The Bridge........ To Malmo.

We had a lift into the airport with W yesterday morning, then crossed the bridge by coach, in bright sunshine, along with fans, taking selfies.
Apparently it's now a tourist destination in it's own right.
There were no bodies but we did have to show the driver our passports on boarding and again to the
Swedish border police.
A sign of the times.
There is now is a vast area of development between the bridge and Malmo, all rather soggy yesterday as the snow has melted and 5degrees.

We pottered around the city - there are some beautiful buildings and large squares.
An apothecary's shop from 1596, with original fittings and the station building  were particularly noteworthy.
We joined a service in the Cathedral, had lunch, spent some time in an amazing design shop, pottered a bit more then came back at 15.45 and eventually caught a train to Ringsted.

Today we plan a day in Copenhagen, walking down to the station when we have had breakfast.
The family had all gone by the time I surfaced this morning - the basement is pretty well soundproof so I slept through an hour of "getting up" noise.
MK just phoned to say there was home made bread for breakfast.
Beat that!

A grey day but mild with a little rain forecast.

Ringsted.....

How far do you have to ravel to find snow in late January?

Denmark has plenty, though not for long as it started to thaw yesterday.

Today has been cold and misty all day, but we didn't have to venture too far - J and DK with MK as far as the swimming pool, across the park, for lessons.

We are busy boxing up the house ready for moving on Friday.

Yesterday tea time we went to Soro to the Light Festival,  celebration of Candlemas.

The park full of light displays and music and a concert in the church.

Wonderful.

This was followed by a delicious dinner at at T and B's, then home to bed.

Time for dinner - roast chicken.

Yummy.

Morse......

After a busy weekend today has been a lazy day with some housework, washing and an afternoon watching the final two episodes ever of Morse, which recorded back in June.
Brilliant!
I'm a great fan of "Endeavour", knowing he'll remain single minded and single.
(Last night's episode with man-eating tiger was a bit far fetched!)

Yesterday I preached and prayed at communion, had soup for lunch, then went for a walk across the fields to Shawbury Lane and Home down Moat House.
It was almost unbelievably muddy and difficult walking, but a lovely day.
It snowed before I got home for added fun.

Then for an M&S roast chicken for dinner with J & C.
I think that this accounted for the lack of activity today.
Up and at it tomorrow!

Love is in the air!

It was a cold night and I woke to a hard frost.
Strangely for mid January, the birds were singing and two squirrels put on a great aerial display chasing each other along the high branches of the trees in the field.
Much too soon for this type of thing!

After a bowl of porridge and a couple of hours paperwork, I went to Solihull for a potter before collecting J and Th from school.
I a spent too long in Pret with coffee and ham sandwiches so didn't have time to do the M&S sale justice.
I did find a few bargains in my favourite charity shop and have a lovely Louis Feraud multi coloured tweed suit with marvellous buttons,  Biba sweater and a set of comic cat prints by Julian Williams.
Brilliant.
I watched Th playing football after school, very well, J was home before us, both were ready for the weekend.
A stop at M&S food on the way home and some yummy food for the weekend.

What would we do without Marks and Spencer's?

B advised me to go to the new M&S outside Banbury on my way home from Bicester.
I did and stayed so long that I had to have tea and a scone after trawling the ground floor, to enable me to cope with the first floor - men's, children's and home ware.
A brilliant sale, I bought jeans, velvet jeans, a heat gem and a velvet top, a fitted furry fleece jacket and a lovely velvet dress all for the princely sum of £68.
All really nice and good quality that I would have bought  at full price, if I was deemed to be deserving.
Which I am not.
The shop is well laid out with some air purifying system in the pillars, lots of space, a very nice cafe and lovely staff.
I guess that it will be a lot busier when they've built the 50,000 houses on the next plot.

I phoned the local surgery at 9.30am, the doctor phoned back almost immediately and add an appointment to see me and my cough at 2.00pm.
Job done and antibiotics now in my system so I hope to stop coughing shortly..
Good old NHS!

A biting cold wind today so I was glad to get home by the fire and relax, awaiting "Death in Paradise" whilst completing the Telegraph crossword.

Cough, cough, cough.......

