Sunday.

Garden's looking nice and colourful. Took above snap because Ann was about to change all the urns and hanging basket contents to their summer bedding plants, which she did this afternoon.

Above is roast chicken supper, with sage and onion stuffing and various veg. Ann bought chicken from Andrews, our local (and very good) butcher's shop. When we moved here (seventeen years ago) there were two butcher's shops. The other one was a very old established family butcher who rejoiced in the name of Mr. Pierpoint. There was a standing joke about him that his meat was very well hung, but you had to be of a certain age to get the joke. Pierpoint's shop has (since Mr. Pierpoint's death) been sold on, which leaves Andrews as the senior (and better) butcher's shop. For pudding we had locally grown strawberries and cream. Ann's just gone up to bed, so I'd better follow. Good night All.
P.s. For the benefit of my younger readers (if any) the joke about Mr. Pierpoint's well hung meat is that a Mr. Pierpoint (another one I hope) was, for some years, the hangman. Slightly black humour. Sleep well.

Friday 2.

The above flowers look, at first glance, as if the daffodils are trying again; but, in fact, are aqillegias showing what variety they are capable of. Ann's just called down my cellar steps to remind me that we are due to go and indulge in 'drinks and nibbles' with the committee of the Ansell Club, so will now have to knock off again, and go and imbibe-and nibble- and socialise.

Friday 1.

Yesterday motored over to Woolpit to have lunch with Ann's cousin Sheila. Stopped off in village to take photo of above cottage, which we(about twenty years ago) eventually didn't buy. Also took photo of fine old house below which has the look of having been the town Guildhall (???) at some time.

Above snap shows Ann and her cousin Sheila outside Sheila's house. Should perhaps add that Ann and Sheila are first cousins (once removed), and that Sheila and I are about third or fourth cousins (via Great Grandmother Fuller for the benefit of family historian Crowbard). Whilst Sheila prepared lunch (main course- pork in a sweet-and-sour sauce) I checked out her grandfather clock, which I have been ministering to for over forty years, and her late mother's mantle clock, with which I have been intimately aquainted for about as long. Spent lunch (and the next hour or so) picking up the threads, and swapping any news of increasingly far flung relations.
Bloggery seems to have been switching itself on and off regularly over the last twenty four hours, so had better make the most of the fact that it seems to be having a lucid moment at present. Back in a min.

Wednesday.

Walking into town this morning took the above photo of climbing roses on a friend's house.

Sky scape this evening (above).
Supper - salmon steak with dill and vegetables.

Followed by 'quick pudding' which Ann 'knocked up' (her own description) consisting of a small (mild) lemon mousse, topped with strawberries and cream. Light, summery, supper.  Very nice, too.

Goodnight All.

Tuesday.

Showing the top picture for the especial benefit of our good friend Terry Turk. It shows the present state of the sink garden she gave us.

Been a lovely, sunny day, with high winds and flying white clouds (as shown above, of course); but warm enough to have had breakfast and lunch in the garden.
Spent most of today in the workshop and forge working on two of the items (one lot) purchased at Bonham's a fortnight ago. One a long miquelet flintlock gun, and the other a flintlock (miquelet again) Turkish rifle. Both now in good working order, but still in need of a good deal of tidying up and cleaning (probably tomorrow). Talking of which, tomorrow Ann's taking early service, and I'm reading both lessons, which I need to go up and have a look at. So - Goodnight all.

Monday.

On Friday afternoon we motored across to the South Midlands to spend the weekend with senior daughter Sarah, her husband Mikey, and their four children. Above is Guy (who is eleven) and is on his way out for his weekly game of golf with his other grandparents.

Above are some of the ladies of the household, Sarah, Lucy, mango (one of the cocker spaniels - the other one is Ruby) and senior granddaughter Sophie.

Took this one when we got home this morning. It's the first rose of summer (to be sung in a quavering tremolo - no, sorry, that's the LAST rose of summer).

Snapshot of garden near the back gate.

During the weekend spent some time repairing and adjusting a Norfolk long case clock, ably assisted by grandson Guy (he passed me clockpins, and hammers, and other tools of my trade, usually before I asked him). During the weekend played two games of scrabble (the four adults - though the two senior granddaughters would disagree with this description as they, too, are adults -21 and 19). Mikey easily won the first game, and I just scraped home first in the second game, six points ahead of Sarah. Very pleasant relaxed weekend.

