 Corfe Castle 9 - 12 July 2025 (Wednesday to Saturday) Wednesday morning, and we were up early as we were off to spend a few days in Swanage with Vivi (of Vivi's Kitchen Garden) at her Cottage by the Sea. Again, a trip seemed to be coinciding with another heat wave over the days that we were to be away, so I was down at the plot to do some really early morning watering; I thought it sensible to get as much deeply watered as possible. After breakfast, and packing our bags and making a few snacks for the journey, we got into Fenella and after a quick pit stop at our local garage to check tyre pressures, we were on our way, soon wending our way down the M3 and onwards through Surrey, Hampshire and into Dorset. We had a necessary (for me) toilet break at Winchester services, where on the way out I couldn't resist a Greggs vegan sausage roll which we ate in the car; neither roll was as warm as we’d wanted it to be but the taste was rather lovely. Post stuffing our faces, a beautiful butterfly landed on Richard's bracelet as he was sitting in the car with the door open; it just stayed on his bracelet licking his skin, possibly taking either moisture or salts. Even with some gentle blowing encouragement the butterfly didn't want to move, so eventually Richard got out of the car and moved to an area of trees where there was lots of shade, and the butterfly decided it was time to move on… just as we then did, continuing our journey down to Swanage. After much motorway and many country roads, we were greeted at Vivi’s front door with many hugs. Happy Huggy Days!! It was time to unpack Fenella, ensuring she had nothing remaining visible to curious passersby, then we drove up the hill a little bit further and parked in free parking a few streets away. Back at Vivi's Cottage by the Sea and after a cup of tea and much chat, we had lunch which Vivi had already prepared which was a fantastic Greek salad which we had with bread and dips of my hummus which Vivi’d made and also an edamame hummus which was new to me and absolutely delicious - I got the recipe from Vivi straight away, and as it’s just a few swap outs of my own is another easy one to do. Lots of table chatting and garden talk, and then at the end of the afternoon, we popped down to walk along the seafront, had an ice cream and sat down and watched people enjoying themselves, sitting quietly as the Swanage world went on around us. As we sat, I was somewhat surprised to hear some rousing Chairman Mao style music, with a host of voices singing along to galvanising Chinese music… it took me half an hour to realise it was actually British sea shanties emanating from the pirate and Jurassic Park themed Sante-Fe Fun Park behind us, landside of the main promenade road! How our mind plays tricks with us… In the evening, we had one of Vivi’s delicious mild curries outside in Vivi's fabulous cottage garden. The growth rate of the garden since our last visit in May has been phenomenal, with tomatoes way way higher than my own at the plot and growth on plants that I’d given Vivi much stronger than I have at the plot myself. I think the soil must be really good, though also, and MOST importantly, all the genuine hard graft that Vivi’s put in turning a tired overgrown back garden space into a flourishing veg patch with lots of flowers and LOTS of wildlife. Sitting at her wonderful table, the hard graft has to be admired and applauded. When Vivi says she's going to do something she certainly gets on and does it, and with her garden, or rather her producing garden I should say, the effort is really paying off, and in so many ways. We sat out chatting and laughing until the light had gone, and even after this Vivi brought candles out, so chats and star-gazing continued. At the very end of the evening we went in and sat down in Vivi's living room for half an hour or so before getting off to bed… and of course, a few pages of my book.  After the first swim in the sea... Thursday saw me up early, and at the kitchen table having a cup of tea. I didn’t have the knack for the back door, though Richard was up soon after and then Vivi joined us and we sat out at her garden table chatting away, and Richard and myself having a breakfast of All Bran. After breakfast, it was down to the beach again, this time walking farther than we'd walked before, right across the promenade and in front of the beach huts, and then over the groynes which are there to reduce the impact of the waves on the beach huts and cliff, and then to a space on the sand where the nearest person was 200 meters away. It had been very hot on our walk, and I decided immediately to do something that I hadn't really expected to do, and that was to go for a swim in the sea… even though I wasn’t prepared for one! As Vivi was getting her dress off, bending over to undo her shoes, she looked to the side and saw that I was already down to my knickers and vest and pacing off towards the lapping water. Very soon Vivi followed in her bathing costume, and in we both went… cautiously at first, just feeling the temperature of the water on our toes and ankles and shins and knees and thighs and, well, other bits… Once I was up to my waist, and with my face turned towards Vivi in the shallower waters and Richard sitting on the beach, I let myself lean back and fall into the water… and then immediately started swimming as it felt rather chilly… After a few moments, my brain began to realise quite how delicious this whole experience was… and a few metres away there was our Vivi, fully in too and we were both swimming, each finding warm patches, or making our own… We stayed in swimming and chatting and laughing and in my case crying for about half an hour or so. The last time I'd even seriously paddled in water was 10 years ago with mum at Rocquaine in Guernsey, a few days after dad had died… memorable in so many ways, especially it being my 50th birthday. Mum was in her bathing costume and I was up to my thighs in water and we were just walking along the shoreline looking out at the fabulous view of the sea, and then looking back at the fabulous view of Guernsey. It was a moment to reflect, and a moment to treasure. Now, a decade on, and with mum now gone, I was having my first time in seawater since that moment, so not surprisingly emotions rose to the surface… just like my blubber-filled body did as I quietly laid back, floating on the surface of the silently whooshing waves. I hadn't really come prepared to swim, as I hadn't hugely expected to be swimming, but Vivi had come prepared and she and I sat on a towel she’d brought, drying off in the warm breeze and sunshine, chatting away with Richard. We sat there for half an hour or more, with the sun beating down and the salt crystals forming on our skins, and then we packed our things up and started walking our way back to Vivi’s Cottage by the Sea. For both Vivi and myself, this first swim had been special and emotional and essential in so many ways… and we had done it together… which was bloody marvelous! Happy Days indeed!! Back home (note the use of the word home - as it already feels like a home away from home), and still flushed with the joy of having swum, it was time for lunch and Vivi heated up some of her delicious Courgette & Potato Soup, added some grated cheddar, and we had leftover dips and bread with spread for lunch, again sitting at her table out in Vivi's lovely cottage garden, chatting and watching the wildlife fly by… butterflies and hummingbird moths, and bees and wasps and hoverflies, and then of course seagulls and town pigeons and country pigeons and doves and so much else, all with the occasional backdrop of a hoot and a chuff chuff from the railway line, and tinkly chiming bells of the local church striking the hour and half hour. Bliss! In the evening, we decided we’d go out and have chips so we went to Vivi’s favoured chippie, ordered a portion of chips for Vivi, cod and chips for Richard, and haddock and chips for me. With wrapped paper bags filled with goodies in our hands, we made our way along the front to a short pier, which is actually called Stone Quay as it's where local small ferries dock. A bench was free, so we sat down to eat our seaside suppers, with seagulls keeping an eye, and one dive bombing my chips though not quite getting away with one… it's only when a seagull is close up to you and literally flying over your lap and have a wing bashing your shoulder as it passes, that you suddenly realise quite how big, how strong and how heavy a seagull can be!  A labrador helping out at the seaside... Photo courtesy of Vivi of 'What Vivi did next' and 'Vivi's Kitchen Garden'. After our fish supper (a very rare thing for Richard and myself now as we only ever have when we’re at the seaside, as fish never features in any shopping basket) and chippie supper for Vivi (Vivi eats no fish), we watched all around us, enjoying the water, and the sun and the sumptuous air that only a seaside town like Swanage can do; suntanned kids jumping off piers into deep water, others on inflatable paddle boards being dragged out of the water by a tugging labrador, and water lapping calmly and endlessly against any surface it wants. A little walk along the front to Banjo Pier, and then it was back home and back to the table in Vivi's cottage garden at her Cottage by the Sea, and time for a few rounds of Yahtzee. Happy Days!!
