Bookcase

 Diane was feeling under the weather with symptoms of a cold. I was up early for Ellie's drop-off. We completed the usual daily pre-school protocol and I marched off to school with Ellie at the appropriate time. I didn't have to insist that Diane stayed behind. she had already declared she wasn't leaving the house. After dropping Ellie, I headed off for my usual walk.

Back home, I grabbed breakfast and Di went back up to bed. I had a quiet morning working on next year's accounting spreadsheet. When that was done, I retrieved the Xmas card list and performed the first set of updates for this year. I also went through my "E-Card" account to update the various email addresses that had changed this year and to update the group lists.

Di hadn't managed to sleep but did rest throughout the morning. She pottered downstairs and after a cup of tea, I started on some soup for lunch and when we were finished, we settled down for some Kindle time before I went to collect Ellie.

Diane had managed to find a suitable bookcase online. We debated whether it would fit and address our storage issue. It isn't perfect, but it is the best option we have found. I went ahead and placed an order. Hopefully, this will be delivered early next week.

Nurse!

 I was up early to greet Ellie when she was dropped off. Unfortunately, she wasn't feeling well and her school attendance was touch and go, today! After a cuddle with Grandpa, she went up to see Nana (who was also feeling a bit rough). As the early morning procedures continued, it became clear that school was not going to work. 

Diane had plans for the morning - she was meeting Pauline for lunch in Arundel. I stayed put so that I could look after Ellie. We completed her homework, and then she read 4 books to me. With that complete, she started on her Times Tables. Soon after she was finished, Zoe turned up to collect her and take her home. I grabbed my coat and headed out for a walk. It was well-needed, and I should have walked further but bladder pressure provided a certain impetus to head home.

After some lunch, I settled down for some Kindle time before returning to my quandary over the bookshelves. Emails had come back from suppliers showing the weight limits for the shelf supports. Unfortunately, they were clearly not suitable for the weight of the books we have (currently 26kgs).

Diane got back from Arundel late in the afternoon and suggested a different solution for the books. I have called it Plan "D" and that will have to be the subject of another day's research.

Adminisphere

 I had a dreadful night's sleep, but, being retired and having no important commitments, I didn't care. I got up soon after seven and treated myself to the day's first caffeine infusion as I read the overnight news.

Once the household was awake and breakfast was done, I set about the annual task of building the accounts spreadsheet for next year. This took me most of the morning. Not because the spreadsheet was complex (which it is) but because there were plenty of changes to the annual expenditure between this year and next. I am familiar enough with this process not to assume it is complete, but I feel it is a long way to being ready for use.

With the spreadsheet done, I returned to the search for suitable glass shelves and their supports for my photobooks and printed blogs. I feel that I am narrowing the choice down, but really need to speak to someone and be convinced that the shelf supports will manage the weight of the books.

Diane spent much of the afternoon "sorting out" her study. I think mine would require the intervention of a tornado to make sense of it.

I didn't walk today. The wind was still pounding the south coast and rain clattered through at random intervals. I used the time to snuggle up to my Kindle.

Gusty

 I had a very leisurely start to the day. It was 07:15 before I emerged and went searching for a fresh coffee. Storm Darragh was barrelling towards us and I ducked outside to move the garden furniture to a sheltered spot. In Wales, wind gusts are expected at 85mph - that's Hurrican Force. Even here, we expect 50-60mph winds.  Satisfied that I had taken sensible precautions, I then settled down with the overnight news and my caffeine infusion.

I had my call with the cousins at 09:00. The Aussie contingent was smugly pointing to their thermometers which read 40+ degrees. I pointed out that the measurement could be in Fahrenheit for all we knew.... and that was similar to the temperature here.

After the call, I settled down to consider the Christmas menus. I expect we will be hosting at least one "do" but more likely, two. I started to review the online offerings from M&S and Sainsbury's. Then I decided that despite the weather, I wanted to go and look at some of the offerings. I headed to Sainsbury's and looked at their turkey, gammon, and salmon. The offering looked good, but some had a "Best Before" date the week before Christmas. I bumped into Zoe and she said it would be best to wait until the 19th of the month when the "fresh" deliveries for Christmas would arrive. With some firm ideas, I left the store, crossed the road to M&S, and checked what they had.  I now have some firm ideas and can relax for a week or so.

After lunch, we had some Kindle time. Storm Darragh seemed to be fizzling out and we enjoyed a quiet afternoon before I prepared dinner.

While in Sidmouth, I bought a milk pan from my favourite kitchen shop. I have been so impressed by the quality that I have just ordered a set of saucepans to replace our old John Lewis set. These old pans have not really lasted well - one was thrown away because it leaked, and others are losing their finish. Hopefully, these Swiss-made pans will last much longer.

Shelved

 There was no hurry to get up this morning. Zoe had a late start. Despite this, we had a call from Zoe to say Ellie had decided she wanted a different dress for her "mufti" day... so she came around for the alternative offering soon after seven. Ellie is clearly a fashionista... with very clear ideas.

After the school run, I went for my usual walk as Diane went to the community centre for her Cardiac Recovery session. When I finished my walk, I had breakfast and then started on admin. I was flummoxed by the NS&I website that wouldn't let me buy bonds for Ellie. It kept claiming that I was pressing the "back" button - which I clearly was not. Ultimately, I went up to my study and used the iMac. This worked perfectly. It really is a dreadful website.

