Well, it'e been four weeks since I managed to find the time to write up this page. I had been intending to archive April and start afresh in May, but that now seems unnecessary. Anyway, let me bring you up to date.
Anna and Stuart and Caleb stayed here till Friday, which was great fun for us.
I had to make two visits to the Prison that week as my man was in some sort of straits.
Then on Thursday I went up to London for a meeting of CABE. The meeting was held at St Ethelburga's Church in Bishopsgate, a lovely place bombed by the IRA and then restored as a multi-faith center for reconciliation and peace. At the meeting I found a couple of Chinese people, so I took them out to Poplar with me to meet Caroline at The Tale of India. We all had a drink together and then they left Caroline and me to eat till quite late. I stayed the night in Caroline's flat and we had a good chat over breakfast on Friday morning.
That evening we had a B&B guest staying three nights who needed neither tea nor coffee nor breakfast. She is separated from her partner who remains on their Pacific island whilst their children are away at School on the Isle of Wight. Niuatoputapu Island is off another island which in turn is off Tonga. Wow! She was with us as she is employed at The Master Builder's House Hotel at Bucklers Hard but for this particular weekend her ususal accommodation there was unavailable.
On Saturday we waited in vain for a couple to turn up: the parents-in-law of a nice sounding chap from somewhere near Reading. They never did arrive - ggrrrhh. Neither did he respond to my phone message. Neither did he fulfil his promise to find out why, when I phoned him at work on Tuesday. Neither did he reply to my letter. This sort of thing really makes me annoyed.
On Tuesday evening we had a good B&B experience. I had met the regular guest of Harriet and John Phipps some weeks earlier and discovered his interest in Sri Lanka in common with Ken East. It turned out that whilst Ken had been first secretary to our High Commission in Colombo he had met Roger's mother's cousion, a flambuoyant architect. So Patti and I took Ken over to Beaulieu and the six of us had a friendly meal together.
Then on Wednesday Patti and I drove up to Suffolk to see some of my friends. We stayed for three days in Abbey House, Monk Soham and visited Framlingham, Aldeburgh, Orford Castle, Snape Maltings, the mediaeval town of Lavenham and Bleackheath House, the wonderfully refurbished Georgian home of Sir Michael Hopkins, architect of the new Glyndebourne Opera House. and many other exciting projects
From Monday, 14 till Ascension day on Thursday, 17 May I was away on retreat as is my habit now each year at Pleshey.
Thursday 17 May was of course Anna's birthday. Anna sent us a delightful picture of Caleb's first climb.
On Saturday 19th we had put off several B&Bs as we had agreed to play our part in a fund-raising concert by Chenyin Li and supper at the home of Derek and Julia Rosling looking out onto the distant Solent.
On Sunday 20th we went up to Ockley and watched, waited or worked on the terrace extension. The house gets better every time, now plastered all through. And the garden is changing too: renovated summerhouse turned into Wendy house in the front gerden, herbaceous border in the back, and two new greenhouses got from Freecycle. Dan is so keen on this he is encouraging us all to join in. We have joined the New Forest East Freecycle Group and I am hopeful of getting rid of all sorts of junk. Unless some family member speaks up within a week I'll be freecycling our bulky chair-bed!
Dan, don't forget to send through some pictures of that momentous day!
Monday till Friday last week Nuala and Graham Sterling's son Andrew was renewing our central heating boiler and hot water cylinder - and a very good job he did. Meanwhile I was looking after Tally again, whilst Ken was up in Streatham with his daughter Helen. He was taken there by Patricia (over from Munich for a few days). My next Tally duty starts on 12 June when Ken goes off with Roger to Florac in the Massif Centrale, where he and Roger are renovating Roger's house.
On Wednesday Patti went on a coach trip with NADFAS to Chartwell, Winston Churchill's house in the North Downs. And in the evening we joined a Twinning supper at the Gins Farm clubhouse of the Royal Southmpton Yacht Club. A perfect evening with the tide right up, clear sky, warm air and good friends. We were surrounded by doctors: Graham and Nuala sat next to us, Alastair Gordon was on the next table, and down a bit was Barry Keaton. He tells me he has retired from practice now, but is still President of some sort of paediatric consultant society.
