We decided to come home on Friday because we felt that Sense would be missing us particularly as this was our second holiday in a month. At breakfast Jean realised that she had lost a bracelet possibly at the pub. Fortunately it had been found by the darts team and we were able to collect it as we set off home with our car just as full as when we arrived.
We decided to make further use of our English Heritage and stop on the way at Audley End House. It was quite close to the M11 near Cambridge. We would have found it difficult to justify visiting without our membership. The entrance fees would have been £22 even for pensioners!
We went round the house on the guided tour which did show us so much more than we would have seen by ourselves. The 'downstairs' rooms were interesting. Jean was horrified by the idea of two laundry maids having to manage 600 items of washing a week. The equipment required a lot of physical effort.
The kitchen garden is huge and the range of plants is fascinating. I'm sure that there are things that we missed but we did want to get through Peterborough before people started leaving work.
Even though we were bringing food home from Stibton Park, we had to call at Tesco's for a few essentials.
Sunday 23 October 2011
Holiday in Kent - Thursday 20/10/11
Early morning swim and then off to explore more of East Kent. First to Walmer Castle, which is not on such a grand scale as Dover but interesting. The audio commentary included various remarks about 'opening up rooms' and knocking down partitions. All very 'Location Location'. There were a lot of Duke of Wellington memorabillia including the chair in which he was sitting when he died. This may sound a bit morbid but actually it was one of those real history moments. There is a 'small' garden made for the Queen Mother in which she used to sit when she was older. This was about 10 times the size of our whole house and garden. The kitchen garden, also very big, had some interesting plants including 'Walking Stick Cabbage'. Absolutely enormous.
Lunch in the cafe and then on to Deal. There is a good bookshop but it has competition from an Oxfam Bookshop which has a lot of stock. It charges more than we do but we found some bargains.
Deal also has a pier. It was a lovely walk giving a wonderful view of the houses on the seafront. There were a lot of fishermen but there didn't appear to be catching any fish.
Also walking on the pier was a Turnstone. We didn't see it fly but we did see it go down a flight of stairs, jumping from one to the next.
We finished the tour in Sandwich. We walked along the line of the old town walls which was very pleasant as the sun was still shining. Joan would have liked to visit 'The Secret Gardens' but it was too late to get value from the entrance charge.
Dinner at the pub in the village. There was a menu at the house that was quite extensive but on Thursday night it was bar food which was OK. Steak and Kidney pies, Scampi and Curry washed down with London Pride. We all enjoyed it. Eating somewhere else was refreshing.
Lunch in the cafe and then on to Deal. There is a good bookshop but it has competition from an Oxfam Bookshop which has a lot of stock. It charges more than we do but we found some bargains.
Deal also has a pier. It was a lovely walk giving a wonderful view of the houses on the seafront. There were a lot of fishermen but there didn't appear to be catching any fish.
Also walking on the pier was a Turnstone. We didn't see it fly but we did see it go down a flight of stairs, jumping from one to the next.
We finished the tour in Sandwich. We walked along the line of the old town walls which was very pleasant as the sun was still shining. Joan would have liked to visit 'The Secret Gardens' but it was too late to get value from the entrance charge.
Dinner at the pub in the village. There was a menu at the house that was quite extensive but on Thursday night it was bar food which was OK. Steak and Kidney pies, Scampi and Curry washed down with London Pride. We all enjoyed it. Eating somewhere else was refreshing.
Holiday in Kent - Wednesday 19/10/11
To The Lighthouse
Well actually we first went to Dover Castle. Our only memories were of somewhere not very interesting and a cold grey day. What we found on a sunny but fairly cold day was far more interesting.
Until we arrived Jean had frequently mentioned that it was going to cost us £30 (at pensioners' rates). When we got there she was easily persuaded that membership of English Heritage at £54 was a real bargain.
The Great Tower is no longer empty. It has been furnished with reproduction items ranging from the kitchen to the king's bedroom over three floors. The effect is brilliant. Much of it is colourful and the items include weapons, musical instruments and games. Of course, in a building that is 800 years old, it could be argued that no one period is right, but we all know what a castle should look like and English Heritage have met our expectations well.
After lunch in the NAAFI restaurant, we moved on to see South Foreland Lighthouse which is a National Trust property above the White Cliffs. When we got to the car park we discovered that the lighthouse was closed but decided to do the 2 mile walk anyway. It is a great walk, very enjoyable in the October sunshine.
The GPS took us back to Lyminge by a rather tortuous route, very pretty but a little disturbing in the low bright sun.
Dinner was fish and chips from the chinese take away. The owner was very chatty.
Well actually we first went to Dover Castle. Our only memories were of somewhere not very interesting and a cold grey day. What we found on a sunny but fairly cold day was far more interesting.
Until we arrived Jean had frequently mentioned that it was going to cost us £30 (at pensioners' rates). When we got there she was easily persuaded that membership of English Heritage at £54 was a real bargain.
The Great Tower is no longer empty. It has been furnished with reproduction items ranging from the kitchen to the king's bedroom over three floors. The effect is brilliant. Much of it is colourful and the items include weapons, musical instruments and games. Of course, in a building that is 800 years old, it could be argued that no one period is right, but we all know what a castle should look like and English Heritage have met our expectations well.
After lunch in the NAAFI restaurant, we moved on to see South Foreland Lighthouse which is a National Trust property above the White Cliffs. When we got to the car park we discovered that the lighthouse was closed but decided to do the 2 mile walk anyway. It is a great walk, very enjoyable in the October sunshine.
The GPS took us back to Lyminge by a rather tortuous route, very pretty but a little disturbing in the low bright sun.
Dinner was fish and chips from the chinese take away. The owner was very chatty.
Holiday in Kent - Tuesday 18/10/11
Today we went in different directions. Joan and Ken wanted to go birdwatching in Dungeness but we can't do that all day and Jean really wanted to see the restored beetle wing dress that was worn by Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth. This was in the house in Small Hythe where Ellen Terry lived for many years until she died.
The dress is amazing and the house feels instantly homely, the sort of place where you want to sit down and soak up the atmosphere. Unfortunately that isn't allowed!. Upstairs there was a man who loves to talk about Ellen Terry and the people that she knew. I tried to engage him in a more general conversation about theatre but couldn't move him away from his obsession. It was a bit like a telephone cold call.
On the way to Small Hythe we called in Tenterden because Michael and Brenda had recommended it as an interesting high street. It is full of independent shops and has incredibly broad verges. We bought expensive wine and pasta in Waitrose, books in one charity shop and a giraffe egg cup in another.
On the way home from Small Hythe we called at the Ashford International Shopping Outlet. It was huge and awful!
In the evening we had dinner with other guests in the Long Room. It should have been interesting to hear other people's conversations but there was a certain sameness about the topics and opinions. The Gavi wine that we took to the meal was very good.
The dress is amazing and the house feels instantly homely, the sort of place where you want to sit down and soak up the atmosphere. Unfortunately that isn't allowed!. Upstairs there was a man who loves to talk about Ellen Terry and the people that she knew. I tried to engage him in a more general conversation about theatre but couldn't move him away from his obsession. It was a bit like a telephone cold call.
