9th November 2018

The temperature has certainly started to drop as the year marches on toward its finale. Leaf gathering is now in full swing, the chainsaw has seen a lot of use, and the log pile is growing impressively large. Most evenings have seen us firing up the log burner, though, on the first occasion, there was panic as the room began to fill with smoke! Despite having swept the chimney about a month ago, I must have created a blockage somewhere. The following morning, I swept it again and released nearly two tubs full of soot. Next year, I think I’ll send Ellis up the chimney to do the job properly; it’ll be worth a couple of farthings!

On the 18th of October, I attended a surprise birthday meal at the Cherry Tree in Little Bowden for Roger Woolnough, who is now 70 years old (and still making a good impression as Ebenezer Scrooge). A couple of enthusiastic past school colleagues had contacted a variety of friends, and eight of us gathered to surprise the septuagenarian. It was nice to catch up, exchange news, and gossip about colleagues who hadn’t attended (isn’t it always the case?). I had walked to the pub, and on returning home around 11 pm, I was bemused to hear a strange sound coming from across the river next to the driveway. I was even more puzzled when Sue called out to me from one of the bedroom windows on that side of the house. The noise had been keeping her awake since she went to bed at 9.30 pm. I dug out a very powerful torch from the garage and crossed the river to investigate the source of the racket. It was certainly an animal, either in great pain, calling for its mate, or complaining loudly about something. Sue thought it might be a badger; I thought it was a muntjac or fox. Following the sound, I could hear the creature crashing through the undergrowth, but I couldn’t quite manage to illuminate the culprit, who mysteriously stayed just out of the beam. I eventually gave up, returned to the warmth of the bed, and listened to the racket outside until sleep finally overtook me. The following morning, I researched the noise and discovered it was the barking of a muntjac.

On the 27th, Sue and I went to the Shoulder of Mutton in Great Bowden to see  Dr. Marshall’s Remedy, a band that formed many years ago from the parents at Farndon Fields School and had recently reformed. I had taught their children, and the band members were good friends of mine at the time. Since retiring (10 years ago now), I hadn’t seen them until Sue and I met Kim Tempest at the Moody Blues concert a few weeks ago. His daughter, Bethany (who is now playing with the Moody Blues), was there, and we had a chat about school days and how expensive it is to learn to play the flute at her level. Another friend was there whom I hadn’t seen in years, Dr. Tom Blake, a fellow pool player at the Catholic Club on Thursday nights. In the past, I had joined him on charity weekend walks in Derbyshire. Years ago, I am still grateful to him for diagnosing Compartment Syndrome and thus saving my leg after a hospital misdiagnosis following a rugby match injury. He has been suffering from stress and has been off work for over a year, but is just now returning to his duties as a GP.

On the 29th, Sue took me to the hospital for a consultation regarding the treatment of my left eye. There has been significant improvement, but a tiny anomaly remains, and it was deemed that another injection would be necessary. I’m now waiting for the appointment date. I suppose I’m lucky, as before I saw the consultant, I was chatting with another patient who shared that he was on his 16th injection at 74 years old!

Halloween passed without incident. A pile of treats was readied by the front door, but there were no takers. We could hear the excited cries and sounds of children all around, but none were brave enough to venture down our driveway. This year, as in previous ones, I had grown pumpkins for the family, and it had been a bumper year, 14 oversized fruits! After Ellis and Lucas had taken theirs, I put up a sign at the end of the drive offering them for £1 each. All but two were sold, making a handy contribution toward my seed buying in the spring.

Each morning now, we have a visitor at the back door: the three-legged cat, originally called Trio, who we now know is named Millie (she lost her leg after being run over). She comes for milk and any titbits on offer. She has taken to lazing in the garden throughout the day, hoping for more snacks. However, she is quite alert whenever Mia visits and always stays on guard for any doggie noises.

On the 2nd of November, six of my rugby friends and I flew to Cyprus to meet up with yet another rugby chum, Jim, and his wife, Bridget. It was a very early flight out of Stansted, and after picking up a hire car in Paphos, we followed Jim to Villa Alexandros in Latchi, on the other side of the island. By the time we arrived, it was dark. We had travelled on the same flight as Roy (another rugby friend) and his wife, Julie, who were staying with Jim and Bridget in Argaka.

Later that evening, we all met up again at a seafood restaurant in Latchi Harbour for a splendid meal. It was a very late night, as we moved on to play pool in a bar before returning to our villa by taxi.

The following morning, we had breakfast in Latchi before driving over to Argaka to visit Jim and the others. After about an hour of chatting, I suggested that our little group take a walk up the mountain to the small monastery that Sue and I had visited last February. We were joined by Jim and his two dogs, Harby and Shoby. The church was being decorated with flowers by some proud parents in preparation for a christening that afternoon.

