Saturday.

This morning I drove to Manningtree Railway Station where I caught the 9.52 am train to Liverpool Street Station. Ann met me and we went to Ponti's, had a coffee each and shared a piece of their excellent pannetone. We then caught a series of 'buses to Chiswick High Street and walked round to Lizzies. Had a sandwich and cuppa then went out and grocery shopped. Ann bought me the new P.D.James book forChristmas. (As I've already bought her an amber necklace - in Ribe- we are now quits). Also found a good book on the engraver, Thomas Bewick, in a bargain bookshop. As we were now laden with groceries and books was only too glad to catch a 'bus back to Lizzies (or near). I've just realised I am neglecting my Saturday duties, so must stop and get on with the Telegraph crossword. Cheers All.

Thursday.

Late morning. Had a 'phone call from Ann earlier to say there had been a 'drama' in London where she is child minding Lizzie's three. Last night just, after nine, Matthew was preparing his kit for a weekend cadet camp (he is now a full corporal in the school cadet force). He got out his rucksack (which had not been used for some weeks) and found it was rather smelly. So Matt gave it a good squirting, inside and out, with a spray deodorant. Continuing to check his kit he then got out a lighter and clicked it to make sure it was working. The rucksack exploded, burning Matt's arm, hand, and face. Matt got into a cold bath and called his sister Georgia who galloped down and got Granny Ann. After which it became textbook first aid procedure - cling film, a 999 call to the ambulance, and the burns department of the local hospital. Things in fact weren't too bad - Matt was eventually allowed home, and the burns specialist even said that he could see no reason why he shouldn't go to his cadet camp this weekend - I must say I found this detail very reassuring.
My immediate reaction was that I aught to get myself up to London, but Ann firmly negatived this idea, saying that Matt was asleep in bed, there was no permanent damage, and there was nothing I could do when there. As the only thing I could think of to do if I went would be a Corporal Jones act (rushing up and down shouting 'Don't panic, Mr. Mainwaring') I eventually allowed myself to be persuaded to stick to plan A and go up on Saturday morning.
I think I must place on record that Matt (who is a first aider), and Ann (who was a nurse), did all the right things. Ann also says that both the girls, Georgia and Beth, behaved very well and gave all the assistance they could. I am very proud of my family.

Wednesday.

Got up early this morning - read O.T. lesson at early service (proverbs). Stayed on to breakfast - tea, bread and honey. Barbara was telling me of problem she is having with younger members of scrabble club - offered to put off trip to London till Saturday evening, so that I could help if problem continues, but she said she's not worried about this coming Saturday, as male church members would be present getting ready for harvest festival, and she knows I will be back at scrabble on the following Saturday. I'm not too worried - youngsters under discussion usually amenable to a low growl or a sharp bark, I've always found.
Been busy all day getting things ready for Long Melford. Checked stock and found a job I'd not anticipated :- had to case harden the sear of a flintlock blunderbuss to put it into reliable working order - still the job went well and it's now a healthy gun again. Ann is still in London - child minding - enjoying it I think. I'm keeping busy and have been getting through a surprising amount of work. Must knock off now - I'm nodding off over the keyboard. Goodnight all.

Monday.

Snapshot of the George Inn in town. On Friday went up by train to join Ann in London, looking after (well nominally) Georgia (17), Matthew (15), and Beth (13). I say nominally since the children were taking it in turns to cook the main meal !!!!!!!! Matthew did us a superb chicken curry on Friday evening. On Saturday Ann and I took Beth and Matthew to the Imperial War Museum (they are both in their school Cadet corps), which we all enjoyed. On Sunday both Matthew and Georgia were out with friends, so Ann, Beth and I got on a 'bus and went to Kew Gardens. Found the price had gone up (£12 a concessionary ticket, but children under 17 went in free) considerably since last time we were there - about ten years ago with sister in law Judy. We both thoroughly enjoyed it, and Beth said she had as well - this appeared to be true. This morning caught the 10 am train from Liverpool Street to Manningtree, in order to be at lipreading classes this afternoon. Ann seems to be in her element and is spending her spare time exploring London by 'bus. This is a very good idea, as our 'bus passes are valid in London - so it's free. Just had a call from our friend Sue Parker inviting me to a meal with she and David on my birthday later this week , which is very sweet of them - looking forward to it. Must knock off now and get meself a bite of supper. Goodnight all.

