Monday was Gareth's birthday (and ANZAC Day, but that didn't really register much in the UK). The Builder and I took ourselves into Sheffield early in the evening and we met Gareth, Tabitha, Cally, Flynn and Ginger Rich at Swanky Frank's for dinner. We also met another friend who lives in Holymoorside. He had been heading back from SHU on his bicycle and had not one but two punctures on his way up the hill into Woodseats. He abandoned his bike at Tabitha and Gareth's place and came to Swanky Frank's for a drink while waiting for his wife to launch a rescue mission in her car :-D We had a good time. There was another magician, who was very good. The Builder and I had learned from our previous mistake and ordered a less substantial starter to share. This meant that I managed to finish my pizza - unless you count the crusts!
On Tuesday, Liam the Plasterer came to visit. You may remember that we had organised for a painter to come and tart up the outside of our house. Alas, he wasn't free until mid-August and we definitely don't want to wait that long. Liam came to have a look and declared that he could do it for a very similar price - in Mid-May. That seemed much better.
I had an email from Julia on Tuesday asking if I knew that Alison W was leaving the SHU library (I did) and that her leaving do was to be at the Devonshire Cat on Wednesday after work (I didn't know that). So on Wednesday I headed back into Sheffield, this time on the bus. The Continental Market is in town so I went for a potter around that, and for a wander around the permanent market. I took my phone to the Mac Repair shop for a new screen. I went for a stroll in the Millennium Gallery. Then I met Julia and we head to the pub for a couple of hours of carousing. I think if I do this again, though, that I might arrange to stay over. We had to leave to catch the bus back to Chesterfield just as a wave of late arrivals turned up. It was good to catch up with people. I haven't seen a lot of them since before Easter. Some I hadn't seen for even longer. Several people who have left over the past few years also came.
Thursday wasn't especially notable. But on Friday I went for my first volunteering session at the Clay Cross Food Bank. It was more fun than I had expected it to be. They partnered me up with an experienced volunteer and we helped to make up food parcels for the clients who came in. The clients are referred by places like the CAB, or social workers or health visitors and the food bank volunteers make up food parcels based on the number of adults, children and infants in the household. While the clients are waiting they are talked to by some of the volunteers and given a hot drink and some cake or biscuits. It was all very friendly. The volunteers on Friday (at lunchtime) are almost all older or even elderly people, although there are a couple of younger ones. I enjoyed it, and, of course, it was a useful thing to be doing. I shall go back next week, I think. Much better to be doing useful things than sitting about at home doing nothing in particular.
The weather has been dismal this week. Properly wintery. We've had snow and hail and sleet and rain and wind and freezing temperatures, although many of the morning have dawned deceptively sunny. We've had the heating on and even lit the fire as the week progressed. We don't have much wood left and don't want to buy in another full load. I am hoping that the weather will eventually warm up to more normal levels. But there is some wood left and we decided that we might just as well use it!
I don't suppose the weather is going to warm up this weekend. It's the May Day bank holiday weekend. Lots of people have outside events organised. It's bound to be cold, wet and windy!
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| Cally and her Bat Minion at Swanky Frank's |
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