Headed for home this morning. We'd originally planned to meet up for lunch in Bury St. Edmund's with Ann's brothers and their partners, but heard last night that the youngest of the family, Tim, was due in hospital this morning for an emergency examination of his private insides, so the lunchtime get together was cancelled. Since we've been home Tim has 'phoned to tell Ann what the trouble is, but she says that as it's Tim's PRIVATE insides, and as he reads this blog, I am not to say (although they're trying to treat it with antibiotics - which astonishes me). Anyway Tim, if you read this we do wish you a speedy rcovery to good health and to whatever passes for normality in your case. It sounds a ghastly, painful, business, and you are in our thoughts and prayers. Goodnight and God bless you. (Which good wishes I extend to all my readers.)

Thursday.

Aquilegia (or granny's nightcaps) at their best.

Wednesday.

Been a busy day. Got up at six to go to an antique fair at Long Melford, and found there'd been a frost overnight. We'd bought a couple of trays of bedding plants in Long Melford on Saturday, and been told by supplier not to put them out until danger of frost was past. Fortunately we put them in the potting shed last night, so I think they've survived the frost. Loaded car (had to scrape frost off the windscreen first) then set off. Good antique fair. Sold reasonably well, but - more importantly- bought well - two pieces especially, which I'm looking forward to researching.
 Bedtime now - but before that:-  photo is of Bildestone, taken a couple of weeks ago.
Goodnight All.

Monday.

Been a lovely day, largely thanks to fellow blogger Z. and her husband R., who had invited us and and about a dozen or so fellow bloggers to lunch and a wall party. Should perhaps explain that the party was to celebrate the completion of a large and complicated garden wall, built by themselves and a fellow blogger Dave (who was also present). We set out for Norfolk (they live just over the county border, about forty five miles from us) at about 11 a.m., and arrived in their village at about 15 minutes past noon. As the party invitation was for 12.30 p.m. we went and had a look round their Church (about three hundred yards from their home) at which Z. is organist. When we went back to their home, our host was waiting in the garden for us and showed us in. Their home is mainly 16th century and is a comfortably welcoming house, having been in their family for some generations. When we'd all arrived we were taken to inspect the wall. It is built of hand made bricks, with several earlier inserts. In a few years that wall will look as if it had grown there. Then back to the kitchen, where our hosts handed us plates, cutlery and a napkin apiece and invited us to help ourselves. We all trouped round the kitchen table, where a fine selection of hot meats, sausages, and vegetable dishes were laid out, and availed ourselves of the invitation to help ourselves. It was a gorgeous meal (one of my grandsons, Matthew, would call it a banquet). We were then offered a choice of puddings, Queen of puddings, bread and butter pudding, and sticky toffee pudding. This was so difficult a choice that we could only see one possible solution - yes dear reader, you are quite right- we both had a little of each. This was followed by a cheese board, and coffee. Conversation was general, but of course mainly about blogging. We were mostly familiar with each other's blogs, or at least their blog comments, and it was interesting to see how nearly we had imagined these other bloggers. One of the most generally heard remarks was "What name do you blog under ?", although sometimes we had a pretty fair idea anyway. The party broke up at about four p.m., which I think is about right for a lunch party. Altogether it had been a very interesting and enjoyable day.

On the way home made a slight detour and took the above photo of a house that I visited occasionally in the sixties. It is easily as pretty as I remember it; in fact in my opinion it's one of the loveliest homes in Suffolk

Drove home via the town of Eye (in Suffolk) and took this photo of the castle remains.

I've just read over this blog, and in view of the quoted question "What name do you blog under?", I think I should make it clear that our names really are Mike and Ann. When I started this blog four years ago (as reminded on the 'phone a few days ago by Godson Edward) it seemed less likely to lead to confusion if we used our own names.

Must end this by saying :-  Many, many thanks for a lovely day Z. and R., or rather, in view of the above remark, Zoe and Russell.

Sunday.

Good, busy day. Both in choir at Family Eucharist this morning. Took car so we were able to have coffee in Church, come home, have sandwich lunch, and back to St. Mary's by one p.m. to Steward at Art Exhibition (part of time there Sheila and I finished off yesterday's Telegraph Prize Crossword). Looked for watercolour of cottages near church we'd seen, and liked, at the preview. couldn't find it. Ann said she thought it must have  been sold - oh well - he who hestitates is -or rather 'has' in this case- lost. Home at about 3.30p.m and Ann presented me with watercolour of cottages which she'd bought for me, bless her. Quick afternoon nap for both of us, then I got on with clock I mentioned yesterday (job still going reasonably well) until supper - beef stew with fivespice- delish!! Quick game of scrabble, then downstairs for blogging.