On the way to Small Hythe we called in Tenterden because Michael and Brenda had recommended it as an interesting high street. It is full of independent shops and has incredibly broad verges. We bought expensive wine and pasta in Waitrose, books in one charity shop and a giraffe egg cup in another.
On the way home from Small Hythe we called at the Ashford International Shopping Outlet. It was huge and awful!
In the evening we had dinner with other guests in the Long Room. It should have been interesting to hear other people's conversations but there was a certain sameness about the topics and opinions. The Gavi wine that we took to the meal was very good.
Holiday in Kent - Monday 17/10/11
Sissinghurst.
This was the primary objective for Joan. We had been with my Mum and Dad many years ago but although Joan and Ken have holidayed in this area it was always just too far away.
We three went for a walk so that Joan could examine the plants without us pushing her along.
My favorite room was a library which actually contained books that I have read. It was a comfortable if a bit scruffy room. Strangely only now are they cataloguing the books, at least on a computer.
The wind at the top of the tower was quite bracing but the view was worth it.
We had lunch from the new restaurant. Only sandwiches and soup on a table outside but there is a feeling of quality.
We drove back via Rye although we were not allowed on the most obvious road. We did some driving blind into dips in the road under the trees against the sun. It was a bit worrying.
This was the primary objective for Joan. We had been with my Mum and Dad many years ago but although Joan and Ken have holidayed in this area it was always just too far away.
We three went for a walk so that Joan could examine the plants without us pushing her along.
My favorite room was a library which actually contained books that I have read. It was a comfortable if a bit scruffy room. Strangely only now are they cataloguing the books, at least on a computer.
The wind at the top of the tower was quite bracing but the view was worth it.
We had lunch from the new restaurant. Only sandwiches and soup on a table outside but there is a feeling of quality.
We drove back via Rye although we were not allowed on the most obvious road. We did some driving blind into dips in the road under the trees against the sun. It was a bit worrying.
Holiday in Kent - Sunday 16/10/11
We were up fairly early and went down to the village to get the papers. It is quite a big village with some history to explore.
After breakfast we went to the sea. It was a lovely sunny morning with hardly any wind and Hythe is only about 5 miles away. We walked along the sea front which is generally rather smart and saw a very few people actually swimming. At the west end of the beach there was a warning sign that it is a working beach and there were fisherman gutting their catch on the shore.
At the other end we had ice creams made to Margaret Thatcher's design!
We drove on towards Folkstone but that was too busy to park even this late in the season. Managed to get some Innis and Gunn beer in Waitrose ( it is quite posh round here ) so back for lunch and said beer.
There is a decent sized swimming pool and a tiny gym. We all did some swimming before dinner which was something quite good involving Chicken and Pancetta from Tesco
After breakfast we went to the sea. It was a lovely sunny morning with hardly any wind and Hythe is only about 5 miles away. We walked along the sea front which is generally rather smart and saw a very few people actually swimming. At the west end of the beach there was a warning sign that it is a working beach and there were fisherman gutting their catch on the shore.
At the other end we had ice creams made to Margaret Thatcher's design!
We drove on towards Folkstone but that was too busy to park even this late in the season. Managed to get some Innis and Gunn beer in Waitrose ( it is quite posh round here ) so back for lunch and said beer.
There is a decent sized swimming pool and a tiny gym. We all did some swimming before dinner which was something quite good involving Chicken and Pancetta from Tesco
Monday 17 October 2011
Holiday in Kent - Saturday 15/10/11
Travelling to Kent for a week in a Holiday Bond place with Joan and Ken. Set off at 8am because of dire warnings about road works at the Dartford Bridge. There were road works but they didn't interfere with the traffic flow except that our intention of stopping at Thurock Services was thwarted by missing signs. We took the wrong exit from a roundabout and did a tour of the Thurock area without ever finding the services. Once over the bridge, it was all clear so we stopped at a country park for a short walk because we were too early for our lunchtime visit to Michael and Brenda in Yalding. We needn't have worried, another wrong turning and a very twisty single track road slowed us up some more. I hadn't remembered how difficult Yalding was, with multiple single track bridges and, on this occasion, a Framers' Market.
We expected a light lunch but we got three courses which were all very good but rather filling. The conversation was good as usual and we were able to finish lunch with coffee in the sunshine in the garden.
We didn't have to go back though Yalding but wished that that we had, as the GPS took us through Maidstone - not a good experience. Finally we were on the M20 for an easy ride down to Lyminge.
We all arrived at about the same time and were really impressed with the size of the apartment. We are on the ground floor with a huge living/dining room although the kitchen area is a bit pokey. There are two bedrooms and two bathrooms and we have access to other rooms including one with a full size snooker table.
The buildings are in extensive grounds with various sporting options including croquet. There are some Jags in the car park but generally it does not seem too posh.
Dinner was bolognese sauce that Jean had brought but we could not manage much of it as we had eaten so much at Michael and Brenda's.
We expected a light lunch but we got three courses which were all very good but rather filling. The conversation was good as usual and we were able to finish lunch with coffee in the sunshine in the garden.
We didn't have to go back though Yalding but wished that that we had, as the GPS took us through Maidstone - not a good experience. Finally we were on the M20 for an easy ride down to Lyminge.
We all arrived at about the same time and were really impressed with the size of the apartment. We are on the ground floor with a huge living/dining room although the kitchen area is a bit pokey. There are two bedrooms and two bathrooms and we have access to other rooms including one with a full size snooker table.
The buildings are in extensive grounds with various sporting options including croquet. There are some Jags in the car park but generally it does not seem too posh.
Dinner was bolognese sauce that Jean had brought but we could not manage much of it as we had eaten so much at Michael and Brenda's.
Friday 14 October 2011
What goes around comes around
My first memory of coffee was a bottle containing a very dark thick liquid. It was called Camp Coffee. The label showed a soldier in a tartan kilt and a large busby. I think that there was a tent in the background. I don't know why we had coffee of any sort because we were really a tea drinking house. Mum may have drunk coffee in the middle of the morning - I don't know because this would have been when I was about 7.
I expect that we moved on to Nescafe at some point but the next stage came via Berni Inns. When we went to the cinema in the early '60s, there was always an advert for a Berni steak meal. Soon we had to try one although I certainly had never previously had a grilled steak. There were two other important features to these meals. Sherry was served in schooners - these are large glasses for sherry and it took a long time before I realised that it was too big. Coffee was fancy, involving the options of a liqueur and cream floated on the top. It all seemed so sophisticated.
Around this time I bought a copy of Cooking by Philip Harben. I don't remember why but the descriptions of food and drink in the early James Bond books probably had something to do with it. This book contained instructions about making coffee and in the absence of any special equipment I boiled my coffee in a small saucepan. I had bought Blue Mountain, on James Bond's recommendation, from Stokes' coffee shop on Lincoln High Bridge. It is possible that Stokes was another important element in my interest in coffee - the smell as you approach the shop is wonderful. I don't know what I did about filtering that first cup but I do remember that it was disappointing. I know that I did buy a filter and papers but I don't think that I made many cups of coffee at that time.
