August

September 04, 2019

Devon (and handbells)

Mike came to Devon again this month for the week. We had hoped to scatter Mary's ashes on Dartmoor but the weather was too wet for Mike to get up there. We spent 3 hours ringing handbells with Tim having several goes at his composition of the 41 minor before knocking off the usual QP of 23. We both rang a peal of Cambridge Major with David and Peter, at our house, and I also rang a peal of Cassiobury with Tim and the usual third Wednesday band, and failed to get QPs of Kent and 3xSpliced S Royal with the lunchtime band. So a busy week for handbells.

I got Rentokill in to remove a large wasps nest from the garden - £295 again. It's becoming an annual expense!

We went to Chudleigh Church for a cream tea which was my first this year. It was a good one too and we were supporting their Summer Project.

Mike and I went to the Christow show which made for a very enjoyable morning, despite the occasional showers. The disabled parking was right next to the main ring!

We wandered round the stalls and then Mike had a go on the climbing wall - getting reasonably high off the ground which was his target.

There was sheep judging, horse and hound relay, tractor parade (with a commentator who knew everything about every tractor and its driver), terrier racing (very entertaining) and lots of nice stalls. In a second field there was horse events such as jumping and showing. I bought myself a lovely handmade wooden handled double ended quick unpick.

We left at 2pm as we had arranged to ring handbells with Peter in the afternoon. In the event he only turned up at 6.30! Rang some handbells but not very successfuly. We had a nice takeaway curry for supper - I had collected it the evening before so that we did not have to wait for it on the day! Getting canny!!

I fitted another week in Devon at the end of the month - a last minute bonus which I justified by wanting to go to the Nourish Festival! I was able to ring for a funeral at Bovey - Lisa was ringing so it was nice to catch up with her. Rowena is now learning to drive! I also let some ringers in at Bickington to help Bob out. I advised them that there were no chimes as was promptly told by someone that he knew because he had been ringing there for years and was I new!! I agreed I was! I took Suki for a nice 1.5m circular walk - it started in a field of cows so I turned round and did it in the opposite direction by which time the cows had moved from the stile. When I got back to lock up there was some local there fussing around seeing everyone out, clutching the donation and closing the doors. He was about to go off and find the key when I held my set up! I don't know how he thought they had got in in the first place. He eventually gave me the donation too when he realised I would be seeing Bob to return the keys.

Otherwise spent the week mooching round the shops and having coffee with Jayne, indulging in some retail therapy, having short walks with Suki and doing some cross stitch. We spent the evenings drinking red wine and watching old episodes of Trial and Retribution.

I went to the Nourish Festival early, when it was also slightly drizzling, and had a lovely time because it wasn't very busy. I was able to walk easily down the street looking at all the stalls and able to look at anything that caught my attention and chat to the stallholders. I bought some whisky liqueur, some lovely bread and some excellent cheeses. By the afternoon the weather was hot and sunny and the High Street was packed with people. I was so glad I had missed that!

Walking

Met Linda for a walk in Gunnersbury park - a slow one as Suki was very slow. Lovely hot day. Had a coffee at the cafe afterwards. She brought back our cuckoo clock which Dinos had cleaned and mended for us. It was nice to have the cuckoo back - especially during the night.

Joined Maryanne and her friend "Chiswick" Linda for a nice walk from Little Missenden. It was a bit fraught because Suki was very slow and we often had to stop and wait for her. Eventually I took a shortcut back to the car with Suki leaving the others to complete the route at their faster pace. I had just taken my boots off at the car when they both turned up - and the heavens opened - so good timing all round. Suki and I did 5.4 miles and they did about a mile more.