Thursday.

 Going to have to precis this week- it's been eventful. As youngest daughter (who lives in London) together with her oldest daughter, Georgia,  is on the high seas in a ship called the Balmoral (I think) retracing the voyage of the Titanic, and as her two younger children, Matthew (19) and Beth (17) are home alone (well, there are two of them, but you know what I mean) we decided that we'd spend a few days in London with them. This would also allow me to view and attend Bonham's Arms and Armour auction. On Monday we caught the morning train at Manningtree Railway Station and arrived at Liverpool Street Station at about ten thirty a.m.
Then caught a 'bus to (or rather towards) Leicester Square and took above photo of St. Paul's Cathedral form the top deck thereof.

 Took above photo of 'The Norfolk Hero' after getting off the  same 'bus at Trafalgar Square. We'd arranged to have lunch with Ann's nephew William who has (among other interests) a wine bar (The Cork and Bottle) in  Leicester Square,  and as we'd just over an hour to spare, we wandered into Saint Martin in the Fields Church. Here we struck very lucky indeed for various musicians were rehearsing for a concert in the afternoon, and for nearly an hour we sat in a pew and listened to various scraps of music, and the occasional complete recital of a piece of music. Lovely. Below is a snapshot of the organ there.

Met up with William and had excellent lunch. Then another 'bus and a walk  to Knightsbridge, where we viewed most of  Wednesday's Auction. Then tube to somewhere near Chiswick High Street, where Beth and Matthew were busy preparing the evening meal. The really nice thing about our stay was that, although we'd gone prepared to look after the grandchildren, they'd had quite the opposite idea and did all the necessary cooking, although Beth did eventually allow Grannie Annie to assist with the preparation of Wednesday evening's meal. It just proves that if children and grandchildren are kept long enough they do come in useful.

On Tuesday morning we nipped back to Bonham's and completed our viewing, then (again by 'bus - and should stress that provincial senior citizens'  'bus passes are accepted without question in our Capital) out to Cambridge Circus and a short walk to Covent Garden Market. Above is a glimpse down a back alley somewhere near Covent Garden.

From almost  the same spot I took the above photo of a very beautiful and complicated sun dial. I think I'm going to have to complete this record of our visit to London tomorrow.
 But first- a memory of a former visit to the same area of  London. In the summer of 1963 we stayed in the Strand Palace Hotel - Ann's parents had stayed there before the war and recommended it as a good  hotel. We'd booked 'a nice quiet room at the back of the hotel' - I quote the booking clerk at the desk. It turned out that our room backed onto Covent Garden Market, which was then the major London fruit, vegetable, and flower market. The trouble was that the market (and a very noisy one it was too) started business outside our bedroom window at about three in the morning. After half an hour or so of deliveries by lorries, iron tyred market carts going over the cobbles, and the cries of costermongers extolling their wares, we got fed up, got up, walked round to the market and bought a huge bunch of flowers (very reasonably) to take to the aunt with whom we'd arranged to stay that evening in the midlands, and hit the road a good deal earlier than we'd originally intended.

More tomorrow (D.V.)    
Goodnight all.

Sunday.

Last Tuesday we went (by 'bus- courtesy of our senior citizens'  bus passes) into Ipswich to do a little shopping. I took ALL the above photos in one shop in the middle of Ipswich.  It is called the Ancient House, and is now the showroom and shop for a Firm called Lakeland Plastics. Remarkably well preserved 16th century house. Nice to think it's still in use.    Goodnight All.

Wednesday 2.

Sorry about that. To continue - Got home. Found Ann feeling better and getting up. Had breakfast, our usual porridge and an apple (pear in Ann's case) Then loaded toolbox and clock re-roping kit into car and drove to friend's home about fifteen miles away. Did necessary work to above photoed lantern clock on their landing. It is a good lantern clock by an Essex maker and was made in 1710 ( the bottom plate of the movement has been used by the original maker as an engraving practice plate and has the date engraved twice, his name (which is also well engraved on the dial) and the date 1710 in different scripts, also some stylised flowers). Left it in good working order again and had lunch with Penny and Hugh, our hosts/friends. We had kedgeree, salad,  accompanied by a bottle of a dryish white wine, and then a cheese board with the coffee. Then back to work, and respliced the rope on a good Suffolk made thirty hour oak  longcase clock. Left at about three thirty with both clocks ticking (and striking) away confidently.  Came home via Lavenham, feeling tired, but  satisfied that a good day's work had been done- always a pleasant feeling.  Goodnight all.