Friday morning, and we’d already planned to drive back up the valley to visit Corfe Castle, which you cannot NOT see as you pass by on your way to and out of Swanage. Imposing… ruined… majestic. Richard had wanted to visit it on our first trip to Vivi's Swanage, though there just wasn't time, so this time we made time. So, after breakfast we walked up the remainder of Cardiac Hill that Vivi lives on, across and then up Cardio Hill, which is even steeper. Fenella was patiently waiting a short distance away on the next crossroad, and we piled into her and began our short journey to Corfe Castle. Now, Richard and I are members of the National Trust though we’d forgotten that Corfe Castle was a National Trust property… and also forgotten our membership cards! Despite this, we decided that if we couldn't get in with our membership numbers it was worth the cost just to have a walk around this magnificent castle with so much history. Parking up, and going into the Welcome Centre, I asked about parking and membership and the lovely lady immediately said it was not a problem and that our membership could be looked up at the Ticket Office, which was a 10 to 15 minute walk away. She also gave me a slip of paper with the date of our visit specified, so back to Fenella I popped to put the gifted slip on Fenella’s windscreen, to ensure that we wouldn't get charged the penalty fee for not paying for parking. Delighted, I walked back to the Welcome Centre, met up with Vivi and Rochard again… and in the short time I’d been away Vivi had been scouring the shelves of secondhand books for sale… so back off I went to Fenella to fill her boot with Vivi’s wordy gems. Crossing the road carefully, we made our way along the incredibly white chalk path, glistening with sunshine and shadows, over a brook and then wound our way up around the castle battlements to the Ticket Office. Sure enough, they were able to look up our membership and give us tokens which would give us free entry to the castle… technology can be a boon! The walk was pretty rough underfoot, and the castle always were too, though we had such a fantastic time; sometimes walking and chatting the three of us, sometimes in twos, and sometimes just individually wandering around taking pictures and video and watching the train coming in or leaving Corfe Castle station. Also, there are peregrines nesting at the top of the battered battlements which seems so apt, and two of them were happy to show themselves during the time we were there, both looking down on us and occasionally making the noises that are now so familiar over my allotment. I think we must have spent about an hour and a half wandering the castle, and then meandered back down through the huge gateway and into the cafe garden, where we ordered a cream tea, a savoury cream tea and Vivi had a quiche of some sort, I think it had red onion marmalade in it which also came with the savoury cream tea. We hoped that we'd be able to sit in the garden, in the shade, though there was a Wasp Alert on which was signalled on signs and that we were told about at the time of ordering… so once we had sat down and the jam for the cream tea was noted by the wasps, we decided to move inside and have our food and drink in the cafe rather than in the wonderful garden… even so, a wasp followed us in and stayed with us, flying and feasting on a little bit of jam that had somehow made its way onto Richard’s bag. After our little repaste we had a wander of the little village of Corfe Castle, window shopping, visiting the little museum, then crossing over and visiting the rather fabulous railway station. The station itself is a throwback to yesteryear and I think manned completely by volunteers. The train that goes through is powered by steam and goes down to Swanage and up the other way a stop or two. It always amazes me how the time and generosity of a few individuals has ensured that these historic railways and stations and railway lines remain intact, something I think we often forget, sadly. Walking back along the chalk path to Fenella, who was quietly waiting in the car park, we then drove back to Vivi’s for further chats and laughs and games and fabulous food (Vivi's delicious Fassolada) and an evening outside, at her table, in her cottage garden of her Cottage by the Sea, with candles burning and under the crisp starry sky… listening to various jazz sessions glistening over Swanage as part of its annual Jazz Festival at the start of the British summer holiday season.  Swanage Bay Saturday was another planned day in many ways, mainly as it was the day that we were going to be leaving and driving back to a rather hot and sticky London. However, we’d decided that we’d go for another swim, so after some bran flakes we all got ready, which for Vivi meant putting on her bathing costume and for me and Richard meant just dressing like we normally do… no, I’d not bought any swimming shorts yet as I hadn't seen any that I really fancied… though to be fair, I hadn't really looked either!