OK, now how about a happy snappy from Caroline, taken whilst I was away on retreat. These, I think, are some friends from the drama group with whom she played in Oliver at the Hospital. Things seem to be going well up East London: Caro was highly commended for a recent presentation on social medicine, and got top marks. She has found a new interest in dermatology. So stop scratching and start asking!
Patti went up to see Gran on Thursday and stayed overnight, getting back in time for David Markby's memorial service. Afterwards, taking tea on the East Lawn of Palace House we met lots of old friends.
Yesterday we were clearing up the house after the central heating disruptions, and then had a splendid lunch at Hill Top House to celebrate Brett Johnson's 64th burthday. They have made the house and grounds look splendid: secret gardens, children's plaground, clipped hedges, paddock fences, proper farm equipment (including a tractor, Sam) and lots of Highland cattle out in the field.
Later that day our first bank holiday B&B people arrived in a Humber Personal utility Vehicle! What a surprise. Here's Patti trying to climb aboard. It seems this is almost the only one around and has been seen in nostalgic films. there's a new one coming out soon. A Day in the Life of Miss Somebody (I've forgotten who). So watch out for it.
Today some new people came, hoping to cycle through the New Forest. Rain, rain rain. So they set off to Lymington in their car and thought about crossing to the Isle of Wight. I suppose they'll have supper in Yarmouth and get back home late. Let's hope the weather is better tomorrow.
Well, maybe that's more thsn you can take at one gulp? So I'll leave off now. Hey Dan, don't forget to send through some pics of the house and garden, especially ones with K&S watering the plants in the greenhouse. Oh yes, and I have remembered: 18 August is in the diary!
Here are some photos taken on this hot sunny day in the Forest at King's Hat where we went for a picnic
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| Here is the family settling down to lunch of Badminton chicken and salmon rolls, followed by starwberries and cream all washed down with cans of Bass and cups of coffee. | And here is Caleb having an after-lunch snooze. Perhaps he's drunk?? |
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| Here are Katie and Sam riding a pretend horse whilst off on their adventures. | And here they are at home later: car valeting by the experts! |
It was a hot April day. They say this April is four degrees hotter than average, and the hottest in England since records began in the seventeenth century.
In the Forest we found violets and some other brilliant indigo flower in profusion. Anna took a specimin intending to identify it. We saw orchids too: tiny pink ones, in the grass. A young heifer calf chased Tally across the lawn till her mother called her away: don't talk to strange men dear!
We went along to Marchwood Farmers' Market looking for plants. As you can see this involved a serious discussion amongst the botanically enabled, Caleb having the casting vote.
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| The Carters and Grannie take Tally for a walk from King's Hat onto Culverley Lawn | Carters and Grannie discuss buying plants at Marchwood Saturday Farmers' Market | Two gardeners explore the Forest of Hythe | Anna takes out the salad for lunch in the garden |
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Once home, the two senior gardeners had to consider where the plants would have had to go had they been intended for the Hythe garden. Then the Dexters arrived: Dan and Jenny, with Katie and Sam, and Caroline who had spent the previous evening examining trains with Sam and then spending the night at Millwood. And after a barbecue lunch prepared by Stuart we settled down to an afternoon of medical training. |
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| Whilst plant inspection was going on it was necessary for the men to take a well-earned break, with blueberry cookies and something to drink. | Dr Dexter instructs Anna in taking Stuart's blood pressure |
Before that we witnessed some exercises with an ophthalmascope in the music room whilst Sam listened to the sound of trains coming and going from my hardly-ever-allowed-to-be-listened-to GWR vinyl record.
Then towards evening the family amused itself in a variety of ways.
