25th October 2021

Usually, one of the first tasks after returning from holiday is to sort through the many photos I have taken, deleting the poor ones and duplicates, and saving the rest into a file on a removable drive. From these, I create a lasting memory by producing a video to show the rest of the family. Sometimes this process can take several weeks, but this time it was completed in a day.

It seems that the Thursday night ‘Saga’ meetings have now moved on from chilly gardens to the more welcoming interior of the Admiral Nelson. On returning from the Azores, I met up with the lads to sink a few refreshments and continue putting the world to rights. With Covid infections still rife in the town, I was mildly surprised to find the pub busy, with no one wearing a mask when moving around, very different from the bars in Ponta Delgada.

Whilst I had been away with Jamie, Sue had continued her involvement in a plethora of U3A activities. During one of the rambles, she became concerned that, unlike many other members, we had not yet been called for our annual flu jab. Shortly afterwards, on returning from yet another hike through the Leicestershire countryside, she announced that she was so annoyed the surgery hadn’t been in touch that she had booked us both in at one of the town pharmacies for vaccination. Ironically, just a few hours later, she received a text from the surgery inviting her for her jab the following week. I received mine the next day. We were vaccinated by the pharmacist on Friday afternoon.

That evening, we went to a film showing at Harborough Theatre. It was a ‘gentle’ story of an elderly couple meeting and finding romance while walking their dogs. What’s not to like about that?

During the following week back home, I pressed the red grapes which had been fermenting on the must for a fortnight (Sue had been diligently stirring the barrels each day) and racked the juice into demijohns. I also found time to pick the white grapes and pressed those too before racking them off. I was particularly pleased with the high sugar content this year and decided to blend the batch with some peach juice. This year’s crop should produce around 50 litres of wine, not as high as some years in the past, but certainly acceptable after last year’s frosty disaster.

Sadly, when Sue returned from a Sunday morning car boot sale, she brought back some bad news: one of our five badgers had been run over and was lying at the side of the road, just a little way from the house. It looked to be one of the parents, probably the male. Their sett is next to the bridge and across the road, and he was likely on his way to or from feeding on the titbits we leave out each night for the little family. Our hearts go out to these beautiful creatures. As the town continues to expand, this little oasis of nature that we are so fortunate to live in is rapidly becoming a dangerous place for our badgers, the muntjac deer, the foxes, and the little water rat who comes each day to feed.

As the days begin to turn towards winter, Sue and I took Lucas and Ellis on the bus into Leicester. The boys were on their half-term break, and to help out Charlotte and Suraj, we thought they would appreciate a visit to the Leicester Museum & Art Gallery on New Walk. We anticipated they would enjoy the dinosaur collection, and Sue was particularly keen to see the Egyptian section and the Attenborough Picasso ceramics collection.

We caught the 10:18 am bus from Harborough, and once again, I was struck by how mask-wearing on public transport now seems to be purely a matter of personal choice, with most passengers opting not to bother. By 11 am, we were wandering around the museum, joining a rather noisy class of primary school children (Leicestershire schools not yet being on half-term). We spent just over an hour exploring the exhibits before heading into town for a spot of lunch at a conveniently placed McDonald’s.

Charlotte had provided us with three free tickets for the indoor Treetop Adventure Golf at Highcross, and that’s where we spent much of the afternoon. Sue and I have been there once before, but that was pre-pandemic, and it was far busier then. This time, with fewer people around, we could take our time at each hole without the pressure of an impatient queue behind us, a much more relaxed experience that certainly helped Lucas’s game. With several impressive ‘holes-in-one’, he ended up winning the match!

Before heading back to Harborough, we made a slight detour to the outdoor market to buy some fruit. Sue picked up a few oranges and some Sharon fruit, while I was intrigued enough to buy a single custard apple (does it taste of custard?). As it turns out, yes, they do, and they’re very tasty. But at £1 a fruit, the Yorkshireman in me has firmly vetoed any future purchases!

On the 13th of October, I treated the male members of the clan to a magnificent pie. Unfortunately, Lee was unable to join us as it was too far to travel, but Suraj, Jamie, Lucas, and Ellis all joined me at the Bull’s Head in Clipston for their popular Wednesday Pie Night. I’d heard nothing but good things from friends about the place, but I certainly wasn’t prepared for the sheer size of the pie that arrived; it easily defeated my usually insatiable appetite.

In a moment of false bravado, I foolishly followed the lead of the youngest member of our group by ordering dessert. How Ellis manages to put away so much food, I’ll never know. The kid must surely have a bottomless pit instead of a stomach!

