topic Re: National Picnic Week: 15-24 June in Off-Topic

National Picnic Week: 15-24 June

Marjo — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 12:57:48 GMT

Hi everyone!

You might know from our poll topic the other day that my favourite summer meal takes place at a picnic in a park. Did you know that today starts the National Picnic Week across the UK, 15-24 June?

To celebrate the National Picnic Week, I'd like to ask you all for some ideas for your perfect picnic!

What would be the ideal picnic location?
What food(s) would you pack for your picnic? What drinks?
How many people would be coming with you?
Would you have any activities/games during the picnic, or is it just about the food?

Looking forward to reading about your perfect picnic and perhaps getting some ideas for mine too.

(image from the picnic week website, here)

Re: National Picnic Week: 15-24 June

Cleoriff — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 13:07:44 GMT

Hi @Marjo. I can't help with this at all.

My husband would rather stick pins in his eyes than go on a picnic.

He has a complete aversion to people 'staring' at him whilst he eats.

We have in the past driven down to France and Spain and there are some lovely picnic sites en-route

The boys and I ate our picnic via these lovely sites. My husband sat in the car to eat his...

Re: National Picnic Week: 15-24 June

Glory1 — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 14:19:45 GMT

Not really a fan of picnics. Sitting in the grass with the ants and bugs.....Yech 😟

Give me a table indoors, either a restaurant or at home. And @Cleoriff you should point out to Ray that people stare in a restaurant too. People are just naturally curious,(nosey!)

Sorry, obviously I'm a bore 😉

Now I'm really away for a bath and hair wash finally. Bye all for now 😆

Re: National Picnic Week: 15-24 June

jonsie — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 15:56:13 GMT

My best picnic was so surreal, sat on a beach in Bang Saen with my son and two young ladies on Christmas Day, temperature of 35°C. Usually I don't do picnics but Chicken, fish, rice and some unspeakable fried scorpions made that a Christmas to remember. My wife doesn't do beaches so it's unlikely to be something I'd ever repeat. ...although what the eye doesn't see.....

Re: National Picnic Week: 15-24 June

EmilieT — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 13:49:04 GMT

Picnics can be sooooo nice if they're well organised

I'd have mainly bread, cheese, and little antipasti-style things - olives, plum tomatoes, lemony artichoke hearts. Maybe some nice hummus and tapenade as well. I'd probably want to have it somewhere quiet, by a riverside or in a park with loads of shade from big trees Bring along some music, and a couple of board games - perfect with my boyrfriend, or/and a handful of friends!

@Cleoriff What kind of picnics did you have with your boys in France and Spain? Would Ray also be against a picnic in your garden if the weather is really really nice? Nobody to stare at you eating there

@Glory1 Not a bore at all, it takes all sorts

@jonsie That sounds like one hell of a picnic, very unusual menu as well

Re: National Picnic Week: 15-24 June

Cleoriff — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 17:11:38 GMT

Hi @EmilieT Nothing special packed for the picnic, as I was aware Mr 'Gottagetamoveon' would be impatiently waiting for us to get back in the car so he could put his foot down to continue the journey.

I have just asked him if he would picnic in the garden and he replied 'what the hell for?'

So I'm guessing that would be a No then....

Re: National Picnic Week: 15-24 June

Marjo — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 17:41:54 GMT

@Cleoriff wrote:

Hi @EmilieT Nothing special packed for the picnic, as I was aware Mr 'Gottagetamoveon' would be impatiently waiting for us to get back in the car so he could put his foot down to continue the journey.

I have just asked him if he would picnic in the garden and he replied 'what the hell for?'

So I'm guessing that would be a No then....

@Cleoriff

I'm going to have a picnic in a garden at least if not in a park, hopefully soon! Will utilise bf's garden for that as, sadly, I don't have my own. A dream location would be a (private) roof-top garden with a view over some grassy hills and fields with flowers. @Glory1 Err I hate bugs, I hadn't thought of that actually. But surely if you use a large blanket they wouldn't reach you? That's what I'm hoping!

@EmilieT Yessss all those foods, sounds great and now I'm hungry! I'd also have strawberries, blueberries and raspberries and some nice drinks too.

@jonsie OMG fried scorpions did you eat them?