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| Here's Caroline examining the shrubbery under the eating apple tree; | Caroline, Jenny, Katie and Sam having tea; | Katie and Sam enjoying an afternoon pint; |
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| Katie and Sam helping water the plants . . . | and Caroline and Jenny watching the children's antics. |
Do you like my new car? A Jaguar S Type.
Could this have been bought with the profits so far this year from the B&B business!!
Unfortunately not yet. This was the car of our third B&Ber, who had come to Hampshire for the wedding of his goddaughter.
The wedding had been at Highfield Church in Southampton, and the reception was to be in the Montagu Arms Beaulieu.
So his car was parked at Arden House whilst he was at the reception.
I took him there and collected him.
We must find out what would be involved in my charging for this sort of service: it seems to suit several people quite well.
Dan and Jenny had been thinking hard what to get Sam for his birthday. Sam is entranced by Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends. He knows the names of all the engines. So the idea was to get hold of a Thomas the Tank Engine train set he could use. When up north, they came across an ad (on eBay I think) for a wooden Thomas the Tank Engine train set in Leeds, so they went to have a look at it and bought it. That was few weeks ago.
Since then they have been getting hold of extra engines, carriages and other bits and pieces, some of them birthday presents from grandparents!!! But the major work still had to be done. The wooden train set from Leeds comprised a low table with sides rather like a colonial table, and on that were various wooden rails, an engine shed, a bridge etc. etc. These things had been stuck down with glue, and the surface painted. But the previous owner had obviously had so much fun with this that when Dan and Jenny picked it up from Leeds it had become rather well used and battered. So it needed refurbishment.
But first, a new track layout was required. As every model railway enthusiast knows, the most important thing is the design of the track layout. Some of the design work was done at School House in South Brewham whilst staying with Sam's Nan and Grandpa. The wooden rails, bridge, and engine shed were all positioned, with some of the original rails and a lot of new pieces. The job had to be done in secret, and hadn't been completed by the time it was necessary to go back home to Ockley. So all the peices had to be numbered for reassembly at dead of night, ready for glueing and painting. Now all that has been done, and what a result!! And now at last the result is here for all to see. Voila . . .
Sunday 22 April
A quiet day spent walking Tally in the Forest at King's Hat and getting the garden into shape. The southern end of the beech hedge is now in limpid green leaf.
The task was to dismantle the compost pits I had built thirty years' ago and store the bricks - and the two concrete fence posts I must have used for foundations.
We found an old pair of secateurs and a slow worm who slid away into the copse.
Then it was tree root grubbing for me: an old yew tree stump was easy, the two conifers were hardly more difficult, but the four beech trees did need plenty of effort. All complete before the midges started to bite really hard.
Meanwhile Caroline was out in Ming Street Poplar, encouraging the runners in the London Marathon . . .
Then in the late afternoon she sent down an essay for our review. She often does that, which we take as a huge compliment. This one was entitled The role of physiotherapy at Plaistow Day Hospital in the ongoing care of Mrs H.
Poor Mrs H, who is 85 and has multiple problems. But what an inspiration the care approach at Plaistow. And what a splendid essay - of course!
Here is a picture of practical physiotherapy with a most attractive model, taken from the essay.
Saturday 21 April
Today Rosie and I went to the funeral in Stevenage of our cousin Anthony. He had been an active leader, and sometime CO, of the Hitchin ATC. At the private crematorium (in parkland visible from the railway line as our train approached the town) the ATC band struck up and led the coffin inside. The corps of young people stood at the side of the chapel. Their present CO read the poem He is Gone and young bugler Cpl Michael Page played The Last Post and Reveille
Tony's son-in-law Derek (Helen's husband) read a tribute to Tony, his son Roger read a poem of his own recalling happy times sailing with his father, and Hermione, Roger's wife, sang and played on the harp She moved through the fair. Afterwards, out in the warm sunshine, his four grandchildren held together and then released a white dove who circled anticlockwise round the park before disappearing over the trees: a left-handed circuit in the tradition of the RAF - most appropriate.
