Friday.

Pleasantly old fashioned kitchen seen recently.

More Friday.

As we were leaving Sue and David's drive yesterday evening we had a minor crunch to the offside sill of the car. A car bodywork restorer was recommended to us as a very good worker and not toooo painfully
expensive. He works out beyond Brent Eleigh, so we took the car out to him this afternoon. Stopped on the way to take photo of violets beside the road. They are rather later than usual this year, but seem to be growing strong and longer stemmed than usual. Has anyone else noticed this or is it just in our area. The photo doesn't really do them justice. They are a deep purple, rather than the pale mauve shown.

Still Friday.

Fireback in parlour. Crowbard will recognise.

Still Friday.

The previous entry's photo was taken on Wednesday. We had motored across to friends of ours who have two antique clocks, the one in the photo and a lantern clock. The long case clock, made in the eighteenth century by Mr. George Suggate of Halesworth had finally worn his rope out and needed a new one, which I supplied. The photo showed me splicing the new rope. The lantern clock (which was made in 1710 in Essex), had got a problem in its under dial work. When this was sorted out it generally needed a little T.L.C.

Penny, as usual, gave us lunch (bless her). It was a superb beef casserole followed by a cheese board. Both clocks were ticking away again happily when we left. On the way home called in on friend Terry and inserted new batteries in her car keys. This doesn't appear to have helped matters (I think that the keys will probably now need reprogramming). Had tea and cake with her.

On Thursday had dinner with Sue and David. Terry and her son Simon also there. Terry's garage man says her car keys do need reprogramming. David gave us his beef curry (medium hot, but subtle). It was very good indeed. Followed by a selection of puddings.
More later (perhaps) - Blog, not pudding.

Friday.

Your blogger reroping an old friend, Mr. Suggate.More later.

Tuesday.

Polstead Church. Drove to Polstead this afternoon and walked round the village on footpaths. Polstead is, of course, known for cherries and murder. Goodnight all.

Tuesday.

Hi Lori. To answer your question, here is a snapshot of Nea taken a couple of Christmases ago. As she is (like all Horners) very modest by nature, I shall probably get it in the neck for publishing this. Still, all in a good cause, what ?

Still Monday.

As promised, snapshot of Ann as we set out to her older brother's golden wedding anniversary at which Ann was a bridesmaid.

Monday.

Your blogger (and hopefully in next picture) your bloggeress on way out to a fiftieth wedding anniversary last Saturday morning.

More Monday.

Sorry about that. Still , never does to turn a plumber away. They're hard to get hold of.
Back to clock:- Dropped by owner, who says she feels competent to do repairs to case if I can get the clock going again. Top of pendulum suspension spring bust, plus one or two more minor repairs needed. Pendulum rebuilt and other repairs done, and it's now ticking away nicely. Satisfying job mine when all goes well. Must knock off for lunch. More later perhaps.

Monday.

Spent this morning repairing the above clock. It's rather a nice English Regency bracket timepiece that had met with a mishap; to quote its owner :- "I dropped it." Plumber here - More later.

Friday.

Snapshot of our Church spire. The bell hanging above the clock dial, and on which the clock strikes the hours ( it is known as the 'sanctus' bell) was cast in about 1280 and is said to be one of the oldest church bells in the country. It is known to have hung in its present position above the clock since at least 1584. I haven't seen the clock movement, but from its description I think it must be a good deal later, probably 19th century.
Ann, and two friends, Brenda and Judy (I think of the three of them as the female version of The Last of the Summer Wine), have gone off to Norwich for the day. I've been pottering about the garden and workshop all day, and have got a satisfying amount of work done. Cup of tea time. More later perhaps.

Thursday.

