Monday.

Entertained six friends at  a  lunch party  today. We'd originally planned for four guests until yesterday morning in Church when  we spotted that two old friends, Liz and Richard, who we hadn't seen for a year or so,  were present. A few years ago Liz was a Curate here, one of the best we've ever had, and her husband farmed. He spent most of his time in France, where they now both live, although they keep a small flat (a pied a terre I think the correct expression is) in Ipswich.   After the service we cornered them and asked them to today's lunch, which they accepted. As Ann said to me afterwards: as she'd planned to make a pheasant casserole, just adding another bird to it would give us a quite sufficient lunch.  Top photo shows our dining table set for lunch (one of my jobs - plus sorting wines- and nipping into town for last minute bits).  We have a spare top for the table which clips onto the table and gives us about four inches more width and eight or nine inches more length, and which has been on the table since Boxing Day.

Above snapshot shows friends Colin (now very deaf, I'm afraid, as indeed am I; so we sat and bellowed at each other fairly satisfactorily), his wife Christine (who bust a leg recently, but is still hopping about very gamely), ex-curate Liz, and Jackie.  Below picture shows, to right, Richard, Liz's husband, and Martin, Jackie's husband.
Ann gave us pheasant casserole, vegetable bake (parsnips, onion, beetroot, and carrots; the beetroot baked separately, to avoid colouring the  rest bright red), creamed potatoes (which job I did, blokes having a bit more weight and muscle for bashing spuds), accompanied by a Cote de Rone.
This was followed by bread and butter pudding, made from the remains of a pannetonne left over from Christmas, with cream.  Then a fairly varied cheeseboard accompanied by a decentish port.  Ended the meal with coffee. We all had  a good deal of catching up to do, so spent unhurried time chatting  between courses. Party finally broke up about a quarter past four, which is about right for a winter lunch party, I think.

We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch party, as indeed, I hope and believe, did our guests.  A very pleasant day.