St Andrew's Day

 After a pretty poor night's sleep, I managed to get up just after seven and having written yesterday‘s blog I went for a walk. It seemed very warm. It was about 13°, quite muggy, and the clouds were drifting down over the hills almost obliterating the view to the east of the town, as I walked up via Jacob’s Ladder and walked back round the Millennium Walkway. 

They were launching the lifeboat as walked along below the cliff. I spoke to the tractor driver and asked if it was just an exercise or if it was a real shout. Apparently, it was a real shout and they had to go down the coast to actually check something.  Whether that means there’d been another cliff fall or whether there’s someone or something in the sea, I don’t know but let’s just hope everything works out okay.

Back at the hotel, we met for breakfast. Our waiter, having entered into the spirit of last night's rock and roll joke, brought in photos of the eventful evening the rock had enjoyed after we left. Apparently, his parents were rock-sitting during his shift today.

We decided to head for Lyme Regis. That was an interesting drive as we headed up into the clouds and travelled the whole way through thick mist. We parked up above the town and walked down the river walk, past the mill, and onto the High Street.

After a quick consultation, we walked along the promenade towards The Cobb, stopping on the way to watch some youngsters strip off to their swimming costumes and charge into the sea. We walked out along the top of the Cobb. There was a stiff breeze and we were getting hit with spray from the sea, so turned back just before the end.

On the way back we stopped at a small beach cafe and enjoyed a coffee as we sat and watched the world spin by. 

Back in the High Street, we raided several shops. Jane and Trevor bought more of their local gin, and we investigated a shop that dealt in fossils - getting a lovely example to take home for Ellie.

Comfortably back in Sidmouth, with Jane and Trevor dropped off for some shopping, and we returned to our room for some Kindle time. We went to the lounge in time for afternoon tea (well you have to indulge at least once).

The evening followed the usual format. We met in the bar for some drinks and discussed the holiday. We immediately went to reception and booked a return trip for this time next year. Then, with the deposit paid, we settled into the restaurant for our final dinner.  Our waiter, Dev, was probably overawed by the discussion of "rock" yesterday evening. Tonight, we concluded that wrapping might be more appropriate for him... so I presented him with some wrapping paper. He entered into the spirit once again and presented me with a J-Cloth on the assumption that I would like the Blues. We had to take a farewell photo and include him in the group shot.

We returned to our room earlier than on previous nights. We had to start on the packing, ready for our departure in the morning.

Pottering

There had obviously been some high winds overnight and though we weren't affected on this corner of the hotel, the view from our room looked a bit bleak when we got up. Low clouds swept away the view of the cliffs to the east and it looked decidedly murky. There was no hurry to get going as there was no firm plan for the day.

We joined up for breakfast and the girls decided they would attend a local Quilt Show during the morning. Trevor had contemplated a morning in the Spa or the lounge, but in the end, decided to come out for a walk with me.  As we set off for our various destinations, there was a fine misty drizzle in the air, but fortunately, it wafted away after a few minutes.

We walked eastwards to the end of the Esplanade and then turned inland, walking along the banks of the River Sid. We crossed the ford (via the bridge), and then crossed into The Byes. This is an extensive park that runs on either side of the river. We walked as far as we could, then crossed to the other side of the river to walk back. ("No Photos!" you say... true, it was just too murky to get any good shots).

We walked back through the town, stopping at a couple of shops on the way. Then we dropped to the promenade and headed along the Millennium Walkway. By this time, and with a stiff onshore breeze, it was less murky.

We stopped at the foot of Jacob's Ladder so that Trevor could take a phone call. I wandered off and took this photo of the latest cliff fall, which had left a house perched within a few yards of the edge.

We returned to the hotel and waited for the girls to return before grabbing a light lunch. After, Jane and Trevor headed off to meet with a local artist and speak about a commission. Diane and I went back to town to raid a small jewellery store where I saw some nice pearl earrings. Di had been wanting some pearl earrings to wear with a necklace that she has. This seemed like an ideal chance to choose what she wanted and tuck it away for Christmas.

The evening followed the usual template... bar followed by the restaurant, followed by the lounge. I was pleased, however, to display my latest still life, while in the restaurant, I call it "Rock and Roll".

Private Function

I had a poor night's sleep - as I often do on our first night away. I was up and about by 6:30, showered, blogged for yesterday, and ready for a walk. The temperature was hovering around 5C, so I put on my biggest sweater and my jacket and headed out into the burgeoning dawn. 

I started by walking up Peak Hill to the Connaught Gardens, then through the archway onto the overlook above the beach, then marched down the hill via the slipway to the walk under the cliffs, back towards the town. This is called the Millennium Walkway.

At the far end of the Millennium Walkway, I picked up the Esplanade. There was a stiff breeze, which made it quite bracing. My AirPods chatted away in my head as I walked to the end then turned to retrace my steps. It was a good start to the day.

We met up with Jane and Trevor over breakfast. They had planned an outing to Powderham Castle and invited us to join them. We thought it would be a nice trip, particularly as we had a tenuous link to the estate. Alan's stepfather used to be the church chaplain in the grounds and had his accommodation there. We went to Emma's Christening there back in the 80s. We set off and made good time. Our plans were thwarted, however, when we arrived to find a sign saying it was closed today for a private function. (There was no mention of this on the website). Plans were rapidly changed and we headed back to the M5 and up towards Tiverton.

