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.

Wednesday.

Got up early for early service this morning. Spent morning pottering around workshop. At 2p.m. drove to airport and (eventually) picked up Ruth and the girls. Got home about 6.30p.m. They're going to be with us for the next three weeks, which look like being thoroughly well filled weeks. Looking forward to it. Goodnight all.

End of Tuesday.

Ref previous entry. It was an excellent evening. The two ladies knew each other rather better than I had realised. Both couples were even more fun than I had remembered. The meal, as outlined earlier was excellent. Everyone had second helpings of the kedgeree. We had a cheeseboard lined up, but there were no takers. We ate just before six, lingered over the meal, realised it was getting dark outside, and that it was ten o'clock, the evening having flown past. The party broke up shortly afterwards, and everyone said how much they had enjoyed it, as had we. Goodnight all.

Still Tuesday.

Giving a meal to friends this evening. Two couples -both of whom we know well.. Unusual meal in that the two ladies are sort of cousins who've never really met. As one pair are shortly moving to France permanently they wanted to meet up before Liz and Richard depart. So we offered to host a meal. Ann 'phoned Judy and asked her whether she'd prefer lunch or dinner? Judy thought about it and said that what she really fancied was a High Tea, which she hadn't had in years. Afternoon tea? queried Ann. No, says Judy, High Tea. Well, we looked into the matter, and it seems that the definition of high tea varies regionally about the country. Oop North it seems that high tea must include a hot main dish, a cool sweet dish (jellies or a trifle) but must start off with sandwiches and conclude with fruit cake, preferably with a choice of cheese. Oh, and with a steady stream of tea to accompany it, and pork pies. Well, we don't intend to go to those riotous lengths. As it's a warm day, I've prepared a large jug of Pimms to drink in the garden before tea (they're getting here about 5p.m.) The main dish is a kedgeree - vide Irene, last Saturday evening, followed by a hot swiss trifle, followed by tea. Hope it goes well. I'm sure it will because they're all thoroughly nice people. I'm glad I said that because I've just remembered that Judy sometimes reads my blog. I'd better just flick through it and make sure I haven't dropped any clogs. No, it looks alright. More later, perhaps.

Tuesday.

Top -Skyscape. Lovely clouds, lovely morning.

Our friend Brenda, and Ann, having coffee in the garden, having first done a little gentle shopping in the town. Good day for it, I suppose. Although, being a bloke, I am no judge of what constitutes a good day for shopping.

Monday.

Having taken the previous picture, turned round and took this one, over gate, showing glimpse of one end of the mill pond.

Monday.

Photo of Layham Water Mill, with the Mill House.

On Saturday evening had a meal with friends. It was a lovely evening so before we ate sat in their (quite extensive) garden and shared a jug of Pimms. Eventually the eight of us went inside to eat. Perfect summer dinner. Smoked salmon starter, then roast gammon with excellent vegetables, then strawberries (with blueberries), then a first rate cheese board, followed by coffee/tea. We then sat around the table talking. This arrangement (i.e. instead of the drawing room) suited two of us (both in the same lip reading class) very well. It's so much easier to see/hear people around a table. A memorably good evening. Yesterday to London to view Christie's Arms and Armour sale. Disappointing generally but have arranged to make telephone bids on a couple of items. Grandson Matt did his usual brilliant job of guiding his grandfather around London, carrying briefcase and finding and marking the lots in the catalogue. We then took a taxi to the Olympia Antique Fair (I'd been given a freebie ticket for two). Met a good many old friends and aquaintances. Rather to my surprise Matt thoroughly enjoyed the fair. He said he found it interesting to see the sheer variety of things that are considered collectable. Under Matt's guidance took a 'bus back to Liz's. Danny made supper (a very good chicken curry with rice) followed by ice cream. My contribution was a bottle of wine I'd bought on the way back. Then drove home in the cool of the evening, making detour to stop off and take photoes of the above water mill when a few miles from home. Been a lovely weekend

Saturday.

Snapshot of our tiny garden.
This morning we went into town, collected parcel, ordered flowers for our hostess this evening -going out to supper with friends. I know it's the done thing these days to take a bottle of wine for the host, but taste in wine is such an individual thing that I think it's a bit presumptuous to think he'll like just the same as I do, so I usually just take decent flowers for our hostess. Played scrabble this afternoon. Managed to fit four games into the two hours we play. Didn't win any of them, but came a fairly close second in all four games. Very enjoyable indeed. Walking home met the granddaughter of a friend of ours. It was a lovely day, and she stopped for a natter, which was nice. So many teenagers seem very shy and just grunt at one, so that it was a real pleasure to have a civilised conversation with one of the younger generation (early twenties, I should think). Five p.m. now, so just time for a nap to freshen up ready for this evening. More later perhaps.

Friday.

P.s. This image of Dame Margrett Tylney lies on the top of the tomb mentioned below.
Cheers, Mike.

Friday.

And finally (for today, anyway) above inscription on tomb in church below. Rather sad. Philip Tylney, Esquier, sounds a lonely man.

Friday.

Village Church near Chapel House, below.

Friday.

Chapel House, in a village a few miles away from us. Don't know why it's called Chapel House, it's about a hundred yards away from the village church. Perhaps it was the priest's house ?

Tuesday.

Snapshot of lupins in a corner of the garden.

