Monday.

For the benefit of Christopher and my old friend (well, early middle aged friend) Forde-Innes (and it's good to hear from you again, Neil), the two photoes  show  a snaphaunce lock (above, as befits its seniority) and,  the one below, a flintlock , both detached from their guns. The below picture shows the outside of the locks, and the above picture their innards. The differences between the two then become so obvious as to require no further explanation; except perhaps I should say that the snaphaunce has a  pan cover separate from the steel, whilst the flintlock has a combined pan cover and steel.
Perhaps though, I should also say that the above picture makes it clear that the true flintlock employs a vertically acting scear, whilst this snaphaunce lock (being early Italian) uses a horizontally acting double scear, rather like, as you've probably already spotted, the wheel lock does.
P.s.  I should, perhaps, have made it clear that I am, of course, using Torsten Lenk's definition of the true (or French) flintlock.
All clear now chaps?

Sunday.

Spent the weekend with brother carl, and sister-in-law Judy in the midlands. Judy is a superb gardener (and cook - and hostess). Above is snapshot of delphinium petals fallen onto hosta leaves.

Above snapshot is of Great Aunt Ann with great niece Lottie - now eight months.

Mother and daughter - niece Jessica and great niece Charlotte (now generally known as Lottie).

Last Friday to Cafe church, then on to Lavenham where we had excellent lunch with friends John and Margaret, retired dealers. I have always said that antique dealers never really retire; they just get steadily more in keeping with their stock. John proved the truth of this by (despite having retired some years ago) selling me two swords and a flintlock pistol (to be pedantic- it was a snaphaunce lock pistol).
After usual excellent lunch provided by Margaret motored over to the midlands. Rotten journey. A14 blocked solid in Cambridge area, as was every other road we tried within miles of Cambridge. Finally fought our way through St. Neots, Kimbolton, and back to reasonably clear A14. Arrived at Carl and Judy's just after eight p.m. Had lovely weekend with them, and motored home this afternoon, Ann driving. Good journey. Stopped in nice, shady, lane just outside Milton for a quick zizz (both of us). Then I took over the driving for the rest of the way home.
Thank you Margaret and John for a superb lunch; and thank you Carl and Judy for a lovely weekend.
And, of course, I wish all my readers a very Good Night.

Thursday.

Now to try and catch up a bit. On Saturday last motored over to a school reunion. Above photo shows group of doddering old greybeards bellowing away at the school song ('Fory Years On' - although it was fifty some odd years on in fact), photo taken by Ann, who obviously felt that soft focus might be kinder. Stayed over with old school friend (and childhood neighbour) of Ann's.

On Monday morning Ann dropped me off at Manningtree Railway Station, where I caught a train to Liverpool Street.  Ann stayed at home because we were having a new gas boiler delivered and installed. I was in London (staying over at youngest daughter Lizzie's) to view two auctions at Christie's. At the second viewing (of Christie's Arms and Armour) I ran across Thomas Delmar (Sotheby's Arms and Armour) who kindly offered me a private preview of his next week's auction (thus saving me another two days in London next week). On Tuesday morning therefore viewed Sotheby's Arms sale with grandson Matthew. On asking Tom for a  bidding form he suggested that it was probably time Matthew started bidding for me!!!  Matt (who will be eighteen in August) shied away from this idea, but when he realised that there were only half a dozen lots that interested me, thought that perhaps he might be able to cope with these. So yesterday afternoon at Christie's Arms sale (to give him a bit of practice) I handed my (clearly marked) catalogue, and bidding number over to Matthew, and told him to get on with it, which, rather to the surprise of both of us, he did. We were in the front row (so I could hear the auctioneer), and he (the auctioneer) helped. He took Matt's bids, glancing at me for confirmation of the first few, then we all three found it was going well and relaxed. Matt bid for seven lots, didn't get any of them (although he was under bidder on two of them); But it has given him (and me) confidence for next Wednesday when he'll be bidding on his own- again with a clearly marked catalogue. Anyway I know Thomas will be keeping a helpful eye on him. Filled my three days in London to the full. Yesterday, before the sale, which was an afternoon one, gave Matthew and granddaughter Beth lunch at the Victoria and Albert Museum, where there is a good (and not too expensive) canteen. Caught the seven thirty train from Liverpool Street. Ann met me at Manningtree, and we were home by nine.

Spending today catching up (and catching me breath, if I'm honest).

Friday.

Been a busy day. Went to Cafe Church this morning, where our friend the Rev. Joyce W......... had just been presented with a fan by Jackie and Martin who were back from a cruise. Above snapshot shows Joyce fluttering her new fan.
Just got in from a quiz we took part in this evening as two of a team of six - didn't do very well - still it was good fun. Goodnight all.

Friday.