Wednesday 1.

Ann's asthma not good this morning, so left her in bed and went to early service. Walking into town found my way was blocked by Police tapes and three Police officers. Noticed one wall of Lloyd's bank was smashed in with a large J.C.B. abandoned in the road, realised that the large hole in the brickwork was where Lloyd's cash point used to be.Young lady policeman directed me to walk round the long way to Church. This organised raid on a bank had happened in the small hours in a small Suffolk market town. Bit too close to home!!!!! After early service didn't stay to breakfast, and when I'd walked home found Ann a good deal better and just getting up. Asthma problem hasn't returned today I'm glad to say. Just lost a picture. More in a minute.

Monday.

To continue yesterday's blog, after Libby Jeans's baptismal service in Terrington Saint John's Church yesterday, refreshments were served, also in the church. Above photo shows the younger generation of the family tucking into the refreshments. Ann's brother Tim is Libby's grandfather and the Churchwarden here.

 

The above snapshot shows Libby Jean being given her refreshments by her maternal Grannie, being watched admiringly by an Auntie, a great Aunt, and a Great Grannie.

We left these scenes of revelry at about a quarter to six, and drove home via Upwell, pausing to take the above and below photos of Upwell Church. We didn't go in, but it has (in my opinion) the second best Angel Roof in England. The best one is a few miles away in Saint Wendreda's Church at March in Cambridgeshire.

We then drove on to Welney, where we stopped in the churchyard for Ann to plant some Lilies-of-the-Valley on her mother's grave. They were her favourite flowers. We got home just after half past eight o'clock.  It had been a long but very satisfying day.
Good Night all.

Sunday.

This morning, for a change (and also because we had to fit a lot into the day), we split our resources. Ann stayed at home (also because, being Easter Sunday we knew the Church would be full of lilies, which invariably  trigger Ann's asthma)   and cooked lunch, whilst I took the car, drove to the top of town, and picked up one of our choir members who is unable to walk to Church. Drove back to Church and sung in choir. After service drove Sylvia home. Then home, had lunch (roast chicken) then, pausing only for Ann to take snapshot of your blogger, back into car and drove up to North Norfolk (Terrington Saint John Church, to be exact) where our newest great niece Libby Jean was to be baptised.

Also, just before setting out, felt compelled to take below photo of Ann's best hat on top of fruit bowl, from which green apples appear to be peeping out. Photo wasn't posed, but seemed to me to have a slightly sinister quality - don't quite know why.

Below photo taken by Ann in Terrington St. John Church, and shows great niece Libby with her parents. Should perhaps explain that Libby is Ann's youngest brother Tim's eldest daughter's second child - All clear?

Think I'll have to do this episode of blog in installments. Therefore more tomorrow.

 Goodnight all.

Friday.

Herewith, as promised, photograph of Southwold Jack shown the right way up. I've been talking to Nea (second daughter) and she has been telling me of ways to  control the computer and make it behave.
 Back to Southwold Jack. If you enlarge the photo you should be able to see that he is a correctly turned out man-at-arms of the late 15th century. He is red-eyed and unshaven because he has been up all night striking the hours on the clock bell. He is the kind of fresh faced young countryman you can still frequently see in our area. He is mounted high up on the west wall inside Southwold Church.

Took the above photo at about noon yesterday at Southwold looking north.

Spent most of today cleaning a pair of five foot gilded oak candlesticks (gesso work) from St. Mary's Church, at the request of the Dean. They were covered in generations of dust and wax drippings. Been hard work, but they look better now.

Good night all.

Thursday.

