Fine weather for a picnic

My thoughts have turned to picnics and my favourite description of one comes from The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. Inside Ratty's "fat wicker luncheon basket" is: "cold chicken, cold tongue, cold ham, cold beef, pickled gherkins, salad, french rolls, cress sandwiches, ginger beer, lemonade and soda water...."
We have a river bank with willow trees and wide water meadows close to us here, and it's known that Kenneth Grahame stayed here just before he started writing his famous book. I always think about this when I'm walking along that route and it is very easy to imagine Rat, Mole and co in situ.
I bought the little red polka dot hamper last year with the intention of using it for a cover shot on the magazine. I am hoping this will happen for the July issue. I got it out today because the weather is just perfect for a picnic. It was balmy, that's the only word to describe it out there this afternoon.