Having caught up with things at home, I've brought my cough over to Bicester for a few days.
We took part in the quiz at The Griffin on Monday evening, coming 5 out of 6, but only a few marks between all but the top and bottom scores, so, really, we did quite well.
Thanks O and D!
I made an appointment with Boots in Bicester for an eye test on Tuesday morning.
They were excellent.
My right eye that had a macular hole repaired last year is fine, but vision wavers, as to be expected with a duff spot.
My left eye has improved as long sight overtakes short sight.
I have yet to choose some frames and order new specs.

I pottered in the town then walked across the park to Bicester Village for coffee at Pret.
I treated myself to a pink handbag in Radley's sale and shower lotion at Molton Brown before collecting KP from school.

Bicester Village has little of appeal any more as all but designer shops are being driven out - no Musto, no North Face, Helly Hanson, Wedwood........
Further development is planned so, who knows.
My quote from the month came from the assistant in Belstaff , "Will you be paying in Korean dong(?) or pounds sterling, Sir?"

I've had a lazy day after a night of coughing and walking KP to school, avoiding the cold air.
I drove into town instead of the usual walk, bought ingredients for chicken, chorizo and bean casserole and ice cream sundaes for T and KP to make, lovely bread and buns from M&S, and home, within an hour.

Shall I buy the pink jeans from M&Co sale?
Tempted.
Home tomorrow via Banbury and, hopefully, an appointment at the doctors, on Friday

We watched Mon & Tues "Silent Witness" last night.
Brilliant!

The Twelfth day of Christmas.......

Decorations all boxed up and away until next December and the tree outside, having hung on to all but a dustpan full of it's needles.
I have yet to vacuum but having thoroughly cleaned the lounge and dining room after I decorating, I ran out of steam, put the boxes of decorTions away and cooked a meal.
Tomorrow's another day!

Actually, tomorrow and Friday we are taking the 27 trees out of church.
I plan to be there early and strip the trees from the East/pointy end downwards.
Baubles in M&S shopping bags, by colour, lights boxed, other decorations bagged by type and the trees taken out and piled up ready for KW to take away, to the N Warks depot, I believe.
People coming to help on Friday, mainly.
If the trees hang on to their needles it will make the cleaning much less arduous.

I hope that everyone watched "Trust me I'm a doctor", this evening.
Scientific proof that high protein supplements, high energy drinks and drinks/smoothies high in antioxidants are all a waste of money/useless.
Antioxidants remove free radicals from the body.
Taking in an excess causes the body to stop making them, to keep the bodies levels stable (homeostasis) and free radical levels to actually rise for up to 24 hours.

Apparently, eating a healthy balanced diet is just what the doctor ordered.
Great news.

E bay going well with a sale a day on average for the last six weeks - a lovely, long, red Gant Cardigan with Argyll pattern front, posted today.
I have a plan for cornering the market in..........
Watch this space!

Happy New Year.

A day off to reflect. I've have a lie in and a lazy day.
Lots of friends here for lunch on New Year's Day followed by B,E, T and KP for dinner and sleepover.
A wonderful start to the year.
We left early on Saturday morning, shortly after the family left, for a day in Worcester, a night in new Premier Inn in Malvern and early visit to the Flea Marketon the Three Counties Showground in Malvern.
We spent time in the Cathedral in Worcester, which has some beautiful tombs, including King John's, and and crypt, then walked across town for a drink in The Dragon, recently bought by friends.
We did have a drink in another pub first as we couldn't remember the pub name, that was what K said, anyway.
We drove on to Malvern, had a Happy Meal at McD in desperation - very good actually, then on to the PI.

It rained heavily all day adding to the existing floods.
The Hotel is brilliant, new, gleaming, well designed and cheap.
We drove a mile down the Worcester Road for dinner at an Indian restaurant which was called "The Paprika"
Forget the new name, but The Cameron's ate there once!
Excellent, unusual meal.

The Flea Market was very good, despite heavy rain all day.
Lots of nice people and bargains.
Home through the increasing floods and rain for a meal at The Bull at Furnace End as we'd not really
eaten all day.

Even had two biggish e bay sales when I got home.


The rain has stopped!