This morning we motored up the coast to Southwold, to  meet eldest offspring Sarah, her husband Mikey, and their two youngest children, Lucy and Guy. Parked (with luck) and difficulty, Southwold being chocker - i.e. chock/choke full, Lori; then walked to small restaurant, Coasters,  passing on the way above small cottage with cat asleep in sunshine. Lovely day with east wind with just that touch of North in it that makes our east coast so 'bracing'.  Met up at restaurant as planned and had excellent lunch, for which Sarah and Mikey insisted on paying, bless them. 

Then walked to Market place, where Lucy had seen a basket stall, and where she purchased a basket she'd  seen earlier and liked. I'm sorry that the next photos aren't in the right order, or, in the next photo, even in the right position. This is largely because it's fairly late, I've had a lovely (but heavy) day, and seem unable to make this machine behave.   Still, I'm fairly certain that you'll be able to sort out what I'm trying to say. Walked to church (last photo) to show the descendants (the youngsters that is) Southwold Jack (below photo). He is a very well preserved 'clock Jack', built around the year 1480 to strike the hours on the church clock bell, from which he became detached  some centuries ago, but is now allowed to strike the bell to announce the beginning of services. Explained all this to family when the Church attendant (ver elderly, but very bright lady) who approached us at the end of my lecture, agreed with all of it and made my day by asking if I'd like to pull the rope and make him strike, which task I, of course, sprang to. She then asked Guy if he'd like to do the same, which he did assisted by his father. I've known, and admired Southwold Jack for sixty years or so, and never seen him perform, let alone making him strike!!!!!  Tomorrow, when I'm feeling a bit more inventive, I'll try and make him stand upright.

You'll be wondering, no doubt, what the below picture of an early victorian bowl is doing in a blog about a day out in Southwold? The answer is, of course,  not much, except that on our way home we turned off onto the back lanes, went through Yoxford, where Ann spotted the bowl in an antique shop we know, and fell for it. So I bought it for her as a memento of a lovely day out.
                                         Goodnight All.

P.S. Above photo shows back view of oldest daughter Sarah, and her family walking towards Southwold Church.

Wednesday.

Been a good, busy day today, having spent a good deal of it (after a very early start) at an antique fair in Long Melford.
Further to yesterday's thoughts on free range sausages I wish to register my doubts about the frequently used   term 'organic vegetables'. The word organic is totally unnecessary in conjunction with the word 'vegetables'. All vegetables are organic, however grown.  Whoever heard of an inorganic vegetable???? It seems to me to be bordering on tautology............thinks: 'not really strong enough words. Oh yes, I know ............. SO THERE!!!!!

I am aware of what people (think they) mean when they use the term 'organic'; but I would be interested to hear the views of people who disagree with me (or even anyone who agrees with me, if any such there be). As I said recently to a friend:-  'I seem to be turning into a  Victor Meldrew these days',   and that would never do.

P.S. Both the above photos were taken a few days ago in Bury St. Edmund's.

Good night.

Tuesday.

Yesterday (I must interrupt meself here to say that I started out - nearly five years ago now- to keep this blog as a sort of journal, and now I seem to be permanently a day or so in arrear).
As I was saying, yesterday I was about to walk into town to do various odd jobs, and as I was leaving I called out to Ann "Is there anything I can get you from town?"  "Yes" she said "bring me four sausages please."     Well, that sounds a fairly easy commission, you'd think; well within your blogger's capability. Well it was, in a sense. But when I'd completed the odd jobs, and finally stepped into the butcher's shop and ordered four sausages as requested, I found it wasn't at all simple because there were choices to be made. Did I want Lincolnshire sausages, Cumberland sausages, spicy sausages - or - something called (honestly) free range sausages. I had to visualise these latter, and I came up with an internal picture of a flower- sprinkled spring- time meadow, with pink, chubby, youthful sausages gambolling freely in it. I mean how else could you visualise a 'free range sausage'. I think the butcher had to speak to me twice before I shook meself awake and decided that the safest choice of sausage, because I know  we both like them, were the Cumberland sausages.  Sorry, I'm waffling on here. The point of this reminiscence is- that the above photographed sausages are half the Cumberland sausages I'd purchased earlier. They were, as always, delicious. But I think we really will, next week possibly, have to sample the free range ones and see if we can taste the difference.