Snapshot is of another part of large, rambling guildhall, giving onto the churchyard.
Been a busy week. Ann came home from Gran's on Tuesday afternoon, and in the evening we went to the Mercury Theatre in Colchester to see 'A chorus of disapproval'. It was quite amusing and very well done but didn't seem to have much plot. We went with Ivan and Margaret in their car. Ivan wouldn't take anything for petrol, so I paid the parking fee. Pleasant evening out.
On Wednesday we went to early Service and stayed to breakfast. In mid morning the Pinns (dealer friends) called in and I sold them a sword stick, an early snuffbox, and a couple of fire steels. Then our friends the Tinworths came to lunch. Ann gave us chicken in a mushroom sauce, with all sorts of roast vegetable, new potatoes and creamed celeriac, followed by a hot Swiss trifle, and a cheese board. John is a retired antique dealer and after lunch I bought some flint arrow heads and the remains of a small blunderbuss (for cannibalisation purposes) from him. At 3.30 p.m. I had to make my excuses and dash into town to see my optician about my new varifocals (with which I cannot seem to get on). He has agreed to change them for a pair of bi-focals, with which I hope to be more in accord. Hurried home, and just caught John and Margaret in time to say goodbye. In evening went to shared Lenten meal and discussion group at Ann and Bob Smiths. Very full day !!!!!
Today pottered over to Sudbury. Ordered trousers at Peddars, bought black ink for computer, shopped at Waitrose, then met Robertsons, by chance and went and had coffee with them at the Secret Garden. Home, lunch, then Ann went to a committee meeting of the Ansell Club, and I relaxed and pottered in my workshop. For supper Ann served up remains of yesterday's superb lunch (tasted even better today). Now nearly bedtime and I think we're both ready for it. Goodnight all.

Monday.

Glimpse of the back of the Guildhall, seen through hedge. We don't know when it was built, but an 'expert on local history' told me that it is known to have been there in 1386.
Ann went across to Gran's today, took her out to lunch, and is spending the night at Tim and Sue's before returning tomorrow. She dropped me off in town this morning, I did odd bits of shopping and then walked home. Lip reading class this afternoon. Picked up prescription (spot of gout again!!!) at chemist's on the way home, and have been pottering about workshop ever since. Liz 'phoned earlier, had long natter. Just had supper, and am about ready to retire. Goodnight all.

Friday.

Droopy tulips. I always think that tulips, as they open indoors, assume very graceful (not to say affected) postures. Is it my imagination or do these look slightly threatening, like those Greek females in classical mythology who had snakes instead of hair? (the Hydra??) Now stop it, Mike, these are really handsome tulips, drooping gracefully like Dutch still lifes.
Drove into Ipswich this morning to have annual check up on my stainless steel and plastic knee joint which was put in four years ago. Last year I was told it was wearing out too fast, and I told them that as I'm a young, active, virile bloke, of course I was wearing it out. They didn't seem altogether persuaded by my reasoning, but anyway this year it's no worse, so I'm to go and see them in a year's time. Anyway it's given me another four years of activity so far, and as it's reasonably comfortable, leave it alone, say I, on the principal of: if it ain't broke, don't fix it. After we left the hospital we motored up to Snape and went to the antique centre in the Maltings. Found and purchased half a dozen small bits, one of which we'll probably keep, then went and had lunch in the new 'Metfield Restaurant' there, on Sue's recommendation. Food was very good, but owing to modern fashion for bare wood floors, and high ceilings open to the rafters, it was VERY noisy. Quite expensive, too. Two ploughmens' lunches and four coffees came to £28 (£31 by the time I'd tipped ). But, in fairness, probably the best plowman's lunch I'd ever had. We then drove on to Aldeburgh and walked along the sea front. Pale, watery sunshine, but we couldn't see the sea because of a thick sea mist (a 'haar' in Norfolk, or a 'dag' in Suffolk - in both the vowel sounds are elongated, three aaas in each). I'm very sorry I forgot to take the camera with us. I was reduced, when we got home, to taking photoes around the garden, and (as above) in the house, some of which will be inflicted on you over the next few days. Goodnight all.

Still Tuesday.

The farmer, Charles Westren, who put up this memorial was a noncomformist Christian (a Methodist) I believe. Like all farmers he had to pay his tithe to the established Church (C.of E.), and objected strongly to this. I can quite see his point. The system was finally sorted out, and tything abolished in the 1990s. The 'Tithe Wars' were at their bitterest in a bad period of recession in the twenties and thirties and made a bad time much worse in rural areas. I hope our farmer made a success of things in Australia.
Elmsett Church is an interesting little Church of many different periods, but it's best known, I think, for the above memorial.

