Sunday morning

So. Off we trundled to Dronfield to find the jeweller’s with the Nomination “E”. It was made more complicated by me asking Jenny the Sat Nav to take us to Church Street, Unstone (next village along), but we got there in the end. Once I realised what I had done! Really must make an effort to go and explore Dronfield properly. I didn’t realise The Forge complex was there, and there are other shops and nooks and crannies which might bear exploration. The Forge certainly will, and we didn’t have time for more than a cursory glance. We do, however, now have an “E”. There wasn’t one in Chesterfield where we bought the bracelet. They didn’t have one in Sheffield. Nor did they have one in the stockist in Nottingham when I rang them. I can only assume they have them in Dronfield because nobody knows the stockist is there!!!!

We trundled down to Whiteley in a pleasant sort of a manner. Well, it was pleasant enough for me – I slept for quite a lot of it. I do seem to be quite exceptionally tired at the moment. Anyway, we arrived at Jeanette and Matthew’s in time for afternoon tea. They seemed pleased to see us. Evie is a sweet baby. Very sweet – she was asleep for the whole time we were there. Sleeping babies are absolutely ideal! Rebecca appeared to like the “secrets” box we bought to celebrate her new found status as a Big Sister. Jeanette and Matt seemed to like Evie’s bracelet. Evie expressed no opinion on the matter. Then we relocated to Salisbury.

We’re staying in the Bridge Farm B&B, where we do like to stay, when we can, when visiting Salisbury. We went for dinner at the Old Mill, where I had just the most amazing lobster bisque. And The Builder and I shared a swan dessert – profiteroles in the shape of swans filled with cream and swimming on a pond of melted dark chocolate sauce. Was magnificent. Absolutely gorgeous. My profiteroles tend to be a bit on the rustic side. Not at all sure I could shape them into swans! And I’ve no idea how he made the curved necks and heads.

We ambled back to Bridge Farm, poured a glass of wine. I got into my froggie jammies, sat on the bed ready to watch telly and drink my wine. And promptly went to sleep. Woke at 2, briefly, then slept soundly until Norma knocked on the door with our breakfast tea at 7. Said I was tired!

We’ve just had a lovely breakfast and are preparing ourselves to visit the farm shop (which opens at 10) then to wander into town (which also opens at 10 on a Sunday) and then to visit The Builder’s parents. Must find out if they’re up to joining us for lunch. We have a table booked at the Yew Tree in the next village along from theirs. If they can’t join us we’ll just have to go on our own and visit them after lunch.

We're driving a hire car at the moment. The VIxen has gone in to have the inadequate repairs which were effected after the Snow Event last winter put right. They do seem to be very inefficient. Quite apart from the fact that they didn't fix it properly in the first place, we dropped The Vixen in last week, arriving at spot on 8:00 - to find that the courtesy car they were providing for us had gone home with one of the staff the night before. He wandered grumpily in at just after half past eight and responded to the receptionist's remonstrations that he didn't have to start till then if he didn't want to. No consideration that now The Builder and I were late for work! I don't know what the state of play with The Vixen is at the moment - but I hope she comes back soon. The Fiesta is all right, but it's a thirsty car and it doesn't have much oomph.

Right. Must get ready for the day.

The Builder and his phones

So what do you reckon it is with The Builder and his mobile phones?

His Chocolate phone broke last week. Its battery went all over deddibones and the phone had to be sent away to be repaired. He bought a cheap pay as you go phone and transferred the sim card across. So far so good.

His Chocolate phone came back from the repairer, all as good as new. He sold it to a work colleague. The cheap, pay as you go phone was bearing up quite well to the rigours of life with a construction worker.

Last evening, we went into Sheffield on the train to go to dinner with someone who has been working as a placement student with us for the past 12 months, and as a temporary hardware installer for the past two. He has now reverted to student status and a group of us went to Flying Pizza to send him on his way. Was a good evening. On the way home on the train, The Builder took a phone call from his mother. She is not sure if they can join us for lunch on Sunday as his father is not feeling too good. No worries. We’ll see how they are on Sunday and plan accordingly.

