Catch Up 10th March to 22 April
Neglected the blog during this time so here is the catch up of things I can remember. It's annoying I can't change the order of the archive links so I can't position it in the correct place chronologically - ho hum!
Having negotiated with Mike that I should stay in Devon and not drive back just to go to Just A Song, I was able to stay through the weekend and go back the following Wednesday. On Monday morning Lee and Emma went to Trago to get more mortar and to look around and I took all three dogs for a walk in Stover which was really hairy trying to keep an eye on all 3. I kept Neville on a lead but Beau was ok, as of course was Suki, although Beau kept wanting to head back to the car park at every opportunity. At lunchtime I went over to Tim's and rang a QP of Woodstock with the two Sues. In the evening went ringing at Bovey and then Lee and Emma brought the dogs up to the Bell to meet me. There was a darts match going on and the pub was a bit full so I thought it best to leave immediately and Emma agreed, but by then Lee had bought drinks so I went next door and got a chinese meal for us all and by then they had finished their drinks and we went home and ate the chinese, which was delicious.
By Tuesday lunchtime Lee had finished the garden including building a lovely wall around the flower bed on the terrace and skimming it with the rest of the mortar, so we all of us went for a walk on the moor. Lee and Emma loved it - Lee climbed up on to Hay Tor - and they particularly liked the quarry. I went to see Mary on the way back and they carried on back to the house.
Had to go home on Wednesday. I had to book a massage because my christmas voucher was going to run out, and the only time I could get was Wednesday afternoon, so I did that first. I had my head on a pillow this time rather than down the hole, and had a massively painful stiff neck at the end which slightly took the edge off. Then I drove home
.Back home went out to supper with Caroline and Pru on Thursday - managed to survive not drinking wine. Pru had given up sweet things so didn't have baklava at the end. On Friday I went over to ring handbells with Steve, Hamish and Margaret and we succeeded in ringing a peal of Yorkshire with me on 3-4. On the Saturday it was Barnes AGM and dinner day. I went over for the 11.30 AGM then came home and walked Suki and did bits and pieces. Then picked up Monica for the dinner which was in the Ellerton Room - food cooked by Trisha and Kristen. There was nothing to drink that wasn't alcoholic so I went off to Budgens and bought several cans of alcohol free lager which went down well with Nick and Shona too.
On Sunday it was the Chiswick Ringers lunch at Monica's. It was a beautiful warm sunny day so we were able to sit in the garden. I walked suki up and met up with Mike there. We drove home together about 5 pm. Simon, Ian and Andrew came this year - and there was great competition for the fairy cakes! I had taken a video of Mike ringing in the morning which I thought was very good for showing others how he does it!
On the Tuesday went to Ideal Home Show with Lorraine. We went by tube and arrived just as the doors were opening - and left just before it closed at 6! I thought we would only be there for the morning. I texted Mike and he walked Suki for me. We started off upstairs this time and bought lots of stuff! Then we had a look round the sofas and sofa beds but there was nothing I liked so I put my name down for someone to come from Plumbs and quote for reupholstering. We had lunch at a restaurant run by Gregg Wallace (one of the judges on MasterChef) which was excellent - and Gregg came over and had a word with us! I forgot I had given up alcohol for lent and had a glass of wine - oops.Went back to Devon on Wednesday - to attend the memorial service for Gavin on Friday. On Thursday morning I went with the Moretonhampstead Handbell Ringers to their concert for the Masonic Widows - Douglas and Ann picked me up. I started videoing them on Fiona's ipad, but it ran out of storage after the first item so I videoed the rest on my ipad. We rang before the service and then went down to sit in pews which had been reserved for the ringers. The service was very good and there were some nice anecdotes and fond memories of Gavin. Hugged Lisa in the porch - but didn't to to the do at the Cromwell as there were lots of people and I wanted to get back to Suki. Came back home at the weekend.
Rang a peal of Lincolnshire on 5-6 at Guy's on the Wednesday called by Robert Newton which I was very pleased with as I was ok except for right at the end. I had done coursing or 3-4 position for the whole peal except the last 3 leads and I went rather awol for a moment but got it together again for the end. On Thursday I went over and rang the trebles to a peal of Oxford Royal with Steve, Hamish, Margaret and David Brown which was good. On Friday I met Muffie at the Walled Garden in Sunbury which I had never been to, and admired the amazing Sunbury Millennium tapestry. I sent Mary a card with extracts of the tapestry as a mothering sunday card. Muffie and I had a good catch up and enjoyed amazing cakes with our drinks at the excellent cafe there. On Saturday it was the Chiswick Choir concert - Haydn Creation. Once again I was confident I knew the music and ensured I got a good seat where I could see Alistair! The rehearsal and the concert went well and then we had a nice meal at Tarantella. Tim wound Sally up about teachers! Again I survived without drinking wine quite happily.