I must have still been interested because when we married in 1965, one of our presents was an electric percolator. We were never very successful with that. I think that the problem was that we didn't really know what it should taste like and Nescafe brought out Gold Blend which was so much better than previous instant coffee that it was hard to justify the work involved in brewing ground coffee. Nevertheless we kept trying and acquired various sizes of cafetiere and for a few years we had a Morphy Richards coffee maker but I don't even remember using it.
My birthday present one year was a small Gaggia machine which really looked the part and did make OK espresso but I could never get the milk frother to work, which was probably because we had moved on the semi-skimmed milk, and in the end I sold it.
I also bought a beautiful Danish designed glass flask which works well, making 4 or five cups of cafetiere style coffee but I have finally had to accept that the problem is not the coffee nor the method of making it but my taste. I like stronger coffee than anyone else that I ever make it for. If I make it to my taste, they don't like it and if I make it to their taste, I don't like it. Most of them are happy with instant.
I have therefore accepted that I make real coffee for myself, although I will respond with alacrity to any requests.
My usual coffee is made in a single size cafetiere and I occasionally make espresso in a small stove top percolator. However, and this is the point of all this rambling, I recently tried Greek coffee on the island of Kos and really liked it. A previous trial on Crete was not so good!
I have therefore bought the necessary small pan, taken advice from a demonstration on Youtube, and can make a drink that I really like, using almost the same method that I found in the Philip Harben book nearly 50 years ago.
I expect that we moved on to Nescafe at some point but the next stage came via Berni Inns. When we went to the cinema in the early '60s, there was always an advert for a Berni steak meal. Soon we had to try one although I certainly had never previously had a grilled steak. There were two other important features to these meals. Sherry was served in schooners - these are large glasses for sherry and it took a long time before I realised that it was too big. Coffee was fancy, involving the options of a liqueur and cream floated on the top. It all seemed so sophisticated.
Around this time I bought a copy of Cooking by Philip Harben. I don't remember why but the descriptions of food and drink in the early James Bond books probably had something to do with it. This book contained instructions about making coffee and in the absence of any special equipment I boiled my coffee in a small saucepan. I had bought Blue Mountain, on James Bond's recommendation, from Stokes' coffee shop on Lincoln High Bridge. It is possible that Stokes was another important element in my interest in coffee - the smell as you approach the shop is wonderful. I don't know what I did about filtering that first cup but I do remember that it was disappointing. I know that I did buy a filter and papers but I don't think that I made many cups of coffee at that time.
I must have still been interested because when we married in 1965, one of our presents was an electric percolator. We were never very successful with that. I think that the problem was that we didn't really know what it should taste like and Nescafe brought out Gold Blend which was so much better than previous instant coffee that it was hard to justify the work involved in brewing ground coffee. Nevertheless we kept trying and acquired various sizes of cafetiere and for a few years we had a Morphy Richards coffee maker but I don't even remember using it.
My birthday present one year was a small Gaggia machine which really looked the part and did make OK espresso but I could never get the milk frother to work, which was probably because we had moved on the semi-skimmed milk, and in the end I sold it.
I also bought a beautiful Danish designed glass flask which works well, making 4 or five cups of cafetiere style coffee but I have finally had to accept that the problem is not the coffee nor the method of making it but my taste. I like stronger coffee than anyone else that I ever make it for. If I make it to my taste, they don't like it and if I make it to their taste, I don't like it. Most of them are happy with instant.
I have therefore accepted that I make real coffee for myself, although I will respond with alacrity to any requests.
My usual coffee is made in a single size cafetiere and I occasionally make espresso in a small stove top percolator. However, and this is the point of all this rambling, I recently tried Greek coffee on the island of Kos and really liked it. A previous trial on Crete was not so good!
I have therefore bought the necessary small pan, taken advice from a demonstration on Youtube, and can make a drink that I really like, using almost the same method that I found in the Philip Harben book nearly 50 years ago.
Monday 3 October 2011
Al Fresco
I expect that was the last time that we have dinner in the garden this year. It wasn't too cold by the time that we had finished but it was getting dark. It was a nice reminder of our holiday. There is something special about a meal in the open. Even the conversation is more interesting even if not especially memorable :)
It is a pity that at home we have breakfast too early to eat outside. On Kos we were later and the sun was warmer. Most days we started with Buck's Fizz; followed by various fresh fruits and finished with wonderful Greek sausages with egg and bacon. By the end of the week we had persuaded the waiter not to pour the coffee as soon as he delivered it and so we could dawdle over our drinks.
It is a pity that at home we have breakfast too early to eat outside. On Kos we were later and the sun was warmer. Most days we started with Buck's Fizz; followed by various fresh fruits and finished with wonderful Greek sausages with egg and bacon. By the end of the week we had persuaded the waiter not to pour the coffee as soon as he delivered it and so we could dawdle over our drinks.
Friday 30 September 2011
Holiday in KOS September 2011
KOS - Wednesday
It was an early start as usual for our holidays. We had the usual 40 mph lorries keeping us under control on the road to Newark. The A1 was surprisingly busy at 5:30 but we were parked at Robin Hood Airport and in the check in queue in under 2 hours. The problem was the queue. It stretched all the way from departures to arrivals. A regular passenger assured me that he had never seen it as bad so maybe we won't cross Robin Hood of our list just yet. The car parking was also a bit of a problem because the super registration reading camera got one digit wrong and I had to press a button to get a ticket. It should be OK when we have to leave but we will see.
I set off the alarm going through security so they put my shoes through the X-ray machine but somehow the queue seemed to have evaporated and we were all on board the plane in time for a 9:45 take off. Then the pilot announced that there would be a delay of possibly 55 minutes. Fortunately he then said that it would only be 35 minutes and that we would have a tail wind that would reduce our flying time so that we would arrive in Kos at 2pm as scheduled. That is local time - the two hour adjustment and the early morning start confused us for the rest of the day. This all sounds chaotic and it is interesting that everybody seemed to accept it as normal.
On Kos everything went to plan. We even got a room upgrade!
We shouldn't have drunk a whole bottle of wine at dinner. That plus an early start, a longish flight and confusion over what time it was, sent us to bed early. We were woken by lightning at some obscure hour. Jean went to look out of the window but, although I was interested, I couldn't find the energy to get out of bed.
KOS -Thursday
Today we were warned of bad weather but it didn't happen. We had a meeting with the rep at 9:15. He was OK - didn't push the trips but gave us useful information. After Wednesday we were still a little tired and because the weather was suitable we did reading, lounging and swimming. The hotel has a collection of pools and even a channel that connects two of them.
In the evening, after dinner, we went to the bar for some music in the open air but as soon as we arrived it began to rain and we had to go inside. When the pianist was established inside, every alternate song had rain somewhere in the lyrics. Despite not enjoying Greek coffee when I first tried in in Crete, I decided to give it another go and was really pleased. Good Greek coffee is fantastic.
KOS - Friday
There was a beautiful sunrise and the day was immediately warm so we had breakfast outside. Our waiter said that in three weeks time the hotel would close for the winter and he would be home in Warsaw. What a contrast!