We took a taxi home from the station, got in, had a glass of wine and went to bed. Excellent evening.

We were preparing to head down south this morning, when The Builder announced that he didn’t know where his phone was. He thought he might have left it in the taxi. Gloom. If I book a taxi, we always use the same company, but this was one we had picked up in the rank at the station. I had no idea which company it was. Bugger. Not only is he £30 down for a new basic phone, but he’s lost the sim card with all his numbers on it. Bums!

Oh well. No point fretting. Cancel the sim card and carry on. I’m looking for an “E” to add to the nomination click on charm bracelet we’ve bought for Evie. There aren’t many stockists in the UK (It’s an Italian company) and none in Portsmouth or Salisbury. There is, however, one in an Artisan and craft complex I didn’t know existed in Dronfield. But I’m not going all that way unless they actually have an “E”. I the meantime, The Builder was collecting beans and courgettes and things to give to his parents and to Jeanette and Matthew. He was on his way to the allotment in search of tomatoes when he stopped by the side of the road and started fossicking in the gutter. Went out to investigate. And lo 0 there was a few bits of his phone. Including the sim card! No sign of the actual operational bit of it though. Strange. Anyway, at least we have the sim card. It’s been reactivated! Now we just need a phone to put it in.

We were at Helen Gill’s wedding party last weekend. It was in the Maynard Arms in Grindleford. Taffa and Gaz came up for the party. Freyja and Mark came too. It was lovely – we got to do the partying without actually having to sit through the wedding and reception! Jane and Ruth were there. Was good to catch up with them. It was good to catch up with Andy too. WE used to have quite an extensive email conversation going. Then he changed his address and I lost it :( James and Rosie were there. SO were Nicky and Jo (Ruth’s children) who I talk to on Facebook but otherwise haven’t had any contact with since they were little. Nicky is a second year medical student now. Jo is doing the last year of her A levels. James and his girlfriend live in Edinburgh. Rosie and her (Spanish) boyfriend live in Geneva. Was a good evening and excellent to catch up with people.

Taff and Gaz came for a late lunch/early dinner on Sunday. Roast beef, veg from the garden and allotment, wine for everyone except Gaz who was driving them back to Cambridge.

So an excellent weekend. Can’t think why I didn’t blog it at the time!

Happy news

I have exciting news. The Builder is a grandfather again! Jeanette, Matthew and Rebecca have now been joined by Eva-Rose (Evie) who arrived at around 7:30 last evening. All are well and everyone is very excited. So that’s four granddaughters for him now, ranging from 16 years to brand new. So that’s good :-)

Otherwise, it’s been fairly quiet. The Builder worked both days last weekend, I did not. Well, I cleaned most of the house. And did the washing and ironing. And dug up a bed of potatoes on the allotment and weeded and mulched a couple of beds in the garden. But I wasn’t At Work and I did enjoy some lazy times.

The weather, after a dull, grey, wet summer, has been beautifully autumnal. Lovely sunny days (though it is raining fitfully today) with cool evenings and nights. I do like autumn. (I like all the seasons, really. I just don’t like February much. But then, I don’t like February wherever I am!!)

My purse had an adventure last week. I came in one morning to find the cleaners looking especially pleased to see me. They are usually moderately pleased to see me, but this was surprising. Had I lost my purse? Well, no, actually. Was I sure? Well, yes. Let me just show it to you. Fossicked about in my backpack – and there it wasn’t. It was, in fact, in the possession of one of the cleaners who had found it in the ladies’ loo on L3. Goodness only knows how it had got in there. It still had everything in it apart from a £10 note. Freyja thinks it had taken itself off to the Odeon for a film and some popcorn the evening before. I think it’s much more likely it had been out on the razzle in the city pubs. I realise that £10 isn’t much of a razzle – but it’s only a small purse! It’s under curfew now. No more razzling for it. Actually, I think it needs replacing. The zip is starting to go. And once a purse shows a tendency to wander off on its own, you can almost guarantee that it will disappear altogether within a short time.

