Thursday, New Year's Eve.

Just nipped upstairs from my workshop and found Ann busy finishing off a woolly jacket for Great Granddaughter, Elsa; so I took the above snapshot - looked very domestic.

This blog entry is to wish all our readers a very Happy New Year - 2016  from us both.

                                                  _______________________________

Sunday.

These four photos were all taken on Boxing day, when Sarah, her husband Mikey, their four children, and one grandchild, spent the day with us; as did our son, Jonathan, and his partner Jude. Lunch was a cold meal, consisting of cold meats, cooked by Ann, and carved and arranged by me. They consisted of baked gammon, sausages in sliced bacon, and roast turkey breast. There was also roast vegetables, salad, and a large cheese board. Together with puddings, and fruit. As our table couldn't take eleven of us, everyone was given a plate, and expected to help themselves, which they did, and find somewhere to sit and eat. Actually things organised themselves to some extent, in that the teenagers took over the kitchen, and the adults gravitated through to the sitting room. The baby, great granddaughter Astrid, seemed to be able to go where the pickings were richest. As she doesn't yet walk, or crawl to any extent, I'm still not sure how she managed this - probably hitched lifts from whoever was going for refills.

Above shows senior daughter Sarah, with three of her four, left to right, Lucy, Guy, and Sophie.

Above is Guy ensconced in a corner of the kitchen, and obviously feeling that he's made a good choice of venue, and is about to make a good choice of provender.

Sarah took the above snapshot of Ann and meself, the senior generation.  It was a very pleasant day, enjoyed by all (certainly by us).

Christmas Day.

Christmas Day. Went to Family Communion in Aldham Church, this morning. Took the above photo from the car. A farmhouse we've always admired. The Church was nearly full, and about fifteen children, with their parents, and grandparents, which was nice. Then home to lunch, picking up our lunch guest, Sylvia, on the way. Excellent lunch, then coffee/tea in the sitting room, until the Queen's speech at three p.m.  Then ran Sylvia home, about four p.m.

This evening I went out to check the car before locking up, and realised (remembered) it was a full moon on Christmas day, so went and got the camera and took the above photo. Thin clouds driving across the moon  ( west wind), but the photo was reasonably clear. Pleased with it.

                                         Good Night, Everyone.
                                         ___________________

                                       

Christmas Eve 2015.

                                         
                                                         
                                             Mystery Object.
                                             _____________

Not really a mystery object, although it's a bit larger than usual - it's a good four inches long.
Please tell me what you think it is for; when, and where do you think it was made, and (this is the mystery bit) of what do you think it is made  (please be specific here)?

                                              ______________

We wish you all a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year, and send our warm regards to all our readers -
                                       Mike and Ann.

Thursday.

The run up to Christmas has been a thoroughly sociable one (including being asked to swell  the choirs at THREE carol services in our immediate area). Motored over to Monks Eleigh this morning and took the above snapshot of a dew pond beside the road. As you can see, it's a lovely, bright morning, considering today is Christmas Eve.

We've three different coloured Hellebore in flower, including the one photographed above. They really are justifying their old name of Christmas Roses this year.

There are also a good many periwinkle in flower.

Going to have to knock off now, as the computer is playing up. It only seems able to handle about three photoes at a time. Hopefully I'll be back in a minute with this week's Mystery Object.

Thursday.

Above and below are photographs of this week's  MYSTERY OBJECT. It is made in three parts, all of them cow horn, which screw together. Can you tell me please - what the object is, its purpose, when and where it was made (please be specific about 'where' - I do know where experts say these specific items were made, but I wonder about it a bit).  The below photo shows the item disassembled into its three component parts, which should make the guessing about its purpose easy, I think.

P.s. I bought it on EBay yesterday, and it was delivered today, which is good going I think, or rather good and speedy coming/delivery.
                                                                             

                                         Good guessing, and Good Night All.

Tuesday.