Snapshot is of flowers and herbs (parsley and chives) picked by Ann in the garden.
Goodnight all.

Saturday 1.

Been a busy day. Yesterday evening we went to the preview of our annual art exhibition in St. Mary's. This morning finally slapped into a job I've not been looking forward to, and, as often happens when a dreaded job is finally attempted, it went well. This afternoon we were both stewarding at the art exhibition. Afterwards we just had time to motor over to the best nurseryman in the area and buy bedding plants. He is very protective of his young plants though, and told us we were not to plant them out for another three weeks until ALL danger of late frosts is past. So they'll have to live in the potting shed till then. Mem. MUST remember to water them. Home, then to workshop again, and resumed work on dreaded job. Again went well. Supper, then a game of scrabble. Ann wiped floor with me, eventually scoring a seven letter word onto a triple, scoring a personal best of a hundred and one points, and winning the game eventually by over sixty points. Between us we made over 700 points. Brilliant game.
Should have said :- above snapshot is of a red double hawthorn tree (flowers are double, that is) about fifteen yards from our back gate. Been a good year for may generally - now in full bloom. Nearly bedtime, I think, so - Goodnight All.

Friday 1.

This last photo of our visit to the Tower of London shows the chapel inside the White Tower. This was found to be necessary as so many guests in the White Tower eventually required the Last Rites.

Thursday 2.

This photo was taken yesterday in front of the London Wall, and shows Tuva, Freja, the Emporer Trajan, and Granny Ann.

When I was a young man (well, alright then, a younger man), and explored the Tower of London, this small armour was described as having been made for  Queen Henrietta Maria's dwarf, Jeffrey Hudson. The experts have now changed their collective minds and say that it was made for a three year old boy. How nice that, even in the sixteenth century, our moneyed classes were so protective of their young.
As you can see I had to aim my camera over the shoulder of a young lady, and this reminds me of another incident in the White Tower yesterday that rather pleased me (and amused daughter Ruth) :- I stood aside to allow a file of French Schoolgirls (mid teens and in a two by two 'crocodile') to go past. One of them looked at my whiskers and said something in french to her companion, who glanced up at the hirsute adornment, giggled, and said "Ooh La La !".
I've always wanted to hear someone say Ooh La La!

Good night All.

Thursday 1.

Busy day yesterday; as Ruth and her daughters were staying with Lizzie in London until Saturday, we motored down to Lizzie's in the morning, arriving at about eleven thirty. Lizzie, Danny, and the children were all out at work/ school. Above photo, of Freya, rose tree, and Tuva taken in Lizzie's Garden.

This one, also taken in Lizzie's garden, is of Bryan, Tuva, and Freya (Strawberry).

Ruth served up a quick lunch, then the five of us took a tube train across London to Tower Hill. The above photo is of Ruth in front of the London Wall, the lower courses of which (the first eight or nine feet) are second century Roman, i.e. circa 200 A.D. The rest is medieval repair and heightening.

 

We then walked  a couple of hundred yards, over a small drawbridge, into the Tower of London,  through an arch, and the White Tower was before us. It's only when you see it in full sunshine, that you realise how fitting and descriptive the name is. It's a grim, well proportioned old building, built by William the first (also known as William the Norman, William the Conqueror, and William the Bastard), and completed somewhere about the year 1080, I think. After I'd told the girls these interesting facts, Ruth told them that the Normans, although we think of them as French, were, in fact, Norse men (quite rightly). As residents of Scandinavia, this pleased all three of them; and anyway, it's always good to have the facts straight, and anyway, we don't want the French getting above themselves, do we?    Must get on with some work now. More bloggery later , perhaps. 

Tuesday 2.

Photo of a corner of the garden (as per usual). Work's gone well today. Goodnight all.

Tuesday 1.

Photo of transplanted bonsai yew tree in new 'sink garden'

Can anyone tell me what this is ? (bet Judy- or Maggie- knows). The photo doesn't do the colour of the plant justice; it's more of a gentian blue. It looks almost like a cultivated dead nettle, but gives a lovely splash of an unexpected blue.

Ann has always wanted a thyme lawn, but as we don't have room for a lawn, we put three different sorts of 'creeping thyme' in a necessary join in the garden path. It's necessary because the path slopes down from the garden gate towards the house, and the earth and gravel filled gap acts as a soakaway when it rains (and grows thyme). We walk over it daily, and as our shoes brush it , it releases a thymey, herby, scent. Ann's idea - works well.
Being called up for supper. More later perhaps.