It’s been fairly quiet at work, too, gearing up for the start of term on the 24th. I’ve got some Post Grad classes next week, but things really kick off the following week. Well, it’s been quiet from an actual work point of view. From a staff point of view it’s been anything but. The University as a whole has been going through a regarding exercise which has left those of us in my job more or less untouched. Except that where I was at the top of my grade, I am now in the middle of it so with incremental room to move and a back pay rise due from August of last year, which will be nice. The IT side of things, however, has all been downgraded. They are not happy. Not happy at all. Various other bods have also been downgraded. They also, of course, are not happy, but they are not fizzing. They are taking calm and sensible steps to see if anything can be done to rectify it. Then, in the middle of all that, we (the advisers) discovered that the redevelopment of our teaching rooms has left us with what appear to be effectively unusable teaching PCs. I’m supposed to be teaching in one of them next week. We’ll see how it goes. I may be in traction for my back afterwards!! (Plus, I’m supposed to be teaching in a room – not one of ours – in a new building at 11:00 on Monday morning. When I ambled over to see if I could find it at lunch time yesterday, I did indeed find it, but full of equipment in boxes rather than equipment up and ready to roll. I am not optimistic that it will be ready for Monday!)

Woke up this morning, bright eyed, bushy tailed, ready to face the world. At 3:00! I’m a tad on the tired side now :-(

I have seen a squirrel. On our fence. Several times now. It’s the first squirrel I’ve seen since we moved in. I devoutly hope I do not see this or any other squirrel actually in the garden. I might have to buy The Builder a squirrel gun! Oh but I hope it doesn’t move in its mother and its father and its sisters and its brothers and its aunts. I have enough trouble waging war on slugs, snails and caterpillars without adding squirrels to the equation!

Tuesday evening's dinner! All from the allotment and the garden, apart from the ginger root which is courtesy of Mr Waitrose. The plums (which are now mostly in the freezer) are from my friend Bea's tree.

We're doing well for fruit and veg still. I've just picked the apples, leaving only the "Bramleys" still on the tree. I'm not convinced they are Bramleys. Bramleys are usually green and these are a definite red. Nice apples, mind you. I might buy another Bramley this winter and see what happens. There's probably room for another couple of trees if we don't mind them staying on the small size.

I've dug up all the Ambos on the allotment and weeded the bed. Those poor Ambos have suffered this year. They've been got by wireworm, slugs *and* blight. All the potatoes came down with blight, but it's only the Ambos where some of the tubers have suffered as well. But I'm glad I've bothered to chop around the potatoes to get any remaining edible bits. The potato itself is lovely. Firm and white and flavoursome. I'll try again next year and see what happens. There are still the Lady Balfours and the rest of the Pink Fir Apples to dig up. A task for this coming weekend. And the onion beds desperately need weeding. You can't see anything for thistles! Then I want to move the baby onions to the bed by the greenhouses. But I'll do that much later in the autumn.

The tomatoes in the greenhouse are ripening. The Cape Gooseberries have beautiful flowers - though whether we'll get fruit remains to be seen. Time to consider what we're going to do with the bottom half of the allotment now. And what we're going to plant on it.

Back in the kitchen garden, I think I might pull the tomatoes (not the ones in the greenhouse on the allotment). They're beginning to get blighty and I don't want to lose the tomato crop. They can ripen inside. The front windowsills are nice and sunny. I've been very pleased with the wong bok Chinese cabbage (see picture above). It's growing beautifully and tastes lovely. I've been cooking it like silver beet, though it's now starting to heart. Sadly, the slugs and caterpillars like it to. There is a slow but steady war of attrition. I *think* I'm winning! I've just planted some more wong bok seeds and some pak choi. Hope it's not too late in the year. Mind you, the weather has been lovely. Sunny and warm, cool at night. Could almost do with some rain!!