Re: National Picnic Week: 15-24 June

Anonymous — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 17:50:43 GMT

Blanket on the grass by a river

cold roast chicken thighs + crusty rolls + Wensleydale cheese + grapes + quiche + crisps + Dairylea sandwiches for the kids + cake to finish with ... orange cordial & flasks of coffee

Paddling in the river

One memorable picnic had my dear dad Roy, bless him, make a raft out of 2 litre plastic bottles tied together with string ... kids & adults alike had fun with this

Family & friends

Re: National Picnic Week: 15-24 June

Glory1 — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 18:05:18 GMT

@Marjo wrote:
@Glory1 Err I hate bugs, I hadn't thought of that actually. But surely if you use a large blanket they wouldn't reach you? That's what I'm hoping!

Perhaps @Marjo but my fear is them crawling on the blanket. I'm sure they could. Anyway, not going to risk it

Re: National Picnic Week: 15-24 June

jonsie — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 22:39:25 GMT

@Marjo wrote:

@jonsie OMG fried scorpions did you eat them?

I did...along with Thai whisky & coke. They actually taste a little like well done chicken wings but with less meat!..

Re: National Picnic Week: 15-24 June

Marjo — Tue, 19 Jun 2018 09:20:50 GMT

@jonsie wrote:

@Marjo wrote:

@jonsie OMG fried scorpions did you eat them?

I did...along with Thai whisky & coke. They actually taste a little like well done chicken wings but with less meat!..

Did they actually look like scorpions or were they just unidentified lumps @jonsie? If they were unidentified lumps I could proably try... otherwise it would take a LOT of convincing, probably over several days.

@Anonymous Your picnic sounds lovely! I would avoid the water I think as I don't like it very much. It's cold. I would happily paddle in a large hot tub though.

Re: National Picnic Week: 15-24 June

jonsie — Tue, 19 Jun 2018 17:10:33 GMT

They were actually scorpions in all their glory but with the stings removed.. you could line them up like toy soldiers though I resisted that urge for fear of a smack round the head with a handbag!

Re: National Picnic Week: 15-24 June

Marjo — Fri, 22 Jun 2018 14:42:14 GMT

I can confirm that I'm going to have a picnic next week! Sooooo happy!

Hoping to get some ideas from this topic included food-wise at least. @EmilieT and @Martin-O2 are also going!

Re: National Picnic Week: 15-24 June

jonsie — Fri, 22 Jun 2018 14:49:24 GMT

Team picnic....brilliant.....but no shop talk! Relax and enjoy 😃

@Marjo wrote:
I can confirm that I'm going to have a picnic next week! Sooooo happy!
Hoping to get some ideas from this topic included food-wise at least. @EmilieT and @Martin-O2 are also going!

Re: National Picnic Week: 15-24 June

Cleoriff — Fri, 22 Jun 2018 18:35:05 GMT

@Marjo wrote:
I can confirm that I'm going to have a picnic next week! Sooooo happy!
Hoping to get some ideas from this topic included food-wise at least. @EmilieT and @Martin-O2 are also going!

Maybe my hubby would like to join you @Marjo. On second thoughts ....

Re: National Picnic Week: 15-24 June

Anonymous — Fri, 22 Jun 2018 18:45:10 GMT

@Marjo wrote:
I can confirm that I'm going to have a picnic next week! Sooooo happy!
Hoping to get some ideas from this topic included food-wise at least. @EmilieT and @Martin-O2 are also going!

Great ... hope the weather stays fair for you 3

Re: National Picnic Week: 15-24 June

Marjo — Mon, 25 Jun 2018 09:09:29 GMT

@Cleoriff wrote:

@Marjo wrote:

I can confirm that I'm going to have a picnic next week! Sooooo happy!

Hoping to get some ideas from this topic included food-wise at least. @EmilieT and @Martin-O2 are also going!

Maybe my hubby would like to join you @Marjo. On second thoughts ....

He's welcome to join us but we'll be in a public place, probably like middle of Hyde Park or something similar.

@Anonymous I hope so too! Just checked the weather and it shows 24 degrees and sunny with some light winds. Perfect!

Re: National Picnic Week: 15-24 June

Cleoriff — Mon, 25 Jun 2018 11:51:11 GMT

@Marjo as he currently has two laptops open and my grandsons Surface Pro, if you add mine to the mix, this house currently looks like a branch of PC World. So I think he will 'give the picnic' a miss