Tuesday.

Another snapshot of Freja with the billygoat that later frightened her by savagely charging and butting a nanny goat that she was feeding at the time. This morning Ann, Ruth, Tuva, and Freja went into Ipswich by 'bus. I had given the girls instructions on where to find the best sweetshop in Suffolk and the wherewithall to make the necessary purchases. It will be interesting to see what they buy. Ann came back about four. We have Liz Allport staying the night ready for an early start at the Long Melford Antique Fair in the morning. I must go and make final preparations for the fair now myself.

Monday.

This afternoon we went to a nearby farmshop. Partly to buy fruit and vegetables, and partly to walk round the farm. The photo shows Tuva and Freja feeding a friendly billy goat. A few minutes later he decided that one of the other goats, a nanny, was getting too much of the available attention, so he put his head down, his tail up, and charged the nanny goat, knocking her over. Poor Freja, although safely on the right side of the gate, was terrified, and rushed bleating to her mother, looking and sounding rather like a young kid herself. She soon recovered from her fright, but refused to go anywhere near the billygoat again. A lesson well learned. My grandfather used to tell us never to completely trust any complete male animal, and it's not a bad principal. This evening we played scrabble - I got completely thrashed. Ruth won by over a hundred points. We then had two games of hide and seek with the girls before their bedtime. Great fun, and the two girls were very good at it. Our bedtime now, so goodnight all.

Monday.

Same meal indoors. Five adults and a 17 year old round the dining table. Son in law Mikey, and a dish of roast vegetables to go with the gammon. Tea time now. More later.

Monday.

This is Lucy, Freja, Guy and Tuva having their Saturday evening meal in the garden. Just before the meal I had told Guy that as he was the only gentleman at the garden table he would have to look after his cousins and his sister. A few minutes later I looked out of the kitchen and guy was carefully serving the girls with vegetables. Oh well :'train up a child in the way he should go.......'

Sunday.

Freja enjoying her lunch last week in Great Gran's flat. This evening Ann, Ruth and meself enjoyed a really well faught game of scrabble. At the end there was less than ten points betwee the three of us. Ann is out watering the garden in the dusk, I'm doing a last bit of blogging, and Ruth and the girls are in bed. Been a lovely day. Goodnight all.

Sunday.

Miss T. turning cartwheels at the side of Ely cathedral two or three days ago, watched by Freja, who does a pretty good cartwheel herself. Missed out of yesterday's blog the fact that I saw two kingfishers flying along our river about a foot above the water with the sun on their backs, showing as an electric blue colour. They are magic birds. By the time I'd managed to say "LOOK!!!!!" only Freja, who was beside me managed to see the second of them.
To morning service this morning. Ann was serving. I was in the choir. New Dean preached for the first time. We stayed in the choir stalls for the sermon, but as the 'loop' system was working well, for a change, heard more or less every word. He was quite good. After church walked to the China Garden Restaurant for lunch, where we met up with Ruth, the girls, and most of the lipreading class. This was arranged by fellow lipreader John. We shared a table with lipreading teacher Jill, and Edward. Jill and Ruth got on very well together, both being teachers. It was a lovely meal, enjoyed by all, and, I hope, to be repeated. Miss T. , when writing their daily postcard to their father, described the meal as 'scrummy', and as a description, I can't better it. Being called up for dinner. More later perhaps.

Saturday.

Joint of gammon mentioned below, after receiving bloggers attention (i.e. carved). Opened bottle of Gerwurtztraminer to go with it. Now being called to partake of same. Cheers.

Saturday.

Late last evening. Showing Ann, two daughters, Sarah and Ruth, one son-in-law Mikey, and five assorted grandchildren. Now being called upstairs to carve meat. So more later.

Saturday.

Ann, Guy and Lucy watching Guy's newly aquired steam tractor running in circles. I bought this tractor (vintage then) thirty or so years ago for son Jonathan. He has recently passed it on (via your blogger) to Guy. I had to do a certain amount of restoration to get it running again, but it's now able to give service to yet another generation. Great fun.

Friday.

These were taken at about 9.30 p.m. on Monday evening, when there was a lovely sunset. Ruth has just shown me how to put two pictures up at once. Hope I can remember.

Friday.

Your blogger and youngest grandchild, Freja, at Great Gran's flat, yesterday. Being called now for coffee. More later (blog, not coffee).

Thursday.

Great Gran Clayton welcoming visitors. No, not really , she is posing with an antique Spanish pistol I was showing her. We motored over to see her today. Daughter Kerry came over from March, met us at Gran's and had lunch with us. Daughter Ruth, with the girls, came by train to Peterborough, then by 'bus to Wisbech, and met us at Gran's, also for lunch. We had ham, corned beef, pork pie and salad, followed by cold apple pie and custard. Been a lovely (but long) day. So goodnight all, more tomorow (D.V.)

Wednesday.