I've been weeding, manuring and mulching the vegetable beds ready for the winter. The brassicas seem to be enjoying the attention! Oh - and the cabbage plants that we couldn't identify (we lost all the labels when I planted them out in amongst the peas and broad beans) have turned out to be the Romanesco Italian cauliflowers with the bright green flower heads. They're coming on a treat - though the heads are a bit little yet!

Monday

I had Monday off. It was a strop day.

Not that I was stroppy on Monday. I had been stroppy on Wednesday. Very, very, very, *VERY* stroppy. Positively incandescent. Had I been able to lay my hands on anyone, there would have been a bloodbath. That’s it. I’m not coming in on Thursday. Nothing can make me. Oh – except for one or two quite important appointments in my diary. Right I’ll take Friday. Consulted the diary. Friday was do-able, but it crossed my mind that Monday would be more sensible, if we weren’t getting back from our jaunt to Wiltshire until late-ish on Sunday evening.

I rang Peter. Complained at length about my incandescence. Asked if I could have Monday off. For some reason, he agreed with alacrity. Can’t think why!

And Monday was a lovely day. The weather was fine. Life was calm. There was nothing pressing to do. The only downside was that The Builder had to go to work. I tidied up, cleared up, pottered about. I went to the allotment to water the tomatoes. I came home and weeded the cabbages. And the beetroot. And the middle bed. Then I hacked at the ivy by the gate. Then I podded the last of the peas and carried on.

Then I more or less collapsed! Sat down with a glass of wine and a magazine!

The Builder came home. We had more wine, a chicken casserole and an inspection of what I’ve been doing.

Then we ambled into Chesterfield to meet a Mad Axe Murderer I had met on the Internet in one of the local pubs for a few pints. He was in town for a job interview (reminds me – suppose I ought to find out how he went!) It was a good evening. Was strangely hard to get up on Tuesday morning though!

The poor Builder is having to work all day everyday practically for ever! 8-6 this week apart from Friday (8-4), all day Saturday, most of the day Sunday, then how ever long it takes to get the job finished next week. Poor thing will be knackered! I, at least, have both Saturday and Sunday off this week. I might get more weeding done

Great Dorset Steam Fair

We had a lovely time at the Great Dorset Steam Fair. It’s an interesting experience because it is an absolutely enormous event with hundreds of things to do and see and eat and drink and ponder. It’s quite expensive to get in (cheaper if you pre-book on the Internet) and you really feel that you have to spend hours there to get your money’s worth and to make the trip down to Tarrant Hinton (near Blandford) worth it. There’s a sense in which I prefer the smaller local fairs. They’re only a few pounds to get in and you can just stay for a couple of hours without feeling that you’ve wasted anything. But it must be said that you can’t beat the Big One for atmosphere and variety.

We went down on the Friday after work and stayed at Barb’s. Also there were her brother Greg, who was there all weekend and her friend Sophie who stayed for dinner and then left. It is, mind, a bit disconcerting when you are listening to The Builder telling Barb a story about the inadequate repairing of the Vixen and she (Barb, not the Vixen) suddenly bolts to the kitchen having been abruptly and unexpectedly been taken by an urge to throw up! Left her feeling quite queasy on Saturday, but fit enough for the steam fair.

Saturday dawned with what was really perfect weather for a day outside in huge great big fields. Warm, sunny but cloudy enough for it to be pleasant. I went prepared with insect repellent, sunscreen and my Akubra. And a fleecy jacket for later, tucked into my back pack. It might have been warm and sunny at 12:00, but it was likely to be much less warm and sunny come dusk! Off we went along narrow, winding roads, Barb driving so The Builder could have a drink or two in the course of the day. We split up once we got there, Barb and Greg wandering about together. The Builder and I had a look at some of the steam fairground organs and a variety of traction engines. Then we espied a HUGE plume of smoke and went to investigate – there were some of the biggest steam haulage engines I think I’ve ever seen in an enormous paddock with two steep hills at either end. That was fun! Then I remembered that I had seen a small tent selling English wine near the entrance gate. We went off to investigate. There is something deeply civilised about watching steam engines trundling about while sipping (us, not the engines) on cold, dry, sparkling wine in the sunshine!

