14th December 2023

The day after returning from Bulgaria, I had a dentist appointment while Sue attended a U3A Wildlife Group meeting at East Carlton Park, which included a visit to see the reindeer and lunch with the group.

Shortly after I got back home, there was a knock at the door; it was our next-door neighbour, Viv, clearly flustered. She explained that she’d just received a phone call from her solicitor confirming that their house sale was going through next week and asked if we could help. Sue wasn’t expected back until the afternoon, and I had already arranged to meet Jim for lunch in Foxton, but I said I’d do what I could.

Viv and Ian were moving into a small apartment and had spent the past month selling off much of their belongings in anticipation. What remained had been kept back, just in case the sale didn’t go through. Now that it was confirmed, they needed to clear the house quickly. I spent the rest of the morning helping move unwanted furniture and tools into our garage, making space ahead of their handover on Monday, just three days away. They also managed to book a van for Saturday to shift what they wanted to keep.

At 1 p.m., I picked up Jim Hankers, and we drove to Bridge 61 at Foxton Locks. We had an excellent lunch: Yorkshire pudding, mashed potato, mushy peas, and sausage. A large walking group from Leicester was also there, and we ended up chatting with their leader and a couple of walkers from Spalding.

When I returned home, Sue had been roped in as well and had continued helping the neighbours. The pile in the garage had grown substantially, and I was promptly sent back to fetch even more. By evening, the garage was completely full, and we couldn’t even get to our cars.

The following morning, I set about shifting everything that had been stored in the garage into the garden shed, greenhouse, and even into the house, just to reclaim some access. Once that was done, I took the leaf blower to the drive and garden, managing to gather two bin loads of leaves.

That evening, Sue and I went to see Napoleon at the Harborough Film Club, shown at the local theatre. The 2-hour and 38-minute epic explored the chequered rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte. It provided a fascinating and entertaining insight into the life and times of this uniquely driven man. It’s well worth a watch.

Saturday was a mix of chores and productivity. While Sue went grocery shopping, I visited both allotments and picked carrots, leeks, and beetroot. On returning home, I discovered that Viv had dropped off yet more items to store in the garage, just as we were beginning to see daylight in there again!

After lunch, I got out the chainsaw and logged the trees that Lucas and I had felled just before I flew out to Bulgaria. Meanwhile, Jamie had travelled down to London to attend the annual Binary Destroyer Christmas Party, held at one of the top hotels in the capital. Clients came from far and wide to attend, and by all accounts, it was a great success.

On Tuesday morning, I had a dentist appointment to have the fillings on three teeth strengthened. Afterwards, I called in on Jim Hankers for a coffee and a catch-up. Meanwhile, Sue had driven over to Charlotte’s with a car full of Christmas presents, ready for the festivities on Christmas Day.

By the time I returned home around noon, Sue was already back and had been next door to see Viv, who had sent her an urgent text earlier. It turned out that the woman who was buying their house, who had insisted the place be emptied by Monday, may now be pulling out of the deal altogether. Viv and Ian were understandably distraught and thoroughly fed up. They’ve now been told the exchange of contracts might go ahead in the New Year, but the buyer is reportedly considering other options. A cruel blow, especially given how far along things had come.

The sale would have marked Ian’s retirement alongside Viv from their chiropody practice. In anticipation, they had sold all their specialist equipment and transferred their clients to other practitioners. Now they find themselves with a small apartment and a house they either have to rent or try to sell again, without any immediate means of earning a living if the sale doesn’t go through. An awful position to be in, particularly so close to Christmas.

On a brighter note, Ellis had some good news to share; he graduated from the Air Cadets over the weekend and received his certificate. A proud achievement and a timely reminder that even amidst uncertainty, there are still moments worth celebrating.

Sarah, Alice, and Archie came to visit us today, bringing with them the festive spirit and a flurry of activity. There was another round of gift exchanges, and they stayed for lunch. To keep little Alice happily occupied, I had brought in a Christmas tree the day before, a small tree that had been growing in a pot at the front of the house for the past three years. Alice took great delight in decorating it with baubles and tinsel, transforming it into a cheerful centrepiece.

Archie was a live wire as usual, scooting around the house on all fours. At his age, he’s endlessly curious and full of energy; you can’t take your eyes off him for a moment as he tries to grab everything within reach, eager to discover what makes it tick.

Later that evening, I attended the annual Christmas Dinner with some of the ‘Viking Marauders’ members at The Hare in Loddington. We kicked off the night early with festive drinks at the Dog and Partridge before heading over to The Hare, thanks to a lift from the daughter of one of our group. The meal was a traditional Yuletide feast, accompanied by copious amounts of seasonal refreshments. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening and a wonderful way to usher in the festive season.