Deborah took us in her car with June to Daphne's village, Rushden, where Anthony had built their house and lived for many years. Fifty of us gathered in the church hall for tea and cakes. Felicity and Tony were there with Stephen their son, Antonia their daughter, and her daughter in turn.
Anthony had had a private pilot's licence, flew his own plane and enthused others to take flight. Felicity showed us an issue of the magazine Anthony once edited for amateur fliers. This had a short piece written by his mother, our Auntie Ethel. How one can hear the voice of an old friend when reading her words!
Felicity surprised and delighted us by giving me a copy she had kept for years of a booklet produced by Jack Stowers commemorating the St Barnabas Boy's Club in which our father played such a part. Here are two pictures from it: of the Football Club in 1919 and of a reunion 34 years later.
Can you spot HHD in both of them?
Well, here are some clues to make it easier
Friday 20 April
Got up this morning to find low pressure in the wash basin taps. Curious. Loo didn't fill too quickly either. Curiouser and curiouser. In the utility room the sound of rushing water!! So the water was turned off and Dave the plumber turned up to sort that out. Meanwhile I was existing on kettles fortunately left filled last night. What if we had had B&Bs staying?? And what a good job we now have an acccessible stop cock in the utility room cupboard!!!
Thursday 19 April
Caroline has been to Cambodia, and says:
Pol Pot and his crew made quite a mess of things between 1975 and 1979. This is documented at key sites in and around Phnom Penh. The school was turned into a prison, and many of the targeted Cambidians ended up in the killing fields.
Here is Caroline on her bike near Angkor Wat. A host of her splendid photos of Cambodia appeared on her fabulous Facebook albums, now sadly deleted. I only wish I had her camera - or perhaps I need her talent?
Then of course came Caroline's second visit to the Camino Frances, from St Jean Pied de Port towards Santiago de Compostela. This time she walked to and fro near Pamplona and then made the trek on foot with a variety of friends as far as Logrono.
Back at home here the day has been bright and sunny. Team Member went off to do her stint at The Ark, and then on to the ancestral home, planning to return tomorrow. I produced some business cards for Harriet, who has been so kind with her B&B referrals, and some more flyers for us, ready to take down to Tim Dunning. We had an enquiry from a German for accommodation over the Autojumble time, so I passed that on to Elaine. Still sunny at 6:00pm so I cycled over to Beaulieu. Harriet and John had got stuck in Somerset with clutch trouble so I found their B&B guests being hosted by David, a naighbour. Later I had a nice supper with on of their guests in Monty's bar, and got back home just before dark. A lovely day.
Wednesday 18 April
Have you ever heard a 400-strong choir performing in the Albert Hall with full orchestra?
There's nothing quite like it; a fact celebrated by the great composers who have written for massive vocal resources: Handel, Haydn, Mahler and Britten to name just a few.
This spectacular form of entertainment is what Barts Choir is all about; and its audinece now has one very distinguished new member; she's the one with the curly hair taking the picture.
Caroline says the organ is huge and the noise it makes is amazing.
Apparently most of the members of the Barts Choir are no longer students . . .
Tuesday 17 April
This spring the bluebells are out in Ockley, and so are one or two residents.
Today they were having a picnic in Hundred Acre Wood, just like Pooh Bear and Piglet.
If you go down to the woods today, You're sure of a big surprise
If you go down to the woods today, You'd better go in disguise.
For ev'ry bear that ever there was, Will gather there for certain, because
Today's the day the Teddy Bears have their picnic.
Ev'ry Teddy Bear who's been good, Is sure of a treat today.
There's lots of marvellous things to eat, And wonderful games to play
Beneath the trees where nobody sees, They'll hide and seek as long as they please
'Cause that's the way the Teddy Bears have their picnic!
Sunday 15 April
Today spring is here. This is the third sunday in the month, so Hythe Meeting takes place in the Community Centre. Today there were just three of us. "When two or three are gathered together..."