Yesterday evening we had the induction service for our new Dean. It was attended by the Bishop, loads of high ranking clergy, the Mayor, etc. Ann was an acolite (one of two) and carried a candle behind the Crucifer at the head of the procession from the Guildhall to the Church. Our deanery, which dates back to the days of King Guthrum the Dane, is a 'peculiar' in the gift of the Archbishop of Canterbury, which broadly, means that its origins date back to time immoral (sorry - immemorial), and that nobody really knows why. Our choir was quadrupled in size by importations from surrounding village church choirs. There were four bases, which meant that I could stick to the basso profundo parts (which suited me down to the ground - forgive obvious pun). Anyway - a very impressive service. Margaret, our senior chorister (94 years, 82 of which have been spent singing in the choir, and another 76 bell ringing) says this chap is her 13th dean, and she is reserving judgment on him until he has been here a decade or so- time will tell.
This morning we went across to Frinton to have coffee with our old friend Ann C.T. She was widowed earlier this year and her daughter (who lives in an old rectory near Frinton) has had the old coach house altered to make a very pretty little home for Ann. Were shown round and admired it immensely. On way home stopped and had lunch outdoors at restaurant attached to a farm shop. Both of us had a sea food platter, and although the portions served weren't very big the food was very good indeed (which is a great deal better than the other way around - who wants vast quantities of tasteless mush?????) This brings me to the photograph of the large bullock (or steer as I believe they're called across the pond) above. He was in the adjoining field, but wandered across to be sociable.
in the afternoon made telephone bids at the auction I viewed on Sunday, and bought one lot (probably the least expensive item in the sale - and generally prices were very high- don't quite know what's happening in the Art and Antique world. Paid by 'phone and Ruth and Matthew collected purchased item for me. Ruth has also collected item purchase last week at Christie's and will bring them back tomorrow. Offspring do eventually come in useful if you keep them long enough. Looking at clock see that bedtime has come and gone, so - Goodnight all.

Monday.

Cottages on a green near Orford.

In workshop this morning. Went well. This afternoon to last lipreading class. I have enjoyed it. I've done five years of lipreading, but the local council is cutting back on expenses and has decided that the maximum amount of time per person of lipreading is three years, which meant that, for two of us, today was our last class. Lip reading isn't the complete answer to deafness (only about 30% of the language is lip readable) but it does help considerably. The class gave us a small party as a send off. It was good fun. The lip reading classes as a whole have been great fun. I shall miss them. I took Jill (our teacher) a bottle of sloe gin (to which she is partial ) as a small thank you present. She gave me in return a kiss and a hug and said how much she would miss me. I call that a good swap. This evening Ann has gone to the dress rehearsal for the new Dean's induction service tomorrow. I've been doing a bit more work in the workshop (and, of course, blogging). Goodnight all.

Sunday.

Motored down to London this morning and went to daughter Lizzie's. Ruth and the girls came with us and are staying a few days with Lizzie (Ruth wants to show the girls the sights) then coming back to us on Thursday (?). Liz ran me round to Sotheby's to view their arms and armour sale - not very exciting. Back to Lizzie's mid afternoon. Lizzie had put a barbecue on for us at 5 p.m. - sausages, hamburgers, and vegetables barbecued on long skewers, followed by rhubarb fool. Delicious. Lizzie is a very good cook. Had intended to take lots of photoes but found that I'd not put the card back in the camera. Ruth lent me her camera, took photoes but will not be able to put them on blog until Ruth returns on Thursday. Bird life in London surprised me. Got a really good look at a jay this morning when we'd stopped at traffic lights. Then this evening on way home (but still in London) saw a big old heron and then a sparrow hawk. Been a long day and now bedtime so - Goodnight All.

Saturday.

Ruth thought this was Mr. Pegotty's residence, but I suspect it might be what's left of Mr. Noah's more famous craft.

Saturday.

Hauling up the first crab.

Saturday.

Granny and Granpa starting the crab race down the slipway. Enlarge (or embiggen) for details.

Saturday.

Freja in car coming home yesterday, and looking rather academic in Mummy's specs.

Saturday

Freja, Ann, Tuva, and meself, having lunch at Orford Quay yesterday.

Friday.

Crab in a bucket.

Friday.

Orford Castle, with Ruth waiting for Freja to run round it.

Friday.

Photo is of Ruth, Freja, Ann, and Tuva crabbing off Orford Quay. Lovely day, bit windy. At one point Ruth's hat (which Tuva was wearing) blew off her head, and into the sea. I called out to the ferryman (you can just see the bows of the little ferry to the right of the picture) and he leaned out, recovered the hat with a long pole, and returned it to Ruth. A few minutes before we had seen an even more dramatic incident, when a lady who was about to get into a dinghy and row out to her boat, let go of the rope and the tide took the dinghy out into mid stream. A young man immediately stripped to his underpants, jumped into the sea and swam strongly after the dinghy, which he overtook about halfway over to the island. He scrambled aboard, and rowed the dinghy awkwardly back against the tide. When he got the boat back to the lady he explained that it was only the third time he had rowed. He was a very strong swimmer, though, with great presence of mind, and we clapped and cheered him. We caught twenty one crabs, but the one that got away was easily the biggest (as is usual on these occasions). Had lunch at a small restaurant on the beach (had eaten there before) and it was as good as usual. Went to Orford Castle on the way back. Freja immediately ran widdershins all the way round the base of the castle and said she felt better for it (needed to let off steam, I suppose). More later.

Still Thursday.

Nine men's morris board to illustrate comment on earlier blog today. Hope it helps.

Thursday

I came in in the middle of the dressing up game and, in paying my respects to the Princess, appear to have shocked the maid.

Goodnight all.

Thursday.

This morning Ruth and I walked into town before breakfast as Ruth wanted to get some English dosh from a 'hole in the wall'. Mr. Barclay's hole in the wall said it didn't have any money, but Mr. Lloyd's was far more accomodating and filled her purse for her (mem. must be nicer about the Welsh in future). We then went shopping in the Co-op and I bought some Suffolk pork pies for breakfast. Walked home and breakfasted - Suffolk pork pies not bad. Then Ann, Ruth and the girls went out walking (above snapshot taken in garden just before they went). By the bye - glad to be able to report tadpoles in pond - must remember to tell Val her donation a success. Played nine men's morris before and after lunch with Tuva - generally got thrashed. Must get Tuva and her cousin Guy to play a game - he can usually thrash me, too. Later in afternoon made 'phone bids at Christies Arms and armour sale - bid for three lots - one successfully. Girls now playing with dressing up box. More later perhaps.