A trip to KOS town. We waited at the bus stop outside the hotel, having been told that timetables don't mean much. However the bus turned up at a scheduled time and we travelled into town in comfort although slowly as there are a lot of stops for other hotels. At the terminus there was the ubiquitous Castelfranco train ready to take us up to the Asklepion so, although we had seen this as a specific expedition, we climbed about and roared though the town with the engines diesels struggling up the hill. Although the Asklepion is obviously recognised as a major archaeological treasure, it has none of the detailed explanation that we expect. There are a few notices explaining the function of the original buildings and some of the general history. In town lies the probable explanation - there is just too much archaeology. We have seen some wonderful buildings on various Greek islands but they are always displayed with a casualness that we find confusing.
The old town is lovely. It is truly Mediterranean and maybe we have become used to the atmosphere but this is a town in which we immediately felt comfortable.
When it was time to return we joined the slightly uncomfortable crowd at the bus terminus worrying if other people had asked the right questions and not wishing to look stupid. Of course it was OK. The drivers knew what we needed and we were soon all squashed on the right bus. For some reason the door that we were next to didn't open at our stop and we had a short walk back which was OK because we passed a mini-market where we stocked up with drinks.
In the evening we watched African acrobats and jugglers. Not exactly our usual taste in entertainment but a pleasant way to pass the time.
KOS - Saturday
We used the hotel gym. Unusually all of the equipment worked and had instructions in english. Apart from that we swam in the sea and the pools and did a lot of reading. There was no entertainment in the evening so it was not not an exciting day. We decided to make more effort on Sunday.
KOS - Sunday
We went to Thermae. Only a few miles along the coast but past all of the hotels, there is a place where volcanic gasses bubble up through the water in a large rock pool and heat it to bath temperature. The dissolved minerals and faint smell of sulphur are supposed to be good for you. After soaking in the hot water you should go into the sea. Although there were a lot of people trying the hot pool, not so many went in the sea. We did, it is a good place to swim and we certainly felt better afterwards but that was probably because we had done something different. The bus left us at the top of a rough track down to the sea and it was a fairly tough climb back in the hot sun. There was a small café at the top. They were trying to fix the Greek economy all by themselves. 5 euros for two small bottles of Fanta!
After this we felt justified in returning to the hotel pool and our books. Having read two thrillers I returned to my usual Greek island author - Lawrence Durrell. I don't think that he wrote anything about Kos but this is about Rhodes and reminds me of our visit there. I don't know anyone else who reads Durrell. That is a pity because his use of language is brilliant.
In the evening there was a band. We danced so that was the end of a really good day.
KOS - Monday
Another day on the buses. The beach at the hotel is uncomfortable shingle and rocks and so we decided to try Tagikis on the west coast but only a few miles from Kos town. We caught the first bus outside the hotel and were very quickly in town. The bus to Tagikis leaves from another terminus which we had to find with a map and advice from the girl in the ticket office. We found it OK but there are fewer buses on this route and we had to wait about 45 minutes for it to arrive. Once on the bus we were in Tagikis in 20 minutes. The beach is completely different. To start with, it is covered in sun beds. This is not our usual style but it is a large beach of white sand and it is very easy to get into the sea. In fact I don't know how far you would have to walk out in order to have to swim. I think that I walked about 50 yards before accepting that it was not going to come up to my shoulders.
The only drawback was a loud gross German who only stopped talking when he was asleep. As far as we could see he was still talking when he walked into the sea but we couldn't hear that.
The return bus arrived pretty much on time and sped back to Kos town. On the walk back to the other terminus we decided to have ice creams and got a bit lost. but we soon found our way and the final stage of our bus journey was also quick and easy.
We still haven't seen Hippocrates' tree.
KOS - Tuesday
Now we have seen the tree. It is not well, the trunk is hollow and huge chunks of it have fallen off. Of course it was not there when Hippocrates was teaching but there are many young trees that have grown up around it. It is possible that it is genetically linked to one that was there 3000 years ago.
We also walked around the castle. This is about 700 years old. Entrance was free, although you had to have a ticket, but there were no guidebooks for it so we don't know how long it took to build. It is a ruin but the outer wall still stands as do a few internal builings. It would not be possible to visit a castle in this state in the UK. It is dangerous, but everybody seems to understand the risks, and walks with care. It is an interesting walk with great views. If anyone ever found the money to make it safe it would lose its charm.
We then spent about an hour people watching in the main square while I drank a large Mythos beer very slowly.
Back on the bus to the pool that we had ignored so far. Among my reading I discovered that Belgium has been without a government for months and has now broken the world record for such an achievement. It doesn't seem to have done them any harm!
Before dinner we were invited to the Privilige Club Meet. My first attempt to speak to someone was a disaster because he was German and had no English. The next was a French woman who had less English than I had French but she was prepared to try to have a conversation so we stumbled along. She was not in fact French but Belgian so my recently acquired knowledge of their political situation was valuable. We also talked to the manager who is a great enthusiast for the company and some English people who have visited this hotel many times and never left the grounds.
The evening entertainment was Greek song and dance. on what was still a warm summer evening it was very acceptable although we do wonder if some of the songs are the equivalent of Childe Ballads.
KOS - Wendesday
We started packing on Tuesday night so after a very leisurely breakfast in the sun we had enough time for a really good swim in the sea and a final dry in the sun. The coach turned up on time and took a fairly roundabout route that gave us views from the mountain tops that we hadn't seen before. Checkin and security were straight forward and although the airport is very small we managed to pass the time easily and were were in the air on time.
Back at Robin Hood I was annoyed by the time that Border Control take. They even have a target that 95% of passengers will get through in 25 minutes - that is really impressive!
The car park exit was easy - the registration plate reading camaeras must make errors often enough for them to have to have an efficient backup system.
The drive home was easy although by the time we were back home we were confused about the time again.
It was an early start as usual for our holidays. We had the usual 40 mph lorries keeping us under control on the road to Newark. The A1 was surprisingly busy at 5:30 but we were parked at Robin Hood Airport and in the check in queue in under 2 hours. The problem was the queue. It stretched all the way from departures to arrivals. A regular passenger assured me that he had never seen it as bad so maybe we won't cross Robin Hood of our list just yet. The car parking was also a bit of a problem because the super registration reading camera got one digit wrong and I had to press a button to get a ticket. It should be OK when we have to leave but we will see.
I set off the alarm going through security so they put my shoes through the X-ray machine but somehow the queue seemed to have evaporated and we were all on board the plane in time for a 9:45 take off. Then the pilot announced that there would be a delay of possibly 55 minutes. Fortunately he then said that it would only be 35 minutes and that we would have a tail wind that would reduce our flying time so that we would arrive in Kos at 2pm as scheduled. That is local time - the two hour adjustment and the early morning start confused us for the rest of the day. This all sounds chaotic and it is interesting that everybody seemed to accept it as normal.
On Kos everything went to plan. We even got a room upgrade!
We shouldn't have drunk a whole bottle of wine at dinner. That plus an early start, a longish flight and confusion over what time it was, sent us to bed early. We were woken by lightning at some obscure hour. Jean went to look out of the window but, although I was interested, I couldn't find the energy to get out of bed.
