Been a good, busy day. At 7.30 a.m. to early service, then on to Doctor's appointment - usual six monthly check up, blood pressure, heart, etc. My Doctor is a good chap, but an awful worry-mutton. Still, good to see him; he was looking quite well. Took above photo of our Church tower and steeple when walking back to the car. From this angle the steeple always looks rather twisted. If you embiggen it you will see what I mean, I think.
Then motored over to Ely. Above snapshot showing beginning of autumn colours taken en route, somewhere near Lavenham.
Met up with Barbara and Alan on waterside at Ely. Does anyone remember that in the seventies a good many people said they intended, when they retired, to drive overland to India, or even further east in a Landrover or similar. Well, Barbara and Alan were the only ones to do that, or nearly that. When they retired about ten years or so ago, Alan used part of his retirement package (not sure if that's the right term) to buy a rather handsome mobile home, in which, every year since, they have driven south every late October, to Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and other sunny, southern, countries. Should perhaps digress slightly here and explain that from birth Ann and Barbara were next door neighbours (this means in Norfolk fen terminology that they lived in farmhouses about 400 yards from each other, but were, even then, 'next door neighbours'), and were 'best friends'. So every year since their retirement, we have met up once every summer. As I've said they head south in late autumn, and usually return to their permanent home about April/May time. Unusual lifestyle, but it seems to suit them. We had lunch at the Boathouse in Ely (which I thoroughly recommend), caught up on all the family news (from both sides - theirs and ours- only ours takes longer as we have a good many more descendants than they have), then walked along the river to the Waterside Antique Centre, where, I'm glad to be able to report, I purchased half a dozen pieces of stock. We took our leave of them until next year ('if spared' as my grandmother would have said) at about 3.30p.m., had a final look round the antique centre, then had a pot of tea and a scone apiece at a nearby tea shop, and started for home ourselves.
Took the above snapshot of sunlit Suffolk fields and woods, from the nearside car window, when nearing home at a little after five o'clock in the late afternoon (note the length of the shadows on the fields). Altogether it's been a lovely relaxed day.
Goodnight All.
5 comments:
There's that fantastic blue sky again!
That does sound like a rather lovely day, other than the trip to the doctors. Glad your doctor passed the consultation.
Hi Mike,Hello Ann,
There appears to be good reason for your church spire looking twisted from that angle - it's probably still fairly safe but some movement in the main timbers has happened - probably slowly over centuries. Some of this may be due to that massive bell which seems to have caused the timbers above it to bow outwards, there is also a slight twisting of the top third of the spire which may result from the leads expanding and contracting more vigourously on the South side where the sun's heat is strongest.
Compared to St Mary & All Saints at Chesterfield which has a 45 degree twist and leans 9 feet 6 inches out of true there appears to be little to cause concern but it may be worth considering having a specialist buildings surveyor check out the joints and geometries of the spire timbers,especially the bell frame. Glad your Doc is OK, follow his good example! But if you can't keep fit - keep merry.
Hello Liz. Thank you, it was a lovely day, and the sky really was that East Anglian blue; I think perhaps it has something to do with the sheer breadth of the skies we get in the east of England.
The only thing I don't much like about visiting my Doctor, is that he will introduce unpleasant topics like losing weight, and cutting down on salt and alcohol, and all this, I'll trouble you, in front of my wife, who, to do her justice, assured him that I drink only in moderation (wherever that is). Still, I can't really hear what he says, so I just smile and nod at him, and that seems to keep him happy.
Hello Carl. I think you may be right about the bell. It is the earliest church bell in Suffolk, dating from around the year 1280, and has been for some centuries the clock bell. It's an old beauty!
Oh Mike, moderation is not the name of a hostelry or drinking establishment(although it would be an excellent name for a pub), consider the word's structure, mode ration. It means you should drink a ration or measure comparable to the mode i.e. the same as everyone else drinks, I fear you have a lot of catching up to do... enjoy!
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