Much of Tiverton grew up around the manufacture of lace. The industry was brought to the town from the Midlands when Mr Heathcote relocated his workforce and machines after industrial unrest at the introduction of mechanisation. His nephew built a magnificent house called Knightshayes, overlooking Tiverton. We parked up and then made our way to the restaurant for a coffee before starting our visit to the house and grounds.

For a change, the National Trust allowed (non-flash) photography in the house, which was beautifully decorated for a Victorian Christmas. 

As we entered the main hall we were greeted by a huge Christmas tree, and there were others in virtually every room we visited.

The most astonishing aspect of Knightshayes is the decorated panels that make up the ceilings. These had been covered by false ceilings within a few years of the house being completed but were rediscovered when a workman broke through during renovations.

It was a homely house, and though given to the NT in 1972, Lady Heathcote-Amory continued to live there until she died in 1997. (Having said it was homely - I wouldn't like to pay the heating bills.

From the house, we strolled out into the gardens. It was still quite chilly, but not uncomfortable. After a circuit of the woodland walk, we headed back, via the NT shop, to the restaurant for a cup of tea before returning to Sidmouth.

Back at the hotel, Trevor went for a Spa treatment, Diane and Jane went to the shops, and I went for another walk. The breeze had picked up to the point that the AirPods were in danger of being whipped away. I walked with just the sound of the wind and the waves. It was perfect.

We met up for a drink in the bar before going in for dinner. As usual, the food and service were excellent and when we finished we retired to the lounge to sit and chat before bed.

Home from home

I was up early. There was a lot to do. We had to finish our packing, doublecheck our lists, have breakfast (but only one cup of tea - no coffee), and load the car. All the while it was pouring with rain - continuing from the overnight deluge that had battered the house. Fortunately, as the clock ticked around, the rain stopped. We both walked around to Zoe's to escort Ellie to school and to take the opportunity to see the work she had been doing in the classroom - with both her maths and English workbooks on display. It was clear that she was getting on very well.

Back home, we settled ourselves into the car and headed out onto the King's highways. Our usual 3  and a bit hours should get us to Sidmouth just after midday. Apparently, nobody had told the gods who control the road network. Traffic around Chichester was as bad as ever, roadworks around Portsmouth delayed that stretch of the journey, roadworks and an abnormal load delayed us as we headed past Southampton, and a road crash closed the A31 near Canford Bottom. What joy! In the end, our journey had taken 4 and a quarter hours.

Trevor and Jane were already at the hotel and had a pint of Doom Bar waiting for me. It was most welcome. We sat and enjoyed a light lunch before taking our luggage to the room and unpacking. Then, meeting up in Reception, we headed out for a walk into Sidmouth. 

We walked up to the end of the Esplanade, then looped back into town where the girls managed to get lost in Sea Salt as Trevor and I raided Crew Clothing.  

Several hours later, when the girls emerged, Trevor and Jane split off to visit an art shop they know, while Diane and I wandered back to the hotel.

We had a quiet hour in our room before heading to the bar for pre-dinner drinks. The hotel is very crowded - there is obviously a coach party of barely alive guests in residence. The faint odour of lavender and formaldehyde announces their proximity as they shuffle around. We stayed clear and went to dinner before them.

After dinner, we sat and chatted in the lounge while listening to a quiz in the background. We called it a day around 10 pm and headed for bed. 

Ton Up

 Another good night's sleep, though I did hear some overnight thunder to accompany the heavy rain. This had cleared up by the time I came down for coffee. As soon as the coffee was pulsing through my veins I started preparing vegetables for a slow-cooked chicken casserole that would bubble slowly throughout the day.

I wandered around to Zoe's for Ellie's school drop-off. They were very chirpy this morning as we walked around to the classroom. I left Zoe at the gates and headed off for my early walk. The clouds finally gave up and went to hide as the sun gained ascendance and took control of the sky for the rest of the day.

Di had an appointment at the hairdresser. I finished my breakfast and then started on domestic chores before grabbing the suitcases and preparing to pack for our short break. When Di returned she joined the fray and slowly both cases filled. When finished, I headed out for a second walk. I was out for about an hour and realised when I got home, that I have now covered 100 miles this month.

Mid-afternoon, we had to go to the hospital. Di had another check-up scheduled. We arrived in plenty of time and she was soon within 15 minutes of the scheduled time. When we left, we were in the middle of rush hour, so it took a while to get home. Fortunately, the casserole was ready for us and we got home so there was no need to start worrying about dinner.

Just Stuff

 I slept remarkably well last night. I wandered downstairs soon after 7:00, I let Jasper out, made my first coffee and settled down with the news. After going around to Zoe's I walked Ellie to school and then headed out for my pre-breakfast walk. As I walked, the clouds melted away and the sun cut through the gloom.

During the morning, we had to capture Jasper and take him to the Cattery. He will be enjoying his spa break with Mark for the next week.

After lunch, we had some Kindle time until the chap arrived to refit our blackout blind in the bedroom. Once he had finished, I headed out for another walk. Once home, Di was pottering and I dug out the suitcases so that we will be able  pack tomorrow.