KOS -Thursday
Today we were warned of bad weather but it didn't happen. We had a meeting with the rep at 9:15. He was OK - didn't push the trips but gave us useful information. After Wednesday we were still a little tired and because the weather was suitable we did reading, lounging and swimming. The hotel has a collection of pools and even a channel that connects two of them.
In the evening, after dinner, we went to the bar for some music in the open air but as soon as we arrived it began to rain and we had to go inside. When the pianist was established inside, every alternate song had rain somewhere in the lyrics. Despite not enjoying Greek coffee when I first tried in in Crete, I decided to give it another go and was really pleased. Good Greek coffee is fantastic.
KOS - Friday
There was a beautiful sunrise and the day was immediately warm so we had breakfast outside. Our waiter said that in three weeks time the hotel would close for the winter and he would be home in Warsaw. What a contrast!
A trip to KOS town. We waited at the bus stop outside the hotel, having been told that timetables don't mean much. However the bus turned up at a scheduled time and we travelled into town in comfort although slowly as there are a lot of stops for other hotels. At the terminus there was the ubiquitous Castelfranco train ready to take us up to the Asklepion so, although we had seen this as a specific expedition, we climbed about and roared though the town with the engines diesels struggling up the hill. Although the Asklepion is obviously recognised as a major archaeological treasure, it has none of the detailed explanation that we expect. There are a few notices explaining the function of the original buildings and some of the general history. In town lies the probable explanation - there is just too much archaeology. We have seen some wonderful buildings on various Greek islands but they are always displayed with a casualness that we find confusing.
The old town is lovely. It is truly Mediterranean and maybe we have become used to the atmosphere but this is a town in which we immediately felt comfortable.
When it was time to return we joined the slightly uncomfortable crowd at the bus terminus worrying if other people had asked the right questions and not wishing to look stupid. Of course it was OK. The drivers knew what we needed and we were soon all squashed on the right bus. For some reason the door that we were next to didn't open at our stop and we had a short walk back which was OK because we passed a mini-market where we stocked up with drinks.
In the evening we watched African acrobats and jugglers. Not exactly our usual taste in entertainment but a pleasant way to pass the time.
KOS - Saturday
We used the hotel gym. Unusually all of the equipment worked and had instructions in english. Apart from that we swam in the sea and the pools and did a lot of reading. There was no entertainment in the evening so it was not not an exciting day. We decided to make more effort on Sunday.
KOS - Sunday
We went to Thermae. Only a few miles along the coast but past all of the hotels, there is a place where volcanic gasses bubble up through the water in a large rock pool and heat it to bath temperature. The dissolved minerals and faint smell of sulphur are supposed to be good for you. After soaking in the hot water you should go into the sea. Although there were a lot of people trying the hot pool, not so many went in the sea. We did, it is a good place to swim and we certainly felt better afterwards but that was probably because we had done something different. The bus left us at the top of a rough track down to the sea and it was a fairly tough climb back in the hot sun. There was a small café at the top. They were trying to fix the Greek economy all by themselves. 5 euros for two small bottles of Fanta!
After this we felt justified in returning to the hotel pool and our books. Having read two thrillers I returned to my usual Greek island author - Lawrence Durrell. I don't think that he wrote anything about Kos but this is about Rhodes and reminds me of our visit there. I don't know anyone else who reads Durrell. That is a pity because his use of language is brilliant.
In the evening there was a band. We danced so that was the end of a really good day.
KOS - Monday
Another day on the buses. The beach at the hotel is uncomfortable shingle and rocks and so we decided to try Tagikis on the west coast but only a few miles from Kos town. We caught the first bus outside the hotel and were very quickly in town. The bus to Tagikis leaves from another terminus which we had to find with a map and advice from the girl in the ticket office. We found it OK but there are fewer buses on this route and we had to wait about 45 minutes for it to arrive. Once on the bus we were in Tagikis in 20 minutes. The beach is completely different. To start with, it is covered in sun beds. This is not our usual style but it is a large beach of white sand and it is very easy to get into the sea. In fact I don't know how far you would have to walk out in order to have to swim. I think that I walked about 50 yards before accepting that it was not going to come up to my shoulders.
The only drawback was a loud gross German who only stopped talking when he was asleep. As far as we could see he was still talking when he walked into the sea but we couldn't hear that.
The return bus arrived pretty much on time and sped back to Kos town. On the walk back to the other terminus we decided to have ice creams and got a bit lost. but we soon found our way and the final stage of our bus journey was also quick and easy.
We still haven't seen Hippocrates' tree.
KOS - Tuesday
Now we have seen the tree. It is not well, the trunk is hollow and huge chunks of it have fallen off. Of course it was not there when Hippocrates was teaching but there are many young trees that have grown up around it. It is possible that it is genetically linked to one that was there 3000 years ago.
We also walked around the castle. This is about 700 years old. Entrance was free, although you had to have a ticket, but there were no guidebooks for it so we don't know how long it took to build. It is a ruin but the outer wall still stands as do a few internal builings. It would not be possible to visit a castle in this state in the UK. It is dangerous, but everybody seems to understand the risks, and walks with care. It is an interesting walk with great views. If anyone ever found the money to make it safe it would lose its charm.
We then spent about an hour people watching in the main square while I drank a large Mythos beer very slowly.
Back on the bus to the pool that we had ignored so far. Among my reading I discovered that Belgium has been without a government for months and has now broken the world record for such an achievement. It doesn't seem to have done them any harm!
Before dinner we were invited to the Privilige Club Meet. My first attempt to speak to someone was a disaster because he was German and had no English. The next was a French woman who had less English than I had French but she was prepared to try to have a conversation so we stumbled along. She was not in fact French but Belgian so my recently acquired knowledge of their political situation was valuable. We also talked to the manager who is a great enthusiast for the company and some English people who have visited this hotel many times and never left the grounds.
The evening entertainment was Greek song and dance. on what was still a warm summer evening it was very acceptable although we do wonder if some of the songs are the equivalent of Childe Ballads.
KOS - Wendesday
We started packing on Tuesday night so after a very leisurely breakfast in the sun we had enough time for a really good swim in the sea and a final dry in the sun. The coach turned up on time and took a fairly roundabout route that gave us views from the mountain tops that we hadn't seen before. Checkin and security were straight forward and although the airport is very small we managed to pass the time easily and were were in the air on time.
Back at Robin Hood I was annoyed by the time that Border Control take. They even have a target that 95% of passengers will get through in 25 minutes - that is really impressive!
The car park exit was easy - the registration plate reading camaeras must make errors often enough for them to have to have an efficient backup system.
The drive home was easy although by the time we were back home we were confused about the time again.
Friday 9 September 2011
Shrewsbury 2011 - Day 5
Jean's birthday and the last day of the festival. We had plenty of time to go swimming but the pool was closed because it was bank holiday!
We spent some time in the record tent and then met Penny and Brian from the Folk Club. We were pleased to discover that they were not happy with the Cecil Sharp Project. I am always a little nervous when talking to people who perform in the club. They have a justifiable air of confidence and it was therefore rewarding to find that they agreed with our view.