Off we went again, down the very short journey into Swanage town, and then left along the beach front to Ocean Bay and then just a bit beyond. It was still early in the morning, around 8:30 or 9 and there were already loads of people bundling onto the main beaches of this fabulous resort. However, and thankfully, where we went it was still pretty quiet; there were a few people between the groynes that we chose to swim from, and some of the beach huts were open or being opened by their owners. As with Thursday, I went in with my knickers and T-shirt and Vivi in her slinky bathing costume. At first, the water seemed a little bit cooler than on Thursday; maybe because it was early in the morning and the sun hadn't been beating down for several hours warming the top few inches or more. However, we were both soon fully in and again paddled and swam away each to our heart's content, literally as swimming is such a good exercise and gets the heart pumping. It’s only on occasions like this, filled with deep joy, I remember how much swimming was a part of my life growing up. From a very early age, as a baby mum would leave me in a pram or pushchair outside the front door of mum and dad's B&B, and if mum went back at 9:15 and I was gone she knew that she had the day to herself to get on with washing and cleaning and making dinner for all the guests that evening. A visitor or visitors would have taken me off to the beach or to town or to wherever they were going for the day. Most often, it was to the beach and for many years the beach was just an intrinsic part of my life… sand, sea, sandwiches, smiles - even then always a sanctuary too. Maybe one day it will be so again, though just now, for these precious moments of Vivi and I being in the water, it felt so right, and so good, and so joyous. Again, we sat on a towel on the sand and dried off a little bit, and then walked back along the seafront where by now the beaches and walkways were just bustling with folk, and buckets and spades and float boards and sandwich bags, and windbreakers and little shelters, and many smiles with the hope of a fun day out. Back at Vivi’s Cottage by the Sea, Richard made toast and the three of us sat at the table in Vivi's cottage garden, enjoying proper toast topped with a spoon or two of Purbeck honey from a pot that Vivi had bought specifically for our visit… it was totally delicious, and another slice or two was had by each of us. The rest of the morning was leisurely chatting and packing and washing-up and watering the plants in the garden and filling watering cans and doing 101 things, and then it was time for the final feast of this visit which was a cheese and tomato sandwich made by Richard. Sitting at the table, with the smell of salt in the air and seagulls above it once again took me back to being a kid, eating cheese and tomato sandwiches on the beach at L’Eree, almost six decades ago; a cheese and tomato sandwich when there’s salt in the air will always bring memories back off the perfect fodder for a beach. The only difference with our sandwich today was that it hadn't trundled its way down to a beach in the Tupperware and sat sweating under a towel in the shade for an hour or two, so our fabulous sandwich was cool and crisp and just the right temperature, rather than warm, and floppy, and tasty and welcomed as was often the case when we were kids on the beach. Happy Days!! It was soon time to wend our way back to London, and with lots of hugs and a little planning for our next visit, I walked up Cardiac Hill and Cardio Hill to collect Fenella, drove her down, pulled in outside of Vivi's Cottage by the Sea and then we packed our bags back in, had more hugs, and started our relatively uneventful journey back to London, where things would begin getting back to normal… including a visit to the plot in the evening to check on how things were doing and to give plants a water if needed, and recording Sunday Chat on Sunday morning… an event in itself! Weather: Sunny throughout, with a slight breeze, and very warm… though quite a few degrees less than the heatwave of 34° in London! Wednesday Breakfast: All Bran and oat milk Snack: Greggs Vegan Sausage Roll Lunch: Vivi’s Greek Salad (with Feta), hummus, edamame hummus, olives, and bread Supper: Chickpea, Cauliflower & Mushroom Curry with bread Thursday Breakfast: All Bran and toast Lunch: Courgette & Potato Soup, Edamame Hummus, Bread, Olives Supper: Haddock & Chips Friday Breakfast: Bran Flakes and All Bran and toast with cherry jam Lunch: Savoury Aft Cream Tea (Corfe Castle Tea Room) Supper: Vivi's Fassolada and bread Saturday Breakfast: Bran Flakes and toast with Purbeck honey Lunch: Cheese & Tomato Sandwich Supper: Broad Bean & Basil Pesto with wholewheat spaghetti and a tomato, cucumber and basil salad
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 Heather Alexander as Miss Havisham. Photo courtesy of Peter Mould. 2 July 2025 (Wednesday) Up early, and it was definitely feeling cooler… and what was that? The pitter patter of rain dripping from the unconnected roof guttering! Well, at least it was raining! Up early and our walk will have to wait… as it's too wet, so after a cuppa it's to my desk for a work work morning, and then lunch… Richard’s Quick Roasted Courgettes with a herb crumble… delish!! We had the rest of my Bulgur Pesto Salad too. Off to the plot, and I checked on whether anything needed watering, despite the rain this morning. It was regular and medium-weight rain for a good few hours and most things looked fine, though I gave the squash extra water… and the courgettes. Back home, and I was waiting to hear from Vanessa as we were due to see a show at Jermyn Street Theatre this evening, and I didn’t know whether she wanted to meet before, or just at the start of the show… eventually I found out, and thankfully had had a bath earlier as I needed to leave virtually immediately to meet her around 6.30pm… though in the end the traffic was terrible for her getting in, so we met outside the theatre at about 7.20pm, 10 mins before curtain up! Now, the show… It’s called Havisham, and is a show I’ve wanted to see for some years. The show's director, Dominique Garrard, I know from my Bush Theatre days of two decades ago, and on Facebook I’ve been following (not stalking!) Dominique for ages. Havisham’s about…. Miss Havisham of Great Expectations… It’s a truly fabulous imagining of how she got to be the woman we know… sitting at a dusky, dark dust-ridden wedding feast table in an old house right out on the edge of the marshes. Still dressed in her wedding finery, now all soiled and grimy and stained, having been jilted at the altar many years ago to never recover. But who was she, and how did she get her, and why is that bitter hate so sharp and dangerous? Well, this imaging is truly excellent, and fully engaged me throughout.