On the Sunday I rang for a wedding at All Hallows - and donated my fee to their appeal. On Monday the upholsterer came and quoted for reupholstering the whole suite (£2500), tailor made loose covers (£1,500) and reupholstering the chair (£980). Needless to say Mike was not impressed with any of it. So back to the drawing board on that project. In the afternoon I went over to Clapham again for another go at the 2nds place Carlisle group and this time we got it.
On Tuesday 1 April I went back down to Devon - and the next day the breadmaker I had ordered turned up which was a pleasant surprise. I found the Mann's sold bread mix as well as a range of interesting ready to use bread flours so I bought some to try it out. I had also brought some packets of mix from home to use. They worked really well and I am really pleased with it. I rang handbells with Tim on Wed 2nd, when we scored a QP of 12 spliced S Major with me on the trebles (standard 6 plus the 8ths place lead end variations) and Fri 5th where we tried to ring Norwich Royal with very little success.Maryanne arrived on Sunday evening and we went for a short walk in Parke and then had veg pasta while watching Endeavour (which we both didn't understand). On the Monday it was raining quite heavily so we postponed going out, but in the end we got our waterproofs on and walked to Lustleigh via Shaptor woods. We had a lovely lunch in The Cleave and then walked back along the back road and through Parke. The sun came out in the afternoon so it was dry for the return leg. We both went ringing in the evening and then to the Bell. Bob wasn't there and Barry was running the practice. Maryanne enjoyed it, and eventually got the hand of no handstroke gap, and we had a nice ladies touch called by Lisa which everyone was very pleased with. We walked on the Moor on Tuesday and Maryanne took me out for a lovely supper at the Cromwell in the evening. I suspended my lenten abstentions and drank lots of wine and we had a really good time!
On the Wednesday went over to Tim's at lunchtime and we rang a nice QP of Kent Royal. I had been close to giving up ringing with them as I was so bad on the Friday - but when I suggested I drop out, Tim changed the method from Norwich to Kent and everyone seemed very happy with that. Rowena walked Suki several times this week - she lost the treat bag one day and bought me some flowers to apologise. Then the next day she bought me some more flowers. The place looked and smelled lovely. The tulips looked brilliant in the plastic vase I had bought from the Ideal Home Show - although the larger one leaked as soon as I tried to use it which miffed me a bit. I got lots of cross stitch done - Sister Barbara had asked me to finish off one she had been doing of a winter wolf as her hands were now too swollen to hold the needle. She has done most of it and I am enjoying doing it. I spent some time trying to find the best way of holding the frame - but eventually decided that leaning it on the chair arms was the best!It was the Grand National on Saturday - I had it on but didn't really watch it - and the boat race on Sunday where Cambridge caught a crab at the start and never recovered. Mike arrived on the train at Newton Abbott at 7 pm and Suki and I picked him up. He had been on the Middlesex Handbell Day the day before and it had apparently been very good.
Mike went ringing on Monday evening but I went over to Exeter and surprised myself by ringing a QP of Yorkshire Royal in hand on the trebles with Tim, Sue Sparling, Sue Sawyer and Matthew Hilling. It was first Yorkshire Royal in hand for all the band except Matthew. Although Mike was ostensibly working for the week, he went to ring a peal at Wobbly Bob's on the Tuesday and also took time out when I brought Mary home for coffee a couple of times. He managed to do a 1000 piece jigsaw in about 3 days too.
Mary came to lunch on Easter Day. I went up to the service at Tracey House and then brought her home. We had chicken and all the trimmings - and non-alcoholic sparkling white wine. After I had taken her back I really enjoyed a beer - my first since February having given up for Lent.
We drove home on bank holiday Monday after a lovely walk in Stover. We had the expected traffic hold ups and it took just over 4 hours, but as we were expecting it we managed to cope with it.
I was interested to find out on my return that Lee and Emma had given up drinking for a month - inspired by me!