This is an early Tudor doorway and door on our High Street. It is beside a shop and, I think, gives onto a passageway beside the shop, but I can't remeber seeing it open, so I'm not sure. Must knock off now, got choir practice shortly. Cheers.

Thursday.

Thought I'd add another photo or so of our town. This (You'll never guess) is Church Street. Ann's been in London this week, child minding three of the teenage grandchildren. Yesterday evening had a meal with friends of ours , The Pinns. They live in the depths of the Suffolk countryside, so I wasn't too confident of finding them, but with the help of two friendly natives I came across at different times when I needed directions, went straight there without problems. Had a very pleasant evening with them. They, too, are fairly specialised dealers, so (at Jill's request) took some of the treen and early metalware I'd purchased in Denmark and Sweden, and they bought most of it. They intend keeping a couple of the best pieces for themselves, and I always think that's about the best compliment one dealer can pay another. Mem : must write them a 'bread and butter' letter. I'll now try and put another photo on.

Thursday.

Answer to Monday's Diss game : Diss tresses.

Monday.

Time, I think, for another round of the Diss game. This time it concerns a Norfolk hairdresser's shop, where the operatives were so careless and haphazard that they left their customers in a thoroughly uncomfortable state. ????????????????? Answer given in 48 hours, although I'm sure you'll all have it by then. Cheers, Mike.

Sunday.

Photo of farmhouse we stayed at in Denmark. We both like Denmark. A very settled country. Great chunks of it are very like Suffolk - even to the thatched, half timbered farmhouses.

Today has been a very standard Sunday. At morning service we both sang in the choir. After service coffee and catching up on all the news. Home for lunch, then changed into workshop scruff, and did a good deal of work. Ann called me for a cup of tea about five, and five minutes later the doorbell rang - old friends of ours, the Edgars, called. They'd been watching their grandson, Luke, playing cricket on the town ground, and decided to call on us after the match. Made them tea, and fortunately Ann had made a fruit cake yesterday, so was able to offer them some. Rather oddly, after service this morning the Rural Dean had told me that the town cricket ground was originally the town archery butts, so was able to pass this piece of information on to the Edgars. Luke is now fifteen, and (according to his grandmother Christine) is a very good cricketer. He must be, I think, to be playing for his village team at fifteen. Pleasant interlude, and was good to catch up on their news. Ann's just gone up to bed, so must I. Goodnight all.

Sunday.

Errata. Sorry, Woolpack is not at Terrington St. Clement's but at Terrington St. John. Also the hotel at Old Hunstanton, where we gatecrashed a wedding reception on the grounds that we might be related (via the Smiths) is the LeStrange Arms.

Still Saturday.

Photo of a smallish lake in Sweden.
This afternoon went to scrabble club. Won the first game. Doris won the next two games very convincingly, but murmuring all the time what a very poor hand she held. This is part of Doris's game strategy. She is a quiet English gentlewoman of nearly ninety, who seems dithery and undecided, but in fact is steely and determined underneath the gentle facade. If ever you play scrabble with her make no allowance for her age or sex, and even then don't put bets on the result - she'll skin you. Mem - Must make certain she never reads my blog. Had better close now. Just remembered I've a pair of black shoes I must clean ready for Church a.m. Good night all.

Sorry - here is the photie that should have headed up the below entry- machine still sulking, I think.

Saturday.

Tuva tending a bonfire on the outer edges of Ruth's garden at a point where you can't see the garden's join with the forest. Yesterday we motored over to Wisbech to see Great Gran. Found a good pub to eat at - The Woolpack at Terrington St. Clement's. Excellent grub -should say provender- I had a steak and kidney PUDDING with a crisp light suet pastry casing, Ann and Gran both had a portion of chicken and bacon pie. All the vegetables were well and freshly cooked - just done. Ordinarily I never mind paying a bit extra for really good food, but in point of fact this was very reasonably priced, and with very good (but unobtrusive service). Pub grub really doesn't come any better than this place. Afterwards we went on to Hunstanton, looked at the sea - indistinguishable from the sky - both greyish and inclined to spit at us, then went on to Old Hunstanton, and had a pot of tea (with biccies) in the lounge. A wedding was being held in the hotel, and we did get rather mixed up with it. Gran said this didn't matter as she was probably related to the groom - his surname being the same as her maiden name- so it would be all in the family. Her maiden name was Smith. Back to Wisbech and dropped off Gran at her flat. She was a little tired but said this didn't matter a bit as she had had a lovely day out and had THOROUGHLY enjoyed it. Called in on Mick and Erica on the way home - Erica looked very poorly, but is very much her usual self, and being Erica, never complains. In all a nice day out Must get some work done now. More later perhaps.