The writing is so well crafted, with a totally believable back story that made me want to reread Great Expectations, now ‘knowing’ so more of a pivotal character that we ‘knew’ so little about before. The copy (blurb) reads “This is the story that Dickens left out…” and I have to say, old Charlie boy should have put it in! Next time I see Gerald Dickens, which won’t be too long, I’ll have to ask him if he’s seen Havisham - as if not, he must! Heather Alexander was just superb in the part, taking us through the early years of a lonesome girl, through her challenges with men, and life, and abandonment, into happier times… and then betrayal… though not one of us expected how such a betrayal would come about! Utterly gripping throughout. And what I haven’t said is that Heather wrote the piece too, so beautifully multi-talented. I now want to see her other show ROOM. Havisham’s whole production was superb, and Dominique’s direction, of course fabulous. Both Vanessa and I could see how the show would work at the Great Green Barn, and are both sure it’s one for next year, if Heather and Dominique can fit us in! After a quick meet with Heather post-show (I’m sure she and I have met before - yet I’m not sure how… I don’t think at Kenwrights, though Ray Cooney springs to mind), and it was time for us to all wend our ways back home. If you see the show near you, or within travelling distance, do go and see it, as it is so worth it!!! A quick sideline - I see Heather is doing the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year with Becoming Maverick, inspired by the character of Mrs Danvers from Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca - another of my favourite books! This will definitely be worth a ticket!!.. Of course I also LOVED seeing the lovely, fabulous and talented Dominique after so long, and we had a brief catch-up. She’s still doing work at Questors Theatre in Ealing Broadway, so we WILL have a coffee and a further catch-up soon!! My journey in and back was adventurously unadventurous… the Elizabeth Line makes much of journeying into London pretty easy now, and swift, despite this journey time being the same as it would have been without this regal line. As I stepped off the train at Hanwell station, with a darkened summer sky and a cool breeze, the heatwave of just a few days ago seemed miles away. A home, a cup of TV, a catch-up with Richard, and then it was time to get to bed and read a chapter of my new book. Happy Days! Weather: Rain first thing for several hours, then warming, though definitely cooler. Around 25°. Breakfast: All Bran and oat milk Lunch: Richard’s Quick Roasted Courgettes and leftover Bulgur Pasta Salad Supper: Rice crackers, yeast extract and peanut butter  A dry, sunny, hot weekend with a drying breeze meant lots of watering following a few days up north. 27 to 30 June 2025 (Friday to Monday)
Friday saw a muggy start to the day, though as we were going away for the weekend I got to the plot and gave EVERYTHING a REALLY good water, and things in trays were filled up with about an inch of water too, which would hopefully be enough to keep them all alive for our time away… then back home, a quick rest and some instant packing, and we were on our way in Fenella. The day was warm, certainly around 24° though the end of the weekend and beginning of next week was forecast to touch 34° or even 35° down south - very toasty - so most probably a good thing we were driving north to slightly cooler climes for a family and friends weekend, with Richard’s (and therefore my…) Aunty Maureen’s 85th Birthday celebration on the Saturday. We’d booked into the Macclesfield South Premier Inn, and as usual on our arrival, and in fact anytime throughout the weekend we came in the doors, a welcome was waiting with a smile and a chat. There’s always a friendly greeting, and though the rooms and building itself are feeling a little rough around the edges and in need of a little TLC, the rooms are ALWAYS clean, and you know the sheets and towels have been laundered and are fresh… I know this sounds odd to have to say, though I’ve been in a few places in my time where I’ve wondered if the sheets had been slept in before… and NOT been washed since. Anyway, after a quick freshen up we were off to an evening with Richard’s middle sister, middle of the three of them I mean, there being another younger sister. We had a takeaway - a chargrilled pizza, amazingly flavourful though just about warm and rather expensive (or am I just begrudging of paying a fair amount for decently average food?). Lots of chat, and laughs, and a late night, though not too late to not read a chapter or two of my book before lights out! Saturday we were up early, showered and down to the all-in breakfast at the inn - always a good spread, and the breakfasts are certainly decent value for money. Though as per usual with a hotel breakfast, the thing that let’s it down was the toaster! I’m not sure what it is, though it does seem that every hotel one stays in, unless paying really big, BIG bucks, the toaster raison d'etre is a marginal nod to toasting bread… in most cases with a cursory warming of the slices rather than any sign of even the remotest browning. Now, I understand Health & Safety and all of that, and the need to not have smoke billowing from a toaster, but surely someone somewhere can invent a toaster that actually toasts bread… to an acceptable level… and with a decently short waiting time. So often, one go through a hotel toaster leaves a slice of bread with no colour and slightly dry, as if the slice of bread has been left out in the sun for an hour or so, drying but not toasting. A slightly warm and dried bit of bread then always needs another go through the toaster… Two goes through and there’s some mottled browning, though not enough… and three goes through and it’s Towering Inferno time, with bells ringing and most likely men in uniform with big helmets and hoses will start turning up… so maybe three goes through the toaster is about right! Anywho, as the lovely Greta of Greta’s Garden says. The rest of Saturday was family and fun - seeing everyone we’d not seen in a while - and catching up… lovely. Supper was a curry cooked by our niece Sophie of Sophie Stock Art… delish, though just a small portion for me as we were eating a tad late and I didn’t want to flare by Barretts. Same routine Sunday morning as Saturday at the hotel, a check around the room to make sure we’d not left anything, and then time to get to Fenella, bags in the car, windows open and on our way to… Macclesfield’s Treacle Market, where there are loads of artisan stalls, including Sophie’s pet portrait painting stall, though she does much more too. Do check her out! We had a good walk around, though the heat was building - and there were loads of people which, as you know, is neither Richard’s nor my favourite thing…. We try to avoid crowds where we can, though we did want to see Sophie and her stall, and I think she was very pleased we did turn up. After a chat back at Richard’s sister, it was off to see friends in Nantwich, and another overnight stay this time with them. Lots of chat, good food, some wine, and a decent night’s sleep despite the warmth. After having some real toast in the morning, perfectly browned and toasted and warm, and all made from a homemade loaf, we were back in Fenella and on our way south… taking it easy as the day was to be hot, and getting hotter the further south we travelled. Now, however good it is to get away for a few days, it’s always also a delight to get home, and the coolness of our house hit us as soon as we walked in the door. And then of course, back at home, it was time for that first lovely cup of tea… which is always very welcome. With the heat and high sun over the weekend, I had to pop down to the plot and check on it all. I’d asked a few people to water in the days we were away, though I know two had had issues and with the sun blaring, the heat rising and the constant breeze being a really drying one, everything needed a really good water… so a really good water it had. A few things I think are past their best, especially the greenhouse cucumbers, though maybe I have time to sow some more… after all, we are only just about to turn into July. Back at home, and we had Richard’s Sundried Tomato & Walnut Pesto, a portion taken out of the freezer, and a chunky salad of yellow courgettes, radish, olives and basil leaves, in a light dressing. No TV in the evening - I just finished my book, Louise Penny’s How the Light Gets In, which is well worth a read. Before light out, it was time to start my next book, Peter James’ I Follow You, which rather bizarrely is set in Jersey! Weather: In London the days were very warm Friday, and building Saturday and Sunday to a high of 34° on Monday. Very dry, despite some rain overnight Thursday / Friday, and a VERY drying breeze  22 June 2025 (Sunday)
