Closure on the curtains!

I was home for one day after the Barnes ringing trip and then it was back down to Devon for a week.  I was determined that by the end of this trip I would have sorted out the curtains and blind once and for all - either by ensuring that Victoria came round or by going and collecting the blind and hooks/gliders and doing it myself.  I knew that she was on holiday until 19th so on 20th I texted her to ask her to come round.  She could not come any earlier than Wed 26th - the day I was due to go home!  So I asked her to come at 9 am so that I could leave at 10 am to walk Suki and drive home - and she agreed.

I had the thought of that hanging over me all week, but tried to push it to the back of my mind as far as possible. Jayne and I had a nice week together - we sorted out the linen cupboard and did various of the bits and pieces which still needed sorting.  I finally got the computer set up and I gave Suki her new blanket - which she seemed to be very happy with!


On Wednesday we walked in Parke and then met Jackie at House of Marbles for a coffee. We were able to sit in the courtyard with Suki - although we had to use the table umbrella to keep the rain off! Jackie had been to a Cold Play concert in Cardiff with her two sons.

On Thursday we went to  M&S where I bought some more nighties (and once again forgot to use my gift card) and Sainsbury's where I bought some more bras.  I went to handbells in the evening which was good fun as usual.  I rang Angie's bells to the concert pieces which was quite challenging (they will be rung by Doreen for the concert).

On Friday I went over to Tim's to ring Plain Bob Minor with one of his learners.  Unfortunately I was expected to ring 3-4 again - which I can do on a good day with the wind behind but am easily thrown.  In the end we changed over and I rang the tenors which was much more successful although we still failed to ring a QP!  Tim gave both of us some useful tips about the structure of the method and how to learn the inside pairs.  I think I got as much out of it as the learner!  I went back to Tim's the following Tuesday to attempt another QP of 3 x spliced Surprise Royal - but we had several attempts without success and the ringing was pretty bad at times.

On Saturday we went to Currys and I spent a happy time browsing while Jayne changed her camera.  We then went to Dunelm to get some bedding to complete the sets in the linen cupboard although we were both disappointed with the choices available.  We had a nice jacket potato for lunch in the cafe there.

On Sunday we tried the Copper Kettle for lunch - we were lucky enough to be able to get in for the first sitting.  Now that Tina has stopped doing Sunday lunches we need to find somewhere else to go for a treat.  The lunch was very good - only two courses but very tasty and a reasonable price.  The puddings were amazing.  It is also possible to purchase drinks although we stuck to tap water. Afterwards we went to Trago Mills and bought the Cuprinol paint to paint the shed.

Jayne went to work on Monday and I had a lovely walk on the moor and then went for coffee with Mary.  The lounge was very full, the hairdresser was working in the corner, and the other lounge was being used for training. so Jo suggested Mary and I go and sit in the summer house and they would bring us coffee there.  It was a lovely sunny day and so we did this.  We had been sitting in the quiet for a while when Mary looked at her watch and said "It's half past 10 - where is everybody?" !!

And so to the fateful day - Wednesday.  We were ready at 9 am for Victoria - and then sat and waited for nearly an hour.  Eventually at 10 am we decided to pack the car and go - and we had just finished when she turned up.  Jayne mentioned that we had been expecting her at 9 am and she said she had 9.30 am in her diary!!  Without a hint of an apology or acknowledgement that she was still half an hour late for that (and I had a text from her confirming 9 am so it was rubbish anyway).  She came in without taking her boots off and plonked the blind on top of my hob (again!!).  So I went and got a blanket to protect it.  She brusquely refused the offer of a cup of tea and began to hang the roman blind.  It was beautiful, and the material looked even better than I remembered.  However when she had finished and stepped back to admire it Jayne pointed out that it wasn't hanging properly on the left hand side.  She accused Jayne of nitpicking and then said it wouldn't matter because it was behind a cupboard.  Jayne persisted - so Victoria fiddled with it a bit more and then took the whole blind down (plonking it on the hob again) and announced that she had called the fitter to come over as the fixing wasn't right.  Again without a word of apology or acknowledgement that Jayne had been correct.  The fitter came and made an adjustment to the fitting and then Victoria hung the blind again and it looked absolutely wonderful - well worth all the angst.


She then turned her attention to the voiles - first of all complaining that she would have to take them all down and redo the tops.  Indeed!  It all got to me eventually and I went and sat in the bedroom until she had finished.  Again, once she had finished the voiles looked absolutely stunning and exactly as I had envisaged and I really couldn't understand how she could have left them hanging off the rails as she had done originally.  We thanked her profusely and were all smiles when she left - and I felt a great weight lift from me as the realisation sank in that I would never again have to engage with her!!!  It was midday by the time she left.  Jayne and I went to Parke for a walk and then had lunch at the Parke cafe.  I dropped her off at the house and then drove back to London - getting in at 6 pm, a lot later than I had hoped but Mike wasn't in - having been at work all day and then gone straight out - so it didn't matter too much.

I spent the next day doing the packing for Mike for Rovers, and for me and Suki for our cottage holiday.  I had been invited by Adrian to a Livery dinner in the evening, but I was already committed to ring handbells at Mark's in Islington with Chris and Ian, so I declined.  I was a minute away from arriving at Mark's when he phoned me to ask if anyone was bringing bells!!  Very silly.  Of course it was too late to ask anyone to bring some.  Mark rang Peter Blight who lives nearby, but Peter wouldn’t lend us his bells – miserable bugger. So we just had a cup of tea and then I went home to carry on with the packing and the boys went to the local wine bar. Ironically I bumped into Peter at the station – he was on his way to Kensington – but I glossed over the fact that as he had been unhelpful I was going home because we had been unable to ring!

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