Most of the morning was spent looking for a suitable solution for storing my printed journals. I want to mount them on glass shelves with invisible fittings and edge lighting. Sounds feasible, doesn't it? Well, the problem is that the books weigh nearly 50 kg. Most "invisible" fittings are limited to 18kg. I have a lot more research to do! I have shelved it until tomorrow.

After lunch, we had some Kindle time before it was time to collect Ellie. Collecting Ellie from class we queued for the school's Christmas Fair. This was well subscribed. In fact, it reminded me of trying to get onto a tube train during the rush hour. We didn't stay for too long, and Pete arrived to collect Ellie soon after we got home.

Filing

I was up early to greet Ellie. It was raining when she arrived but had stopped by the time we had to walk to school. After the school run, Di headed home to go for a blood test to check the calibration of her home testing machine. I went for my pre-breakfast walk.

Lottie turned up soon after Diane arrived back home. She headed upstairs to clean through. Di started to wade through a pile of ironing, and I headed for the study. I had a couple of months of photos that needed to be filed in my master library along with the correct facial recognition where relevant.

After lunch, we had some Kondle time before I went to collect Ellie from school. She was full of beans and eager to have a snack, and then do some colouring. Zoe collected Ellie, and then Di sat down for a phonecall with Denise before dinner.

Lofty Heights

 There was no need to get up early... but I was still wandering down the stairs with the natural grace of a mountain walrus, at a few minutes to seven. Tea was brewed, and I started preparing a casserole for tonight's dinner. Chicken, red peppers, carrots, parsnips, baby potatoes, celery, garlic, mushroom, and chicken stock filled the slow cooker, and it was powered on. That was it, nothing else to do until this evening.

I went to Zoe's for the school run and then had my pre-breakfast walk. By the time I returned, Di was just going out to Pilates. I settled down for some porridge and then finished a few domestic chores before heading out on another walk. I didn't walk as far as usual as I had a little gastric discomfort... and didn't dare stray too far from home. Despite this, I was out for about an hour.

After lunch, I went to Zoe's to help her put some items up into the loft. She had stored some clothes and bedding in several vacuum bags but didn't like the loft, so Dad had to help.

Most of the afternoon was spent with my Kindle.

We have just finished our casserole but have sufficient leftovers for tomorrow's dinner.

Catching Up

 We were up early again. Ellie was dropped off and was excited that today was the first proper performance of the school's Christmas play. She trundled off to school with us and dashed into class as the doors opened. Diane headed home for breakfast while I went for my morning walk.

Back home, I finished my breakfast and then completed the shopping list. We had some catching up, and Sainsbury's was bracing itself for our arrival. It took us longer than usual but we eventually squeezed everything into the boot and went home to unpack.

I made up some soup for lunch and then we had 30 minutes of relaxation before heading back to school for the afternoon's performance. We managed to get a seat in the second row and had a fairly good view of Ellie whenever she was on stage. As Mary, she was on stage for quite a lot of the show even though she only had a few lines. The show was very good and was quite a funny twist on the traditional Nativity story.

We brought Ellie back home and gave her dinner before Zoe collected her and prepared to take her back to school for the evening performance. (Pete is due to come across to watch the performance - which will really please Ellie).

Our dinner this evening saw me prepare some pork loin chops in paprika and accompany them with linguine in a white wine and cream sauce containing onions, mushrooms, and roasted red pepper. It was a great success and was a dish I will certainly make again.

Back in the Saddle

 We were up early for Ellie's drop-off. It was lovely to see her as she burst into the house and ran to give me a cuddle. Then she raced upstairs to see Nana. She was Diane's shadow until it was time for school. We dropped her at the classroom door and Diane headed home while I went out for a walk.

Once home, with breakfast finished I spent some time bringing the accounts spreadsheet up to date after our recent break. With that tucked away, we headed to Sidlesham to collect Jasper from the cat whisperer. He was all ready for us and even gave Diane a huge chocolate cake for her birthday before handing Jasper over to us. Jasper yowled the whole way home (and most of the afternoon). While we were there, we booked Jasper in for next year's trip at the same time next year.

After some lunch, I walked to the local convenience store for some milk and fruit so that we could defer a big shop until tomorrow. It was warm enough to settle in the Orangery for some Kindle time until it was time to go and collect Ellie from school. She had played the part of Mary in the school's Christmas play. Today was a performance for the young children... tomorrow we will attend the performance for the parents.

Heading Home

 We finished our packing before heading down for breakfast. I made several trips to the car to load the boot (having remembered overnight that the rear seats slide forward to make more luggage space. This was necessary as we have contributed so heavily to the local economy that the local Chamber of Commerce is debating whether to give us the key to the town.

After a hearty breakfast, we finished loading the car and said our goodbyes. We were on the road soon after 10:00. In complete contrast to our journey down on Wednesday, we had a trouble-free run home. We stopped for a quick comfort break at Rownhams Services on the M27, then powered on homewards. We arrived back just after 13:00, unloaded the car and unpacked the suitcases.

We had an immensely quiet afternoon with our Kindles, followed by a frozen pasta bake for dinner, and a quiet night catching up on some recorded TV.

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.