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Taking a picnic

(25 Posts)
Lilypops Tue 29-Jun-21 15:42:45

Does Amy one still take a picnic for a day out? I suppose it’s a throwback to when the kids were young and being five of us it hot too expensive to go in a cafe , then add on ice creams , rides etc.
Now there is just the two of us and I still make a couple of ham batches and pack crisps and a flask , even though we don’t need to , I find cafe food usually unpalatable and overpriced, but I can’t get out of the habit ,

PinkCakes Tue 29-Jun-21 15:47:34

We take a picnic when the weather is decent, and when we've got our grandchildren with us. We don't take a flask, but take bottles of water.

mokryna Tue 29-Jun-21 15:47:52

When the parks opened and the cafés were still closed I walked and did several lone picnics as well as others with friends.

Whitewavemark2 Tue 29-Jun-21 15:48:22

This is a duplicate - I’ve posted on the first one?

Lilypops Tue 29-Jun-21 17:57:11

Ok thanks White wave. I wasn’t sure it had posted on web chat , so I repeated myself ( nothing unusual there )!!!

Shandy57 Tue 29-Jun-21 18:01:11

I organised a beach picnic for my son's birthday last week, and for the first time, treated myself to a rubber backed picnic rug! We really enjoyed it, with the exception of the flavoured sparkling water from M&S. I'd bought one of each and none of us liked any of them! Luckily had diet coke too.

Sago Tue 29-Jun-21 18:03:20

I love a picnic!
What could be nicer than mini pork pies, little sausages in a flask, delicious sandwiches and Heinz tomato soup if it’s cold?

We are in the process of creating a holiday let, I’m including a picnic hamper, folding chairs and picnic table.

Kim19 Tue 29-Jun-21 18:07:07

Yes, I'm partial to a picnic. Exact food I want and made exactly to the proportions I like. Doesn't get better than that for me.

eazybee Tue 29-Jun-21 18:36:47

I made one for the open-air theatre this weekend for two: tiny lamb koftas, chicken skewers, tzatziki, bulgar wheat/ greek salad, and strawberries and brownies. Plus prosecco. Delicious and very little rain.

Callistemon Tue 29-Jun-21 19:04:59

Shandy57

I organised a beach picnic for my son's birthday last week, and for the first time, treated myself to a rubber backed picnic rug! We really enjoyed it, with the exception of the flavoured sparkling water from M&S. I'd bought one of each and none of us liked any of them! Luckily had diet coke too.

Shandy at one time M&S were giving away picnic rugs and cool bags if you bought a set number of items from their range - it was a brilliant offer but a few years ago now.

One of y picnic rugs was from Woolworths- how old can it be?

M0nica Tue 29-Jun-21 19:05:38

Shandy57 I think the problem with those M&S drinks is that they are overloaded with sweetener. I cannot stand sweetener and I have bought those drinks by mistake once or twice and I can remember how, as soon as I took the lid off I was overwhelmed by the sickly sweet odour of aspartame or something similar. Each time the bottle had to be thrown away completely undrunk. Now I remember to check any beverage from M&S before I buy it.

M0nica Tue 29-Jun-21 19:09:03

It all depends where we are going. NT properties and historic houses, all seem to have excellent cafes and we use them. Animal attractions: zoos, wildlife parks, safari parks, we take a picnic as I have yet to visit one where I would want to eat in the cafe. Trips to the beach, to the wild swimming site on the Thames near us, we take a picnic.

Callistemon Tue 29-Jun-21 19:13:50

It all depends where we are going. NT properties and historic houses, all seem to have excellent cafes and we use them

I agree.
There's only one which we went to which was not very good (they forgot us for a start).
I won't name it but it was near Bath.
That was a while ago so it may have improved since then.

GrandmaRosie Tue 29-Jun-21 19:22:01

We have retro picnics to remind us of our childhood- Heinz tomato soup in a flask, cheese rolls, hard boiled eggs, crisps and chocolate cup cakes or Penguin bits to follow! Maybe Marmite rolls as well !

Callistemon Tue 29-Jun-21 19:23:51

When we went on holiday or a family visit with the DC we used to get about 2 miles down the road and they would be asking if they could start eating the picnic!

Are we there yet?

M0nica Tue 29-Jun-21 20:25:34

GrandmaRosie my memories are very similar to yours. My father had an old army flask that would hold 3 tins of soup, so we could all have second helpings.

Jaxjacky Tue 29-Jun-21 21:28:50

MOnica I remember vaguely a primus stove, Dad’s job to get it going for tea,

Shandy57 Tue 29-Jun-21 22:39:59

I've been thinking about this today, and don't think I ever went on a picnic as a child, I was born in the late 50's. I always liked the picnics described by Enid Blyton in her books.

foxie48 Wed 30-Jun-21 08:39:36

We often meet up with our daughter for walks and I take a picnic, usually something fairly simple but we always enjoy eating out of doors and because we have dogs it can be difficult to find somewhere suitable to eat.

M0nica Wed 30-Jun-21 17:29:56

My DF never played with primus stoves, although, once we had our log stove, he became its slave.

The most memorable memories of our family picnics is that they were generally in exposed positions on windy if not wet days. All sat in the car passing cheese rolls, mugs of tomato soup and chocolate biscuits back and forth with the inevitable accidents, while the rain poured and/or the car shook in the wind. My memory encompasses picnics on Dunstable Down, the Berkshire Downs, Doartmoor and Bodmin Moor. We children all thought this was great fun.

Blossoming Wed 30-Jun-21 17:34:25

Mr. B and I are going out tomorrow and will be taking a picnic. Really looking forward to it ?

vampirequeen Wed 30-Jun-21 19:27:38

We take sandwiches or use the boot jump to make beef burgers or sausage sandwiches. We also use the boot jump or the Kelly Kettle to boil water for coffee. Then I pack crisps and some sort of sweet treat.

Beswitched Wed 30-Jun-21 20:14:51

Yes planning a picnic shortly with friends, and have enjoyed some on extended family outings.

Covid 19 has made me resolve to make more use of outdoor spaces, rather than cramming in to noisy over priced cafés.

PaperMonster Wed 30-Jun-21 21:16:25

We usually take a picnic with us when we go out - me, OH and 10 year old.

Nicegranny Thu 01-Jul-21 01:57:58

I love taking a picnic even if it’s for a long drive. Trouble is l always end up starting it as soon as I get in the car.