Sheffield by the Sea

Freyja is complaining! It seems that last week I suggested that nothing at all had happened, apart from me going to work and Lindsey and Ian buying a flat, when in fact -- she had celebrated a birthday. It's true. It was her birthday. And I rang her to wish her a happy one. But I didn't see her and no birthday-ness had really impacted on my week and ... well, I just didn't think to blog it. Besides. It was only a 14th birthday and 14th birthdays, while of course of great significance to the 14 year old, are not of deep significance to the rest of us.

What? Eh? Well, yes. It's true that Freyja seems to think that it was her 21st birthday. And yes, if she was born in 1985, then the calendar would seem to support her contention. But everyone knows that Freyja is 14. She has been for years, since she turned -- well, 14. Can I help it if the calendar makes of mockery of that fact?

Actually, my friend Chris Payne (she who dwells on top of Mount Macedon) was exclaiming in shocked tones only this week that it is 10 years since she moved to work in the Shire of Mitchell, that it will be 10 years in December since I moved to England, and that Freyja can't possibly be 21 because everyone knows that she is only 14. She has suggested that we have met with a time continuum accident. That must surely be it!

Anyway, we came in to Sheffield yesterday afternoon to meet Freyja and Mark for a birthday lunch. We went to the Cavendish, a student pub that I seldom venture into, it being full of students. And noise. However, at the moment there are virtually no students about and the only noise was from excitable people watching ManU thrashing Fulham in the soccer. Freyja and Mark like it there because they do nice vegetarian sausages with mashed potato. The Builder and I have no need of vegetarian sausages, though the mash did look rather nice. In fact, The Builder had the biggest piece of gammon in creation with THREE fried eggs, chips and peas. Had I had any idea he was going to have three fried eggs with his lunch, I would never have given him one for his breakfast (with grilled bacon, tinned tomatoes and a toasted bread roll). Somehow, he managed to eat it all. Hollow legs that man has! I had a grilled steak. Also enormous. With chips, peas and mushrooms. Couldn't eat it all :( (But neither could The Builder finish it up for me, which is what usually happens!)

Anyway. We ambled off to the Peace Gardens where they were doing the Sheffield by the Sea Festival again. The Builder and I came last year, when he was recovering from his hernia operation. The weather wasn't as good this year. It's been very, very showery these last few days, clearing in the afternoons or evenings into fine, sunny spells. At least it didn't rain yesterday afternoon. And there's more space this year. St Paul's Place, at the back of the Peace Gardens, is now open. They had the donkey rides there. For donkeys there were. We went and stroked them. There were children playing on the sandy "beach" and in the fountain. The Police brass band was there. There was a man with a hurdy gurdy, people sat about in deck chairs, a Punch and Judy show. Ross met us there as, later, did Freyja's friend Alec. (I was bear-hugged in the Peace Gardens on Sunday afternoon by a young man with a shock of honey blond hair. Very exciting!) We did the Family Treasure hunt, inspecting plaques dotted about in various squares and places. We found the Fun fair and Ross won Freyja a bow and arrow set playing the bash the button with a mallet and make the bell ring game. We inspected the craft market and The Builder bought me a wicker basket with a metal handle. Will be excellent, amongst other things, for keeping the allotment potatoes in. They can sometimes be a bit small to put in the potato drawer -- the tiny ones fall through! I bought Freyja a green stone hippo for her collection. We encountered Freyja's friend Sam. And we all went and had a cup of tea. I hope Freyja enjoyed the Sunday component of her Birthday Season, for The Builder and I did. On Saturday she and some mates went to the Maize Maze in York. They were doing a Star Trek day and there were people ambling about dressed as Borg and as Star Fleet officers. Freyja and her pals fought the Borg -- and won! Hooray!

The Builder and I came home after our cup of tea. Our parking space ran out at 16:18 (we got back at 16:13) and there were things we needed to do back at home. We were supposed to be going to Tabitha's last pub quiz at the Bull's Head in Ranmoor. We didn't. Neither of us could really face heading back into Sheffield yet again. And I was absolutely knackered. Anyway, as I said -- there were things to be done. But I don't think we were missed. There was quite a crowd there, apparently. And they're having a Farewell to Sheffield bash there on Wednesday week. We will go to that.

On Saturday we had gone to the allotment. There is a Victoria plum tree on the next allotment which hangs over into ours. There is no one working the allotment itself (Charlie, who was working it, hasn't been seen for over 18 months, since his wife died) and it seemed a pity to waste the plums. I've cut them up and simmered them and they are now occupying 5 tubs in the freezer. We also picked the apples from our apple tree. They were a touch under-ripe but wasps, blackbirds and grubs have been a bit tempted by them. I've cut them up and stewed them. They are now occupying 4 tubs in the freezer. There are a load of damsons still to come (also on a tree on Charlie's allotment, but so heavily laden that they are hanging over my (now sadly neglected) herb bed. All in all, ignoring the damsons, I reckon we've eaten and/or frozen upward of £200 of fruit. It's been an amazing season for fruit. Not so good for vegetables. The potatoes didn't really set well. The runner beans are only now starting ever so slowly to produce, and the dwarf and chocolate beans are just now full of flowers. There are finally flowers on the zucchinis and the sweet corn looks as though we might get a bit from them as well. The beetroot, on the other hand, are magnificent!

Tabitha has worked her last shift at the Thresher in Ranmoor. Bit sad, really. She's been there practically for ever. Just recently it's become something of a family business, for Freyja and Ross have been working a few shifts there as well. They're both leaving too; Ross because he's moving to Cambridge with Tabitha and Gaz, and Freyja because she now has a full time, busy job and quite fancies some time off. Like weekends and evenings! And I am on the hunt for somewhere else to source my wine. Somewhere, that is, apart from Sainsbury who might do a good cask of Soave - but it's nice to buy the less standardised wines from time to time.