There was some music on the 'Village Stage' but at 12pm there was only one concert available and the queue was so long that we gave up. We later heard that it had provoked someone to throw a punch but it was cleared up quickly. While on duty a woman came in worried because a rabbit suffering from mixomatosis had taken up residence in her tent. After some consternation we discovered that it was a fairly regular problem and that there were stewards who knew what to do. It involved a hammer and a shovel. We were on duty from 3 to 5, the last session of the week - a slot that we have now done for 4 years in a row. I can only assume that because we didn't make a fuss the first year they thought that we didn't mind missing the last concert. This year we did mind that we would miss most of the Martin Simpson Band, but it was very quiet so we were allowed to leave 15 mins early. It was one of the best performances of the weekend.
The journey home was uneventful but rather tedious. At the very end the GPS tried to send us down a narrow road that I know became a dead end over a year ago!
We spent some time in the record tent and then met Penny and Brian from the Folk Club. We were pleased to discover that they were not happy with the Cecil Sharp Project. I am always a little nervous when talking to people who perform in the club. They have a justifiable air of confidence and it was therefore rewarding to find that they agreed with our view.
There was some music on the 'Village Stage' but at 12pm there was only one concert available and the queue was so long that we gave up. We later heard that it had provoked someone to throw a punch but it was cleared up quickly. While on duty a woman came in worried because a rabbit suffering from mixomatosis had taken up residence in her tent. After some consternation we discovered that it was a fairly regular problem and that there were stewards who knew what to do. It involved a hammer and a shovel. We were on duty from 3 to 5, the last session of the week - a slot that we have now done for 4 years in a row. I can only assume that because we didn't make a fuss the first year they thought that we didn't mind missing the last concert. This year we did mind that we would miss most of the Martin Simpson Band, but it was very quiet so we were allowed to leave 15 mins early. It was one of the best performances of the weekend.
The journey home was uneventful but rather tedious. At the very end the GPS tried to send us down a narrow road that I know became a dead end over a year ago!
Sunday 4 September 2011
Shrewsbury 2011 - Day 4
Normally we would have gone swimming on Sunday morning but this year we were on duty at 11am and couldn't get to the pool and back in time. It did mean that we could settle down with the Observer after breakfast. Not something we have done recently because we usually spend some time at Sense on Sunday morning - after the gym.
The number of issues is much lower. I think that it is because the Festival has now been based on the same site since 2007 and has had no need for major change in physical layout or program. Also the team of stewards now contains a solid core of regulars who know what they are doing.
There was a woman who had to be taken away in an ambulance because she had damaged her ankle in the dance tent - falling over her own kids. Hopefully that's as bad as it gets.
After lunch Jean went to Chris Wood and Andy Cutting and I went to see Sam Carter. He still has only two really good songs but sounded much more interesting when Sam Sweeney joined him. The next item on our program was Spiers and Boden but that was a mistake and they were not on for another hour. We had to creep out before the end because we were on duty again.
The evening plan was, The Cecil Sharp Project followed by The Imagined Village. It didn't really work. We expecte the Cecil Sharp Project would have been similar to The Darwin Project in the previous year but it didn't have the narrative flow and the performers were too happy to sit at the back of the stage as if they were in a club singaround. We left in the interval and went to the main stage in order to get seats for The Imagined Village.
This meant that we saw the last songs from the Sweetback Sisters - an OK American folk rock band.
We saw one of the first performances of this project designed to display the heritage and links between English, Asian and Caribbeen cultures. That included, Billy Brag, Martin Carthy, Benjamin Zepheniah, and Satnam Singh. This was a different show with no real theme and again we left before the end. Not a good evening but it was saved when we heard the sound of Spiers and Boden ringing out as we walked back to our caravan. We saw their last two songs and our faith in festivals was restored.
The number of issues is much lower. I think that it is because the Festival has now been based on the same site since 2007 and has had no need for major change in physical layout or program. Also the team of stewards now contains a solid core of regulars who know what they are doing.
There was a woman who had to be taken away in an ambulance because she had damaged her ankle in the dance tent - falling over her own kids. Hopefully that's as bad as it gets.
After lunch Jean went to Chris Wood and Andy Cutting and I went to see Sam Carter. He still has only two really good songs but sounded much more interesting when Sam Sweeney joined him. The next item on our program was Spiers and Boden but that was a mistake and they were not on for another hour. We had to creep out before the end because we were on duty again.
The evening plan was, The Cecil Sharp Project followed by The Imagined Village. It didn't really work. We expecte the Cecil Sharp Project would have been similar to The Darwin Project in the previous year but it didn't have the narrative flow and the performers were too happy to sit at the back of the stage as if they were in a club singaround. We left in the interval and went to the main stage in order to get seats for The Imagined Village.
This meant that we saw the last songs from the Sweetback Sisters - an OK American folk rock band.
We saw one of the first performances of this project designed to display the heritage and links between English, Asian and Caribbeen cultures. That included, Billy Brag, Martin Carthy, Benjamin Zepheniah, and Satnam Singh. This was a different show with no real theme and again we left before the end. Not a good evening but it was saved when we heard the sound of Spiers and Boden ringing out as we walked back to our caravan. We saw their last two songs and our faith in festivals was restored.
Wednesday 31 August 2011
Shrewsbury 2011 - Day 3
Not a good start for the day. After the 9pm to 11pm duty last night we had to do 9am to 11am this morning so it was not a leisurely breakfast. The only serious problem is the lack of stewards for Main Stage 1 (we used to call it Marquee One but presumably that is not an OK name in the developing world of festivals).
Managed to see Pilgrim's Way before lunch but didn't find anyone else that we could fit in before going back on duty at 3pm. One advantage of the new office is that we are visible and people other than stewards came in with questions and lost property. The most common question was about battery charging. The campsite wardens offer a service to charge almost anything and with the continued rise of hungrier 'phones the number of people needing a charge keeps increasing. This year they were using a room that was previously the radio room. The radio room had moved with us. The door of the old radio room carried two notices - 'Battery Charging' and 'The Radio Room has moved' (with a large arrow pointing our way). These were intended to provide two separate pieces of information but, because the door was padlocked to protect the phones etc, many people saw the notices as one and came to us expecting to get their phones charged. This would never have been possible because the building floods every winter and there are not many working electricity sockets.
At 4pm '17 Hippies' were on Main Stage 1. We were lucky not to have been able to see them. We were later told that their set consisted of 55 minutes of extended sound checking and one song!
In the evening we saw Martin Joseph, Show of Hands and Home Service. Martin Joseph could have been a Welsh Bruce Springsteen if ....
Show of Hands did a fairly standard festival set but Home Service were brilliant - old fashioned (c1986) but exciting.