Good night all.

Friday.

Yesterday we motored over to our friends Colin and Christine's home near Stowmarket, where we had lunch and attended to their grandfather clock for them. We stopped on the way to take snapshots of these primroses along the dykesides. Lunch was a pork casserole. I've just had to consult Ann regarding the pudding, which she thinks is called an apple amber, which is an apple pudding with meringue on the top. After coffee I spent about an hour on their clock, and, I'm afraid, was unable to complete the job. All the work is done, but I will need to return with the correct clock weight before I can start it and set it in beat. Annoying, but can't win them all - well not always in one visit, but it's fairly rare that this happens.

We came home via Needham Market, and took photos. Above is a shop, with a long curved bow window. It's the longest eighteenth century bow window I know. Below is a beautifully carved corner post, supporting a dragon beam. I think it dates from the mid fourteen hundreds.

Home again, and took the below snapshot of my two anvils, outside the forge, with pansies growing over them in mainly earthenware troughs.

We had planned to drive over to the midlands today to spend the weekend with my brother and sister-in-law, but found that, due to the petrol delivery strike, we were unable to buy petrol either in our town or in  Needham Market, so decided to call it off pro tem, till all's settled. Once again, and further to my 'phone call,  my apologies Crowbard and Judy.

Goodnight All.

Thursday.

In view of the recently announced increase in the cost of postage stamps (i.e. 30% on first class stamps, and  40 % on second class stamps) I take this opportunity to wish all my readers, well in advance, a very Happy Next Christmas.

Tuesday.

Yesterday we drove over to Capel St. Mary, and had tea with our friend Helga, who is just back from three weeks in Malta (she is a great globe trotter). She said that much as she enjoys travelling, the weather in Malta was a bit of a wash out, and it was no warmer than here. She she'd just made a cherry cake to go with our tea. She said it was made with sour cherries, but it didn't taste sour; in fact it was a very good cake.
When we drove home I asked Ann to set me down at the edge of the town as it was such a lovely day, and  I wanted to take photoes for the blog and would walk home (only  three hundred yards or so, if that). The above picture is where she dropped me and is of a blackthorn tree in full bloom. Should be full of sloes in a few months, but we normally pick sloes for sloe gin in the depths of the countryside. These being beside the road will probably taste of traffic fumes. Took the next two photos on the way home.

The above house is a lovely little ex-farmhouse, and rather a favourite of mine. It probably dates from mid Tudor times and hasn't been altered much.

The above Queen Ann house is the Old Manse. It lives behind high walls in isolated grandeur (well semi-grandeur- I'm sure its owners won't mind my saying) a few yards back from the road, and, of its period, is a lovely looking place. It's a couple of hundred yards from us and on the opposite side of the road.
                                              ____________________________________

Went to lip reading class this morning, and, for once in a way, felt that I was making progress. It's a surprisingly tiring exercise we all agree. Our teacher, who is also deaf, says that it's because of the sheer concentration necessary.  As I think supper is about to be anounced, I'd better nip upstairs and make meself decent for it.
                                              _____________________________________

P.s. Just nipped downstairs again after supper and a quick game of scrabble. Supper  was an excellent fish pie (with capers in it), followed by pears in red wine, left over from Saturday's dinner party - scrumptious.

                                                                          Goodnight All.

Sunday.

Today is Ann's birthday. Ann served at the mid day short communion service.Then home and had a quick sandwich and fruit lunch in the garden, as above. We then motored over to Bury St. Edmund's where we met up at the Angel hotel at 2.30ish with her three brothers and their two (surviving) wives.