The following day, Sue and I travelled to The Fox in North Luffenham to meet friends John and Catherine for lunch. When they lived in Harborough, we would regularly meet for drinks and meals, but since their move to Bourne many years ago, John and I have only occasionally met up to ramble and share lunch around Rutland. Despite the previous night’s soirée, I somehow managed to find room for an exceptional steak pie with vegetables, definitely a meal worth returning for.

This year, Sarah and her family hosted Lee’s parents over the Christmas period. The usual ‘Palmer’ family get-together has become a logistical challenge due to growing family numbers and planned holidays, so everyone agreed the best approach was to be flexible and meet when possible. On Christmas Eve, most of the family revived an old tradition of ten-pin bowling at a very busy Thunderbowl in Kettering. We met Charlotte and Jamie’s families at 8 p.m., enjoyed several games, and then returned to our respective homes by 10:30 p.m. to await the arrival of Santa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over the last couple of weeks, the family had been visiting each other to swap presents and add to the growing caches of goodies deposited at Sarah’s and Charlotte’s homes. Lee’s parents arrived on Saturday to begin the celebrations, while Sue, Jamie, Ruth, Joey, and I gathered at Charlotte’s at 9 a.m. on Christmas morning to open our presents.

Unfortunately, Lee’s stepfather, who is unsteady on his feet, had a fall on Christmas Eve. He must have hurt himself, as the following evening he felt unwell and returned home to recover.

In both homes, the usual mountain of presents awaited, excitedly delivered to their recipients by honorary elves for the day. With the younger members of the Rothwell family absent, Suraj and Ellis stepped in to deputise and did an efficient job.

Newbold Verdon

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rothwell

 

 

 

With gifts opened and briefly perused, thoughts soon turned to the next part of the Yuletide festivities, the Christmas meal. This year, Suraj had invited our family friend Doreen to join us. We’d learned that she would be on her own on Christmas Day, and given how generous she has been to the family over the years, it felt only right to include her. After finishing his elf duties, Suraj drove to Harborough and brought her back.

Charlotte had been preparing the meal for several days, sharing comments and photos of the progress on Messenger. By the time she and Ruth had heated all the dishes, helped by Suraj, we were all seated around the table just after midday. Being a vegetarian, Doreen missed out on the traditional turkey, but I can attest that the nut roast substitute was delicious. I helped myself to a large portion as well!

Once everyone was satisfied and drinks had been quaffed, it was time for games. First up was a family favourite: ‘Guess the card’ placed on your headband. This was followed by an amusing challenge involving rolling a toilet roll stretched across the kitchen floor with a small glass of water balanced on its end.

Feeling replete and after the activities finished, Jamie and family took Doreen home before heading to Waltham on the Wolds. Shortly afterwards, Sue and I also left.

Boxing Day saw Sue and me travel to Ravensthorpe Reservoir to meet up with Charlotte, Suraj, Lucas, and Ellis for a walk. The day is traditionally popular for families eager to burn off a few of those ‘Christmas calories,’ and during our 35-minute journey, we spotted plenty of others doing just that. When we arrived, Charlotte and her family were already parked among a long line of cars. Luckily, a group of walkers soon left, freeing up a space for us.

The route around the reservoir is delightful, with plenty of wildfowl on the water. Their cackling and quacking filled the air. It’s rarely a quiet walk! The track itself was very muddy, with a constant risk of slipping and ending up on your rear end without much warning. Thankfully, we all wore wellies, and only poor Harry got really muddy.

 

We had planned to have lunch at The Chequers in Ravensthorpe village, but despite having booked ahead, the place was shut on arrival, and there was no answer when we tried to call. Annoyed but undeterred, we drove on to The George in Brixworth, where thankfully we enjoyed an excellent meal.

Meanwhile, Sarah and her family got their exercise at the bowling alley. From the scoreboards posted on Messenger, it seemed Lee didn’t quite put in as much effort as little Alice!

The day after, Sue and I joined Sarah and Charlotte’s families again to see the pantomime The Wizard of Oz at Kettering Theatre. Before the show, we stopped by Willow Bank at midday to drop off Rocky, Nala, and the two rabbits. Shortly afterwards, Jamie, Ruth, and Joey flew to New York on a delayed flight from Heathrow.

Watching a pantomime after Christmas is a long-standing Palmer family tradition. Over the years, we’ve seen many of the classic stories multiple times, but never The Wizard of Oz. What a treat it turned out to be! Brilliant acting, powerful songs, and a spectacular performance all around.

To round off the Christmas festivities, we had planned a curry meal, and that’s exactly what we did after the pantomime, gathering at Charlotte’s house. Each of the three families attending had prepared one or more curry dishes to bring along. After reheating everything, we sat down to enjoy a sumptuous medley of flavours that, in my opinion, could have easily graced the table of any top-class restaurant. The feast also doubled as a birthday celebration for Lee, whose birthday was on the 26th.