Managed to see Pilgrim's Way before lunch but didn't find anyone else that we could fit in before going back on duty at 3pm. One advantage of the new office is that we are visible and people other than stewards came in with questions and lost property. The most common question was about battery charging. The campsite wardens offer a service to charge almost anything and with the continued rise of hungrier 'phones the number of people needing a charge keeps increasing. This year they were using a room that was previously the radio room. The radio room had moved with us. The door of the old radio room carried two notices - 'Battery Charging' and 'The Radio Room has moved' (with a large arrow pointing our way). These were intended to provide two separate pieces of information but, because the door was padlocked to protect the phones etc, many people saw the notices as one and came to us expecting to get their phones charged. This would never have been possible because the building floods every winter and there are not many working electricity sockets.
At 4pm '17 Hippies' were on Main Stage 1. We were lucky not to have been able to see them. We were later told that their set consisted of 55 minutes of extended sound checking and one song!
In the evening we saw Martin Joseph, Show of Hands and Home Service. Martin Joseph could have been a Welsh Bruce Springsteen if ....
Show of Hands did a fairly standard festival set but Home Service were brilliant - old fashioned (c1986) but exciting.
Saturday 27 August 2011
Shrewsbury 2011 - Day 2
A long day. Our first duty was from 8:30 to 11:00 and our last from 21:00 to 23:00. Mostly the same old issues but there appear to be more no shows amongst the stewards and that is compounded by a reduction in the total number available. We did certainly have trouble finding jobs for all of the task force last year but it does fell as though the number has ben cut rather too aggresively. I have to admit that the new accomodation is actually better!
We walked into town but didn't find the toy that we wanted for Morgan.
The concerts didn't start until 20:00 so we only saw a local group before we had to work. However we did manage to see about 30 mins of Bellowhead which was really dramatic. Fortunately we had made up the caravan bed before going out. It looked very enticing when we finally crawled back.
We walked into town but didn't find the toy that we wanted for Morgan.
The concerts didn't start until 20:00 so we only saw a local group before we had to work. However we did manage to see about 30 mins of Bellowhead which was really dramatic. Fortunately we had made up the caravan bed before going out. It looked very enticing when we finally crawled back.
Thursday 25 August 2011
Shrewsbury 2011 - Day 1
Last year the journey took over 4 hours because of heavy rain and roadworks to the north and west of Birmingham. This year it was really easy and although I kept my speed down to try to reduce the cost, we arrived in 3 and a half hours. This was too early for the organisers and we had to wait in a field with all of the other people who can't work out when to set off. We made use of the enforced halt by eating our lunch - one of those in car picnics. We set up the caravan in a place very close to last year. I had more trouble with the awning but it appears to be stable so far.
The stewards office has be moved to a superior building but it is too tidy. We were comfortable in the old scruffy rooms. I went to check if Ron was going to break with tradition and actually hold a team meeting this year. He shook my hand and said 'now we've met' so I said 'see you tomorrow' and that was that.
It took us an hour to work through the program and plan what we could go to within the constraints of our duties. We can see most of what we want although some of the sets will have to be truncated.
So far we have talked to Sue and Dave Emery and nodded to a few regulars. It is really rather comfortable.
The stewards office has be moved to a superior building but it is too tidy. We were comfortable in the old scruffy rooms. I went to check if Ron was going to break with tradition and actually hold a team meeting this year. He shook my hand and said 'now we've met' so I said 'see you tomorrow' and that was that.
It took us an hour to work through the program and plan what we could go to within the constraints of our duties. We can see most of what we want although some of the sets will have to be truncated.
So far we have talked to Sue and Dave Emery and nodded to a few regulars. It is really rather comfortable.
Monday 8 August 2011
Connections
I love it when unexpected connections appear.
Recently, in the middle of the night, I heard an old 'Desert Island Discs' where the guest was Jacqueline Wilson who chose, just as I started listening, 'Mythical kings and Iguanas' by Dorey Previn. I was instantly fascinated by the song which had somehow passed me by back in the '80s. I later downloaded the whole album and played it frequently over the following weeks.
Time passed and one day I was listening to 'Womans Hour' when, after a live performance by two women folk singers, Jenni Murray said that it took her back to the time when she used to go to Barnsley Folk Club. That was interesting because the secretary of Spalding Folk Club comes from Barnsley and went to the same club. In a burst of nostalgia she had booked Dave Burland for the Spalding club and when he came I discovered that he had a CD on which he sang 'Mythical Kings' and also that he remembered Jenni Murray who apparently had a crush on him.
Now I have two CDs with that song and an interesting image of the Barnsley folk scene 40 years ago.
Another slight connection was also triggered by 'Womans Hour'. A few months ago the Womans Hour drama was about F Scott Fitzgerald and that reminded me of 'Tender is the Night' and the film and song that were significant many years ago. I bought the DVD! This weekend David Nichols, the author of 'One Day' was interviewed and at the end of the interview he said that he loves 'Tender is the Night' and would really like to write the screenplay for a new version.
None of this is important but it is interesting to see unexpected ways in which the world is connected.
Recently, in the middle of the night, I heard an old 'Desert Island Discs' where the guest was Jacqueline Wilson who chose, just as I started listening, 'Mythical kings and Iguanas' by Dorey Previn. I was instantly fascinated by the song which had somehow passed me by back in the '80s. I later downloaded the whole album and played it frequently over the following weeks.
Time passed and one day I was listening to 'Womans Hour' when, after a live performance by two women folk singers, Jenni Murray said that it took her back to the time when she used to go to Barnsley Folk Club. That was interesting because the secretary of Spalding Folk Club comes from Barnsley and went to the same club. In a burst of nostalgia she had booked Dave Burland for the Spalding club and when he came I discovered that he had a CD on which he sang 'Mythical Kings' and also that he remembered Jenni Murray who apparently had a crush on him.
Now I have two CDs with that song and an interesting image of the Barnsley folk scene 40 years ago.
Another slight connection was also triggered by 'Womans Hour'. A few months ago the Womans Hour drama was about F Scott Fitzgerald and that reminded me of 'Tender is the Night' and the film and song that were significant many years ago. I bought the DVD! This weekend David Nichols, the author of 'One Day' was interviewed and at the end of the interview he said that he loves 'Tender is the Night' and would really like to write the screenplay for a new version.
None of this is important but it is interesting to see unexpected ways in which the world is connected.
Tuesday 26 July 2011
Classics
The closest I came to Classics at school was O Level Latin which I have to admit was a bit of a struggle. It is therefore always a pleasant surprise to discover how easily I can talk to Joe Millington the classics teacher at the grammar school.
It was an end of term party and we started chatting about holidays. Joe and Julie go regularly to to Greece but more often to Crete. Last year they couldn't leave for a week because of the problems with volcanic ash and earlier this year they had problems with riots in Athens. However nothing will stop them going back.
We talked about books and I mentioned Captain Correlli somewhat tentatively because such popular books are often frowned upon by people with real knowledge of the background. However Joe loves it as much as I do and we both feel the same about the prequel 'Birds Without Wings'. I don't know how many people have read this book but it describes the history of Turkey in the early years of the 20th century which is a period that neither Joe nor I knew much. The key is the harmonious state in which Greeks, Turks and Jews lived at the beginning of the story and the way that it was destroyed when the Greeks were forcibly repatriated. Key characters in Captain Corelli were among those moved from Turkey. We were both horrified by this discovery.