Girls

for some unknown reason, I was wide awake at 02:30 this morning. This wasn't a good time to start the day, so I tried to lie still and doze for the rest of the night.

The main event for the day was lunch. Kim was joining us (Jon had a prior engagement in Portsmouth), and Zoe and Ellie would also be coming. This was the family celebration for Diane's birthday a couple of days ago. I prepared roast pork with roast spuds, parsnips and various vegetables. More to the point I used some of the pork rind that I had got from the Farm Shop. After blanching it in boiling water and salting it, I used the air fryer. It was a great success and every morsel was consumed. I still have a huge amount of the pork rind nestling in the freezer for future meals.

It was lovely to have all my girls together for lunch. They are special times that make my heart soar and make me thankful for, and proud of my family.

They had left us by the time it was getting dark, so we settled down for a quiet evening.

Cousins

 The theme for today has been cousins. After breakfast, I had my regular call with my second cousins, the Empsons. Chris was over from Turkey and staying in Leicester, Cate called in from Craigellechie in a snowy Scotland, and the rest called from their disparate homes. Nobody had been too badly affected by the weather, but there were warnings for this weekend.

After the call, we got ready to head out.  We planned to meet with Jane and Trevor (not cousins), and Ellen (first cousin) for lunch at The Refectory. Ellen was over from Canada and scheduled to talk at a conference in London. She had come early so that she could see us all.

It was 2016 when we last saw her, though we had chatted with her prior to Di's heart operation last year. She is the MD of Heart Valve Voice (Canada), an organisation which helps support, educate and advocate on behalf of people with heart valve disease. It was so nice to catch up and relate Di's experience and her recovery. It was also nice to catch up on all of the family news... with Sarah now living in New York, and Matthew down in Miami. She was able to share some recent photos of them with their partners and of Michael and Laura, who are expecting their first baby in the next few weeks.

Unfortunately, it was all over too soon. Ellen had to get up to Canary Wharf and register for the conference during the afternoon. We said our collective goodbyes and she headed off with Jane and Trevor to pick up the train in Richmond (stopping to see Mark on the way). We headed back down to the coast for a quiet afternoon. We'll see Jane and Trevor again on Wednesday... down in Sidmouth.

Blinds

 Zoe had a 9 a.m. start so there was no hurry to get up. I wandered down for coffee and then, when the clock ticked around, I wandered to Zoe's and joined the walk to school. As soon as Ellie wandered into class, I set out for my pre-breakfast walk. As I started on my second loop, Diane drove past on her way to Cardiac Rehab.

Once back home, I grabbed breakfast and then got on with some admin. I was just finishing when Di arrived home. We shared a coffee and a chat before I headed back out for another walk and to collect some meds from the pharmacy en route.

Back home again, the sun had warmed up the Orangery nicely. We had some lunch, then retired to the Orangery for some Kindle time. At the appropriate time, Diane went to collect Ellie from school and I waited in for a chp to arrive and try to fix a blackout blind in our bedroom. It took him a while to work out how it was strung and, in the end, he took the blind away to work on in his workshop. He phoned me back early evening to confirm that he had fixed the blind and should be able to come and fix it on Monday afternoon.

An Auspicious Day

We were up early to greet Ellie as she was dropped off. When we got up and opened the blinds, it was clear that it had been cold but dry. Ellie was dropped off and sat with Nana as she opened her mountain of Birthday cards and presents. It was, after all, a very special day.

By the time the presents and cards were opened, the weather had changed and it was snowing outside. (Well, it's unlikely to snow inside, is it?).

I insisted that the birthday girl stay in the warm as Ellie and I got togged up for the short walk to school. By this point, the snow had turned to sleet and it was quite slushy outside. I dropped Ellie off without any mishaps and headed straight home. There would be no walk before breakfast today, it was too slippery.

Back home, we finished breakfast and read the overnight news, then grabbed our shopping list for the weekly shopping trip. Though we arrived long before the Zombie bus, there seemed to be a lot of morons in the store, all vying for ways to irritate each other and everyone else. I arrived in the "milk" aisle and stood to one side to allow a caravan of morons to shuffle by. As the last one passed me, one of the staff dropped a carton of milk from the top shelf. It exploded as it hit the floor and I was collateral damage as milk dripped off my jacket, my face and glasses, and our trolley which had several new sweaters on top. Oops! The chap was very apologetic and grabbed the sweaters to replace them and to get help. It was at that point that Zoe turned up. She got on her headset and marshalled the clean-up crew, explaining what had happened and that a "customer had been splattered... and what is worse, it was my Dad". Staff arrived from everywhere to sort things out. I wandered off to continue my shopping.

When we arrived home and unpacked the shopping, we had a quick chat with Lottie, who was cleaning upstairs for us, and then leapt in the car to go and celebrate Diane's birthday at a local restaurant.

We went to the Bear Inn at Pagham. It's only 3 miles from here and we had heard good reports on the food. It was clearly a popular pub with a very extensive menu. It was a bit cool in the restaurant wing, but we had come prepared. We both started with smoked salmon on homemade savoury scones. This was quite delicious. Then Diane chose a rump of Southdown lamb with mashed potatoes, and I selected the Chimichurri Chicken burger. The food was excellent and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Our review, as we drove away was that the food was good, but in general, the Inn was "nothing special".

