Bluffton with a British accent, dining with dogs, and picnics in the park

My mother loved to read and collected books of every kind. English writers were among her favorites.

E.F. Benson and P.G. Wodehouse were two highly acclaimed writers she was particularly fond of.

Mapp and Lucia were two characters in books by E.F. Benson that were made into a charming television series on the BBC.

The television series, set in a fictional Sussex coastal town of Tilling-on-Sea, was based on three 1930s novels by Benson.

In the first installment, Lucia has just moved to the small English town of Tilling where she comes into conflict with the social ambitions of Miss Elizabeth Mapp. Until now, Miss Mapp has led and controlled the social life of Tilling, but that was before Lucia entered their lives.

The setting and costumes are so wonderful and the comedy of manners will have you laughing your heart out. Rye, England is the real-life setting. I have been there, and it is so charming ... a perfect little village.

If you like fabulous English wit and small town folks, this is your cup of tea. The series reminds me of all of the Bluffton folks now gone ... but to me never forgotten. You can watch “Mapp And Lucia” on BritBox.

P.G. Wodehouse was a popular writer of comedy for over 70 years.

His most popular character was a butler named Jeeves.

My mother read Mr. Wodehouse’s novels over and over and never tired of them.

In one book, Jeeves was asked by his employer if he needed to wear pants that day.

”There are moments, Jeeves, when one asks oneself, ‘Do trousers really matter?’ ”

“The mood will pass, sir.”

This is rather the way some of us feel each day at the moment, I suspect.

These books are very funny and are wonderful entertainment and escape from daily drama in the news.

People treats

I have an idea for area restaurants with outdoor seating.

Perhaps one or two days a week people with well-behaved dogs on leash could be welcome outside.

“Margaritas and Mutts,” “Beer and Bowser,” “Tequila with Fido” ... you could give the four-legged friends dog treats while their two- legged friends sip away.

Might be fun to try it.

Picnics in the park?

When the Bluffton parks reopen, a clever caterer might consider preparing picnics for people. Nothing elaborate or complicated. A bottle of wine, chicken of some sort, cheese and fruit. The list is endless in ways to come up with goodies.

I imagine lots of people would love the idea. I have a friend who was called “The Sandwitch” when she made the most divine sandwiches delivered to offices and shops. She made 30 of them and sold out each day. There were only three choices so she didn’t spend very much time making them. If she hadn’t moved away they would still be available.