Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2025

What a shame about the rain and cold at the outdoor theatre trips. Last play I saw outdoors was nearly 60 years ago, also Twelfth Night, one of my favourites as we studied it for O level. The weather was fine, luckily, as we were helping with the production.
The lunch out was very successful, the food was good and the company excellent, especially the 98 year old lady who had our table in stitches! There was an extremely cold and strong wind by the coast. I didn’t wear the summer dress that I was planning to, it would probably have been up round my ears just walking from the car park to the hotel!
Still no decent rain here. Very hot when the sun comes out, but cooling down when the clouds roll over. We are now dogsitting for the next fortnight, so will be thankful if it stays cool. Short walks in the shade will be the order of the day.
Hope you found the dress fitted you after its spell in the tumble dryer, @lizzie27! I have actually deliberately shrunk a couple of pairs of trousers, which I’d had since I was rather wider than I am at the moment! Only works if they are slightly on the long side too. It’s annoying when a baggy T-shirt only shrinks length ways, still too baggy but now too short.
I’ve got several items with bleach marks. Had to throw a few out, but I did manage to renovate a pair of trousers. There were only a couple of spots, so I filled them in with a felt tip pen, and they don’t really show! The pen must have been an indelible one, as it has gone through the wash multiple times since. My late mother spoilt a dress while making blackcurrant jam. It had a white background with a small flowered pattern. When the purple jam stains didn’t come out in the wash, she would draw petals round each of the spots with felt tip pen! They would last till the next wash, and she would do different colours to ring the changes for each wearing!

 

Thank you all for the Happy Anniversary wishes!

We had a delicious seafood platter with lobster for lunch in the fish restaurant on Southwold Harbour.

My foot has been less painful today. It seems to come and go. Wonder if it's osteo-arthritis? I have that in my hands.

Good news about the gardener. He has just been to see us and the garden and he is the step-son of our old gardener. He seems to know what he is talking about, he's a gardener too, and he's willing to take on our Norfolk garden.

 

Oh that is great news @Busy-Lizzie and one less thing for you to worry about when you return to France.
Love your Mum's ingenuity @Ergates.
I'm signing out now so good night to you and I'll see you in the morning.

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Good morning everyone. I'm off to catch up with my Bestie today and its looking good outside. Wishing you all a happy day.

 

Morning all. Been busy again but off to Bath for a few days now. I hope it’s dry there (@lizzie27?), but not too warm, as we are planning shopping, a mystery trail around the city and a visit to some gardens.

Look after yourselves folks.

 

We had a little rain in the night, a welcome couple of millimetres. Am envious of your full butts @lizzie27

Thanks for the link @Penny_Forthem will take a look. Hope you are able to get to your van and OH is feeling ok.

Enjoy Bath @AuntyRach I have been but just realise it was 30+ years ago so I suspect it’s changed a bit!

Very inventive @Ergates I shall remember those suggestions as I’m a messy pup and always getting stains and marks on my clothes

Planning a garden visit today, not sure where yet. It’s a bit grey and cool at the moment, would like to keep the former and loose the latter. Edited to say that should be the other way round!

 

Morning everybody. It's very overcast at the moment with maybe some light showers followed by sunny spells so should be ok for your trip @AuntyRach. Bath has changed a lot in recent years and the city centre is now difficult to drive around. If you're driving, then Charlotte Street car park is best (but expensive - £7 for 4 hours). Have a great trip.

Not sure what I'll do today as we're still awaiting the builders. I was expecting them yesterday and they haven't turned up yet. Hope they, my cleaner and Sainsbury's don't all arrive at the same time! Might have to get used to doing my own cleaning soon as she is pregnant and will presumably want to give up at some point. Came as rather a shock to her I believe as her youngest is 14!

Your celebration lunch sounds lovely @Busy-Lizzie. Never been to Southwold but it's on the list.

Enjoy your meet up with your bestie @Ladybird4 and your garden trip @Butterfly6

 

Good afternoon all. Hope your Thursday is enjoyable - I'm looking forward to GW this evening. I was afraid it was cancelled again, but then thought to look at the TV listings for tonight.

Just back from a trip to the local nursery, run by my Dutch friends. They've been propagating plants (mostly herbaceous) from seed & cuttings, all grown outdoors without protection, for 30 years, but are retiring at the end of the month. Or at least, they're supposed to be retiring... he's had a major operation for stomach cancer, and she's got severe osteo arthritis, but the business may well continue in a more low-key way. They've already ended the mail order side, but Gert can't stop propagating plants... anyway, I had a couple of vouchers to spend, and have returned with 18 plants. Now to find space in the garden! Might have to dig up some more lawn...