Bunch of larkspur and cornflowers I bought Ann earlier in the week - catching yesterday evening's light  in the drawing room.

Got up early this morning - ostensibly to make us a cup of tea, but as Ann was sound asleep when I came down it seemed a pity to wake her. Been pottering about my workshop/study for a while- looking through old blogs. It's now nearly quarter to eight, so I think it's now a respectable time to be presented with an early morning cuppa, so will go upstairs and make one (or rather two). I wish any readers a very Good Day.

Thursday.

My two anvils outside the forge/potting shed (But Ann will keep trying to grow things up the anvils).

A corner of the garden (again! - although things grow and alter so quickly at this time of year that it's usually a new picture).

Still life I think - corner of the dining table - not the photo I meant to publish, but can't be bothered to cancel this one and start again, so I'll let it stand.

Spent this afternoon clearing out and tidying up my workshop because yesterday I'd cleared my backlog and completed ALL the work waiting for me. I found this thought rather depressing so I started looking round and - guess what ?- yes, I found I'd got plenty of work left to do. So I've started on it, and feel the better for still having something to do.

Wednesday.

Peculiar looking blob, isn't it?

Early service this morning, then spent most of the rest of the day in the workshop, finishing one fairly major job, and starting two or three minor ones. Ann has been working in the garden this afternoon, planting out some chard seedlings into the rose bed. Bit of an experiment. I'll let you know if it works out. We're both fond of chard. It's the best (certainly the most colourful) of the brassicas. It's a bit of a 'cut and come again' vegetable and the only spare space in our tiny garden is the space between the rose bushes. We'll see.

The above blob by the way, is a summer pudding that Ann made yesterday, and has, with a little cream, done us two days for pudding.

Been a long day, so - Good Night All.

Tuesday.

Sorry about the delay in bloggery lately. Not that I'm getting lazy. Rather the reverse in fact; seem to have been too busy to blog of late.
Anyway, just to prove that all is well with us, here are two snapshots taken today whilst having lunch in the garden. Meself ( Still I'm afraid in me workshop scruff) having just come upstairs from workshop to partake.

Wednesday.

I know I've shown lots of photoes of this scene (our Church and the Deanery Tower) but this is what it looks like at seven a.m. on a fine summer morning. Early service this morning. Ann lead the service and I read both lessons. Breakfast. Then walked home, stopping at barber's shop for a haircut. Then into Ipswich to view an auction.

On way home took above photo of poppies in field, through car window, which accounts for odd reflections. Should say that Ann was driving. When I was a boy most farmers in Norfolk would have called this  'a dirty field'. Pretty though. This was somewhere near Hintlesham.

Detoured through lanes and took above snapshot of early (much restored ) cottage. Looks as if it's been jacked up at some stage and the ground floor rebuilt. This could, I would think, have been done at any stage of its long existence. Home, sandwich lunch, then Ann motored into Sudbury to do a 'big shop' and I went up to change into me workshop scruff, inadvertantly assumed a horizontal posture, and kipped (slept, Lori) for a while. Eventually surfaced and spent most of rest of day pottering in workshop. About ready to resume kipping now though, so - Goodnight All.

Monday.

Snapshot of a neighbour's roses riotting joyously over his garden fence. As well they might. It rained heavily last night, continued raining most of this morning. Stopped about 1 p.m. and by tea time the garden furniture was dry enough for us to take tea outside. Garden looks so refreshed and smells good and clean. Our part time jobbing gardener Ken, who is a traditionalist, came in on Saturday (Derby Day) to cut our box hedges. So garden looks and smells pretty good.
Bit early, but going up soon, So :- Goodnight All.

Thursday.

In fact, when I went back to check, there were TWO badly parked chuffer engines in said farm yard. As I've often had occasion to remark : The things you see when you're out without your gun!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday 1.

Badly parked chuffer engine spotted this afternoon in passing Suffolk farm yard.

Wednesday.

Been a good, busy, reasonably successful, day at the Long Melford Antique Fair. This evening took the above snapshot- through the kitchen window - of Pa and Ma Goldfinch (bottom right) on the bird feeder, getting in supplies for their family, whilst a member of their family on the crossbar (top centre) flutters its wings and demands sustenance.
Sooner or later must think about getting a better camera with a 'close-up' facility (probably the wrong term but you'll know what I mean).
Been a long day (up at six - loaded car- and away by seven) and I think we're both ready for bed, so - Good night all.

Tuesday.

This evening's supper :- Janson's delight (pronounced Yarnsen's) - a Swedish recipe that Ruth gave us a while back. It consists of a layer of sliced potatoes, a layer of sliced onion, a layer of anchovies, repeated until the dish is full, then covered in cream and baked. Quick, delicious, nutricious, and filling. With a salad. Followed by a mince pie and custard. Goodnight All.