Tuesday.

This morning on our way into Ipswich, we made a detour to Elmsett Church, which is outside the village of Elmsett, to the right of a rather sunken lane. On the top of a bank on the opposite side of the lane to the Church, stands (as it has done for the last seventy five years) this rather ugly memorial. The man who put it up, Charles Westren, suffered under the tythe laws, and as a protest bought a piece of land opposite the Church, had this memorial put up as a reproach to the Church, then emigrated to Australia. I'll try and put up the detail of the memorial in my next blog.

More Sunday.

Stormy sky and sunlight at end of Terry's garden. Very dramatic. Goodnight all.

Sunday.

Snapshot taken this afternoon of the Bell Inn at Kersey.
Got home yesterday feeling (if you'll excuse the 'orrible pun) a little drained. Took it easy and simply pottered in the workshop. Woke this morning feeling more or less back to normal, so we both went to morning Service and sang in choir. This afternoon motored over to friend Terry Turk's and had tea with her. Also wrestled with her partly completed Times crossword and did three of the remaining clues. Very pleasant afternoon. On way home storm of sleet, and very dramatic skies. Took photoes on way. Must knock off and do some work. More blog later perhaps.

More Thursday.

On way home had to snap these crocii on cottage garden wall. They are really stretching up towards the sun, and isn't it lovely to feel the sun again? Going into hospital tomorrow (at 7a.m. - Ghastly hour for that sort of thing !!!) for minor op mentioned a few days ago, so probably shan't be blogging again for a day or so. Ora pro mea, please. In the meantime, God bless you all. Love, Mike.

Ancient gateway in wall of Deanery garden.

Thursday again.

Same river, this time pouring over weir. This bit is usually dry, or at worst, boggy.

Thursday.

 

The night before last it rained all night so our river is again high. Walked home from town this afternoon over this bridge. It is supposed to be the oldest bridge in Suffolk still serving its original purpose. Not sure about that but it's a nice, sturdy looking bridge. Spent all day yesterday at an antique fair in Long Melford. Good, busy, fairly successful, day. Been into town twice today. First time into building suppliers to buy some wood for a job I'm doing -not urgently doing, but in my 'spare time' (!) And secondly to go into the bank and generally do some odd jobs, i.e. purchase small 'sample' tin of paint for above mentioned odd job. On way home took various snap shots, mainly of small river in small spate. More later, D.V.

More Sunday.

 

Photo (taken yesterday) is of Stoke by Nayland Church Tower. Following on from this morning's blog, went across to Boxsted to hear Silver Band concert. Good band music in very small Methodist Church = VERY LOUD. I've no complaints about loud (being a bit deaf), but Ann said it was very loud for her. Lovely music, though.

Sunday.

 

Photo of Stoke by Nayland, again. Yesterday morning Bea and David Eagle, and their sons Ben and Sam, called in, and, as promised, I showed them how muzzle loading firearms were used. The boys were facinated, and asked sensible questions. After lunch to scrabble. Three good games, one of which was more remarkable for silliness than good play, although it was almost equally deficient in political correctness. It was easily the most enjoyable game of the three, though. It started to deteriorate as a sensible game, when someone put down the word wop, and after much discussion it was agreed that the word was acceptable; the definition of it being a backward Italian prisoner of war (not, I'm afraid one of my more intelectual efforts -the definition, not the word.). Good fun, though. Anyway, I don't like political correctness. I prefer to do my own thinking.

After morning service today (both of us in choir) Sylvia, one of Ann's fellow sopranoes, who was wearing her silver band uniform, under her choir robes, told us she was playing her trumpet at a concert in Boxsted this afternoon. Among other things they are playing 'The lost Chord' and 'Blaze Away'. So we are going to drive over to Boxsted in a little while to sample these delights. More later perhaps.