We drove home via the Runcton Farm Shop. The butcher was good to his word and had saved me a slab of pork rind from which I could make some crackling. It must weigh a couple of kg., but only cost me £3. That seemed like a good deal.

When we got home, we were about to settle down for some Kindle time when the doorbell rang and Trudy and Ian were at the door. They came in for a cup of tea and we chatted about their first week in the new house. It sounds as if they started to get things straight, but have a way to go yet.

The snow had melted away, the rain had stopped and the paths were drying up. We settled for some Kindle time before Diane went to collect Ellie from school and take her home to await Zoe's return from work. 

We had a quiet evening.

Strolling along

 There was no hurry to get up today as Zoe had a day off. I wandered down for a coffee and started on the overnight news. It had been cold overnight and we had our first frost of the season. The house was very comfortable, however. The changes to the heating had obviously made a difference.

I wrapped up warmly and walked around to Zoe's to escort Ellie to school and then continued for my usual pre-breakfast walk. It was a lovely morning for walking. The sky was blue, the air was crisp and cold, and the sun elevated the day to "glorious". Once home, I made my breakfast as Diane prepared to go to Pilates in Angmering. 

After I had finished some domestic chores, I grabbed my coat and headed back out. I caught the bus to Bognor and then walked down to the Esplanade. To make a change from last week, I turned westwards and walked up past the pier and on towards West Park.

It was very quiet along the front. There were people about, but not many. I turned around when I reached the West Park Cafe.

Walking back past the pier I went as far as Butlins before turning back and heading to the bus stop.

The bus company really need to get their act together. There was no bus waiting for me. The information said there was a 9 minute wait. I hung around for a few minutes and found the information still said the bus was due in 9 minutes. I pocketed my bus pass and decided to walk home. By the time I walked in the door, I had walked 10 km.

After lunch, we had a quiet hour before it was time to collect Ellie. Immediately after collection time, Zoe and Di had a parent's session with Ellie's teacher. It went very well and Ellie is clearly a well-loved student in the class and is doing very well.

Ribbit

 After an interruption from Jasper, as he deposited his supper on our bedroom floor just after 03:00 this morning, we had a fitful end to our night's sleep. I was started when the alarm went off and I had to leap down the stairs to greet Ellie as she was dropped off. She was wonderfully chirpy as she burst into the house. Again, she was all ready; she was washed, dressed, her hair was done, and she had finished her breakfast. All we had to do was entertain her until it was time for school. Whereas some of the country was under an onslaught of snow, we just had some light rain. 

After dropping Ellie off, I headed out for my pre-breakfast walk. I did a couple of large loops of the estate and then headed home for breakfast.

I had some admin to clear before I got down to anything else. We hope the kids come for lunch on Sunday, so I have been considering the possible menus. I think I have decided on pork... and that means crackling. We love crackling and there may not be sufficient on the joint so I contacted a local butcher, however, he couldn't provide any rind. I headed to our local farm shop and spoke to the butcher there. He said they process the pigs on Wednesday morning - and suggested I ring them and ask them to put some rind aside and collect it tomorrow or Thursday.

While I was at the farm shop, I asked about beef short ribs. The butcher explained that he had some that had been prepared for a customer who never turned up to collect them. I leapt at the chance and bought a couple of kg of these ribs to put in the freezer.

After lunch, we had some Kindle time before I went to collect Ellie.

Beating the Rain

It was an early start this morning. Ellie was dropped off and was already dressed, her hair was done, and she had had breakfast. There was little for us to do besides keep her entertained until it was time to head to school. We dropped her at the classroom and then I headed off for a walk as Diane headed home. I managed a couple of miles before heading back for breakfast.

After some breakfast and consuming the overnight news, I did some domestic admin and then, seeing that rain was due in an an hour or so, I headed out for another walk. This was longer than the earlier effort and took in a couple of roads that I hadn't previously walked along. I was out for about an hour and arrived home before the rain started... but only just. The rain, though not heavy, has continued all afternoon.

I dug out the soup maker. We tend to use it a lot during the winter months. Today seemed like the ideal time to start. I chopped onion, sweet potato, red pepper, carrot, garlic, and parsnip. I added a handful of lentils, then topped it up with vegetable stock.  Twenty-five minutes later we had a lovely thick, creamy soup.

After lunch, we retired to the lounge with our Kindles. We had numerous interrupts as various deliveries arrived at the door and as the clock ticked towards 16:00, Diane went to collect Ellie from school and take her home.

Gallery

 For some bizarre but unknown reason, I had a dreadful night's sleep. As a result, I was up early to recharge my caffeine stream. Diane shuffled down some time later and we had a quiet breakfast. I prepared vegetables and some chicken thighs so that they could snuggle in the base of the slow cooker for the day. A casserole would make a nice change from the usual Sunday roast.

Diane did some pottering in the garden before the weather breaks (tomorrow). I took the opportunity to go for a walk but didn't manage to go as far as planned as my coffee intake clearly surpassed my bladder's ability to retain it.

Zoe called. She wanted some help putting up a gallery wall of photos. She had already done much of the work but wanted help and advice for some differently-sized pictures. I popped home to get my double-sided nano-tape. It is far easier to use and get the positioning right than using clips or screws. 

