Glorious April sunshine gave an early taste of summer to Surrey. It was time to take a stroll into the park and make the most of the delightful weather.

Trees had barely broken into leaf as I wandered into Priory Park in Reigate which has recently underdone a £6.5m refurbishment paid in the main from the Lottery.

The leaves of those trees that had unfurled from their buds were a yellowy green.

This smart new park, with restored historical features is now truly a favourite haunt of locals and visitors.

A mixture of mums, grans, toddlers and the occasional ageing biker wearing a Harley Davidson tee-shirt were congregating in the sun outside the modern glass and metal cafe whose design has won awards.

I entered the airy cafe, where pop music was playing, picked a pre-wrapped sandwich (chicken and bacon, with leaves, black pepper and tomato) and ordered a latte coffee from the helpful girls at the counter.

"You'll need to hand this receipt to the girl over there and she'll get your drink," I was told.

I also picked a chocolate brownie to have for afters and headed for the chrome tables and chairs outside in the hot sun.

As I was carrying the tray towards a table, I spotted a former neighbour from some 20 years ago and we exchanged greetings.

She is now a septuagenarian but still very active and involved in local matters.

She laughed on spotting me and beckoned me to join her.

"I'm just popping in for an ice cream," she said apologetically. "I'll be back in a mo."

I sat back to enjoy the verdant scenery and on seeing the circular beds of daffodils now past their best, wished I had visited a week or two earlier when the spring blooms were at their peak.

Everywhere I looked, groups of young mums wearing sunglasses were sitting on the grass in rough circles, formed by parked pushchairs and buggies.

Towels and coats had been spread out to lie on.

Inquisitive tots, barely able to take more than a few steps, were anxious to explore their surroundings but their ambitions were curtailed by sudden falls.

My old friend returned, licking an ice cream, which was starting to drip in the unseasonal heat.

She commented on the cafe's design and remarked that when it was first planned, she had grave doubts that it would fit in with the traditional surroundings. Now, she thought it was wonderful.

"When you're over there," she said, pointing to the lawns, it's so well hidden because it reflects all the greenery of the grass and the trees in the windows."

I took a bite of my sandwich and gazed out to the distant woods.

Suddenly, a little fellow's navy blue hat was lifted off in the breeze and rolled along the grass jerkily. My friend sprang into action and arrested the errant head garment. A grateful mother arrived to retrieve it and expressed her thanks to my former neighbour.

Beyond the tidy sunken gardens, and the fountain where toddlers were playing, stood the Priory.

Originally, the building on the site was a monastery used by Augustinian monks.

My friend talked about the past in her road and asked if I remembered the lady who always walked down the road "asking if you had a 'fag' or knitting needles and wool".

I smiled and studied the fellow afternoon tea-goers. Goodness, there's someone else I hadn't seen in a good while.

"How the devil are you?" said Les, chuckling.

He was visiting with his grandchildren and wife.

"It's really nice here now. We haven't been since they've done it up," he said.

His wife commented: "It's quite delightful, sitting here."

My old neighbour chipped in: "Do you know there's some people who live in Redhill who don't even know where this park is. It's true. It's quite ridiculous."

I took a sip of the latte, served by an Australian au pair who was working in the cafe part-time, and removed the chocolate brownie from the wrapper. The chocolate chips had melted in the heat.

Don Henley's 1985 The Boys in Summer was playing heartily in the cafe.

A waitress came over to clear the tables. She said the Pavilion Cafe was a big success.

She explained that in the winter months, hot soup was prepared but there was no longer a demand for it now the weather had warmed up.

The cafe offered pre-packed sandwiches and rolls and paninis, as well as teas, coffees, bottled drinks and ice-creams.

All of a sudden, there was a small kerfuffle behind me. A pushchair had toppled due to the over-zealous attentions it was getting from a toddler trying to look after the baby it contained. The babe was rescued from the overturned buggie and it appeared none the worse for wear.

My friend produced a small St George flag and grinned.

What's that for? I enquired.

"It's St George's Day tomorrow," she said. "I thought I'd be patriotic."

She went on to talk about the Queen.

"There she is, bright as you please, still having conferences with the officials of state. No one's asked her, 'When are you going to retire, Ma'am?' She's quite remarkable."