This morning we set out to motor to Gran's. Stopped off at Sandy and Irene's in Newmarket. Dropped off a blanket they had left in the car after G. & S. Had a quick coffee with them, then on to Mick C's, where his two daughters were busy sorting out their mother's wardrobe, Ann had promised to help. The majority to go to charity. Ann took various nightdresses, frocks etc. on to Gran's (she and Erica were much of a size). Had lunch (Ann had taken a beef casserole with us), Gran provided pudding (apple crumble). They had a trying on/fashion parade after lunch. Left just after four, and back to Mick's, having bought a pork pie and a chocolate cake for him on the way, which he shared with us for tea. Did a quick running repair on his long case clock; by guesswork, but it seemed a good guess, because it appears to have done the trick. On the way home, near Newmarket, saw a large dog fox. They seem to have become very bold since hunting them became illegal. Got an early start a.m. so off to bed now.
Goodnight all.

Sunday.

Snapshot of a clock movement I recently worked on. I wonder if anyone can spot something a little unusual about the dial?

Yesterday afternoon we motored over to Newmarket and had a meal with our friends Sandy and Irene. They gave us what I think was the best kedgeree we had ever tasted, and a salad; followed by lemon merangue pie with cream. Then we all got in our car and went over to Swaffham Bulbeck to see a performance of The Mikado. The Swaffham Bulbeck Gilbert and Sullivan Society annually puts on a performance (three nights) at this time of year, and people come from all over East Anglia to see it. We spoke to one person last night who had come from Brighton for the performance. The one caveat that might be entered is the usual one with G.and S. performances in village halls, which is that these days most of the performers are far older than the characters they are portraying. Some of the chorus of Japanese nobles looked almost as if they might have been trained by Sir Arthur Sullivan himself!! However the music they gave us was as good as ever, and they managed to bring out all the wacky humour of these immortal operettas. A young man a few seats from us was giggling all the way through the Tit Willow song; and indeed the very idea of a tough cooky like Katisha being influenced by a song about a suicidally love-lorn tomtit is typical of the dotty absurdity of the whole play. And I must place on record my suspicion (despite Koko's statement that 'he knew the bird personally') that what he says was a little tomtit plunging himself into the billowing wave because of unrequited love, might well have been a kingfisher going after his midday meal? Ah well, it was a lovely evening and if ever I learn of the existence of a Society for the Protection and Preservation of Provincial Gilbert and Sullivan Societies I might well make a modest contribution to their funds. There, see, I've been so influenced by the Mikado that I'm writing rather like Pooh Bah speaks. One last observation on last night's entertainment : In Pooh Bah's song 'I've got them on my list' a verse is traditionally left blank which can be devoted to modern 'society sinners'. Well, last night the whole of the song was devoted to to the wrongdoings of our present members of parliament and the expenses scandal. And very neat verses they were, too. That song was cheered to the echo. Oh well, I've been waffling on far too long about last night's entertainment (though not longer than it deserved). So - Goodnight All.

Friday.

Roses, roses, all the way...... Ann snapped this white rambler taking over a wall of our bank car park.


Motored over to Stowmarket this morning for a haircut. My barber there is a friend. He collects early weaponry, which gives us a subject in common, and anyway, he's the best barber in this area. I wish I could find someone a bit nearer but Ann says he does a first rate job on me, so it's worth the petrol. Ann spent most of today working at the Ansell Club. I've mentioned it before. It provides a very good lunch for the elderly of our town at very reasonable rates. The daft thing is that most of the volunteer helpers/organisers are more elderly than most of the customers!! I've been busy this evening making a four poster bed (for a doll's house). If I'm not careful I'll find I've changed meself from an antiquarian horologist into a toy maker. Still, it keeps me off the streets, and I enjoy a challenge. Nearly bedtime. So : goodnight all.

Thursday.

More roses climbing over a neighbour's garden fence. This morning we went to vote in both local elections and E.U. elections. Outside the polling station (our local Church School) two men with blue rosettes accosted us and wanted to see our voting cards. "Are you Conservatives?" I asked them. "Yes". they said. "Well given what's been coming out about expenses claimed by politicians, I'd be ashamed to belong to any one of the three major parties" I replied. "So I think you should both be ashamed of yourselves". Neither of them had a word to say for themselves. Ann said afterwards that I shouldn't have made a personal verbal attack on them - they weren't M.P.s, and I sort of knew what she meant, but we've all been feeling rotten about the political scandal, and I think it's time we started letting the political types know what we think of them instead of grumbling about it among ourselves. I felt better for letting them know my opinion of them and their masters. SO THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On reflection I think that Mike was right .After all we have been hearing during the past few weeks it seems that all parties are tarred with the same brush. We need some good honest and true people to serve us not FLEECE US. Ann.

Thursday.

Wild roses (or dog roses) near our war memorial. These are pale pink, but they can range from a coral pink through to a paper white. For the information of our transatlantic friends who have wild yellow roses.

Wednesday.

Since we've been here we've wanted to have frogs in our small pond. Last year we put frogspawn in the pond. Nothing happened, but it was a bad year for frogs generally we were told. This year we were given some tadpoles for the pond - haven't seen anything of them since. Yesterday evening about 9p.m. spotted this fellow in our pond, so perhaps they've found it by themselves without any assistance from us. Hope so anyway. Goodnight all.

Tuesday.

Just seen Ann off to her PCC meeting (on her bicycle), and had to have a snapshot of this rose.

Tuesday.

Photo is of a handsome walled garden seen in the midlands the weekend before last. Been very busy the last few days getting things ready for Long Melford tomorrow. All in hand now, I think. Ann's just off out to a meeting of the parochial church council, and I've still got one or two jobs I can be getting on with in my workshop. Goodnight all.