Been waffling lately about the number of unusual wildflowers to be seen in bloom in mid December; so, just for a change here are some garden flowers that are at present in bloom in the garden. Above, in a small, raised bed in the centre of our garden is a group of primula of different colours that we planted some few months ago, and which are still in full  flower. In the ground beneath them are tulip bulbs, which next March should give us a bed full of scarlet tulips.

Realised, yesterday evening, that growing over a low wall, is a clump of dianthus (carnation) which is still trying to flower. Took a shot in the dark, which flashed, and worked. Must check in the morning if they have scent.

                                        _____________________________________

I've shown pictures of this building before. It is our 'Row Chapel'. It was built, circa 1450, to serve the inhabitants of a nearby row of Almshouses, which it still does. This morning at eleven o'clock a service of nine lessons and carols was held in the Row Chapel. It was full to capacity, which turned out to be 52 people. No one could remember it ever being so full, and we all sang lustily (and were served mince pies and mulled wine after the Service).

 Below is a photo of  part of the row of Almshouses which the Chapel was built to serve. These, however, were largely rebuilt in the 1870s. It's nice that both the Alms Houses and the Chapel are still serving their original purpose.

                                                      Good Night All.

Saturday

This morning we, together with friend Hilary, motored over to Hollow Trees Farm Shop (the restaurant) where we met up with Jill and Ruth) for breakfast, which was, as usual, excellent. We rather lingered over it catching up on all the news (gossip). Took a slight detour on the way home to take snapshots of flowers I spotted earlier in the week (but was unable to take photos then owing to the fact that I'd left my camera on the kitchen table. The top photo is of primroses in flower, and the lower one of daffodils/narcissi.  Hilary told me that the latter flowers were not daffs but Jonquils, which are known to flower early. I'm about to google Jonquils and if I find that Hilary is right (she usually is) I'll add to this blog entry and confirm (so more later, perhaps).

P.s. Hilary appears to be right that the above flowers are Jonquils. However, I've just been searching Google, and can get no answer to a query about early flowering. In fact the only reference to their flowering period states that they flower in late spring. It seems strange, therefore,  to see them in full flower in mid December. Any comments about the usual flowering period of Jonquils would be gratefully received.

Sunday.

Been a good, busy week (so far). On Thursday we lunched with old friends of ours who live near Lavenham. Telling John (who is a keen gardener) about the wild violets in flower in our garden. John then took me into his garden and showed me, in a sheltered corner, primroses in flower !!! It's been a weird autumn.

 On Friday morning, which was a lovely, mild, sunny  morning had a walk through Saint Mary's Churchyard, and took these three snaps.

The Church above has the second longest nave in Suffolk (which is a county of fine, large churches). The longest nave in Suffolk beats us by about three and a half inches (I'm told - I've never measured them!)

                                  _____________________________________________

                                                  MYSTERY OBJECT.
                                                  __________________

The above and below object has TWO commonly used names, one of them is rather misleading. Can you tell me both of them, please. And also, what it is,  where it was made, when it was made, and any other details you can see from the two pictures.

     

                           ___________________________________________________

I foresee rather  a busy few days ahead, but I will answer any comments on the 'Mystery Object' whenever I find a few minutes to spare.

Goodnight All.

Wednesday

Took this picture back in September. Don't know why I didn't publish it at the time - perhaps it  didn't fit in with the narrative of that day. Anyway, I think it's a lovely picture of Granny Annie being enthusiastically hugged by Great Granddaughter Astrid, so here it is now.
                                     
                                              __________________

Been a busyish week so far, mainly getting things ready for today's Antique Fair at Long Melford. Much the same yesterday morning, but in the afternoon went into Ipswich to have a back tooth out. My own dentist didn't want to do the job because of the various medications I take for blood pressure and so on. He is a big custard and an utter wet!!  However I was eventually sent to a lady dentist in Ipswich who did the job with no trouble, little fuss and less blood. Ann was very impressed with her. So was I.

Today to Long Melford. Bought one or two bits, and sold a couple of guns, a sword and various bits and bobs.
Being called up to supper now, so Goodnight All.