Woke up and remembered what day it was… and the long day ahead! In truth, both Vanessa and myself are a tad exhausted at the moment, and Midsummer Revels at the For Earth’s Sake Orchard was always going to be a long day… so both Richard and myself were up early, well before the 7am alarm, and doing stuff - he on his phone and me at my desk. After tea, breakfast, and several loo trips we got into Fenella and started the drive down to Vanessa, leaving around 9.15am. I guess in some ways not surprisingly, but the journey was without many delays, despite the A3 north of the Wisley Junction being shut… we veritably sailed through without a hitch and were with Vanessa at For Earth’s Sake by shortly after 10.30am. We’d always known one of the team couldn’t make it today, though two others were also not now coming, having given rather short notice of this. It meant the day was down to Vanessa, myself and Richard, so, as soon as we arrived, there was stuff to do… Put up tables for Spanakopita, vegan sausage rolls and sweet treats to be sold from the orchard, check all drinks were in the fridge (nice and cold - as it was pretty warm still), get the SumUp payment link up and working from the orchard, sort a water jug with tap water, put two HUGE umbrellas over the said food tables to give shade… and then safety pin and tie them together when they decided to blow wildly around. Then a float for outside, scales and till on in the shop for sales inside - as we were keeping the drinks inside the shop in the fridge. Tidy, hoover, tidy outside including cutting back some growth on the parking area… We had fifty or so people booked, and last year the same number had turned up without booking, so we were expecting a little crowd. Hook Eagle Morris all turned up (they are the best!!!), and we were ready… and waited… and waited! By noon, with no cars showing, I got an anxious feeling I’d forgotten to change a time… You see, we were originally doing this event from 3pm, though about four or five months ago Vanessa was keen to change this to noon. At that point we had two sets of reserved tickets (this has been a free event… so far!), so I immediately contacted them before I made the changes and made sure they were aware of the time change - four months ahead! However, with anxiety running I thought I’d made a mistake and not changed the ticket reservation side of things, and maybe everyone would turn up at 3pm rather than noon… and… and… OMG!!! Heart pounding, I checked… and everything clearly said a noon start time. With huge relief, I then spied the first customers arriving in their car. The event was fabulous, and Hook Eagle Morris just superb (as always!), though sadly we think the hot weather over the past few days had turned off some customers who’d reserved tickets, as the turnout was low and nowhere near the number expected. However, those who turned up loved the event, with some asking when the Wassail would be and “You will do Midsummer Revels again next year… won’t you?”… The answer, I think, is yes, though we may charge an entrance fee next time, one that can be fully redeemed against a purchase from the shop - as most buy at least a cold drink. Our thought is that by offering this as a free event some might cry off as they’ve nothing to lose - other than a good time! However, if people have to fork out a little bit of dosh… we will think on. After clearing everything away, and with all the fabulous members of Hook Eagle Morris departed, Vanessa put the kettle on and we enjoyed a quiet cuppa just chilling out by the bench at the side of the renovated pond. And then after a little more chat in the shade of the Great Green Barn, it was time to wend our way home - thankfully, a not too difficult journey home, which I was very glad of. Weather: Definitely cooler, with generally sunny breaks through lightly overcast skies - around 27°, though the breeze did really pick up by early afternoon. Breakfast: Lidl Rye with Flora ProActiv, yeast extract and peanut butter Lunch: Spanakopita, Hummus and pitta (from The Life Goddess) Supper: Hummus (ours), plus Hummus from The Life Goddess, olives, tomato, basil, radish, cucumber and crackers  A beautiful cornflower 16 June 2025 (Monday)
We had a lighter blanket overnight, though I think the time of having blankets on the bed may be coming to an end for a few months. It was to be a pretty normal Monday today, with both work and work work... though first, a quick trip to Lidl! Our local Lidl closed for refurbishment a week ago, and I've managed to scrape through on fresh food items (ie, vegetables, fruit, yogurt etc) until today as I did a 'big shop' the Friday before it closed. But now, wants (rather than needs...) prevail and BOTH of us are up early and off in Fenella before 7am to the new Lidl that opened just over a week ago in Brentford.. for some reason, I'm a little excited! It's bigger, and brighter than our local one was... though all our old favourites are there, so it's just getting used to the layout, which is remarkably similar to how our local store was... maybe this is how they all are now. Anyway, we get our shop done and then it's back home... me to my desk, and Richard's going to do a shopping haul video - which is not a turn on for us, though others love them which is grand!! Anyway, back to my morning... It was mainly spent at my desk doing stuff for For Earth’s Sake and the Great Green Barn. We’ve Midsummer Revels coming up on Sunday and there's quite a bit that needs organising for that still. I'm down with Vanessa tomorrow, so there are various things that I’ll leave until then. With the weather being dry, and looking as though it's going to remain dry for quite some time I was down this afternoon watering, and also feeding all that needed to be fed. It's mainly the squash, cucumbers and tomatoes, though maybe every other week I give everything else vegetable-wise that we’ve got growing a little boost too, and I'm also beginning to give some feed to the flowers we've got - I’m sure they’ll appreciate it! And on flowers, I did spy this little cornflower, which despite its size is big and bold and one of my old favourites; never grown by me before, though hopefully will self-seed and become prolific. Of course, it had a little feed, and I’m sure with grateful thanks will throw up further blooms soon. Someone asked what feed I use. Well, I use an organic general fertiliser with added seaweed. I bought it two years or so ago as quite a big chunky 10 litres, and I'm almost all the way through it now. I also make my own nettle fertiliser and comfrey fertiliser, and I sometimes combine the two. I find that these two home-brewed ones are good for general feeding throughout the year, though comfrey feed is particularly good to encourage flowers and fruits, whilst nettle feed promotes general growth and is good for leafy greens, such as brassicas, chard, spinach etc. After a light supper, as lunch was quite big, it was time for a bit of TV, and then to bed… and a chapter or two of my book. Weather: Warm… and getting warmer. Sunny in the main. Breakfast: Bran Sticks, yogurt, and banana Lunch: Lentil soup (tinned and thinned a little), hummus, crackers, cucumber, radish and tomato Supper: Cream cheese, a rice cake, tomato, radish, cucumber and olives  Richard, the master photographer at work 22 & 23 May 2025 (Thursday & Friday) Thursday morning, and I was up early, making a cuppa or two in Vivi’s kitchen, taking one out onto her patio garden which we’d gently walked through yesterday. Standing still, slightly honey sweetened tea in hand, the view is just divine; the still waters of the bay, imposing chalk headland, borrowed landscape of rose covered walls, rooves and chimneys, a steeple and crenellations - this is something I’d not tire of, ever! Back in the kitchen, Richard joined me and we had breakfast, starting with our cereal then putting on some thick toast for us when Vivi joined. Lots of chat, a little more chat, then a little more chat, then up, dressed and out, walking further up Cardiac Hill, along, then up Cardio Hill which seems even steeper. Our mission… a not so little walking tour up to the South West Coast Path, down along to Peveril Point, then carefully step by stone step down to the harbour-to-headland promenade, across the fronts of houses and backs of marine businesses, over a small beach and then behind the Yacht Club with its glimmer of exclusivity and warden-manned gates, then breathing in the sights and glorious scent of roses and mallow in an elevated border as our feet trod along at ground level once again. All the while the breeze blew gently, the sun shone brightly and the salty smell of the sea brought back happy days of buckets and spades, and seaweed and sand… and grease-proof paper wrapped sandwiches in Tupperware with no branding. Happy Days indeed! With Vivi and Richard taking a seat in the sanctuary garden, I went off passing restaurants and day trippers to the seafront facilities to do what seafront facilities allow before returning to the two of them, reading a few restaurant menus on the way back as time was less pressing. Back at Vivi’s and after a delicious lunch we were out back, in the garden, pulling ivy and planning a lightbulb change which required a quick trip down the street and across town to the hardware store, where we met the lovely Wendy and her sisters; she’s a subscriber to What Vivi did next and was just so delighted to have met Vivi whilst on her holibobs with her sisters. Lightbulb bought, we popped into the train station to watch the smoke rise as a steam train left the platform, then off to the Co-op and up to the Mill Pond, then down again back to the High Street, passing on the way a hotel that was once a nunnery, and antique and bric-a-brac shops, and pubs… there are quite a few pubs! Then it was home to change the outside bulb, which we did and found out worked once it was dark… although Vivi told us by the next evening the lower one wasn’t working though the upper one we changed on Friday morning was - maybe a loose wire. A delicious bits and pieces supper with a glass or two, much chat, then bed.
