29th March 2015

A rare rainy day has me tucked away in my study, adding to the family blog with the nostalgic sound of Enid Blyton playing in the background. Charlotte recently dropped off a bag of well-loved cassette tapes from her childhood that Lucas and Ellis now enjoy, though the recordings have seen better days. She’s asked if I can convert them to CDs, which is a bit of a lengthy process. It means playing each tape all the way through while recording the audio on my computer, making sure to pop back in regularly to flip the tape or burn the file. At least I can get a bit of gardening done in between, though poor Nan, whose ashes rest beside me, has no such escape from the endless stories. She’s yet to complain, though!

Plans for scattering Nan’s ashes are moving along well. Caergwrle Community Council has approved a spot for her memorial bench next to the War Memorial, right near the entrance to the castle, where she wanted her ashes scattered. Even the Flintshire Highways Authority has given their okay, so things are shaping up. Now I’m just waiting on the next Community Council meeting on April 1st, when they’ll discuss the bench design I proposed. They’ve generously offered to take ownership of the bench for future maintenance, though it’s still unclear who’s responsible for actually installing it. The suppliers don’t handle installation, so I may need to either arrange it through the council (likely at a fee) or enlist cousin Jeff, who’s a builder, to lend a hand.

The proposed spot for Nan’s memorial bench is inset into the wall, currently home to a rather unremarkable bin. It’s a peaceful little space, and I can already picture the bench settled in, a fitting tribute to Nan.

In her memory, Charlotte and I have been carrying on a lovely Tuesday tradition she started with Nan: meeting up for lunch in Harborough. Occasionally, we add a brisk walk before the meal to make it a bit of an adventure. One recent outing had us joined by Sarah for a trip to Harrington, where we dared to cross the bustling A14. Our reward was a hearty lunch of jacket potatoes at the Tolly Marche Arms, a perfect spot to warm up and relax.

Another memorable lunch came after a beautiful walk with Sarah, tracing a circular route from Gumley to Laughton, capped off with a hearty meal at The Bell. Sue and I had done the same walk just a couple of weeks earlier, enjoying equally superb weather, which made the countryside especially inviting. Lambs dotted the fields, adding a lively spring feel to the landscape. We kept a respectful distance from the watchful ewes as we passed through, but their presence made the whole experience feel even more charming and connected to the land.

 

 

Lunches in Market Harborough have turned into mini-adventures, with a recent highlight being a visit to the indoor market where I treated myself to Dim Sum from a new Asian eatery. I even spotted a sushi stall nearby, proof of Harborough’s growing culinary diversity! Inspired, we ventured to the White Orchid, a Thai restaurant, for our next outing, embracing the town’s cosmopolitan flair.

Meanwhile, Sue’s wrist recovery has been ongoing, with her cast now removed and physiotherapy sessions scheduled to help her regain mobility. Her hand and wrist still swell, especially after a busy day. She’s been diligent about her exercises at home, working quietly in the spare bedroom. The first time I saw her kneeling on a towel, I half-wondered if she’d taken up a new faith, given the positioning towards Mecca. Thankfully, it was just a coincidence, and as a precaution, I’ve “secured” her passport! The week following one of her physio sessions, we enjoyed lunch at the Queen’s Head in Saddington, where she confidently ordered a hamburger and fries, reassuringly familiar comfort food.

With spring well and truly here, I’ve started spending more time in the garden and the allotment, trying to beat the clock and avoid planting too early. I’m determined to hold off until the frosts are definitely over, but the first few warm, sunny days can’t be wasted. Broad beans and onion sets are now in, as well as a row of peas, and I’ve even started sowing seeds for next winter’s leeks. However, we’re still working our way through this winter’s harvest. I’ve lost count of how many leek and chicken/ham pies I’ve made, sometimes twice in one week! I also made a batch of smaller pies recently (though, on reflection, they weren’t that small) to freeze, as I still have over 100 leeks left to use up.

In the garden, I’ve mowed the lawn a few times and cleaned the swimming pool, in between transplanting 90 strawberry plants into one of the raised beds. Last autumn, I dug up two of the largest vines from the family vineyard, moving them to a sunny spot along the fence in the back garden. They hadn’t been getting enough sunlight at their previous location, and while they’d grown large, the fruit hadn’t ripened. This week, I ran a wire between posts I’d set up earlier and secured the vines, one red and one white, in preparation for what I hope will be a very heavy crop this year. As an experiment, I’ve also dug in fresh lawn cuttings, full of moss, into the raised bed by the greenhouse to improve the clayey soil. It’s definitely a cheaper and less smelly alternative to farmyard manure. We’ll see how it turns out!

On Saturday, Sarah had to work, so Lee and a cousin hired a van and spent the day moving all the stored furniture from Cotgrave, Charlotte’s garage, and ours. It turned out to be a long and hard day for both of them, but Jamie and I helped with the loading from our garage, while Suraj and Charlotte did the same from theirs. It’s lovely to finally have our garages back!

When Sue and I moved into our first house, we didn’t have much in the way of furniture or equipment, but Sarah and Lee have definitely got a ‘full‘ house now. The only thing they’re missing to complete the phrase “fully furnished” is a dog, and I’ve heard that next week, this small omission will be taken care of.

