Oxford with the Sadgits

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Rosemary and I met up with Simon, Ravi and Maggie in Oxford one Sunday morning. We were not able to park in the usual Pear Tree park and ride, it had been taken over by gypsies who have now moved on to the Bicester park and ride.  First we had English breakfast with beer at the Jam Factory. Then we worked off the excess calories with a walk to see where Simon used to live with his parents. After visiting the house  we walked through the university park and along the river Cherwell, stopping for refreshments at the Angel and Greyhound pub.

Abbey Park and Abbey Pumping Station

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After our visit to Stoneywell, we visited Abbey Pumping Station.  This  pump was built to pump Leicester’s sewage away for treatment. The pump has been preserved and has steaming days when it is worth visiting.  

As well as the pump there is a museum featuring items from Leicester’s industrial past. There is also a display on how sewers work, which amused children for hours as they flushed a model turd down the loo and through the sewers.

The next day we went back to Abbey park where there is a ruin of an Abbey. Coffee in the pavilion teas shop.

 

Visit to Stoneywell National Trust

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Stoneywell National TrustWe had an excellent trip to Stoneywell National Trust House. The weather could have been a little better. 

Lovely little National Trust house, with  fabulous gardens. First off, you must book to come here, you can not just turn up. This is because of planning regulations and limited access. The car park is a little way off from the house, a mini bus will pick you up and ferry you to the house.  They were waiting for us in the car park. The same on return.

You see the house with a guide in small groups. There were four in our group. The house was built of stone in 1899 and was originally thatch. After a fire the home was re-roofed in slate. The house is built into the rock of the nearby hill. The house is also a built as a zigzag,  is not straight, it has no square walls, no right angles to be seen anywhere. Much of the furniture is original.

Up in the stables there is a small cafe where you can sit inside or outside. Alas we visited on the most miserable and cold day of the year, and we decided not to sit outside, and we also gave most of the garden a miss. We were told it was planted so there were some flowering plants at all times of the year. We did see snowdrops.

We definitely must go back on a warmer dryer summer day and see it when we can relax in the garden.

The staff were amazingly pleasant and informative about the history of the house. While we waited for the bus to take us back we had a great conversation with them.

Redkite, Buzzard, Magpie and Rook feeding on a Pheasant

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The day after Boxing Day, Jim G dropped by to give us two braces of Pheasant. The next day I breasted the Pheasant (simple do do, and let’s be frank, there is not much more on a Pheasant than the breasts). The remains were then cast out into the field for the Red Kites. Of course the Kites were no where to be seen. Some interest was initially shown by some Magpies and Rooks who gave the pheasants some exploratory pecks.

Eventually the Red Kites discovered them, and we had three different ones flying around. A Buzzard also found the Pheasant quite late on. (Only when I was looking at the pictures did I realise there was this interloper.) The Magpies and Rooks attempted to steal from the Buzzard and Kites. In one selection of photos you can see a Rook pulling the tail of a Kite, and then being chased off. The Rooks were a little more respectful of the Buzzard. Beautiful birds all of them, even the Rooks.

 

Christmas

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Phil and Selina came over for cheese fondue with pickles on Christmas Eve. Yes, tradition is still running. I can’t remember a time in the last 35 years when we have not had a cheese fondue for Christmas Eve. (Rosemary says the reason that we have it, is cos I had a fondue set when we first met and she thought it needed using, so we do, once a year). Very heavy rain overnight.

Christmas Day, Phil collected Julian for stockings, presents and Turkey Christmas lunch, followed by Turkey sandwiches in the evening. Julian won at Triominos.

Quainton Practice Shoot

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The practice shoot was pretty well set up by Brian by the time I arrived. Being the last before Christmas we had mincepies and cake at the interval. Mincepies warmed in a microwave powered by a generator. Unfortunately, the rain came down for the second half of the shoot which was a three person flurry.

Get Together at John and Carol’s

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The ex-Walkerites met at John and Carol’s for a late lunch, Chicken liver pate, cheese stuffed Pepperdews, followed by BBQed turkey and rounded off with Bread & Butter pudding .  For the record there were, John & Carol, Steve & Rosemary, Peter & Janet, Chris & Ann, Nigel & Barbara, Robin & Tessa plus Stuart & Greta. Goodness, not even Christmas yet & already feeling full!

League Shoot, Snowed Off

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I was up early to help load the traps for the League shoot, I also had to transport the batteries to the shoot. I immediately became stuck in the snow as I tried to get out of the garage. The combination of loose stone and snow was too much for the car. I phoned Jennifer to ask if her father Jim, could come by and pick up me and the batteries. I was told the shoot had been cancelled. So instead, I walked across the fields in a blizzard to pick up the newspapers. There was a lot of snow, very wet snow, which snapped several of the trees in KarIn’s and Duncan’s garden and hedge. Keith was soon on the job with his chain saw. We even had to shake the wet snow off the Bay Tree which was bending under the weight of the snow.

The path to the village shop was difficult to navigate, there is a section with trees that lean over it. This section was difficult to pass, so the trees were bent so much lower, I had to really stoop low to get through.

Some pictures of snow in our field and in the pub car park. This is really the only significant snow fall we have had since Christmas 2010.