Mary Singleton was wearing her submariner's badge, a small replica on her right lapel as is the tradition for wives and mothers left behind. Jim Singleton was a submariner before he joined the church. He died in a motorcycling accident in France three years ago, leading a group of hell's angels from his parsh and surrounds. A great man with a strong sense of adventure. In his Bible was written "My God and me, we climb mountains!" I guess Mary had him in mind today for some reason. Her other son Brin is a parish priest in Suffolk. He had previously curate at Soham where the two unfortunate schoolgirls were killed by Ian Huntly. He was a submariner too. His son took the sword of honour at his passing out parade and is due to be married by his father on August bank holiday Saturday just before being posted to Afghanistan. Quite a family for an almost-Quaker.
As I was sitting there is the silence I began looking out of the window. The sun shining brightly on the red-brick houses and blossoming almond trees. I thought of AH Clough's lines:
And not by eastern windows only,
When daylight comes, comes in the light,
In front the sun climbs slow, how slowly,
But westward, look, the land is bright.
We were actually looking north, so it would have been southern windows, and northward, but the thought would be the same. Then out of one of the houses came a man and a woman, about my age, holding hands. Ten minutes later another couple, retuning from somewhere, arm in arm. I thought how important families are to our lives, whatever the difficulties we experience and however the relationships are strained from time to time. Let's always hang on to that.
Meanwhile, in the hot sun, Team Member was busy as you can see, cutting back the grape hyacinths in the 'rockery' so that other species can show themselves.
Later on I repaired the ramshackle garden fence to do duty for a few more years - it really needs replacing, but that can wait.
Lunch in the garden under the shade of a sadly moth-eaten blue sunshade: salmon, couscous, a nice fruity salad and the remains of some roasted vegetables. We settled down to read books while the sun was hot.
Then my cousin June rang. Colin has had congestive heart failure and is on a cocktail of drugs that make him feel bad, so they'll not be coming to spend a weekend with us as has been planned. And my cousin Anthony has died. So we are both off to Stevenage on Saturday for the funeral. A humanist celebration in the crematorium.
Thursday 12 April
Anna has sent another picture, entitled 'Any Nits?'.
This was taken on 28 February in the delightful surrondings of Speybank, in the basement of Taigh Caighbhaogh (or something like that); the Gaelic words mean 'House of Cabers'. It is a log house built out of telegraph poles.
Interestingly perhaps for Dan, Andrew the owner realised after building it with considerable labour that he would have to clad the inside of the house because otherwise his children might be affected by the creosote in the logs.
When I've a dearth of pictures I'll publish one or two of the views from Speybank.
Well, what else? I have been finishing off some work for the school, and responding to yet more enquiries from B&B applicants. We now have a firm booking from a city type who wants to attend a wedding in Southampton and then a reception in the Montagu Arms in Beaulieu. He'll arrive here between the wedding and the reception, and I'll ferry him to and from Beaulieu.
There was another this morning from Harriet: an intriguing lady writes from the Republic of Ireland. She signs herself off as PR/Promotions Manager, Horse Racing Ireland at Thoroughbred County House, Kill, co. Kildare. She's looking for two double rooms so we have to think hard about that. What to do? Say no we can't, or offer to put up one couple, or offer part of 'our' part of the house. I await instructions.
I have been looking after Tally for a couple of days, and have just taken him out into the Forest for a run. Ken thinks he is decrepit, but when I have him he seems to gain strength from day to day, only stumbling occasionally. Ken is back tomorrow midday.
Wednesday 11 April
Anna sends a picture of the Carter Garden developing. Wow, what a transformation. Well done Anna and Stuart. I'm booking you up for some ideas and work here!!
Anna writes:
Caleb went swimming today and propelled himself around the pool then went to his friends house to play with his toys.
So the youngest member is getting himself into the social scene. He'll enjoy the garden, won't he!
No response from the Belgians yet, but today we had a THANK YOU card from our first B&B people. Wow!! This is what they say:
John and Patti
Just to say thank you very much
We had a lovely time and thank you for making us feel so welcome.
Regards . . .