Mostly, we walked. We looked at the trash and treasure stalls - and bought me a walking stick (for my poorly knee and its companion ankle were complaining about the uneven ground), Tabitha’s Christmas present, a new pair of binoculars for me, and a miniature pair for the house, a new torch and various other things. We went to the Food Hall and found a sugar free stall and had a merry time choosing a present for The Builder’s father who has diabetes. We looked at the craft tent, the farm craft exhibitions, the military vehicles – oh lots and lots of things. Then I decided that my legs really didn’t want to walk any more and I was thirsty and I’d had enough of huge great big enormous steam fairs. We went to the real ale tent for a pint. Though mine was a pint of real cider rather than ale. As we supped, it became apparent that a (small) Big Band was about to entertain us. It was a mixed age band from Bath – Just in Time Band. The drummer, who played as though he’d been born with drumsticks in his hands, was only 13. It was absolutely fantastic. We supped our pints and bopped along – and sent Barb a text message summoning her and Greg to join us. And we had another pint. Apart from Barb who had a half for she was driving!

We went for another wander about, then Barb, The Builder and I left all our possessions with Greg and went for a ride on the Ferris wheel. I had a lovely ride. The views were great, the ride was fun and I was nice and toastie warm in my fleecy jumper. Barb and The Builder, who had not had the foresight to think that the evening might turn chilly and had, in the case of The Builder, made a determined decision not to take a jumper or jacket, were a tad chilly at the top of the ride. They looked longingly and lustingly at my fleecy jacket. But no, no, no. I had Been Prepared. I had carried this jacket around all day in the warmth – and I wasn’t sharing it with anyone at all!!!!!!!!!!

And so back to Barb’s place, home made pizza for tea, and off to bed. Slept the sleep of the just, I did!!

On Sunday we visited The Builder’s parents, bearing our sugar-free present from the fair, some runner beans from the garden and some potatoes from the allotment. We returned to Barb’s place and had roast beef and taties and veg from her garden and rhubarb crumble. Barb was feeling better and was able to enjoy her lunch. The rest of us were still fine (and remain so - I wonder if it was some form of food poisoning) and really enjoyed our lunch too We pottered about. Then The Builder and I came back home. It was a good weekend. We will definitely do it again.

Late summer report

It’s been an interesting year in the garden, and especially in the kitchen garden and on the allotment.

The summer has been cool and wet – mostly, at any rate. We’ve done spectacularly well for peas and not badly for broad beans. The runner beans, after a slow start, are doing ok. Likewise the dwarf beans. The soya beans are dying. I think it’s too cold for them at night. We’ve also done really well with the shallots and the onion sets. The onion seeds have produced wee tiny little onions. The Builder and I have decided to replant them in a new bed and see how they get on next year. We aren’t sure if we should “rest” them over the winter, so are going to transplant half and “rest” the other half and see what happens.

The corn has done nothing. It’s minute. It’s not doing anything at all. Freyja was at the York maize maze earlier this week and reports that the corn there is also much shorter than it usually is (though not as short as mine, which you couldn’t possibly make a maze with unless it was for hamsters!). The pumpkin plants are growing vigorously but aren’t producing fruit. The zucchinis are producing fruit, but not in the considerable quantity you might normally expect.

And my poor potatoes. They’ve been attacked by slugs, munched by wireworm, hit by blight. We’ve cut all the plants down and are digging up the tubers as and when we can. I have to say, they’ve produced a prodigious quantity of potatoes but the quality is somewhat impaired. The Duke of York and Arran Victory have held up quite well – about half of them are suitable for storage. Lady Balfour (maincrop) and Pink Fir Apple (salad potatoes) are even slightly better. But my poor, poor Ambos. We’ve left them in the ground so far. The first few I dug up are almost useless. Pity, because they’re a lovely potato to eat. I might give them another try next year just in case their plight was caused by this year’s weather conditions rather than an intrinsic problem with the potato.