Back home we settled down for some Kindle time in the Orangery for the rest of the afternoon.

Oldies who Lunch

 I checked my watch.  It was 06:30. I turned over, intending to have another 15 or 20 minutes in bed. At ten to the hour, I got up and wandered downstairs to make coffee. It was remarkably light and that was when I checked my watch and saw that my 15 or 20 minutes had turned into an hour and 20 minutes. That was a result!

I had my usual call with the cousins. The chat was typically wide-ranging and fun. We covered everything from Butlins to the rules that forced pregnant women out of the Navy in the early 70's. With the call over, I managed a quick walk before Diane and I hopped in the car and headed up to the barren wastes of Surrey. We were due to meet with Jan and John at "The Refectory", on the outskirts of Godalming.

We had a very pleasant journey up through the countryside, marvelling at the autumn colours and surprised by how little traffic there was. We arrived early and settled in with a coffee before Jan and John arrived. We went through the usual "organ recital" (discussion of aches, pains, health conditions, and so forth) before moving on to the latest news from the respective families. The food was excellent. Di and I both started with the parsnip and apple soup (accompanied by delicious sourdough bread). Di then chose a steak sandwich from the "Lite Bites" menu. This was a misnomer as it was large enough to feed a family and had to be wheeled to us on a trolley. (No it didn't). I chose the fish pie which was served with peas and beans and was delightful. We are due back at the restaurant, next weekend to meet up with cousin Ellen.

We had a good. journey home - the only brief delay was for a wedding party in Petworth. (We hadn't brought a present, so we didn't stop). Once home, we settled down with a cup of tea and our Kindles and enjoyed a quiet evening reading and watching TV.

Charity Walk

 Ellie was awake at 06:30 and came in to check that it was ok to switch on her devices (the Wifi is scheduled to reactivate for her devices at 06:30). That gave us another 20 minutes in bed. We were all up soon after as Diane had to get Ellie ready and get ready herself for Cardiac Rehab. 

Ellie could wear her own clothes (as opposed to her school uniform) today. It was "Children in Need" day. We dropped her at the classroom and wished her good luck. She had a sponsored walk around the school playground scheduled for mid-morning. She seemed a little apprehensive, but we had no doubt she would do well. 

Diane headed home so that she could drive to the Community Centre for her Rehab session. I headed off for my pre-breakfast walk. Back home, I finished breakfast and then set about my mid-month habit of checking all of the utility meters. I then updated the accounts and then got on with some domestic chores. Once Di was back, I had made her a cup of tea and we discussed her session, I headed out for another walk with the intention of posting a Birthday card and picking up a card for Di's forthcoming Birthday. I was out for about an hour and thought how lucky we had been for the past few weeks of dry weather. I see that the weather is expected to break by the end of the weekend.

After lunch, there was Kindle time until it was time to collect Ellie from school. I stopped off at the park so Ellie could let off some more steam. It turns out that she managed 11 laps in her first walk, but then did another walk where she managed 19 laps. I'll have to raid the bank to pay the sponsorship.

Back home, Zoe joined us and we all had dinner together. They have just left.

Grandpa's Curry

There was no hurry to get up this morning. In fact, I managed to lie in until 07:10. By then, however, coffee was singing its siren song. When the time came, I wandered around to Zoe's for the school walk and then set off for my pre-breakfast exercise.

Back home, with breakfast finished, I completed the week's shopping list and, when Di was ready, we headed to Sainsbury's. Considering the time, I was expecting it to be busy, but I suspect there was a problem with the Zombie bus as the aisles seemed free of the usual shuffling imbeciles that arrive mid-morning on Thursdays.

Home and unpacked, we grabbed some lunch before retiring to the Orangery for some reading. I read for about an hour, then set off for another walk in the bright November sunshine. I've started a new audiobook, but am not convinced that I will stick with it. I'll give a few more sessions before I decide.

By the time I arrived home, it was time to collect Ellie from the after-school Craft Club. She came home and started to tell us about fossils, crystals, and volcanoes. Meanwhile, I was preparing what she calls "Grandpa's Curry" for her dinner. Once that was underway, I started on our sticky chicken pieces with sweet potato fries and beans. I think we all ate our fill.

Ellie is staying with us overnight.

Beaches

 It was another day where there was no need to get up early Despite this, I was making my first coffee before seven. As school time approached, I walked around to Zoe's to participate in the walk to school. Once Ellie was safely in class, I headed off for my pre-breakfast walk.

Diane headed off to Angmering for her Pilates session. I finished my porridge and reading the news then decided that the weather was looking quite promising. I grabbed my jacket and my bus pass and caught the bus to Bognor Regis.

I walked down to the beach and then turned eastwards. Though people were walking along the promenade, it was not busy. My biggest issue was that  I could not get my AirPods to play my Audiobook. I walked on in silence.

I headed up past Butlins, The Lobster Pot, and the Sommerly Estate. There, I turned back and headed back towards the town.

I stopped at The Lobster Pot and sat down with a coffee. I enjoyed the peace as I watched the world go by.

I finally stirred myself and continued the walk back to the bus stop and then rode home.

Diane arrived back soon after me. I grabbed some lunch and then settled in the Orangery for some Kindle time.