Still Thursday.

Sorry about the below. This beastly engine sometimes seems to have a mind of its own. And a nasty, beastly, perverse sort of mind it is- with a sense of humour to match. Well, I'm not going to pander to the ~=+***)(%£$' thing's ghastly whims by going back and correcting it. You'll just have to work it out, I'm afraid. Must go. I've a computer that requires (and is about to receive) a swift kick in the slats.

Thursday.

This morning we motored across to see our friends Brenda and Warren. And to take them a spinning wheel which (with another spinning wheel) was in Ruth's -still bulging- barn (see photo). Brenda wishes to take up spinning, and although the wheel is reasonably complete, it is in need of a little T.L.C., which Warren is quite capable of supplying. It will be interesting to see the wheel when it is complete and running. Met their new dog, a labrador pup, Saunders. Seems a very matey creature. Home, lunch, doing a bit of blogging (mainly I fear to delay doing a bit of work - terrible thing self knowledge !!). A situation I must now rectify by getting into working clothers and getting stuck in. Cheers, All.

Freja and her Granny - other details as below.

Wednesday.

Two glamourous gals, taken on the eleventh birthday(30th August, I think) of the one on the left, Tuva, with her Mama (our daughter Ruth) to the right of the picture (taken in front of our car, which did just over 3,000 miles over the whole trip).

Tuesday.

Photo of stream (or small river) which flows about fifty yards from Ruth's farmhouse, and supplies water to their well. It had rained for a couple of days when I took the photo, so is in spate. It's always a lively little river, but is usually rather better behaved than this picture suggests. Today I've been cleaning stock purchased in Scandinavia. Came up well. Hope it's popular. Should be- it's nice stuff. It's nice to be home and back in harness. I'm reading the O.T. lesson at early service in the morning so had better close and head bedward. Goodnight all.

Monday.

And lastly, Took this one this afternoon, at Chuck's suggestion, as the 'after' photo to the 'before' one I took on 12th August.

Monday.

Fungii (probably poisonous) in Ruth and Lasse's garden.

Monday.

Your blogger outside a hotel we stayed at in Grenna, beside a lake in Sweden.

Monday.

Think I'll entitle this one 'Three generations and a mare'. They show Freja in charge of Maya, watched by her mother Ruth and her Granny Ann.

Monday.

Normal service will now be resumed. Got home early this afternoon, and galloped round to the first lip reading class this year (three minutes late - but forgiven by teacher when I explained that we had got off the Esbjerg to Harwich ferry only forty minutes earlier). Above photo is of Ann and meself outside Ruth's Swedish farmhouse. Wish I'd taken me specs off before Tuva took the photo- they make me look old. Will publish this, then try and find another photo or so to illustrate travels.

Monday.

Ann's just taken the tiddlers swimming, so I have a few minutes to spare for a blog. Having just read that sentence I can see that the first part is a bit ambivelant, so had better make it clear that when I say tiddlers of course I mean two of the granddaughters, Tuva and Freja. We came into town yesterday evening with Ruth and the girls. Lasse stayed on at the farm as today is the first day of the elk shooting season. Last year he shot a cow and a yearling calf, which was , I should think, enough to keep the whole village in red meat for about a year, especially as the village consists of Ruth's farm and five other small farmhouses (none of which can be seen from Ruth's). It's lovely meat, Elk. Red, lean, rich, and very slightly 'gamey'. Makes the mouth water, what ? Tomorrow we set off south early, so will soon be home, when normal service will be resumed. More then, with explanatory photies we hope. Till then - Warm regards, Mike and Ann.