Monday.

As you can see - roses are now in full bloom in the garden.

 Spent this morning labelling and wrapping goodies for Long Melford on Wednesday. This morning Ann 'phoned Sue and David (who we've not seen for a week or two) and asked them to come and have tea with us, it being the bank holiday. They turned up at three o'clock as arranged, and as it was a nice afternoon we decided to have tea in the garden. Sue asked how I'd got on with last Saturday's Telegraph prize crossword (I'd done about two thirds of it) so I produced it and between us we soon completed it. Just as we finished it, Sheila (who lives about two hundred yards away) came in through the back garden gate, with her copy of Saturday's Telegraph under her arm, and wanted to do swapsies on the crossword (swapsies Lori - very dated schoolboy term for exchanging one thing for another). Had to tell Sheila that we'd just finished the crossword, so she came and joined us, Ann produced another cup and plate, and we compared notes on the crossword. Very pleasant and sociable half hour or so. We count ourselves fortunate to live in so friendly a little town.

Sunday.

Two last photoes from our Annual Show a week ago. One's of a dog (a bull mastiff I think) and the other's of a horse (a Shetland Pony). Very little to choose between them in size or weight, I should think.

Been a good busy weekend. Ed, Jo, and Darcy stayed over from Saturday until this morning. Ed was photographing a wedding over near Stowmarket, so Jo dropped him off, and drove over to us. Should mention that they'd stopped off en route to view a flat. Jo had a bite of lunch with us then went off on a walk (she'd got this well planned - she went by the farm tracks and public footpaths) across to Kersey, taking Darcy with her. I always say that the best houseguests are the entertaining ones who don't feel the need to be entertained. I then went off to scrabble club for my weekly three games. Jo got back just after five, so we had tea together, then ate later. Jo went off to Finborough (I think) to pick up Ed, they came back here, we had a nightcap, chatted for an hour, then crashed out at nearly midnight. They breakfasted with us this morning, then hit the road just after nine a.m., as they'd another flat to view on their way home to Wiltshire. I said to Ann later how much I admired their energy, but she pointed out that they're forty years younger that we are, and that forty years ago we could easily have kept up with them. I'm afraid I could see what she meant and had to agree. O well!!
Goodnight all.

Wednesday.

Yesterday afternoon we decided to go to a garden centre we hadn't tried lately, to see if we could find some small alpines for our sink garden. Qualified success. Bought a small dianthus for the sink garden, a trailing lavender (to trail over the edge of the sink), and Ann was beguiled by a begonia, dallied with a dahlia, and finally carried off a carnation (rather handsome, deep red ,  large flowered and not for the sink garden).
 Top photo is of a Suffolk meadow fairly near garden centre.

We then decided (after all our other hard deciding at the garden centre) to treat ourselves to a cuppa at an upstairs tea shop that overlooks Mistley Quay. Took above snapshot from our table. We both had tea, accompanied in Ann's case by a fruit scone and in mine by a cheese scone. Ann said (with perfect truth) that the scones weren't a patch on hers. Quite agreed - should have said it first, I suppose, as a good and supportive husband; but (in all honesty) I think that the only slight drawback to my cheese scone was that there was possibly a touch too much mustard in the mix, and I'm not sure that that wasn't what my Norfolk Grandmother would have called 'a fault on the good side'.

Took the above photo from our table and through the window in the middle snapshot. The tide was full and shows Suffolk across the river Stour looking North (we were on the Essex side).

Sunday 2.

This morning we had a fried breakfast at about nine a.m., and lingered over it. At about 11 a.m. Sarah and family set off homeward, and we got in our car and drove up into Norfolk (near King's Lynn), to attend the Christening of a new great nephew - Mossy Earl Clayton Grey - to which I think his parents should have gone the whole hog and added a hyphenated -So There ! We'd not met him before, and he turned out to be a slightly impish little charmer with a very ready smile for a twelve week old babe.

Above snap shows Ann, her brothers Mick and David, and David's wife Maureen. Next photo shows the nave of the church where the baptism took place. It's a lovely great building, set on its own in the fields. Mossy's grandfather Tim is Ann's youngest brother and has been the Churchwarden here for a good many years. I don't know if you've kept count, but by Norfolk reckoning Mossy is Ann's youngest brother's youngest daughter's (Harriet) youngest son. All clear now?
Oh by the way, the top picture shows Harriet's oldest brother William playing the organ for the service (this is considered, in Norfolk, to be that desirable element known as 'keeping it all in the family').
After the service Tim and Sue's family had put on a very fine tea, to which we all did ample justice. We finally got home at about 6.30 p.m. after, as I said earlier, a very pleasantly hectic weekend.

Goodnight all.