The tomatoes are doing ok. The ones in the garden were looking a bit blight-ridden but we treated those and all is well – for the moment. The cherry tomatoes are starting to ripen. The only problem is that the temperature is plummeting at night and it might be getting too cold for them. Fingers crossed. The ones in the greenhouse (large/beef) on the allotment are going great guns. So too are the cape gooseberries and the yellow capsicums – at least, the plants are. There’s no fruit on them yet. I think next season I’ll use the greenhouses as propagators in the spring. None of my “tropical” seeds germinated early enough this spring in my propagating tents at the house. Though May was unusually chilly.

But not a bad season so far. We’ve had to buy an extra (small!) freezer to store the peas, beans, shallots and other things. The later sowings of carrots are coming along. We ate the whole of the first lot quite quickly. I must remember next year to keep sowing new boxes as the first ones germinate then there won’t be this kind of carrot hiatus!

The cabbages/broccoli/sprouts are coming along quite well. I’m really pleased with the Chinese cabbage. It’s holding its own against the caterpillars! I’m intending to put out some more seeds, and also some pak choi and some greyhound cabbage seeds. I just need to clear one of the broad bean beds – and hope for a reasonably warm autumn!

And now we need to start preparing for autumn and for winter and to start planning for next year. More digging for The Builder!!

Well that was a very pleasant long weekend. I did almost absolutely nothing!

Both The Builder and I worked on Saturday.

Sunday we pottered about, went to Beeley to the Devonshire Arms for a rather magnificent lunch, pottered about the Chatsworth farm shop, ambled into Bakewell (where we were a bit surprised by the crowds – we continue to think of Bakewell as one of our shopping places, not as a tourist destination which is how the rest of the world sees it!) and trundled home again. Lovely, restful day.

On Monday we decided to take ourselves to the Dunstan Hall garden centre in search of some new garden shears. They didn’t have any (though they did have some interesting carrot seeds and one or two other nice things). We struck out, across country, intending to go to Chatsworth garden centre. Nice drive. Lovely road. Magnificent views. Then we got down to the main road – and the traffic was at a standstill heading towards Chatsworth as far as the eye could see. We changed our minds, headed back into Chesterfield and went to B&Q instead!

Tabitha and Gareth have been at the Leeds Festival this weekend. We’ve been babysitting the rabbits. It’s a high anxiety activity, looking after someone else’s rabbits! I fretted all the time lest they chew their way out of the hutch (which they’ve been trying to do with varying degrees of success since they arrived) and escape! They did look somewhat bored, incarcerated as they were in their hutch. The Builder made them a temporary run, using the former pea-support wiring. The bunnies thought this was great – they jumped in and out of their hutch and rampaged around and ate the weeds and the pea stalks and things. Happy bunnies. Taffa and Gaz came back from the festival on Monday night and we ate, drank and made merry until quite late. They left again on Tuesday lunchtime, taking the bunnies with them. The garden seems strangely empty without them! Marlo had been quite enjoying lying on the outside table watching them bounce about – and had showed no interest at all in eating them or chasing them. Thank goodness! It is a good example, mind, of the need to have the Spare Bed ready for visitors at all times - you never know when people may decide to drop by, eat, drink and make merry - and unexpectedly stay overnight!

I had a happy Tuesday doing absolutely nothing. Nothing at all – apart from cooking brunch for Taffa, Gaz and me. There were many things I had intended to do; none of them were done. Not one. I did make some bread, but that wasn’t on my list of things to do. Was nice bread, though! It was quite nice having a day in which I did nothing at all – I did feel ever so slightly guilty about it though. Something along the lines of it being a waste of a free day!

The Builder’s van is very, very poorly sick. It quite spectacularly failed its MOT (annual road worthiness test) and is going to cost a small mortgage to get fixed. That van has been swallowing up money since it arrived. We have decided that enough is enough. It needs replacing. We have been keeping our eyes peeled. The more interesting question is what to do with the dying van. Scrap it, trade it in? Trading in is the better option ,but that requires the “new” van to come from a dealer. And that’s expensive. The Builder continues to hunt, ponder and muse.