We also talked about the Durrells and their different books about the Greek Islands and discovered a joint interest in the travel books of Patrick Leigh Fermor.
Although individuality is attractive it is also satisfying to know that you are not completely alone.
It was an end of term party and we started chatting about holidays. Joe and Julie go regularly to to Greece but more often to Crete. Last year they couldn't leave for a week because of the problems with volcanic ash and earlier this year they had problems with riots in Athens. However nothing will stop them going back.
We talked about books and I mentioned Captain Correlli somewhat tentatively because such popular books are often frowned upon by people with real knowledge of the background. However Joe loves it as much as I do and we both feel the same about the prequel 'Birds Without Wings'. I don't know how many people have read this book but it describes the history of Turkey in the early years of the 20th century which is a period that neither Joe nor I knew much. The key is the harmonious state in which Greeks, Turks and Jews lived at the beginning of the story and the way that it was destroyed when the Greeks were forcibly repatriated. Key characters in Captain Corelli were among those moved from Turkey. We were both horrified by this discovery.
We also talked about the Durrells and their different books about the Greek Islands and discovered a joint interest in the travel books of Patrick Leigh Fermor.
Although individuality is attractive it is also satisfying to know that you are not completely alone.
Thursday 21 July 2011
Our Hedge
A long time ago, when we first moved into our house, the end of the garden was marked by a low mound of earth, on the other side of which there was, and still is, a small dyke. At one end of the mound was a very small evergreen conifer. At some point, possibly when Matthew son was born, we decided that we should have a proper fence that would connect to our neighbours' existing fences. So I bought the posts and panels and set to work. This fence was only about 3 ft high and so I could climb over in order to paint both sides although the slope down into the dyke is quite steep. This was a practical solution until the fence blew down. I like to think that it was the night of the 'hurricane' in 1987 but it was probably a less memorable night.
After a range of attempts to repair it I finally gave up and decided to plant a Leylandii hedge - it was a common solution at the time!
For some years it didn't amount to much - the end of the garden was really marked by the rope that I had used to line up the plants.
After a while it became a serious hedge and it is now about 8ft high and 3 ft thick. It's an effective hedge but a real challenge to keep tidy and that's what I've been doing this week. From the last time that I worked on it there were about 5 really tall trunks that I hadn't been able to reach. This time I was equiped with a better ladder, an electric saw, multiple types of lopper and a surface to lay on the top of the hedge to spread the load of my body stretched out to reach the furthest trunks. So now there are no potential trees but I will have to keep trimming the shoots - probably monthly.
After a range of attempts to repair it I finally gave up and decided to plant a Leylandii hedge - it was a common solution at the time!
For some years it didn't amount to much - the end of the garden was really marked by the rope that I had used to line up the plants.
After a while it became a serious hedge and it is now about 8ft high and 3 ft thick. It's an effective hedge but a real challenge to keep tidy and that's what I've been doing this week. From the last time that I worked on it there were about 5 really tall trunks that I hadn't been able to reach. This time I was equiped with a better ladder, an electric saw, multiple types of lopper and a surface to lay on the top of the hedge to spread the load of my body stretched out to reach the furthest trunks. So now there are no potential trees but I will have to keep trimming the shoots - probably monthly.
Monday 18 July 2011
You, me and the bees
We were just sitting in the sunshine in the garden and this title popped into my head. Nothing that I can do with it but I wanted to write it down.
The films of Jacques Demi
Recently there was a radio program with the above title. I listened with interest because I have loved 'Les Parapluies de Cherbourg' ever since we first saw it in about 1965. More recently we saw the stage version and it had the same magic except that, at the end, the moment that had the greatest emotional impact was not the one that I expected. This was finally explained by the radio program. Apparently most people are torn apart because the lovers have married the wrong people and will never see each other again and when I was younger I probably cried for the same reason. Now I cry when the man walks back to his wife and picks up his little boy. The film still works but I am so much older.
Wedding Anniversary
Yesterday - 17 July 2011 - was our 46th wedding anniversary. We had decided that 46 was a boring number and therefore it didn't deserve any particular celebration. However that went a bit wrong.
On Thursday morning we finally decided that we should go to Kos for a week at the end of September. The last chance before we have to start accepting that winter must come. Because of that, when I was walking through town later in the day, and saw a notice outside Sergi's restaurant which said that he was having a greek evening on Friday, it seemed like a clear instruction to change our minds and have a celebration even if it wasn't going to be on the right day. So we booked and then realised that we also had evenings out planned for Saturday and Monday. The actual anniversary day was the only one without any sort of event.
Sergi's restaurant is very small - there were only 12 people eating on Friday - but that made it more of an event. We started with tzatziki and aubergine dips with deep fried courgettes and flatbread. This was followed by gigantic beans and sticky pork stew. The desert was a cake with a honey and nut topping and yogurt. We drank a white rioja!
The food was very good but , even with the practice that we had in Italy, it was too filling. Saturday was all very light meals.
Saturday night was a concert in Lincoln by Martin Simpson. The folk club is not a comfortable place but we arrived early enough to get two of the few chairs with backs that were close to the front and enjoyed a brilliant night.
Sunday was not special but tonight we went to see our first 3D film 'TT3D : Closer to the edge'. The cinema was full of people who had never been there before - nearly all men! Usually the only time that it is full the audience is nearly all women. The film is a detailed account of the 2010 TT races and as such contained much that meant nothing to us. The most interest came from the story of Guy Martin who was recently on TV fitting out a narrow boat in the West Midlands and who turns out to come from the Grimsby area. We weren't impressed by the 3D effect which was often very artificial. Nevertheless it was an interesting end to the weekend.
On Thursday morning we finally decided that we should go to Kos for a week at the end of September. The last chance before we have to start accepting that winter must come. Because of that, when I was walking through town later in the day, and saw a notice outside Sergi's restaurant which said that he was having a greek evening on Friday, it seemed like a clear instruction to change our minds and have a celebration even if it wasn't going to be on the right day. So we booked and then realised that we also had evenings out planned for Saturday and Monday. The actual anniversary day was the only one without any sort of event.
Sergi's restaurant is very small - there were only 12 people eating on Friday - but that made it more of an event. We started with tzatziki and aubergine dips with deep fried courgettes and flatbread. This was followed by gigantic beans and sticky pork stew. The desert was a cake with a honey and nut topping and yogurt. We drank a white rioja!
The food was very good but , even with the practice that we had in Italy, it was too filling. Saturday was all very light meals.
Saturday night was a concert in Lincoln by Martin Simpson. The folk club is not a comfortable place but we arrived early enough to get two of the few chairs with backs that were close to the front and enjoyed a brilliant night.
Sunday was not special but tonight we went to see our first 3D film 'TT3D : Closer to the edge'. The cinema was full of people who had never been there before - nearly all men! Usually the only time that it is full the audience is nearly all women. The film is a detailed account of the 2010 TT races and as such contained much that meant nothing to us. The most interest came from the story of Guy Martin who was recently on TV fitting out a narrow boat in the West Midlands and who turns out to come from the Grimsby area. We weren't impressed by the 3D effect which was often very artificial. Nevertheless it was an interesting end to the weekend.
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