PS - Best breakfast . . . . . . .
Patti has gone off to play a foursome at Crane Valley Golf Club near Ringwood. Yesterday she played a Canadian greensome partnering a bloke over nine holes at Walhampton, and was disappointed with her performance. Fingers crossed for today's effort. Whatever the golf it should be a warm and pleasant day. The forecast says sunny intervals and 19C by 4pm.
This evening we climbed up into the church roof to see what has been done; then Tony, Laura, Pete and Liz came back here for a celebration glass of Champagne and supper: lasagne which I was allowed to part-cook, and that wonderful frozen summer fruit thing with warm sauce we had over the weekend (see below).
Everyone went upstairs to have a look at the bedroom accommodation, and the bathroom, and were suitably impressed. Everyone is promising to send us overflow B&B customers. We shall soon be very rich ??
From Anna this morning . . .
Here is the latest from the Carter family: Caleb has a new toy!!!
Meanwhile, here in the Deep South we had another enquiry, this time from Belgium . . .
Dear Madam, dear Sir,
We'd like some information about your B&B. We are 2 adults and 1 baby (9 months in August). We have a traveller cot for the baby. We would like to stay 2 or 3 nights in your B&B between the 1st and the 8 August 2007, double of twin room, if possible with en-suite or private bath/shower.
What is the price for 2 nights ? and for 3 nights ? Is there evening meals available ?
Thanks for your answer (Please precise the name and the location of your B&B in the answer, with eventual website).
Regards,
I have replied in my best French offering GBP 37x2+5=79x2=158-16=142 or EURO 209 for two nights, or EURO 296 (work that out) for three, all consistent with what we say on the website. We have to see what the Sprouts will do.
What about a lie-in? Well, Dan was up early, breakfasted on Weetabix and coffee (eat your heart out Caroline, who's been stymied for early morning caffeine on her trek!) and up in the Eyrie working on presentations for Tuesday, using the new wireless LAN.
Meanwhile on mid-floor (the Carters aren't the only ones with a mid-floor now) the youngest and almost oldest present were having their lie-in.
What's all this about caffeine? Well, Caroline has been in touch. This is what she says . . .
Well, just arrived at Lorca, it is a beautiful day and we had a lovely walk from Uterga this morning. Last night we were really well fed and this place looks promising too. In the beginning I met an American girl and we have been walking together since then, first with some Germans and now with an Irish guy, we are having such a laugh, it is brilliant! Nearly everyone you meet is lovely, and even the difficult parts are funny, so it is all such good fun and we all help each other and make each other laugh.
I don't know if I will make it to Burgos, probably not quite that far this time. but there will be another time I am sure, I can«t think of a better way to spend a holiday really. The countryside is so beautiful and all the trees are in bud or sprouting.
Today we saw a procession of the Virgin going through Puente la Reine, and we had Easter eggs in a cafe with our breakfast there too.
Sometimes it seems to be difficult to get breakfast in the places we are staying, so we have to start and are sometimes walking for three hours before coffee - imagine!
Reading a good book by Melvin Bragg at odd free moments - "Twelve Books that changed the world". Includes Origin of Species plus Magna Carta, Principia Mathematica by Newton and Faraday«s Experimental Researches in Electricity. Talks about the far reaching effects they have had on our way of life. You would like it, I think. You can add it to the List.
See you soon, lots of love Caro xxx
She's back home for the weekend on Ryanair's best from Santander to Stansted, arring Friday evening, ready for the start of her sixth term and the second week of her anatomy SSM.
Dan has been working upstairs in the Eyrie most of the day, and Jenny on the music room floor. I've been copying stuff for Jenny to use tomorrow in some tutoring job she has, and printing Excel sheets for Dan. But we did all manage to get out in the Forest late morning. Everyone went to King's Hat and Culverly Lawn. Whirligigs were performed there for Katie and Sam, and Katie rode back on my shoulders. We met someone coming the other way on someone else's shoulders, and everyone felt he was Tigger or Kanga ot Roo or Piglet. Then we found some footprints made by a pony and worked out which way he had been travelling.
