Ghosts in the grounds

Today was another lovely day. I arrived to the teashop laiden with lovely fresh rustic bread ready for the lunches to do today. Rose was already there up to her eyes in lettuce, Hill came in and immediately started chopping the cucumber and tomatoes. "How many for lunch today shouts Rose appearing out of the lettuce. "36" I shout plus the tobs and regs, " 36" What time are they arriving shouts Hill. "12.30 I shout back against the blaring radio, "WHAT" they both shout. Never the less we get everything organised, soup on the boil , plougmans ready, jacket potatoes steaming. The coach arrived, and everything was peaceful, at the teabarn except for the kitchen, where there was arms and legs everywhere.

The party departed for their tour and returned for afternoon tea, in what seems like a 20 minutes. One of the lovely ladies said she had been on the last day of the last season, and when they were departing from the green, there stood 3 children playing with hoops outside the little 400 year old thatched cottages. The girls disappeared, but the little boy saw her looking and waved back smiling. " Oh they must be the villagers" I implied. Well she said, " I thought it was strange that they were dressed in Edwardian clothes. THEN April looking astonished, who lives in one of the cottages, gasped and said that her tiles in the kitchen that were very old had little children playing with hoops. Spooky! So we were all intriqued, and all this time the little ladies husband thought he was never going to get his cup of tea.
We closed the tea barn and all that was left in the evening sun was blackie finding bits for his family, I am sure, thinking peace and quiet at last.