We took tea in the lounge of the hotel. They provided a very decent tea for us with smoked salmon and cucumber sandwiches, etc. The above photo shows Ann chatting to her oldest brother, Michael. The chocolate rose in her left hand is from a very decent chocolate cake provided by middle brother David

The above photo was taken (by a very obliging young waiter who seemed to know ALL about cameras- he used mine, David's and Mick's  successively and successfully) in the front hall of the hotel just before we left. From left to right we are meself, youngest brother Tim, his wife Sue, birthday girl enthroned in the centre, Maureen (middle brother David's wife), David, and senior brother Michael.  This evening, since we've been home, Ann has been 'phoning the daughters to thank them for cards etc. , and to tell them them what a lovely birthday she's had. Quite agree, been a lovely day.

Goodnight all.

Saturday.

Scene across a Suffolk meadow.

Seen in a Suffolk lane.

Suffolk Church in its churchyard.

On Thursday we drove to Bury St. Edmund's and had lunch (and tea) with Ann's brother David and his wife Maureen.  Later, on our way home, our usual route was closed for road repairs and we had to make a detour, entering the above village  via an unusual route. The three photos are, of course, all of the same Church.  It is the village church at Lavenham, which claims to have been, in medieval times the fourteenth most prosperous town in England. The claim is also made that the church tower is, at 141 feet high, the tallest village church tower in England.  If you feel that the top of the tower has a rather unfinished look to it, you are right, as it is said that, in the early 1500s, someone ran out of time, money, and enthusiasm (probably not in that order) so that the church tower was never finished.  It's a handsome great building though, isn't it?

Wednesday.

 Been a long day. Wednesdays always are, as it's either a 7.30 early service, or it's a 7a.m. start for the fair at Long Melford. As it was a lovely bright day we had lunch in the garden. This was a mistake as there was a (mainly) North wind blowing, so that, although bright it was a rather cold day. Just before we gave up and went in again Ann said to me "The box hedge seems to be growing tiny scarlet flowers this year".  We went over and examined the box hedge. There was a small plague of ladybirds on it - see top photo. You'll probably have to embiggen it.

The Army and Navy plant has been in full flower from mid February. I don't know what the proper name is, but it's called the Army and Navy from its habit of growing both red (well pink) and blue (well mauve) flowers on the same plant.
After lunch we walked into town. Ann to go to some sort of Mothers' Union beanfeast; meself to pick up a parcel from our local sorting office (it contained rather a handsome Scottish snuff mull, early 19th century that I'd purchased on email). On the way back I walked through our churchyard and took the below snapshots.

Daffs, gravestone and gateway.

More daffs, more gravestones, and violets (bottom left of picture).

Our Church, or rather St. Mary's Church.

Goodnight All.

Tuesday.

Walked home from lipreading class this morning, and took the above photo of the house at the town end of our road. Between the front garden wall and the house heavily pollarded trees used to grow - looked well in summer, but it was found that the tree roots were damaging the house, so the trees were removed and the longest stemmed daffodils that could be found were planted in the front garden, and they now just peep over the  garden wall, as you can see.


No, not really.......... after the trees were removed the house owners attached window boxes to the inside of the garden wall, and change the contents seasonally, so it now looks nearly as well as when the trees were there.

Monday.

As you can probably tell from the subfusc clobber  (clobber = clothing Lori) we went to a funeral today. It was a totally unexpected one - Mark, the oldest son of old friends of ours.  We've know the family for about forty years. Colin, Mark's father, was the conductor of the male voice choir in which I sang for about thirty five years.  Mark, who was forty six, died of a sudden and totally unexpected heart attack about ten days ago, leaving Margaret, his wife, and their two sons (in their late teens). His parents, Colin and Christine are retired teachers. Colin played the organ for today's service, and Christine took the service (She is a lay reader). Both Colin and Christine did their jobs totally professionally. I don't think, in their place, that I would have had the courage to even contemplate doing this.  I was lost in admiration for both of them.  After the service and the interment, in the graveyard, Matthew and Simon, Mark's younger brothers recognised us instantly, although we hadn't seen either of them for some years, and came over to speak to us.   They've both moved out of the area. Mark lived in the same village as his parents, so that we've stayed in touch with him. Oh well - a sad day.  Nuff said.