Cat food

We were up early to greet Ellie when she was dropped off. She was perky despite the cold and cough she was fighting. It was a lovely bright and clear morning as we walked Ellie to school. Diane went home and I headed off for a short walk before returning for breakfast.

I had some admin to clear after breakfast. Diane was heading to the shops to pick up various clothing items appropriate for the cooling weather. I was still finishing my admin when Lottie arrived to do some cleaning for us. I left her to it and headed off for a walk. I paused at the village and popped into the barbershop for a trim. With my hair scattered across the barbershop floor, I headed back out to continue my walk.

As it was so bright and sunny, the Orangery warmed up nicely. We settled down for some Kindle time until it was time to collect Ellie. I left Di in the warm and went to the school. It may have been chilly, and the North wind was quite cutting, but Ellie wasn't interested in wearing a coat. As soon as we arrived home, she raided the fridge. 

After an incident at the store, Zoe was delayed leaving work. In the end, Ellie was getting worried that her kitten, Bo, wasn't being fed on time. Di walked her home so Ellie could attend to the cat.

All Change

 A fairly usual start to the day, but thankfully not an early one. After coffee and overnight news, I wandered around to Zoe's to join the walk to school. After the drop-off, I continued for my pre-breakfast walk.

After breakfast, most of the morning was spent bringing the accounts up to date and then returning to the research I started yesterday regarding home printers for Zoe. In the end, I think I found the ideal solution... so that is Christmas sorted!

It is a case of "all change" today. Our neighbours, Trudy and Ian, moved out and new neighbours moved in. Needless to say, it didn't go smoothly. Though the exchange was due to happen at lunchtime, it was late afternoon before the conveyancer condescended to tell them the money had been exchanged. Because of the delay, we invited Trudy and Ian in for coffee while they waited. They went back to wait in the shell that was their house, and we settled down for some Kindle time.

Late in the afternoon, I headed out for a second walk of the day. I wasn't really in the mood for it, but I'm glad I forced myself. As I returned home I met our new neighbours - Sandra and Laurie. They seemed very nice and I gave them a bottle of Prosecco to welcome them.

A Quiet Sunday

 There was no need to get up early and I managed to stay in bed until 07:45. It had been cool overnight, but the house was comfortable warm as I settled down in my pj's to drink my first coffee and read the overnight news. Diane came down a little while later and we enjoyed a very leisurely breakfast.

I spent an hour or so doing some research into printers and iPad keyboards. I have an excellent iPad keyboard, but Diane's one is clunky and sub-optimal. I would like to get one the same as mine, but they have been "Sold Out" for months now.  As for the printer, I was looking for an alternative device for ~Zoe as hers is, frankly, useless. For both the keyboard and printer, I have narrowed it down (with the help of AI) but still need to make the final choice.

Diane cracked on with a pile of ironing. 

I headed out for a walk. I had no specific route in mind but found myself on the old highway to Shripney. As usual, with the exception of crossing the bypass, it was delightfully quiet and I was able to become engrossed in my latest audiobook. This book is an early offering from Ian Rankin (who wrote the Rebus novels - though this isn't related to Rebus).

It was a very pleasant hour or so.

After getting home and having some lunch, we settled in the orangery for some Kindle time.

Having finished dinner, we just checked "SeeSaw" to find that Ellie's Volcano Project has earned 25 house points and the teacher commented that she can't wait to show the video to the class. That will put her in a good standing for the upcoming "Parents' Evening".

Piccadilly Circus

 I was awake early, even though getting up was unnecessary. By seven, I was downstairs making coffee and settling down with the overnight emails and news. I had my usual call with the cousins which included various discussions of remote islands and volcanoes. This was triggered by my mention of Ellie's volcano project.

When the call was finished I returned to the MacBook and continued with the compilation and editing of Ellie's video. It took several passes to get it right and to mute some of the background comments from myself and Diane. My thought of adding background music was vetoed. Eventually, it was finished and uploaded to Google Drive; the file was too big to be uploaded to the school's "SeeSaw" system, but I could upload a link to the Google Drive instance. With that done, I sent a copy of the link to Zoe, Kim, Pete, and Jane.

After a bite to eat, I had to go to the shops and get more cat litter. The traffic when exiting the shopping centre was dreadful and what should have been a quick round trip took a surprising 30 minutes. When I arrived home, I quickly changed and headed out for a short walk. We were expecting ~Kim, so I couldn't be out for too long.

Kim stopped in on her way home from having her Covid jab. We had a lovely hour or so with her, hearing about her course, her commute, and even her iPad. I gave her a hand to get the Apple Pencil working so that she could use it for drawing diagrams. Sue and Trevor Taylor dropped by while Kim was still with us, though she didn't stay for much longer. They had been to Southampton to see Alan who was doing another drumming residency on P&O's Iona. We heard all of their latest news. Jean is enjoying herself at the care home; Kevin has remarried and they attended the wedding; their caravan holiday doing the North Coast 500; and, of course, no conversation in our age group can be completed without the health update (or Organ Recital, as I recently heard it described). Just as Sue and Trevor were preparing to leave, Zoe turned up. The afternoon had been like Piccadilly Circus.