 

Hello everyone. I had a very busy Monday and Tuesday doing garden jobs and DIY then an email arrived asking if tonight's guests could arrive a day early so more busy cleaning and DIY yesterday morning before heading off to my committee meeting in the pm.

Really nice to see our friends again. They've been exploring the Dordogne and really love Périgueux @Busy-Lizzie. They're heading home to Stewkley tomorrow via Caen and Portsmouth then meeting up with 3 other mutual friends for lunch at a Raymon Blanc restaurant in Berkhamstead on Sunday.

We've been to see Georges Clémenceau's summer home at St Vincent-sur-Jard - very simple but comfortable and right on the coast with a view across the bay to the Isle de Ré. Needs a gardener. Before that we had lunch at Jard-sur-Mer which is just do-able in July but not t be thought of in August when the grockles descend en masse.

Home now and flopping as it's jolly hot. One of our guests is sleeping off his lunch and the other has gone for a walk cos they'll be in the car for about 5 hours tomorrow.

I hope everyone who wants it gets some decent rain soon. Good luck to those on shopping trips - I hate shopping but quite enjoy the weekly SM run. Have fun in Bath @AuntyRach.

Your celebratory lunch sounds wonderful @Busy-Lizzie. Pity about the open air theatre but next time you'll know to take thermals.

Hope your builders turn up or at least explain their absence @lizzie27. Really very rude not to do so.

Lovely rose @Liriodendron but I think I need stronger colours here. Malvern Hills and Teasing Georgia both fade quickly here but do flower well.

When will you get your results @Goldenlily26?

Enjoy the stay at the caravan @Penny_Forthem.

Hi to everyone else. Hope life is treating you well.

 

Hub's appt was cancelled AGAIN with no notice this morning. Got to reception...Nada
We are here on the hilltop in blissful quiet and sunshine.
I had a much needed snooze.
Went to the postie to get euros out for the g'kids and all systems down. Plan B.
Transfer money to son and ask him to get euros out.

 

Evening all. I was sorry to read that your builders haven't shown up yet @lizzie27. It is so frustrating in this day and age where mobile phones are so prevalent that workmen can't just give a quick call or send a text to say where they are up to. I hope they did finally get to you. Another frustrating day for you and your Hub @Penny_Forthem. Enjoy your time at the van.
I am signing out now and I'll see you all tomorrow.

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Evening.

Lovely here in Bath. We have a garden flat to stay in. I must say, I really have resisted doing a bit of weeding out there! It’s been warm today and we’ve walked miles! We’ve been doing a mystery adventure activity book, finding clues around the city and solving puzzles. There are similar books for other cities apparently.

I hope everyone is doing ok. Sleep well folks.

 

Hello all, don't think I posted this morning.

OH went to Specsavers this afternoon and I went with him to drive him home. He was expecting to take 30 mins but it took nearly 2 hours! My phone didn't have a signal and I wished I had taken my book. I mooched around town a bit and noticed that several shops had closed down since last year, sad. OH needs another cataract op and a little op on his eyelid as it's turning in and rubs his cornea.

We are going to my sister for a couple of nights on Sunday, ferry back to France on Tuesday.

 

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A very good morning one and all. I am loving the sound of your mystery adventure in Bath @AuntyRach. It reminds me of the days when treasure hunting in cars was fashionable. I never hear of them these days so wonder if they still go on. I used to love taking part in those.
I have to agree about bg towns/cities these days @Busy-Lizzie and the closure of so many shops. I think retail parks have a lot to do with it as well as online purchasing. Will your OH be able to get his eye op done in France when you get back or will he come here to have the procedure carried out?
There is a fascinating item on the Beeb about metre long cores of ancient Antarctic ice being studied to plot climatic and other changes through up to 1.5 million years ago. The dedication of these scientists is awesome. Speaking of climatic change, it is raining here which is nice but somewhat limiting in terms of gardening activities. I started knitting last night for my soon to be new great niece/nephew. Baby's Dad is a Burnley Supporter and Grandad is a Sunderland supporter who is huffing and puffing - in a funny way of course - about not having another Burnley supporter in the family so I am, with tongue firmly in cheek, knitting a baby jumper in claret and blue which are Burnley's colours.

 

Ooh and speaking of football, which by now you should know I am no great fan of, I went up to read last night with England 2-0 down to Sweden and I thought that was it. Imagine my surprise when I got up this morning to hear that England had turned that score around and had won the match after a penalty shoot-out. All credit to the Lionesses!