The following day, I found myself in Leicester, but under different circumstances. I watched Leicester Tigers lose to Exeter as a guest of Peter Howard, who had a corporate box. He owns Marston Trussell Hall, and last summer I did some waitering at a charity event for him. I suppose this was his way of saying thank you. I was accompanied by Sean and Paul, and we had a thoroughly good time.

The day after that, I travelled to Sarah’s new home. She and Lee were keen to personalise it, so there was plenty to do. When I arrived, they were busy painting, so I got to work plumbing in the washing machine. By the time I finished that and had lunch (fish and chips from the local chippy), Sarah had to go to work. Lee and I carried on, with him building a TV cabinet downstairs while I assembled bedroom furniture upstairs. After I finished putting together a wardrobe, Lee showed me a lovely engagement ring he had bought and asked for my opinion. It didn’t take me long to realise he was asking if I approved of him proposing to Sarah. I figured this was a win/win; I got my garage cleared out, and Lee was bringing some peace and quiet to my old age (eventually). I left around 8:30 p.m., with Lee still working hard to get things sorted.

The following day, I was back in Leicester, this time taking Sue to a hospital appointment. We stopped for lunch at the Queen’s Head in Saddington afterwards.

After giving Lee time to pop the question and receive the answer he was hoping for, I returned to Leicester the following day and spent a pleasant late afternoon with Sarah and Lee, putting up curtain rods and fixing the TV aerial.

The next day, Sue and I went to Kettering to watch ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’ at the Silver Screen Odeon. Wondered when we’d qualify for Gold, as Bronze seemed to have passed us by. The film was good, much better than the ridiculous ‘Noah’ with Russell Crowe.

On the 19th, I helped Charlotte cut back some laurel bushes in Rothwell before travelling with Sue that evening to see the ‘Australian Pink Floyd’ perform at DeMontfort Hall. It was a brilliant concert, with a great light show, and, unsurprisingly, the venue was packed. The only downside was the average age of the audience. Sitting in the circle meant there was a fair number of fans between us and the stage. It was a real annoyance, however, with the constant flow of people making their way to the toilets during the performance. Surely, at such a wise age, they could manage their liquid intake well enough to stay in their seats during the performance? We managed!

Saturday the 21st saw Sue, Charlotte, and me meet up with the Council walking group in Oundle for a chilly but pleasant historic walk. We had lunch at the Ship Inn afterwards, but I was bitterly disappointed with the pie I ordered. It was more of a stew in a case with a lid, NOT a pie! To make things worse, all the other dishes that were ordered looked really delicious.

On the 25th, I met up with John Lee for our first walk of 2015. When I was planning the walk on my PC, I had high hopes that it would be a good one, and we were not disappointed. The weather was perfect for a ramble, and the pub lunch afterwards was exceptional. We’ve resolved to return, probably after he returns from skiing in France.

The following day, having still not yet graduated to Gold, we again attended the Silver Screen and saw ‘Unbroken’. It was a thoroughly enjoyable true story, superbly directed by Angelina Jolie.

The 27th marked the end of the school term and the start of the Easter holidays for Lucas and Ellis. It was also the last day of work for a past colleague, Richard Blewitt. I had been invited to a secret luncheon at the school to celebrate his departure. It was nice to meet up with some of the staff who turned up to help celebrate: Debbie Goodband, Janet Lord, and Shirley Camfield. Of course, the current staff also attended, some of whom I knew, but most I didn’t. It was truly a surprise for Richard (as in my experience, most things are), and he seemed to enjoy being the centre of attention. The buffet was excellent, though there was an absence of wine or any other celebratory drinks; how times change. Shirley, Janet, and I had a good ‘nose’ around all the classrooms when everyone else had to leave for their duties. Before I left, I sat with the new Head Teacher in her office and chatted for half an hour about the current issue of an absentee Deputy. She seemed keen on my thoughts and likely made a few mental notes on the subject. We got on well, and I promised to visit again sometime in the future. We shall see.

That night was family curry night, though we ended up having spare ribs and paella instead. Sarah was working, and Suraj, suffering from a severe bout of man flu and on antibiotics, stayed home. Jamie was also ill and sent his apologies in the morning. However, by the afternoon, he perked up and, though obviously still unwell, attended. After the meal, Charlotte and Sue went to Harborough Theatre to watch a film while the boys, Jamie, and I settled down in front of the wood burner to watch the England v Lithuania game on the big screen with nibbles and beer. A lad’s night in. However, by half-time, I was the only one still awake and cheering on our boys in white.

The following days presented another opportunity to meet up with old friends when I attended a Vice President’s luncheon at the Rugby Club. Suraj came with me and, though still ill, enjoyed the meal. It was too cold for him to watch the match from the pitch side, so he stayed in the clubhouse, curled up near a warm radiator. The game was excellent, high-speed with great skills, a huge improvement from the last time I saw them play. Charlotte picked us up after the match, and upon returning to Willow Bank, we decided to have an Indian takeaway for tea. The portions were generous, and it was a bit of a struggle to finish them, but we managed. While Suraj and I were enjoying ourselves at the club, Sue, Charlotte, and the boys watched a performance of Basil Brush at the Lighthouse Theatre in Kettering. They had as much fun as we did!

During our Indian meal, we discovered via Facebook that Sarah and Lee were on their way to Grimsby. A quick phone call revealed why they were about to rectify the one missing element of a fully furnished house: a dog! The pup isn’t available for collection until next week, so it looks like we know what they’ll be doing next weekend. Exciting times ahead for them!