After wandering around the cemetery and admiring the elaborate tombs, we returned to Jim’s before driving down the coast to the small fishing harbour of Pomos, near the Turkish border. There is a lovely fish restaurant situated above the harbour, offering beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and the colourful fishing boats below. It was the perfect spot for lunch on such a gloriously warm day, and that’s exactly what we did after a short stroll around the harbour.

With our hunger satisfied and spirits high, we set off for the most important part of our Mediterranean adventure: watching the England vs. South Africa rugby match at Twickenham. Yes, we could have gone to London and watched the game for much less cost, but that would have missed the point. Touring is an essential part of rugby life, and this activity served as a substitute for not being able to play the game ourselves anymore.

Jim had organised for us to watch the match at Saddles Bar in Polis, which was the perfect venue, especially since the landlord was South African and had played rugby himself. We learned that he was best friends with Paul Hollywood, the celebrity chef and host of The Great British Bake Off. They had gone to school together and played rugby side by side. The rather nice (and expensive) motorbike parked outside the bar was a gift from Paul, who owned a property on the island.

We were treated very well by our host, with plenty of refreshments and nibbles throughout the game. Though England won by the narrowest of margins, it was an undeserved victory, but that didn’t stop us from rubbing it in. After all, he was South African and naturally thick-skinned!

With victory in the bag, we headed to a restaurant on the other side of Polis that Sue and I had visited on a previous trip to see Jim and Bridget. This place was very popular with the locals and offered authentic Cypriot food. Following Jim’s suggestion, we opted for the meat meze, which turned out to be an excellent choice. Fifteen courses were supplemented by copious quantities of local beer, and the sheer quantity of food presented was formidable. It became a challenge to make it through the final four courses.

I encountered a particular difficulty with the bowl of local snails. No matter how hard I tried to winkle the little buggers out of their shells with a toothpick, they refused to budge. After twenty frustrating minutes, I managed to extract just one, but the effort wasn’t worth it, no taste and very tiny. Roy, however, had the knack and polished off two bowls of the little creatures without breaking a sweat! Bloated but happy, we taxied back to our villa to rest off the feast.

The following morning, no one felt like having much for breakfast, so at the little café in Latchi, we just had scrambled eggs on toast with fruit juice and coffee. Afterwards, I drove our small group to the nearby popular tourist spot, the Baths of Aphrodite. It’s a lovely location situated at the start of the Akamas, and at this time of year, it’s fairly quiet with not too many tourists around.

To our surprise, we discovered an eel in the pool. It was nearly a metre long and lay at the bottom of the pool, staring back at us with an air of indifference. We couldn’t resist taking a photo of the unusual sight before moving on to explore more of the beautiful surroundings.

After a short scramble up the treacherous mountain path that started at the pool, we made our way past several mouflons, which gracefully moved through the rocky terrain. The climb was challenging, but the effort was well worth it. We stopped at a vantage point to catch our breath and took photos of the stunning scenery. From our elevated position, we had a breathtaking view of the bay, with Pomos in the distance. The sparkling blue of the Mediterranean, framed by the rugged hills and mountains, was a sight to behold, and we all took a moment to appreciate the natural beauty around us (and catch our breath) before continuing our adventure.

We were due to meet the Argaka contingent of our party at The Farmyard Restaurant in Kathikas for lunch at 12:30 pm. The drive up into the mountains was lovely, though as we gained altitude, rain clouds began to gather, and it poured down while we ate. The restaurant is a popular spot for the British ex-pats on the island, known for its traditional English carvery. The place quickly filled with eager diners, all looking for a taste of home.

Despite the weather blocking the island views, the food more than made up for the disappointment. The roast was just as hearty and comforting as we’d hoped, but the standout was the bread and butter pudding. It was so delicious that I couldn’t resist having a second helping! The cosy atmosphere and the great food made a rainy day feel like a small price to pay.

After the meal, we returned to Villa Alexandros and were greeted by glorious sunshine once more. We decided to sit around the pool, enjoying the warmth and relaxing with some pomegranates in hand. As we watched the Mediterranean sunset unfold over the Akamas, it truly felt like the perfect way to unwind. The serenity of the moment, combined with the stunning view and the tranquil location, made it an ideal time to just chill and appreciate the peacefulness of the surroundings. It was one of those moments where everything felt just right.