Friday, and again I was up first, though not as early as yesterday, and then Vivi, and then Richard. Cups of tea for Richard and me, and the same routine of breakfast as yesterday and then we were back out in the garden with the view pulling more ivy, gently though firmly; it’s a fabulous plant, but you really don’t want it to take hold in and through your Purbeck stone walls, of which there are many thousands in the area! After a vibrant, tangy, and salty Greek Salad a la Vivi, it was time to wend our way back up Cardiac Hill and Cardio Hill, check Fenella was fine and dandy, depress the clutch, turn the key and start our journey back to London, leaving Vivi and a little bit of ourselves in Swanage. I doubt it will be long before the three of us, Fenella included, will be back south to visit once again Vivi’s Cottage by the Sea. Thursday 22 May Weather: Swanage was a little warmer and gorgeously sunny. Around 18° Breakfast: Bran Sticks, oat milk, and Richard's bread machine wholemeal loaf as toast with Flora ProActiv and honey Lunch: Vivi’s Chickpea Curry with thick slices of Richard's bread machine wholemeal loaf Supper: Crackers, oat cakes, hummus, blue cheese, cheddar, orange Friday 23 May Weather: Swanage was a little cooler and greyer than yesterday. Around 16° Breakfast: Bran Sticks, oat milk, and Richard's bread machine wholemeal loaf as toast with Flora ProActiv and honey Lunch: Vivi’s Greek Salad Supper: Wholewheat Spaghetti with broad beans, basil pesto and grated cheese, and radish  21 May 2025 (Wednesday)
Up early as we were off to Vivi… off to Swanage! Yay!! Tea, breakfast, tea, snack making, packing cold items, packing, tea and then we’re on our way out west and south, down the M3 and onwards. As we got near the end of the M27 I suggested we stop and swap driving, Richard was fine to carry on… truth be known I needed a wee and had no idea once you left the motorway service stations with loos would be few, far between or in our case seemingly non-existent… note to self, next time no extra half cup of tea before we leave! So, by the time we were going through Corfe Castle I was busting, then we hit roadworks and traffic lights… by the time we got to Vivi and bumped up outside it was a quick “Hello… Loo!”, me rushing yet shimmying through the tiled entrance hallway, blinkering myself as I wanted to see the new home fresh when I was, well, fresh!! After the longest wee in a long, long time, with extra time allowed for those last few dribbles, I flushed, washed hands and blinkering myself again, went back to the front door, where by now all the bags were in the hallway and the two of them were chattering away… then leaving Vivi it was off to find a parking space where Fenella would be quiet and safe. Twenty minutes later, after a mini tour of some roads above Vivi’s, we parked up, locked up and walked around the corner and… the view!! Wow!!! Swanage is really hilly, in some places a bit like an old amphitheatre with houses perched on the edge of their seats looking down on the bay, beach, boats and bathers, with a backdrop of the cliffs acting as scenery. Anyway, understandably the next hour was a step by step walkthrough of Vivi’’s new abode… “Oh, this room’s bigger than I’d thought”, “Lovely, lovely” and “What a fab garden, view and borrowed foreground landscape of rooves and shrubs and roses.” A cuppa, or two, unpacking of gifted plants - a Verbena bonariensis gifted to me by an allotment neighbour of mine, one of our two-year old rambling rose cuttings that's just about to flower, a yellow courgette, Uchiki Kuri squash and, of course, a Vivi cucumber, and a little self-seeded marjoram for good measure. A change into slack pants, then comfy on Vivi’s fabulous new sofa, chat, more chat… and more chat. Then, back on with jeans and off for a little wander down to the seaside… but, before that… I’d left my sunglasses in Fenella’s safe keeping, so I pottered up the remainder of Cardiac Hill, across and then up an even steeper hill I named Cardio Hill. My heart was beating fast as my hand clasped the driver's door handle to open Fenella, and grabbing my glasses I did have a momentary thought of sitting in and with her for a while, though it wasn’t necessary, as my heartbeat was soon back to normal and I tottered back down to meet Vivi and Richard who were seated on Viovi’s wall waiting for me. We walked down to the seafront via a shop or two, and also an ice-cream stand… and it would have been so rude not to have offered Vivi an ice cream, and to keep her company the two of us had one too. Happy Vivi Days!! Weather: Raining to start, and through much of the morning. Sunny in Swanage later, around 16°. Breakfast: Bran Sticks, yogurt, sultanas and banana Journey Snack: Rice Cakes, Flora ProActiv spread, yeast extract and very thin slices of cheese Lunch: Vivi’s Warm Bean, Spinach and Tomato Salad Supper: Vivi’s Fassolada with thick slices of Richard's bread machine wholemeal loaf  25 April 2025 (Friday) Richard was up VERY early, opening window slats by 5.30am, making me awake enough I knew I’d not get back to sleep! Then he had a shave… with his electric razor… which buzzed me wide awake from the dressing room, ensuring I was well ready to get up and start the day… though I’ll pay for such an early rise later! At my desk VERY early, going through For Earth’s Sake deliveries from two suppliers, adding the quantity of each to stock and checking on what had and what had not been delivered… no organic brazil nuts, which have really rocketed in price since we last bought them, six months ago - maybe up 40%!!! Once this was done I got on with updating this blog… it seems ages that I’ve not updated it. I generally write it daily, dictating or typing it up into a Google document on my phone, and then when at my desk I read, make changes, spell check, then copy it from the document to my website savident.com. I guess it’s been a busy week one way and another, and of course the beginning of the week was Easter Monday, which seems SO long ago now… Anyway, as I type this Friday section of my blog, which will likely be up tomorrow, I’ve just done the above and uploaded Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday… so plenty to read! A quick chat with Vanessa post breakfast; she called as I was editing yesterday's segment of A Week at the Plot. It couldn't be a long call as we’d decided that we’d get off to Aston Rowant Nature Reserve again today, as we did two weeks ago. We were hoping that the bluebells would be out, as last time we felt they were about two weeks away from opening. To be honest, I wasn't really in the mood to drive out of London and I'd have been quite happy to have curled myself up for the day with my book, though sometimes we need to push through what we feel we don't want to do to actually experience all the benefits of a day. This was one of those days. It was really