Thursday 3.

Sorry. The computer's playing silly beggars! The above photo should have appeared with the previous entry.

Thursday 2.

Just back from a five mile bike ride, on which I took above photo. Being called for cuppa - very welcome. More later, perhaps.

Reopen to record that we've just had a cracking game of scrabble. Three seven letter words between us. At the end of the game Ann went out on a seven letter word 'unquiet' that scored her eighty eight points, but left me a few points in the lead. Our joint score was seven hundred and twenty points. Shan't repeat that in a hurry. Goodnight all.

Thursday 1.

Glad to report there still a few late roses in the garden. Anyone remember that Victorian parlour song The last Rose of Summer? The last verse goes, if I remember :-

I'll not leave thee, thou lone one, to pine on the stem.
Since the lovely are sleeping, go sleep thou with them.
Thus kindly I scatter thy leaves o'er the bed
Where thy mates of the garden lie scentless and dead.

Cheery little effort, usually sung by a quavering tenor. Oh well, it takes all sorts! More later perhaps.

Wednesday.

Photo of a lane in our town, which has nothing to do with this blog.

Must tell you of an incident that occurred yesterday. On Monday we drove from Sarah's to Wisbech, where Ann and her three brothers were going to try and clear Gran's flat. Left Ann in Wisbech; she was going to spend the night at Tim and Sue's house and return home on Tuesday. I eventually drove home, and later in the evening locked up very carefully and retired for the night. Overslept on Tuesday, eventually waking at 8.30 a.m. Inserted hearing aid in 'good' ear and turned wireless on to keep me awake. Half dressed, I thought I heard a tapping on the bedroom door. Knew this couldn't be so, as I distinctly remember locking up the previous evening. Continuing to dress when there came a rather more determined tapping on bedroom door. Pausing only to put on a dressing gown, grab a big stick and (reflecting on how good -mannered burglars seemed to be these days - I mean knocking on bedroom doors!!) I flung wide the door, and there stood............ (to be continued in our next thrrrilling episode).


Oh well, alright then, if you insist :- There, on the landing, stood our friend and keyholder John. Apparently there'd been a fault on the telephone, Ann had not been able to get through to me, and eventually 'phoned John (knowing he had a key) and asked him to check that all was well, and, if I'd been spared the 'perils and dangers of the night', to tell me to 'phone Ann instanter and reassure her that all was well. Of course (being deaf, and as I'd got the wireless on) I'd not been able to hear him knocking at the back door, so he'd had to let himself in.

Whilst I 'phoned Ann, John checked our 'phone and found the fault; which was that the answerphone was chock full of messages ( some in sympathy for Gran's death, and the rest to wish me a happy birthday), which had caused the 'phone to go on strike. I really don't trust these modern communication contraptions. But we do feel heavily in John's debt again. Whilst we were in Sweden earlier in the year, he'd done necessary running repairs on the property, and now this. As the youngsters say - we owe him bigtime.
Goodnight all.

Tuesday 5.

Birthday lunch in full swing.

Tuessday 4.

Sophie again, in, I think, pyjama mode.

Tuesday 3.

Senior granddaughter Sophie in full 'Goth' mode.

Tuesday 2.

Guy, Sarah, meself and Ann during birthday lunch at weekend.

Tuesday 1.

Ann making friends with Mango and Ruby in Sarah's kitchen at weekend.

Monday 2.

This superb confection was produced by youngest daughter, Elizabeth. Beneath the surface it consisted of thin layers of sponge cake and thick layers of cream. Beggar doctor's orders ! - it was superb. There were eighteen of us present - I think I said that in previous blog- consisting of four of our children, their partners, and children. We all had a slice of cake, and then, at their insistence (but I needed very little persuasion), I finished the last tiny slice of it. Magic!!!!!

Must knock off now and go upstairs. Find meself desparate for a cuppa.

Monday 1.

Just home, so time for a quick blog. Ann is still in Wisbech with her three brothers, clearing Gran's flat. They expect to have finished the job sometime tomorrow afternoon. The above photo was taken yesterday, at a riverside pub near Bedford to celebrate my birthday (which was on the previous day) Ann had arranged it two months ago, and had managed (against all the odds) to keep it secret from me (we know each other far too well to successfully keep secrets from each other generally). There were eighteen of us, all told - Grandson Tom had a prior engagement, and Ruth, her husband Lasse, and their two girls, couldn't get, but will be over later in the week for Gran's funeral. It was a great party and cheered us both up. Should probably say- cheered us all up.

Tuesday.