When we got home we had a barbecue of lamb kebabs and chicken breast pieces with roasted vegetables; pudidng was something that's served at The Ivy: frozen summer fruits with a special warm sauce. Uuummmm!
Later on there were more whirligigs in the garden, after Grannie had played fetch the stones and put them in the flowerpot with Katie while Sam did some important work with a large spoon and some earth and a flower pot and a green urn. All this while Jenny was getting ready for her tutoring in the conservatory and Dan was finding out that much of his work in the morning had been wasted so had to be redone, and had then given me instructions on how to do some work for him overnight so that he could do his presentation in the morning. Well, we'll see how we get on!!!
Now it's time for tea!
Well, we've now had two lots of B&Bers: one set came on Friday and the other lot yesterday.
On Friday a young woman brought her parents. Her father was a central heating engineer, co-incidentally helpful as our system had just broken down, and he had some useful thoughts. They arrived at ten to four and we all had tea together in the conservatory. Then they changed and went walking down to Hythe, ending up for a meal in Salt, the Marina Village pub. Coming back by taxi they asked for 'The Croft' and went inside to have a look around but pronounced themselves disapponted. Breakfast was a success!! The bill was £96. The father paid in cash and didn't want change from the £100 he offered, so I got a £4 tip!! Never had a tip before!!! Apparently the breakfast was the best they'd ever had, so that's a good omen, I thought.
Yesterday a different scene. A young doctor, whose mother trained at Barts (and she herself at George's) now a GP with equity trader husband and a thirteen-month-old son Archie, fit and strong and taking it all in - including his mother's milk morning and evening. They also arrived around four, and again we had tea together in the conservatory. Then I took them to the Domus; they had come down for a wedding at New Milton and were now off to the reception. I arranged to pick them up at midnight. And so I did, after watching most of 'The Hundred best Tearjerkers' on Channel 4. Archie came down early next morning and played with his mum in the conservatory. We had quite a chat. Dad was fetched later and they tucked in to a full breakfast. After that we took buggy and child seat out of the Volvo and off they went to visit friends in Southbourne. paying me £80 in new Adam Smith twenties. Again a tip - I had asked for £79.
Supergran, June and Richard, and Linda and Richard came here for lunch today. Grass had been mown and apple trees pruned in readiness, and JB was despatched to Marchwood Farmer's Market early in the morning early to seek out local produce for lunch. The party were shown the new bedroom arrangements and pronounced themselves content. Patti produced cucmumber mouse, pheasant breasts with bacon and leeks accompanioed by royal potatoes and fresh purple sprouting broccoli, followed by a glorious Bakewell tart and individual white and dark chocolate cremes.
Oh, and tonight I had an encouraging email from Caleb and his mum. Caleb is certainly on the ball, don't you think . . .
Well, we've just had a look at some of the Beaulieu B&B websites and realise how attractive they look compared with ours! Never mind, Bed and Breakfast enquiries are coming in from Harriet Phipps. Lots of people want to stay over Easter and in September for the Autojumble. We have a flyer going out to Pearsons (a local estate agent) and to Esso, and we hope to pick up some of the surplus people from other hosts like Harriet.
Caroline phoned from London City airport this morning. Fresh back from Cambodia she's off to Madrid for a birthday party, and then hopes to get the bus to Pamplona ready to start a trek back up the Camino Frances over the Pyrenees to St Jean Pied de Port over Easter.
Now then, here's the quiz . . .
Who is this beautiful woman? You have three guesses . . .
It's Jenny's birthday today!!
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear Jenny
Happy Birthday to you
Dan and Jenny, assisted by Katie and Sam and several muscular friends, are building a terrace this weekend, with railway sleepers, rubble, concrete and stone slabs. They're having tomato soup for lunch. Maybe spinach too (Popeye-style)? Well, they'll need some energy. What's the betting a bottle or two of Bud will be consumed . . . . .