worth the drive out there. Unfortunately, as we got on to the A40 it clouded over a little bit, so by the time we got to Aston Rowant the sun wasn't as bright as it had been when we left home. We parked at the entrance to the wood, rather than in the usual car park and did our walk through the wood, with the skies clouded over and the secretive sun peeping out every now and again, teasing us at various points. Sitting on our bench eating our snack and tea, a big bumblebee buzzed around us for about five minutes. It was buzzing over the leaf litter, either to find a den, shelter or something else… it was certainly rather tenacious in whatever it was doing. As I ate the last finger of my dark Kit-Kat, Rchard got up to take some photos, and at that point the sun came out… so we decided to retrace our steps right back along the top path so that Richard could take the swathes of fresh, bright bluebells in the sunlight. It was well worth it. The drive home was uneventful, and when we got home as I’d driven back Richard said that he’d make lunch. He suggested baked beans on pitta with the leftover hot dogs from last night, which I was fine with; it made a lot of sense in many ways as I was already wearing an orange T-shirt. After lunch, and a little bit of time at my desk, I was down at the plot just pottering. A few things needed watering in the poly and the greenhouse, and outside I decided it was time to sort out the blueberries. There's one that we inherited when we took over the lower half of the plot that had died over the winter. I don't know why. I guess it just either got too cold or it got to the age that it was time for it to stop doing anything. I'm sure it didn't get too cold, as our winter was much milder than previous winters where it’s survived really well. The sad thing is, it's always been the first to bloom and the first to bear fruit, and also it’s been the most prolific fruiter of the blueberries that we have. Another one, which sits in the tub with its pairing of the same variety, has also died so I decided with two large tubs it was mostly best to reuse them. I turned out the compost, weeded it, and planted spare seed potatoes that have been hanging around for some weeks. Another job done, and another one I've been putting off for another day. Sitting down, I looked at my phone and saw that it was three minutes past five. I was sort of just having a rest and thinking about going home when I looked to my left at the rather unkempt flower border bed, overgrown with weeds of which most are grasses. Into the shed I went, picking up a kneeling pad, and I set to work on pulling the grasses and weeds that are in that bed. I've spent the time over the last few months making sure that all the growing areas are up to scratch. Then, over the last few weeks I've spent quite some time working on general areas, tidying them to make it easier for me to move around the plot or weeding them to reduce the amount of weeds that grow in certain areas; embedded bindweed growing in the path behind the shed and another patch invading the space beneath the ceanothus bring two examples. After half an hour, I was done in and though the bed didn't look spectacular by any stretch of my imagination, it looked a lot better than it did with all the grass blades shooting towards the sky and covering flowering plants. I didn't finish the bed, though I’ll likely have another go tomorrow. Over the coming months I'll go in with my hand fork and weed out as much of the grass weed root as I possibly can, and there's also Cinque Foil in there and some Bindweed so that will have to come out too.  And on Cinquefoil, I know I shared the top left photo yesterday, though here's a montage of photos of that deep tap-rooted one I took out yesterday, with a close up of the stone that it grew through; it must have found a hole or a fissure of some kind and just grown right through it, and then carried on growing, developing its long taproot for another fourteen or more inches deep into that front bed… an extraordinary plant in many ways!!
Anyway, I got home in time for making a cordial before Richard's Live, and then after that we had a quick pasta dish, one I often do on this day when Richard's done a live. It's wholewheat pasta (tonight it was Fusilli), with cooked frozen broad beans, jar pesto, garlic and grated cheese. We had radish with it too. Quick, easy and tasty. A bit of TV, and a film on Prime called Dark Encounter which turned out to be a completely different film than I’d expected it to be; though also the film that I sort of expected it to be as within half an hour I thought that a certain thing had happened, and it turned out that it had, though they needed external help to work it out. Richard fell asleep halfway through, so when we got to bed I explained to him what the premise of the whole story was… I think he was asleep by the time I finished. Finishing off a half-read chapter of The Beautiful Mystery and reading another, it was soon time to put off the light and go to sleep. Weather: Bright start to the day, though certainly chilly overnight. Feeling warmer for sure. Breakfast: Bran sticks, yogurt and banana Snack: Rice cakes, Flora ProActiv (keeps them crisp), yeast extract and thinly sliced cheese… and a dark Kit-Kat Lunch: Bake Beans (tinned) on toasted pitta with leftover Fry’s vegan hot dogs Supper: Wholewheat Fusilli with broad beans, garlic, olive oil, pesto and grated cheese, and radish  2 April 2025 (Wednesday) We were thinking of going to Avebury, though instead a closer less tiring drive took place to Kew Gardens and back. The sun shone and it was warm, though there was a blustery wind all day which meant that a gilet (body warmer) was definitely needed. The cherry blossoms and magnolias were mainly in full bloom, with some looking stunning whilst others just looked thoroughly beautiful. One spectacular pale yellowy cream magnolia really took my interest; called Yellow Lantern it’s one that I would love to have - unusual and eye-catching, though as with many magnolias there was no scent. One rather blousy white magnolia did have the most magnificent scent, making it wonderfully special in its own way.
There were still many daffodils out, though drifts we’d seen a few weeks back were now well over. A few varieties really caught my eye, including one that was virtually white, maybe then palest cream species and another which was white petaled with the palest yellow trumpet. This is the thing at Kew Gardens, they have so many different species and specimens and suddenly you see one or two that really grab you.
Getting back home, after a quick lunch, I finished editing yesterday's filmed segments of A Week at the Plot, and then going on and doing a quick edit of today's footage at Kew Gardens today, though I want to get to the plot and do some work, just watering… though in the end I do much more!