As soon as everyone had left, I got on with dinner and, when that was done, Di settled down with "Strictly" as I wrote this.

Lights, Camera, Action!

 There was no need to get up too early, Ellie was leaving from home this morning. After my first coffee and a quick spin through the news, I grabbed the videos that I had recorded yesterday showing Ellie describing how to make a volcano. I needed to start editing them down to a consumable length and it is so long since I have edited video that I needed a bit of a refresher and some practise.

I went around to Zoe's and walked with them to school then headed out for a walk before returning for breakfast. A removals van was sitting outside our house as Trudy and Ian started the move that will complete on Monday. 

Diane went to her Cardiac Rehab and while she was gone, I returned to the video editing. It took me an hour or two, but the unfinished video stream is looking good. It still required additional video clips to show the eventual eruption of the video, but that would have to wait until Ellie finished school.

After lunch, I took a walk to the village to return some of additional devices EE had sent. Once home we had some Kindle time before collecting Ellie from school.

With Ellie back home with us, we returned to the volcano project. I filmed as Ellie explained how the mixture of bicarbonate, washing up liquid, and water was poured into the volcano. Then we made a mixture of red food colouring and white vinegar. This was poured into the volcano and we stood back as the chemical reaction began and "lava" bubbled out of the crater and down the sides of the volcano. It was very successful, and now I just need to splice the video onto this morning's video and then go through and tidy it up... and maybe add some background music.

G-Force

I was up early ready for Zoe to drop Ellie off. Ellie wasn't well, so she wasn't going to school. G-Force would be in charge for the day.

Diane had an appointment at the hairdresser, so Grandpa took the lead. Ellie and I decided to spend the morning making a volcano for her school project. Grandpa started with some sheets of A3 paper to develop a prototype. Once I had seen how it could work we set up with sheets of card and Ellie created a series of videos to talk through each stage of the build. There is still some more work to be done, but we have to wait until the paint has dried on the slopes of the volcano. We will return to this tomorrow.

When Di got back, we had some lunch before I took the opportunity to go for a walk. Soon after I got back, Zoe arrived and took Ellie home. I think she is well enough to go back to school tomorrow.

Off Sick

We were up early this morning so the deli could be dropped off on Zoe‘s way to work. Ellie had woken up with a sore throat and was feeling a bit sorry for herself. She’d had some medicine and was ready to go to school but we wrote a note for the teacher so that she could contact us if Ellie needed to come home.

I went for a walk before coming home for breakfast while Di came straight back so that she could get ready to go off to Pilates. After breakfast, I decided to move the smart Wi-Fi hub that I installed yesterday and put it in Ellie‘s bedroom on top of the wardrobe. This was a major piece of work because the wardrobe needed to be moved so that I could find a plug socket it took a lot of shifting and shoving, but eventually, it was all done and the smart Wi-Fi Unit is now providing a strong signal across Ellie‘s bedroom and indeed all of upstairs.

I had ordered some new pyjamas from Marks & Spencer, and they would be delivered to the Shripney store at lunchtime. I packaged up the old broken smart Wi-Fi unit, set off to the post office to return it, and then walked up into Shripney to collect my new pyjamas and some chicken pieces for the freezer. What with the walk after school and the walk to Shripney and back by lunchtime I had covered well over 10 km. and that has brought my total so far for November to over 25 miles.

After lunch I settled down in the Orangery to read for a while within about half an hour, I received a call from the school to say that Ellie really needed to come home so I went to collect her and we looked after her until Zoe finished work and she went home.

In the evening, we joined up with the Sonning Crew (plus Ken) and took the bus into Chichester. It was the end of an era as Trudy and Ian would be moving on Monday so it was the last time that we would have a chance to get together for a meal. We went to the Turkish restaurant Reina Kitchen. I think from previous experience people had learnt the lesson, the best dishes at the restaurant were from the grill. I must say that the food was excellent. I had their special which included sheesh lamb, chicken, and Adana. Di chose the lamb chops which were the best she’d ever had. Again from experience, we knew that we had to get the 9 o’clock bus home if we missed that the next one wouldn’t be for another hour. We timed it just right. For old people like us, 9 o’clock is plenty late enough.

Brake!

 There was no need to wake up early today. Zoe had a day off, so Ellie would not be dropped off. I wandered around in time to join the walk to school. I didn't go for a walk immediately after the school drop-off, I headed home for breakfast.

After breakfast, I took the car to the dealer. Two weeks ago, the service pointed out that the brake fluid needed to be changed, as did the spark plugs. They didn't have the parts at the time, so today was the first convenient opportunity for us. Dropping the car off, I plugged my AirPods into my ears and walked home via the old highway from Shripney to North Bersted.

Back home, I returned to the accounts. I completed the transfer of funds to the ISA and then updated the master spreadsheet. With that done, I updated the MacOS on my MacBook and then spent some time checking the settings on all my Apple devices to try and remedy an occasional problem with syncing messages.

A message came through. The car was ready. I grabbed some lunch, then set off to walk back to the car dealer. It was a lovely temperature for walking, but still grey and dry. When I got home, I found the EE Smart WiFi had been delivered. In fact, they had delivered two! I configured one of them, then settled down in the Orangery with my Kindle.

