Category Archives: home

The Plough and Anchor or the P&A

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I have been in the office the last few days.  Now working on some development projects concerned with Single Signon.  Very odd not being out on customer sites, and alas not chargeable, so no bonus from this work.  Hopefully will get up to speed on the project, and then will work from home to complete the work.

Went to the local pub last night to have one of their cheap meals. First had a drink with George and Annie who were surpised to see us on a week day.   Afterwards Rosemary and I dined in the resturant.

I am pleased to say that the meal was actually very good, and not outrageously expensive.  We went for the mid week value meal, and had three courses.  The amount of food was just right, and each dish was well presented.  The French waiter, Cyril, was very helpful with the wine selection and offered excellent alternatives to our original selections.

For starters Rosemary selected Ceasar Salad, while I had Salmon Terrine.  The Terrine was lovely, and was served with a sauce and topped with a salady/pickle made of strips of cucumber.

Both of us ate the Sea Bream on couscous.  We both were very happy with this.

For the finals, chocolate for me and creme brule for Rosemary.  My chocolate pudding was delish.  A dark chocolate on a white chocolate moose. 

Le weekend

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Spent Saturday morning shopping, generally unsuccessfully, and the afternoon gardening.  There is so much work to be done there this autumn.  Definitely going to be a chain saw massacre  on some the trees.  They all seem to have grown suddenly, and the ones near the house will need a little trimming back.  Then the graveyard has some dead elms which should come down.  Looks like the wood store will be full for the winter.

R wants to replace the Pampas grass with some butterfly friendly plant.  G must have overheard what I said about setting it on fire and roasting the hedgehogs living in it, because he sent R an article on hedgehog friendly gardening.

Sunday went to M&D for lunch and tea.  Had a leg of lamb this time, roasted and not BBQed.  Very good indeed.  Also picked up our 25th wedding anniversary present. A lovely Ann Blockley painting and a silver topped jar with a bee in the decoration.  As we left it started pouring with rain, expected a bad journey home, but luckily it all cleared up on the M40.

BBQ at home, and back home for Mother In Law

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Selina and Graham attended our BBQ this weekend.  Unlike John and Carol, we were able to call on the weather Gods and arranged a sunny day.  They excelled themselves and provided us with several days of warmth.

Our BBQ was lamb shoulder.  Now where have I had that recently!  Mum in law, Winnie, was present having stayed most of the week.  She was taken back to her home complete with Freeview Box, which I set up.  Drive down was bad with all the traffic going to Bournemouth.  Drive back was good, except for the 45 minute hold-up while someone was air-lifted from the road after an accident, but it wasn’t us, so we should feel thankful.

Back at home I strimmed down the thistles on the field. Hopefully last time this year.

At home in the Sun!!!

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Today Saturday must have been the warmest this year.  The sun shone all day.  The spirit (not allowed mercury any more) in the thermometer rose to a startling 25 Celsius.  BBQ time, so a British lamb shoulder onto the Webber in time for Selina and Graham who were coming around for tea.  Even Gran managed to stay up until after 22.00.

 On Friday I had a quick drink over at the local pub to meet up with George to check if I needed to do anything for Monday’s tug of war.  The pub has been busy putting up a conservatory, building a patio and fencing off all the unsightly areas.  The car park has now been covered with fine shingle.  I had a go at Jake about their out-of-date website.

Good news on Friday.  The bank in Scotland wants me back for a couple of weeks work.  So will be catching the flight from Luton early on Tuesday.

 

BBQ with the Curds

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Met over at John and Carol’s for a BBQ.  Not very good BBQ weather.  Poured with rain, John tending the lamb shoulders standing under an umberella.

At the BBQ were Ann and Chris, Peter and Janet, Robin and Tessa and Stuart and Pamela. 

As John said after the BBQ.

 Congratulations Gang,… and thank you for coming and brightening what would otherwise have been an otherwise dreary Saturday afternoon/evening   It was great to see you all even if we did end up inside.  Not really a surprise given this year’s track record.

Footpath

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Today the gate on the footpath between us and our neighbours was installed.  The neighbours over the weekend also dug a large pond in their garden.

The local pub is part way through installing a conservatory, and building a sitting out area around the back.  They’ve also started landscaping at the front – some good hanging baskets to attract the punters, perhaps.

Sunshine at last

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The weekend, the sun shone at home.  OK rained Saturday night, but Sunday was lovely.  Was able to catch up on the grass mowing.  Looking at the way the willows have grown this Summer there should be plenty of fuel for the Winter.

Did manage to get some of the galleries updated onto the web.

Weekend Away in Cardiff

Cambridge Visit to the Docklands

Weekend away in Paris

There is still our Cornish and French holiday along with some photographs of the family from the sad occasion of the funeral of Jean Blasdale.  They should be available in the next few weeks.

Back home and the weekend.

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Friday was yet another tedious day.  Easyjet was 2 hours late departing.  But then so were most airlines.  Bad weather down South was to blame.  Rumors also circulated that the roads out of Luton were all closed due to flooding.  Luckily these were all clear before I arrived down there.  Managed to crawl home by 10.00pm.

On Saturday we paid a visit to John and Carol for an excellent supper and a good old binge drink, staying the night.  Menu was French, including the wines.  None of that foreign stuff from around the world.

Sunday was a slow start recovering, then back home to that grass.  The sun out, and no rain, so little excuse, the grass had to be tackled. Must be 6 weeks since it was last cut. Then a quick tour around the field with the strimmer cutting down any remaining thistles.  Miles, bless the man, had topped the field while we were away.  Probably necessary to allow the sheep some access to the remaining grass.

 Needless to say the field pond was brim full, very unusual for the time of year.

Edinburgh

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It’s my fourth week in Edinburgh.  Eaten at the usual places, the Mai Thai, Petit Paris etc.  The weather has been awful, cold and wet.  The longest day has now gone by.  The flights home have always been delayed, such that last week I was not home until gone 10.00pm.

 At least I have a couple of weeks off next week.

[Editor’s notes:  Too long in Scotland must have caused Steve to spell “fourth” as “forth” (as in bridge)] 

 

Murder Mystery Night, 8 June 2007

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Friday night saw The Square Pants team (Selina’s idea of a name; R&S had no clue why that name, while Graham objected, but was overruled) try their luck at the Quaintwood Players Murder Mystery Night.  Held in Grendon Underwood’s village hall, we were entertained with a half hour play about, coincidentally, an amateur dramatic group. 

Beforehand we had sat down at tables & chairs and realized this was serious; a list of suspects and whodunnit solution piece of paper lay waiting for us to ponder & complete.  During the break, another clue was given to us as we ate of fish & chips and we discussed the intricacies of the plot and alternatively dismissed and accused every suspect.  The cast came amongst us and answered questions.  The finale was for the cast to sit on the stage while each table asked them clever questions.  Should we ask red herring type ones?  Smart-arse Selina pointed out we could do that only if we had a theory, which plunged us into temporary gloom.  But suddenly we realized who it was!  It was blindingly obvious!  Why had we not noticed before?  We looked around triumphantly. 

We sat there smugly as the murderer(s) revealed themselves…..but, wait, hang on, the cast had got it wrong and had the wrong person(s) and the wrong motives!