Early to bed, as it’s an early start for me tomorrow as I’m off to Vanessa as I’ve meetings at the Great Green Barn with potential crafters who run workshops, and also some prices to change at For Earth’s Sake which I can only do onsite. Weather: Cool start, then warming up swiftly and sunny much of the day. though quite a chilling blustery wind all day. Breakfast: Bran sticks, yogurt, banana Kew Snack: Rice Cracker Sandwich with spread, yeast extract and thinly sliced cheese, Cream Cracker Sandwich with spread and yeast extract, and tea Lunch: Pitta, homemade coleslaw and thin slices of cheese Supper: Microwave Spinach Omelette, Baked Potato, salad of red onion, radish, cucumber and celery  28 March 2025 (Friday) I didn't sleep well again. It seems to be one of those things now that when I’ve an important day ahead, where there's quite a lot of anxiety, I don't sleep great… have I already said that this week? I sort of feel I have, though don't really have time to read back and check. Today’s the final event of a week that seems very lengthy indeed, albeit that actually it's only been Sunday to Friday - An Exquisite Harmony, air quality monitoring equipment change at the allotment, three workshops at an academy, and The Shakespeare Solitaire, plus the usual work work that has to be done each week. Tonight, as mentioned above, we’ve The Shakespeare Solitaire at the Great Green Barn. It's quite a complex event this evening as there's a number who have booked to have a three course meal and the performance, and others who’ve just booked what’s called Ticket Only. This means that we're going to have about five tables of those who are having a meal and two tables of those who aren't. We decided to do Ticket Only as a number of people said that they'd like to come to the event but they either didn't want the meal or couldn't afford the meal. It didn't seem fair to exclude people from coming to the event simply because of the food element. I think it's become clear that we need a good five or six months to sell an event at the Great Green Barn well. This year, it's likely that each of the shows will have at least four months sales time if not six or more. We've already got shows scheduled and on sale in for the autumn, and I expect those to be near capacity. Anyway, back to today… Apart from getting to the plot to water the recently planted out broad beans, I got on with work work at my desk and also minuteing for a board meeting. This meant that Richard and myself (as Richard was coming with me) weren't able to leave until around 3pm - getting into rush hour. We got into Fenella and started the drive down to Shamley Green. There are various ways to go, and on Friday afternoon it seemed that each of these ways had blockages of traffic at one point or another, with the sat nav saying that it would take about 90 minutes to get down there - so I took it that it would take about two hours. In the end we decided to go straight down the M3, coming off near Aldershot and dropping down into the top of Guildford, through the city centre and then driving further south to reach Shamley Green. In the end I think it took us about two hours five minutes to get there - I guess not too bad on a Friday afternoon. When we walked into the Great Green Barn, I was really delighted to see that it looked so great; Vanessa and her helpers had worked hard and done a fantastic job in putting the tables out, laying them up, with each having a fabulous floral decoration with blooms and foliage from Vanessa's garden. The bar was also set up, which is where Richard and I would spend most of the evening, and Giorgos' of London’s The Life Goddess in Store Street had all the food prepared to finish off in the on-site Event Kitchen, before being plated and taken out to those having a meal.  Shortly after we arrived, the Guildford Shakespeare Company's cast and director arrived, and started blocking out how they’d work the show for that evening. I haven't been at a mixed performance event of tables and theater for quite some time. I've been to quite a bit of cabaret, though that’s mainly stage centered. This evening was always going to be a mix of promenade performance, with the actors in character bringing the customers sitting at the tables into the performance. Being a murder mystery evening, there was always going to be a lot of interrogation of the characters at the tables. That's how these evenings rumble.  Guildford Shakespeare Company cast of The Shakespeare Solitaire at the Great Green Barn. Photo by Richard Leighton (richardandpaul.com) With everything prepared, people started arriving around 6:30; a little earlier than expected. The thing is these people that arrived very early had not been to the Great Green Barn before, so they’d come early to make sure that they didn't get lost. That was absolutely fine, and we welcomed them through the great barn doors. They sat down at their table, ordered a few drinks, and twenty or so minutes later others started arriving too. By 7.25, five minutes before the show was to go up, everyone who had booked had arrived and Vanessa took to the stage to give a little speech, then the actors came out and it was ‘curtain up’
After about half an hour, the first course was served which was celeriac soup and a roll. Stupidly, we’d forgotten to get some gluten-free rolls so the three customers who were gluten intolerant, who had told us in advance, didn’t have a SØDT bread roll. This is a mistake that will not happen again! Vanessa apologised to each of the gluten-free customers personally, and they each took it in their stride, though this is something to note for the future. Once the soup bowls were cleared, the performance recommenced, which was further interrogation of the characters at the tables. After about another 20 minutes, there was another interval and the main course was served (a choice of Chicken in a Lemon Sauce or Feta Stuffed Aubergine - no vegans had booked). Within 40 minutes all main plates and cutlery was cleared then the performance began again, with a short break where puddings were served. The evening ended with the reveal of ‘who dunnit’ it just before 10pm. I have to say that despite actually working, and therefore not being able to partake directly in the interrogations, I really enjoyed the evening, and the Guildford Shakespeare Company did us proud. There were four mysteries to detect, including two murders - and I got three of the four. Happy Murder Mystery Days!! I didn’t hear one quibble about the evening, other than the missing gluten free rolls, and one table who bought a bottle of white wine and wanted an ice bucket, which was fair enough. The customers left in its usual orderly fashion, and that left us staff to do some clearing up… quite a bit of clearing up. There's another private event tomorrow evening, and the hall needs to be clear for that so the younger guys who were on hand cleared the tables out of the main hall and all of the chairs too. After about another half an hour, the hall was clear and partly prepared for tomorrow's event. Richard and I left just about this point, as we had to drive home. Everybody else lives locally or relatively locally so I think Vanessa was quite happy for us to get away because she knew we had at least an hour's drive back home, as the drive home most of the time is shorter than the drive there by at least 45 minutes. Thankfully, the M25 junction at Wisely was not yet closed (it’s fully closed this weekend with planned roadworks), even though I’d read it would be. This meant that we could go straight down the M25 and didn't have to go around the back roads that I sometimes have to drive down when the Wisley junction’s fully shut. We got home around half eleven, had an Ovaltine and watched Paranormal, the new series. Then it was time to get to bed. As I got between the sheets and duvet, picking up my book for a quick few pages, I breathed a huge sigh of relief that this heavy week was behind me, and that it had all gone extremely well. Happy Days!! Weather: A little bit of rain, though generally sunny and warm. Clear sky overnight. Breakfast: Bran sticks, yogurt, mashed banana Lunch: Microwave Frozen Mixed Veg Omelette, Pitta and Cucumber Supper: Spanakopita |
Paul SavidentFollowing on from A Guernsey Gardener in London, I've decided to try and write a regular blog, and we'll see how it AND 2025 go! Archives
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