The following day, I caught the bus to Leicester to the Royal Eye Clinic. I’d become concerned about my vision in the left eye and thought it wise to get it checked. A scan revealed that I would need another injection of Lucentis to stabilise the retina. Now, I just wait for the appointment.

Later that evening, two dogs and two rabbits arrived. Their owners, Jamie, Ruth, and Joey, had flown out to St. Lucia from Gatwick on the Friday, and Sue and I are looking after their animals while they are away for the week. Maddy and Wilma are settling into the recently emptied greenhouse, while Rocky and Nala are keeping us company inside. Unfortunately, as Joey isn’t vaccinated, Covid restrictions mean they won’t be able to roam freely around the beautiful island. They’ll be restricted to the resort grounds. However, they may get to see some of the island if they decide to join an organised tour.

Poor Alice is unwell again; this time, she has a viral infection that the doctor described as hand, foot, and mouth disease, and that’s exactly where it has manifested.

 

 

 

 

 

On a day when thunderstorms swept across the Midlands, Sarah, Alice, and Mia came to visit the grandparents. Thankfully, they arrived mid-morning, after the morning storms had passed, and left before the heavy afternoon downpours arrived, continuing their journey with a brief visit to Charlotte. In St. Lucia, the weather couldn’t have been more different, as Jamie and the family spent most of the day underwater.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a rather indifferent summer, it was time to preserve what little sunshine we had stored away in our garden produce, in preparation for those dark and dreary days of a British winter. Over the past few weeks, the grapes had been picked, pressed, fermented, and were now on their second racking. The red wine had been blended with apple, and the white with peach, adding a touch of interest and helping to mask any potential faults in my winemaking. Onions and potatoes had all been bagged up, and the shallots pickled for winter salads. The Cape Gooseberries had proved to be a big hit, producing in abundance and tasting fabulously delicious. They’ll continue to delight for another month, I hope. We’ve been picking leeks for a while now, and they’ll keep providing greenery for the plate and soup for the bowl throughout the winter. My two pumpkin plants produced 11 fruits of considerable size. So far, one has been made into soup, and a couple have been sent to Rothwell to be made into lanterns. The rest will likely be sold at the end of the driveway.

On the evening of the 22nd October, Philippa and Paul arrived after spending the day visiting Bosworth Battlefield and Richard III’s grave in Leicester Cathedral. They were staying with us for Alice’s christening.

The following morning, Jamie and the family returned from their holiday in St. Lucia and collected the dogs. They were lucky enough to be upgraded to a much better hotel, as their original accommodation had been repurposed as an isolation base for Covid-positive cases. I’m surprised that such a large travel company like TUI could make such a glaring error. They came back, obviously refreshed and very sun-tanned.

On Saturday (23rd), Pip and Paul entertained themselves with a morning walk around the town and a visit to the Harborough museum, collecting geocaches along the way. In the afternoon, Sue took them to Foxton Locks for more geocaching. That evening, we ordered a Chinese takeaway and watched the film Robert the Bruce.

Alice’s Christening: On Sunday morning, we travelled to Newbold Verdon for little Alice’s special day. Doreen had planned to accompany us, but like many of the other guests, she wasn’t feeling well and wisely chose not to spread the heavy cold she was suffering from. We arrived half an hour early at the church, and while Sue and I waited in the car, Pip and Paul decided to collect a few more geocaches around the village to add to their already burgeoning collection. Simon (Pip and Paul’s son) arrived shortly before the service after having driven down from Manchester.

A very excited Alice arrived, dressed in a lovely christening dress, with mum and dad in tow, just before 2 pm. By then, most of the guests had already taken their seats in the Church of Saint James. The Rev’d Hazel conducted a very sweet and somewhat chaotic family-oriented service, with lots of involvement from the children and parents.

Afterwards, we had a short drive to the next village, where a buffet tea awaited us at the local soccer club. Lee and Sarah had been up very early that morning to prepare a large table full of substantial and tasty nibbles and snacks. The children were entertained with a bouncy castle, while the adults had the bar for their enjoyment. It wasn’t until close to 6 pm that guests began to leave, and we, too, made our way home.

It was a lovely family get-together, with only Suraj unable to attend, as he was called out late to address an ongoing cyber attack on the NHS systems by a group called Ransome.

Pip and Paul left us the following day to spend a few days in the Peak District before staying for a few more days with Simon in Manchester.