Monday 31 May 2010

Monday 3.

 


On second thoughts I'll put this one up now, so that readers can see what sort of modern, with-it, trendsetting youngster their blogger is in reality.

Now I really MUST get on with some work.
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Monday 2.

 


On the twenty second of April last I spent a couple of hours as one of the models for a local photographers' club. I recorded the event on my blog of that date, and then promised that I'd post some of the resulting photoes when I'd seen them. This morning friends David and Judy called in, had coffee with me, and left a selection of the resultant photoes. Above is one of them. I think the photographer was being just a little ironic- the picture comes across like something sepia out of a late victorian family album. Generally though they're not bad and I was glad to have seen them. May show one of the modern, coloured ones later.
Cheers, Mike.
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Monday.

 


More windows. Ann's just gone off to spend the day with her mother, she'll be back tomorrow. I'm down in the undercroft idly flicking back through old blogs and comments. Quite interesting but totally unproductive, so must get on with some work (got Long Melford Antique Fair on Wednesday) and I've got lots of cleaning and labelling to do. Perhaps I'll do a bit more blogging this evening. My favourite 'dip into' book is Parson Woodforde's Diary, and having just looked back into this blog I think perhaps it's turning into a latter day P.W.'s Diary. Must guard against. Cheers, Mike.
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Saturday 29 May 2010

Saturday.

 


snapshot of Ann ready to go out, which she did just after I'd taken the photo. She was going to Cambridge with about twenty other church members. St. Mary's Church has a connexion with St. John's College in Cambridge, and an invitation was received to go to tea at St. John's, to look round the college buildings, and attend evensong. As rather more Church members wanted to go than had been originally anticipated it was decided to hire a coach and spend a day in Cambridge. I decided not to go as it would have meant missing a morning in the workshop and Scrabble Club in the afternoon (both of which I attended). Spent this morning repairing the lock on a flintlock holster pistol, and turning a new head for the ramrod in brass to match the rest of the mounts, so it's now in decent working order. Knocked off at noon, cleaned meself up, changed into decent clothing, then made and ate a sandwich lunch, and walked into town for three games of scrabble. The last time I went, about three weeks ago, one of our members, Doris, announced at tea break:- "I've been playing at being sixtyish for thirty years, and this week I had a birthday. I'm ninety now. Have some birthday cake." Part of Doris's game strategy is to bemoan the poor tiles she is holding, then to make devastatingly good scores with her 'poor' tiles. She employed this strategy today and won the first game by one point, your blogger being the runner up. The second game she did marginally better and beat the same runner up by seven points. I then realised afresh that it never does to make any allowances for Doris's age or sex, so I ungallantly pulled out all the stops for the third game, and managed to beat her by five points. There were four of us at our table, all hardened, thorough going (though I hope civilised) scrabble players, and all have the attitude that 'no quarter should be asked or given', and, as we all enjoy well faught, closely scored, games, it was a very good afternoon's play.
Ann's just got home, bit later than we expected, so I'd better knock off, go upstairs, and make her a cuppa.
I bid all my readers a very goodnight.
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Thursday 27 May 2010

Thursday 2.

 


At the other end of the market place last friday was the fish stall. It does seem rather a waste of a good, big, market place (for a small town) to have only two stalls on it. There used to be much more, but lately it's been shrinking. Just after I'd finished the last blog, our Choirmistress 'phoned to say that choir practice had been cancelled. So we had supper then played a two handed game of scrabble instead. Very close, well faught game, and I have to record that Ann thrashed me by twenty points - 345 to my 325 points. Pleasant day and a good evening. Goodnight All.
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Thursday 1.

 


Above picture, of a corner of our market place, was taken last Friday morning (Friday being our market day).
This morning we motored into London to have lunch with our good friend Terry. To use her own professional terminology, she fell and bust a hip some weeks ago, but is, I'm glad to say, now getting around nicely, and managed to put on a pretty good lunch. We had tomato and rice soup, followed by a - 'cold collation' I suppose is the correct term, then apple pie and cream, followed by coffee in the drawing room. It was good to see her in such good heart.
On the way home, somewhere on the North circular road, we'd been driving at a walking pace for half a mile or so (due to heavy traffic) when Noel, our new 'satnav' came over ironical and asked if we'd like him to change into 'pedestrian mode'. I was tempted to say 'yes' and see if he knew of a short cut across the park, but decided not to come down to his level so ignored him. Besides, he always does seem to know best, so I might have come off worst if I'd pulled his leg (anyway, I don't think satnavs have legs to pull- indeed he seems to be armed at all points).
Got home just before five and had a cuppa. Nearly time for choir practice, so must go and get ready.
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Sunday 23 May 2010

Sunday 6.

 


Still at garden centre. Snapshot shows duckpond, Guy and Lucy (now twelve). Then back to Sarah's for another al fresco lunch, then at 3.30p.m. we set out homeward. Stopped off near Cambridge to purchase a bundle of asparagus at a garden gate. Decent sized bunch for a pound, which isn't too bad. Home about six. Garden very dry, which Ann is remedying as I type. Been a lovely, relaxing, family weekend. Good night All.
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Sunday 5.

 


This morning we all went to a garden centre near Sarah's - they had a few bits and pieces to buy. As it was a really lovely hot morning, I bought us all an ice cream. Snap is of junior grandson Guy (now ten) enjoying his.
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Sunday 4.

