread, smoked meats, and various cheeses complete with wooden board and cheese knives! If there had been room for the kitchen sink, trust me, we would have brought it. We filled any remaining space with bottles of Prosecco, wine and beer and forced the zip closed before we headed out. To say it was heavy is an understatement.
The evening itself was fantastic. My hubby, myself and our friends had a wonderfully relaxing time seated in camping chairs around a blanket, where we laid out our humungous picnic, and we were entertained by bands on two different stages which got us singing and dancing.
As darkness slowly fell, we continued grazing on food and topping up our drinks. The conversation flowed and the atmosphere was fantastic, as all around us other people were doing exactly the same as we were.
The evening was rounded off perfectly with all the Proms classics that you’d expect, and we all waved our Union Jack flags patriotically as fireworks lit up the sky. It was a wonderful experience, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.
But what about the black eye? I hear you ask. Well, no fights broke out, and no one was poked in the eye with a Union Jack flag. Rather embarrassingly it turns out that as Jon and I had packed so much into our picnic cooler, the weight caused the strap to snap as Jon lifted it out of the car boot. It hit him in the eye and by the time we arrived at the park it had swelled up so much he had to pay a visit to the St Johns Ambulance.
He still had a great time, the beer helped with the pain, and he took great delight in telling everyone that I’d given him the black eye, which he found hilarious, until I offered him a second one.
Sherry x
PS. If you do get a chance, try and find a local Proms event near you. They are great fun, and not everyone leaves with black eyes. x