Freyja and Mark have gone to York. They’ve been playing with the Vikings and the dungeon

Home Alone

Lindsey and Ian have gone to Norway and left me behind :-(

We had a good day on Thursday. Ian had a teleconference with Very Important People around the world. Lindsey and I went and watered the tomatoes and dug up potatoes. We packed everything up ready to take boxes and things to the post office. We trashed the lounge room with suitcases and papers and wotnots. We checked the postage rates for large boxes full of stuff. We gulped! We checked the excess baggage rates. And unpacked the boxes and abandoned the post office idea. We packed the cases (well, when I say I …) and then we took ourselves into Chesterfield for a bite of lunch at Chandlers (where they do a lovely organic menu) and a potter around the shops. We went home again and continued the Leaving Preparations. I dug more potatoes (much less wirewormy than the first lot, which were very sadly affected). The Builder came home from work. Then we ambled off in a taxi back into Chesterfield for a wonderful meal at the Old Post Restaurant. Came home for whisky and cheese. Then it was bedtime. For we had an early start on Friday morning.

Lindsey, Ian and I were off to Newcastle, where they were catching the ferry to Norway. We dropped The Builder off at work (for the van is in for service and its MOT) and off we trundled. We made excellent time. It’s interesting having Jenny the Sat Nav. I would have stayed on the A1 to Newcastle. She took us off and up the A19, which was a much more direct route to the Ferry Port. And coming home both she and Katy wanted me to leave the M1 and go via the motorway that goes to Hull. I haven’t done this. Must try it one day and see why. Anyway. I had been pondering what to do after Lindsey and Ian checked in at 11. I had thought I might go into Newcastle and collect the bridges. But you can't collect bridges on your own; at least, not in cold blood. It's different if you happen to run across one. So I abandoned that idea. Then I thought that I might go into Durham and collect the cathedral. But again, that's better if done in company. So I decided to go home and dig up some more potatoes. The forecast for the weekend doesn't look conducive to potato digging. So. We arrived in plenty of time for an 1100 check in – only to discover that the ferry was delayed by two hours due to inclement weather for the inbound ferry. What to do? There’s not a great deal to do in the ferry port. Happily, however, there is an outlet shopping centre a mere ten minute walk away. We went there and had coffee and a sandwich then a potter around in the shops. I was sorely tempted by the Le Creuset shop. So was Ian – but he was in much less danger of falling than I was. Happily, I resisted successfully. But that happy little interlude did rather do for the potato digging!

Then Lindsey and Ian checked in for their ferry trip and I came home. Alone, apart from Jenny.

It is not as much fun shopping in Waitrose without Ian :-(

I ran across The Builder in Waitrose. We trundled home together to a quiet, empty house. It is perhaps just as well that we were going out for the evening, otherwise it would have seemed quiet and empty indeed. As it was, we took ourselves back into Chesterfield and took the train back to Sheffield for Freyja’s birthday celebration dinner. There were about 24 people there, including Tabitha, Mark’s parents, GingerRich, Batch, Kal and an assortment of people that I didn’t know. Was a good evening, even if the seafood ravioli was a touch on the dry side. Freyja seemed very taken with her birthday present (a wallet she had asked me to buy her sometime earlier but which I hadn’t said I had bought) and some jelly style wild animals for sticking on walls (not recommended in a rented house!) or the bath or whatever) which included not one but two hippos.

And that, really, is the end of my Great Eating Adventure around England and Scotland. There seems to be rather more of me than there was a month ago. Home cooking and plain lunches from now on!

The Builder was at work on Saturday. I was not. I was, in fact, Home Alone virtually all day which is unusual generally and unheard of over the last month. I engaged myself in thoroughly cleaning the house, which is suffering from neglect, not having been attended to at all sine Lindsey arrived over a month ago. The spare room is now ready for visitors. The lounge room is clean and tidy. The bathroom is sparkling. Even the kitchen is nice and clean and tidy. I, on the other hand, was knackered by the time The Builder got home. Fell asleep watching the telly, and was mightily discomfited when Lindsey rang from Norway at 1800 asking me to check something on the internet. I so seldom sleep during the afternoon that I was quite convinced that it was 06:00 in the morning when the phone rang and that I had slept all night in my chair. It was quite a few seconds before the unlikelihood of Lindsey ringing with internet requests at 06:00 occurred to me!!!!!