I'm afraid we're going to be very busy over the next ten days or so. As a result, bloging may become a bit thin on the ground. In the meantime here is a rare snapshot of your blogger in working clobber, entering the forge/ potting shed, which also isn't going to see much work done therein for a few days.
Back soon, Mike.

Saturday 1.

Photo taken last Christmas. The lady on the bottom right shown surrounded (as she loved to be) by her family, is of Ann's mother, Great Gran Clayton, who passed away very peacefully at just after six o'clock this morning, with her son Timothy by her side. She will be much missed by all who knew her. Requiascat in pace, dear Gran.

Friday 8.

Ann paddling on beach in South Devon. Ann said the sea was not a bit cold. Also said that beach was very stony, so didn't stay in long. Helped her out, and lent her my handcherchief to dry off on, but she was glad to have had her annual paddle.

Friday 7.

Inn (the Tradesman's Arms) where (on Wednesday, I think) we had very good crab sandwiches for lunch.

Friday 6.

Blogger with Dartmoor in background.

Friday 5.

View of town Church from top of tower.

Friday 4.

Ann at top of tower.

Friday 3.

On Sunday afternoon climbed (via four flights of crumbling and increasingly steep medieval stairs) to the top of this tower, and took photoes.

Friday 2.

We did a little buying on the way down (pewter, brass, etc) and stayed Friday night in Wiltshire. On Saturday we stopped off at the above house where friends of ours live (not in the green one in the centre of the picture, but in the stone one to the right of it). They are dealers and we bought another couple of pieces of pewter, then drove on and arrived at Carol's cottage on Saturday afternoon. I think I'll tell the rest of the story now, then show more photoes later. I should start by explaining that Ann's mother has been having real health problems of late, and had gone into a respite care home in March (Cambridgeshire) for physiotherapy just before we set out. We had intended to stay at Carol's until this coming Sunday. Late 0n Thursday morning we got a panic call from the care home to say that Gran wasn't at all well. This was followed by another 'phone call from our daughter Kerry (who lives in March) to say that she'd visited Gran, who was very poorly, and that she thought we should return as soon as possible. Fortunately Carol had had the foresight to leave us her moblile phone number, so we were able to put her in the picture, and she was very understanding, bless her. We then packed and eventually hit the road at 1 p.m. yesterday. We got into March at 7 p.m. and found Ann's three brothers with Gran and spent the evening with them. Granddaughter Laura (Kerry's daughter) had booked us into an hotel in the centre of March so that we slept there, then spent this morning with Gran. She was eventually removed to Peterborough Hospital this afternoon, Laura going in the ambulance with Gran. Ann's brother Tim will be visiting Gran this evening, and will then fetch Laura home. There's a lot to be said for families at a time like this. I should perhaps explain that Gran's problems seem to stem from quite bad dehydration (and being nearly a hundred and two doesn't help). Don't feel I'm telling this very coherently and must put this down to us both being very tired after our journeyings. More tomorrow, D.V.
It's good to be home, though. Goodnight all.

Friday 1.

The last few days have been very hectic. Last Friday (a week ago today) we set out to housesit in Devon for Carol, a cousin of Ann's. I took the above photo when stuck in traffic on the M25 (where else?). I had spotted, in the nearside lane a lorry which claimed to contain the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Well, ordinarily I don't doubt the truthfullness of large lorries, but it did seem to me that even if it did contain the Royal Philhamonic Orchestra, it really wasn't big enough to contain their instruments as well. On Saturday evening when we watched the last night of the Proms on Carol's Television, the Philharmonic Orchestra were playing, and this confirmed my view that it would have been impossible for the orchestra and their instruments to be contained in the one lorry; but then a possible solution to the mystery occurred to me - perhaps the orchestra runs TWO lorries, one for their instruments, and the other one for the Orchestra.

Sunday 9.

And, by special request from Lori, another view of the dog show.

Sunday 8.

The plant stall, which is invariably popular. Ann had donated several small pompom primula plants (which have been breeding like rabbits this year). There were seventeen stalls and competitions on display this year, but I imagine my readers have had all the rural festivities they can take, so will close my commentary on this year's Deanery Fete with the news that the Dean announced, at this morning's Service (held in the Deanery Gardens), that the profits from the combined fete and dog show this year would be in excess of £3,000. This will go mainly to the upkeep of the Church, and was welcome news, as it is much needed.

Sunday 7.

Tea tables on the terrace outside the tea tent.

Sunday 6.

The brindled greyhound in the picture took First Place in the dog show.

Sunday 5.

Part of the dog show.