Sunday 1

Been a pleasantly hectic weekend. Sarah, Mikey, Amelia (19), and Guy (11), accompanied by the two cocker spaniels, Ruby and Mango, arrived on Friday evening for the weekend. The above photo shows Guy, having volunteered to help Granny in the kitchen, was given the job of cleaning out the saucepan in which the topping for a chocolate cake had been made, and is shown, very generously offering his Mama a taste.
On Saturday morning we all walked down to the showground where the Annual Agricultural show was being held.
The next photo shows two very well groomed creatures in the main ring. Never found out which of them won a rosette but feel sure that one of them must have done.

In the craft tent one of the exhibitors was displaying cakes she had made, and I couldn't resist taking a shot of this very fine cake decoration.

Must include Suffolk Punch horses in a blog about a Suffolk show, and this snap shows a mare and her foal.

This snap shows grandchildren Amelia and Guywith their Grandpapa.

The above three pictures are of turnouts for the driving competition.

Son in law Mikey, grandson Guy and instructor, trying six shots at the archery display.

Your blogger about to score a bull's eye (to everyone's astonishment - not least the blogger's). It was the only bull any of us scored, but my next five arrows were all in the target. Ah well, sometimes seniority is no disadvantage.

In the evening we drove across to Monks Eleigh, and had dinner at our favourite hostelry. Our good friend the landlady volunteered to take the above photo so that all of us were in it. Sarah, Mikey, etc., etc, had never been there and were very impressed with the place, as also were Amelia and Guy. Guy carefully ordered the same dinner as his grandfather had, and ate all of it (until we came to the pudding, which he ate half of, and then retired, replete, and rather somnolent). For the record we both had smoked whole sprats as a starter, Suffolk sausage and mash, with sweet and sour red peppers, then one of the best sticky toffee puddings ever! Can't really remember the rest of the order, except that Amelia and Mikey both had steak, and declared it was the best they'd ever tasted. Everything is prepared and cooked on the premises, and is mostly locally sourced. I even ordered a bottle of white wine grown and bottled at Lavenham. It would have compared favourably to a good, full bodied Moselle. As Mikey had beer, and both ladies were driving, most of the wine was drunk by Amelia and meself, with a little help from Guy.

After dinner, and before we drove home, took the above snapshot of evening sky at Monks Eleigh. In every sense a lovely evening.

Friday.

Probably shan't blog until after the weekend, as we will have senior daughter, her husband, two grandchildren, and two dogs staying with us, in order to go to our annual agricultural show tomorrow. Will try and take lots of photoes and show you them on Sunday (or more probably Monday).
The above photo was taken last Monday and shows the Market Square (or rather triangle) at Woolpit.

Thursday 2.

Ann took this snapshot through the car window earlier this week. It's somewhere near Felsham, I think. It looks rather like a child's drawing of a farmhouse.

Thursday 1.

Rained a good deal during the night. Garden was desparate for rain. Bright sunshine this morning though. Took above photo of stormy sky rather later this morning, I think about eleven. Didn't rain again though.

I seem to remember putting up a photo of this rosebush last year. Much more vigorous this year. It's a Ferdinand Pichard (similar to the old Rosa Mundi). It's a 'striped' rose, with a glorious scent when the sun's on it as it was early this afternoon.

Tuesday.

Set out just before eight this morning and motored over to Bury St. Edmund's where Ann had yet another eye 'check up' at hospital. All seemed fairly stable but they want another check up in two months. Then drove on to Littleport (Cambridgeshire) where I put an eighteenth century long case clock movement I've been working on (by Samuel Buxton of Diss) back into its original oak case. Had lunch with Ann's older brother, Mick. Then drove back to Ely where I combed the antique centre and purchased a powder flask by Sykes and a pair of early nineteenth century brass candlesticks. Walked round to tea shop in the Maltings, where we met up (and had tea with) daughter Kerry and granddaughter Laura. Ann's brother Mick then joined us and we spent forty five minutes or so catching up with family gossip around the tea table. Finally arrived home just after seven. Been a good, busy, day.
Took the above photo of a pre-Tudor farmhouse somewhere in the back lanes in the Lavenham area. Saw the place about a year ago, and been vaguely looking out for it ever since. Came round a corner earlier, and there it was waiting for us. Not sure I could find it again, though.
Been a long day, and got an early start tomorrow, so - Goodnight all.

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.