The following morning, our stomachs needed a bit of a break from the indulgence of the previous days, so we opted for a more modest breakfast of just coffee. Afterwards, I drove us to Paphos for a spot of sightseeing. The weather was ideal, and the drive through the mountains was delightful. We found a suitable bar next to the harbour and the fort, where we settled in for refreshments. Soon, the Argaka contingent joined us, and we enjoyed the sunny seaside bar atmosphere while Bridget and Julie preferred a spot of window shopping.

A few hours later, we caught up with the ladies as they were enjoying ‘Happy Hour’ in a bar along the promenade. I had hoped to pay a surprise visit to Roger Woolnough, who had flown to Cyprus a day before us and was staying in one of the hotels along the seafront. However, the ladies were eager to move on to our next adventure, so Roger’s surprise company would have to wait for another time.

Before heading to Aphrodite’s Rock Brewery, located in the mountains above Paphos, we did a bit of shopping and treated ourselves to some ice cream. By the time we arrived at the brewery, the Argaka contingent was already well into their paddle of beer samples, but we quickly caught up. The beers were excellent, particularly in comparison to the usual Cypriot lager offerings. Unfortunately, the menu was limited on Mondays, and the only food option was pizza. I had been looking forward to the steak and ale pie with mashed potatoes and peas, which they serve on other days of the week! Despite the culinary change, the experience was still enjoyable.

After sampling all the beers the brewery had to offer, and enjoying a lovely sunset over the Akamas, we bid farewell to the Argaka contingent, knowing we wouldn’t see them again until our flight back from Paphos Airport. Then, just as they were leaving, the Master Brewer invited us for a tour of his brewery. We eagerly accepted, and he gave us a fascinating look into the brewing process, which made our earlier tastings even more enjoyable. We promised to leave a glowing review on TripAdvisor.

After our tour, I decided to drive our car closer to the brewery gates and save my companions from a steep walk up the mountain road where I had parked the car. As I pulled up outside the brewery, I noticed my compadres scrumping pomelos from a tree in the garden of the villa across the street. With a car full of contraband fruit, we made a swift escape!

That evening, we walked into Latchi and found a restaurant by the harbour. We ordered what we thought would be a light pasta meal, but the restaurant had other plans. Mountains of food arrived on oversized plates, and while David and Jeremy managed to finish their portions, the rest of us fell short, unable to tackle the massive servings. Despite distended stomachs, after a smooth taxi ride back to the villa, we were tucked up in bed by 9 pm, ready for an early start the following day.

The alarms went off at 1.30 am, and without much fuss, we were dressed, packed, and ready to head to the airport by 2.15 am.

The journey, however, wasn’t without incident. There was little traffic on the way to Paphos, but we needed to fuel the car before returning it. We found a petrol station near the airport, but the system was not as straightforward as expected. The terminal for selecting fuel and payment was in Greek, and though there was an English option, it wouldn’t work. The screen was badly calibrated, making it nearly impossible to know what we were selecting. After a frustrating half-hour, we finally got the tank full!

That wasn’t the end of our troubles. Upon arriving at the car hire car park, the barrier refused to open. After several attempts, we contacted the operator, who informed us there was a fault with the system. Fifteen minutes later, a staff member arrived and simply lifted the barrier manually, allowing us to drive through. We made a mental note to remember that trick! After that, everything went smoothly, and we soon found ourselves descending into rainy Stansted.

We arrived back in Harborough around midday, before making a bowl of soup and heading to bed, leaving Sue to set off on an afternoon ramble and lunch.

Our Cyprus jaunt was an excellent experience, with buckets of memories to while away the coming cold winter evenings with a glass of beer in hand.

Family News: Jamie and Ashton were thrilled to hear that they had received another offer on Jamie’s apartment, this time for the full asking price, and without a viewing. It’s a young first-time buyer eager to get on the housing ladder. It looks like they may be moving to Rothwell after all!

Sarah and Lee’s move to Newbold Verdon is moving ahead as planned. All surveys and searches have come back positive, so fingers crossed for them.

Charlotte’s recovery is progressing well. She’s moving around more easily, and Sue and I no longer have to do the school run to pick up Ellis. She is beginning to look like our daughter again, not the pained and exhausted ghost she’s been impersonating for almost a year now. As she can’t yet drive, she’s been using the bus to visit a friend in Harborough, though it won’t be long before she’s back behind the wheel.

Uncle Stanley has moved out of the care home in Manchester and is back in his own home with daily care support. The house has been cleaned and equipped to help him live there. However, social services agree with us that it’s not the most suitable setup. He’s stubborn and very independent, which is admirable, but I feel he’d be better off in sheltered accommodation. Sue and Sarah are planning to visit him before Christmas.

Jamie and I have a road trip booked to the Costa del Sol on November 15th, so we have that to look forward to.