Back to school

 We were up early so that Ellie could be dropped off on Zoe's drive to work. She was a little subdued for a few minutes, but quickly snapped out of it. We took Ellie to school as usual, and then Di went home, while I headed off for a short walk before breakfast.

After breakfast, I started on some domestic chores while Di pottered upstairs. After I finished and the floors had dried out, I settled down with the accounts. I decided that I was going to move some funds from one savings account to an ISA. I hadn't realised what a faff that could be. I ended up moving the funds from one bank's savings account to its current account; from there I moved it to another bank's current account, and then to that bank's ISA account. They don't make it easy!

I headed out for another walk. My audiobook was playing as I wandered one of my frequently used routes.  It seemed remarkably quiet considering it was dry and mild. However, I like it when it's quiet.

We had an afternoon with our Kindles before Diane went off to collect Ellie and take her straight home to await Zoe.

Wrong

 We had a lazy start to the day. It was grey, dry, and slightly cooler than the last few days. After breakfast and wandering through the news and social media, I decided to install the replacement "Smart WiFi Plus" that EE had sent. I unpacked the box and realised that they had not sent the WiFi Plus unit but had sent a "Smart Hybrid Connect". I already have one of these and do not need another. I phoned them. Having selected the correct sequence of menu options, I was informed that I was in a queue and could expect to wait 45 minutes. Whoopee-do! I finally got through to a human from the Newcastle call centre. He was very nice, but couldn't help me. He would transfer me to the technical department. I was on hold for a further 20 minutes before a call handler picked up and we, hopefully, resolved the situation. A new Smart WiFi Plus is being sent and a bag for the return of the "Smart Hybrid Connect". That was 75 minutes of my Sunday gone in a flash.

Di wanted the leaves cleared from the front and back garden. We have a machine for that. I grabbed the leaf vacuum and worked my way around the front garden and then the back. The leaves were sucked up and shredded into a fine powder. It didn't take too long as the dry weather had stopped the leaves from being all mushy.

With the gardens clear (until the next windy day), I headed out for my walk. I wandered further than usual down a couple of the roads while listening to my audiobook. It's nice linking up a few more lines on my mental map of the area. It was cool, but it was pleasant weather for walking. By avoiding the main roads, it was amazing how quiet it was.

Once home, I settled in the Orangery for some Kindle time before stirring myself to prepare dinner.

12K

This is a momentous blog post. It is the twelve thousandth entry in this blog since I started it in 2004. It's a shame that there isn't something of huge importance to report or discuss!

Ellie slept well overnight. I was up well before she emerged, and Zoe came to collect her soon after eight o'clock.

After I finished breakfast, I started to unpack a self-assembly bedroom unit for Ellie's room. Di, meanwhile was getting ready for an appointment at the hospital. I laid out all of the components and checked the inventory. It wasn't quite as straightforward as some I have built recently. This is because they hadn't numbered each part, so they had to be identified by the pre-drilled hole positions. When I had everything ready to start assembly, it was time to head to the hospital.

The appointment was at Worthing Hospital rather than St Richard's in Chichester. Because of the parking problems, I dread visits to Worthing but having said that, there were no problems today. In fact, it was remarkably quiet. We found our way to the correct department and I waited while Diane had her check-up. She got a clean bill of health. When we had finished in the department we stopped off in Costa for a coffee before driving home.

Once home, I returned to the assembly of the unit for Ellie's bedroom. It went together quite easily, with the exception of the doors. The hinges were a bit fiddly, but eventually, they clicked into place. The unit now sits at the end of her bed and holds the TV. (The TV gets its signal via the Amazon Firestick over WiFi so I have created a schedule whereby the WiFi switches off at 20:30 and doesn't reactivate until 06:30 - this is the same schedule used for her iPad).

With the unit in place, I set off for a walk. I managed about a 5.5 km loop before settling down in the Orangery for Kindle time.

Chancellor

 I was up first, followed 45 minutes later by Diane. Ellie remained in bed but picked up her iPad to watch some YouTube videos. By the time I had finished my morning ablutions, Zoe had arrived to collect Ellie. 

My morning was spent sorting out the TV we had decided to install in Ellie's bedroom. The Firestick was working downstairs, but would it still get a signal in the bedroom? To make sure, I thought I would install a WiFi extender upstairs. Unfortunately, the extender wouldn't pair with the router so I then spent an hour on the phone with EE and they eventually agreed to send me a replacement. As it happened, the TV was able to pick up a signal anyway. With that working, the next issue was to find a suitable unit on which it could sit. We didn't have anything suitable so I spent time online and ordered a suitable unit that should be delivered by the end of the day.

Zoe brought Ellie back at lunchtime. She was feeling under the weather, so a quiet afternoon would do her good. I headed out for a walk.

I looped around the lake and Willows Edge, then up Berry Lane to North Bersted Street. I then headed across the bypass and down to Shripney, before turning back and retracing my steps. As I walked back, I passed the field with some old horses and the pen with the goats. As I approached, I could hear a donkey baying. I couldn't help but think of our Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Once home, I joined in the quiet afternoon - though this started with Ellie wanting to make a sweet concoction from melted marshmallows and Rice Crispies. It was messy and had the texture of Gorilla Glue. It was, however, quite tasty... even if Ellie didn't have more than a teaspoonful.