Somebody send Ian back. He’s gone away and taking his touring sunshine event with him. It’s rained without ceasing since yesterday morning. My nice tidy lounge room is now hosting the washing! Lindsey reports that it is drizzly and bracing on their boat touring the fjords.

Back to work tomorrow after three weeks off. Will seem very strange

A day out on the train

I was going to say that I’ve never been on a steam train before. But that is patently absurd. I have, of course, been on Puffing Billy. Better to say that I’ve never previously gone anywhere on a steam train. And certainly never been to the seaside on one!

Lindsey, Ian and I did yesterday (the poor Builder is still at work while we are holidaying bravely!). We were off to Scarborough on the Sherwood Forester.

So. Off we trundled nice and early to catch a bus to catch a train to Leeds where we were joining the steam train ride. The buses, which are normally entirely reliable, were conspicuous by their absence. We waited. A lady at the bus stop opposite told us nonchalantly that we might be there for some time. Derby road was absolutely chockablock. There had been an accident on the motorway. Traffic was very very VERY slow. A 98 trundled past while I was pondering this. The 98 will take you to Chesterfield but it goes all around the Wingerworth estate, take much longer than the 51 and goes to the coach station rather than the railway station. “Why didn’t you catch that?” asked the lady opposite. Because I think we’ll miss the train. Let’s take the car. And if we’re going in the car, we might just as well drive to Leeds.

We came back, collected the car keys, Jenny the Sat Nav and the car and off we went.

You should have seen the M1 heading south. It was like one of those absolute nightmare scenarios they sometimes dramatise on the BBC or Channel 4. The accident was between Junctions 29 and 28 and the motorway was closed. The traffic was being headed off at J29 but was backed up solid and unmoving from Meadowhall onwards (so Junction 34 or so). Checking the traffic alert, all the alternative routes south were solid and stationary too. Quite glad we were heading north!

It took an hour to get to Leeds. Would have been much, much longer doing the bus/train route. Jenny the Sat Nav guided us neatly to the station. We were very, very early! So we headed into town in search of breakfast. Bacon butties in BHS in the end.

And then our train arrived at Leeds station. And off we headed to Scarborough.

Steam trains chuff like a proper train as they get going!

And people stop to look as you go past.

And they wave!! Everybody waves. The station staff come out to admire as you pass their stations. Little old men lean on their walking sticks and wave. There was an old lady sat up in a first floor window who waved. There were two boys doing star jumps on a trampoline and they were waving. I wonder what it is, this compulsion to wave at steam trains.

The sheep do not wave. They run away!

The train goes on that route three times a week for around six weeks during the summer. You’d think people would get a bit more blasé about it. Or that the sheep would get used to it. But they don’t.

We were extremely fortunate in Scarborough. Rain and occasional deluges had been forecast. They got rain and deluges in most other bits of Yorkshire and North East Derbyshire. We had about ten minutes of drizzle while we were walking along the seawall. Can’t complain about that at all.

We didn’t do much in Scarborough. We were only there for 3 hours. We pottered in the shops, had fish and chips for lunch, had a walk, had a glass of wine before coming back. We weren’t really out for a day in Scarborough. We were out for a trip on the train. There wasn’t time to do the castle; I think The Builder and I might go back during the autumn or winter and play up there.

And if the train company does the same trip next year, The Builder and I might take a few days in York and do the trip from there. For it goes to Knaresborough and Harrogate before it gets to Leeds and then heads back to York. That would be a fine trip. Though I think we would get off on the return at the first stop in York. In time for dinner.

We had dinner at home. Ian and I cooked it together. With Marlo supervising. And everything except the sausages was home grown. Mashed potatoes, caramelised onions, runner beans, peas, herbs and all. Was a very pleasant end to the day