 


Ditto.
On Saturday we (I quote my senior daughter) slobbed out - can't think where she picks up these expressions. In the morning we did the telegraph 'prize' crossword puzzle. Then had an al fresco lunch in Sarah and Mikey's garden, which Mikey's parents also attended. It was good to see them, and the grandchildren are always a pleasure. They are keeping chickens in a run in a corner of their garden. I've kept chickens twice in my lifetime and thoroughly enjoyed it both times. Restful birds.
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Sunday 3.

 


Another pretty corner of Winslow.
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Sunday 2.

 


On Friday morning Ann and I motored into Winslow, a small market town a few miles form Sarah's. As you can see there is a small antique centre on the Market Place, where I can usually buy. On Friday I bought a sword, a pair of eighteenth century brass candlesticks, and a couple of pieces of pewter - not a bad haul.
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Sunday 1.

 


Last Thursday we motored over to daughter Sarah's, stopping off along our way to have lunch with our friends Frank and Jenny. Above snap is of Jenny and Ann outside their (Frank and Jenny's that is) cottage. The other reason for our calling was to rerope their long case clock (by a Suffolk maker), which I did before lunch. After a delicious perfect summer lunch, which Jenny described as an 'ad hoc scratch lunch' (which covered five courses) I 'fixed' their wall clock, a single handed quaker clock which is about two hundred and fifty years old, and which had recently fallen from the wall, but is now good for another few decades. Then on to Sarah's. More in a min.
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Wednesday 19 May 2010

Wednesday 4.

 


One last balloon snapshot (I promise). It shows all four balloons in the air. Ann was in the one nearest to the camera.
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Wednesday 3.

 


This is a photo of Ann and, I think, seventeen other people, and a hot air balloon, all soaring away into the sunset yesterday evening. Ann is just to the right of centre in the gondola. I must say that as a means of flying I think hot air balloons are palaeolithic contrivances - French invention of course, Montgolfier brothers in the 1780s. But as I watched four of the devices take to the air and sail away, I must admit that they did have great beauty and elegance to recommend them. Ann came back totally enamoured of them. She has been using words like 'complete peace' and 'tranquility' and 'serenity' to describe being a thousand feet up in the air in total silence (bar the occasional 'whoosh' of the burner when more lift was needed) and being able to look down and see the countryside below in full detail. I rather suspect that the next thing will be Ann applying for a pilot's licence. Then I should have to go up with her in order to navigate, not that I should mind that, and come to think of it, no possibility of navigating - they go only where the wind takes them. Ann says she can only read a map when we're travelling direct North, so we'd have to wait for a South wind before taking off. Anyway no need to navigate as we bought a Satnav last week. I should think they'd work very well in a balloon, as we'd be so much nearer the satellite that would be doing the navigating up there. Not that one can navigate a .........
Still it would be able to tell us where we were.
I think I'd better stop now, before I give meself an attack of the abdabs (explained that once before, Lori. It equates to the heeby-jeebies- both medical terms).

Cheers, Mike.
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Wednesday 2.

 


I took this snap at about 7.20p.m. when the contraption had been put together, inflated, and was in the air with about eighteen people (including Ann) aboard. There was a very light southeasterly blowing and they went off very steadily and were soon out of sight. Ann tells me they came down just over an hour later on a golf course, still in Essex. They then deflated, folded and packed the balloon, got into a mini-'bus, and were back at the field they'd ascended from at about 9.30p.m. Ann LOVED it.
Being called up for lunch, so will write more about it later.
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Wednesday 1.

 


Took this snapshot yesterday evening. Ann had her 70th birthday in March and our children clubbed together and bought her a ticket for a hot air balloon ride (which she has always rather fancied). Apparently weather conditions have to be perfect before these timid creatures will agree to rise to the occasion, and yesterday was finally perfect (enough). So at 6.30 yesterday evening we were about fifteen miles south of here in Essex, where I took the above photo of a hot air balloon spread out on the grass.
Now see our next thrilling episode :-
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Monday 17 May 2010

Monday.

 


Taken last July, I think. Granddaughter Freja feeding the ducks.
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Sunday 16 May 2010

Sunday.

 


Last one (till next year- D.V.). It shows Ann, back view, meeting our friends Jackie and Martin. Also shows the weather. It's usually pretty variable at our show, but this year the dark sky in the photo gave us a few drops of rain -we all made for the tea tent- then back to bright sunshine, outside again, meeting friends, socialising, seeing the sights, and shopping. Bought a very decent pork pie (came in useful as friends Brenda and Warren dropped in for tea), some pork scraps, Ann bought a jacket, and I ordered a weskit (sorry Lori - a waistcoat) at a tailor's stall. Pretty good Show on the whole.
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Sunday.

 


Another driving equipage.
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Sunday.

 


A longhorn cow.
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Sunday.

 


See, Crowbard. It's not difficult to have six legs, and only be standing on one of them!
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Sunday.

 


This was our favourite entry in the flower tent. It's well thought out; all the objects on the table being connected in some way - apple blossom, apples, cider jug, etc.
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Sunday.

 


Another Suffolk Punch. It looks as if they're both enjoying themselves.
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Sunday.



Just a few more agricultural show pictures, then we'll get back to normal. This one demonstrates that if you keep grannies long enough they do come in useful.
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Saturday 15 May 2010

Saturday.

 


Entertainment by the Ipswich Hospital Band. Although this is a one day show, I think I'll put up some more pictures tomorrow. Cheers, mike.
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