Bicester Garden City in Bloom

My first drive of any length for ten weeks, to come to Bicester, yesterday, bringing tents and camping stoves.
A lovely day, quiet roads and a visit to the Sobell House Warehouse to source a large saucepan/ casserole for B to use on the scout camp.
Failed.
I did the charity shops of Bicester today and failed in all of them as well, but did buy some interesting bits and pieces and enjoy the search - always good music playing and friendly staff.
Perhaps it,s just a sign of my age!

T and KP had poached eggs on thick white buttered toast for breakfast.
We did the school walk and then I drove to town rather than the usual speed walk, due to the twisted right knee.
K, a mine of medical information, said that I should keep my knee straight, so I did try to walk with one straight leg.
No mean feat!
Back in time for a cup of coffee before the school runs, one hour apart, and a very evil doughnut a piece with a drink to recharge the batteries.
KP's dozen or so Beaver badges sown onto her new camping blanket a and chicken, bean and chorizo casserole made for dinner and eaten, with B, before off to football for KP halfway to Buckingham.
Just watched QT.
Boring!!

Wintertons in Lichfield.

A dealers, day today with a trip to Wintertons Auction Room in Lichfield for the first day of the sale.
The main city car park is all closed for resurfacing, so parking was difficult.
Why couldn't it be done half at a time?
Anyway, well worth the effort - very different from Hansons - three big scruffy room with stuff piled high and tables full of boxes of glass, china, etc.
Some bids left and Tim Wanacott was there as Bargain Hunt is being recorded there tomorrow.
Hansons seem to put photos of the BH lots on the cover of the catalogue, Wintertons don't have photos.

We went on to Etwall to The Buckle and Hawk(?) for a very good, very cheap lunch - 241 on main courses - then on to Hansons to collect some
It's bought last week, then home.
Some fascinating bits bought, to be researched later, even a rather cheeky glass frog who had obviously not seen water for a while.
Home for tea and a rock cake, made early this morning, early, whilst making a B'day cake for a friend.
Sermon to write for Sunday - Rogation Day, and a service to put together for after the Rogation Walk around the parishes on Monday.
I'm serving Ploughmans' Lunches at Shustoke Church - cheese, butter and pickle bought.
Bread to be ordered and tomatoes sourced.
Should I add anything else?
Catering for 100, no chance of a walk then.
Praying for sunshine.

Women's Hour had an election special - the best interviews yet due to the lack of aggression by the interviewer.
Put a woman on the job!

*Rogation means "asking" or "beseeching" - asking for a blessing on the crops.

Bob the Butcher......

....in Rhayader - visited on the way home from Llandridod Wells on Friday and bought the best rump steak I have ever tasted.
I have a leg of lamb pending for dinner with friends this evening and hope that it will be as good.
K and I spent Thurs night in the Metropole in LW, having sauntered our way there by way of Leominster and Kington, visiting the Antique Centres and a few chosen charity shops and drinking coffee.
We swam in their lovely pool before having a brilliant dinner, peaceful night with. A good book, early morning swim and a full Welsh breakfast before "doing the town".
It takes little doing really as it's in a sad state commercially with so many empty shops and other premises- such a pity as it has some beautiful, interesting architecture and a wonderful setting.
We worked our way home by way of The Red Lion in Llanfawr, the oldest pub in Powys and where we used to visit on holidays, staying at the little cottage along the road, in our teens and early twenties.
In those days the pub was the front room of the farm, opening only in the evenings as a pub.
We'd walk there in the mornings with the milk can to collect milk straight from the cows.
Brilliant, but sour by cocoa time.
Now the road is wider and straighter, the pub has three rooms. And the cottage is a three bedroomed house.
We have booked the holiday cottage which is the end of the farm/pub, for a few days later in the year, to repeat some of the walks done many years ago.

The sun's shining, washing on the line, lawns tidy.
I've been to church, home for breakfast and back to NW for the Parish AGM, so the rest of the day - until time to cook the lamb, is my own - garden or clear China from the dining table so that we can eat in there this evening?
This  e baying lark needs space! 

Visiting the Harpur Crewes......"

Well, Calke Abbey anyway.
An amazing Grade 1 listed house acquired by the National Trust in 1981, in lieu of Inheritance Tax.
It was bought by Henry Harpur in 1722 and passed down through the family since then, the family becoming more and more reclusive as the years went by.
They were all passionate collectors of natural history specimens until the house was pretty well full and nothing touched since 1880!
No electricity until 1961!
The NT have conserved it, just as it stood - pretty shabby looking but preserved.
Amazing, vast array of outbuildings, all red brick (from the estate brickyard), including a longs tunnel from the house to the brewery.

I did visit some years ago, today was more relaxed - another visit planned in May.

Hansons' viewed this morning - so many lots of mixed China and glass to peruse.
I've left bids on a few lots so live in hope.

A tiring day so relaxing before bed.

A nice little Rioja........

Down my dressing gown - White and just laundered.
The moral is....don't nod off with a glass of wine in your hand.
I didn't really even want a glass of wine, but it was open and I thought it may complement my omelet and salad.
My dressing gown is drying on a radiator and the settee well scrubbed.

A glorious sunny day, spent mainly in the garden - four loads of leaves and detritus from the side border taken up the field and four wheelbarrow loads of lovely soil excavated by the Badgers, brought down and put on the border.
Another three barrow loads off the front borders, under the windows, then in to collapse in a hot bath, before dinner.

I ironed early this morning, then vacuumed through downstairs, in readiness for a few days off - Hansons viewing day at Etwall tomorrow followed by a sortie to Llandridod Wells for a five course taster menu.
Talking of food, I have been very good for three days, Paleo, I think, and have lost 2lb of unsightly fat from somewhere.
Wherever it was, I didn't want it.

Up the Villa!

Fantastic match - I've learnt everything I know about football from Th, aged 8.9yr.
He is ecstatic!

To get back to reality, summer has arrived!
Forget the temperatures, the swallows arrived on Friday and have been swooping above the top lawn and checking out the nest in the stable.
Time to move the bikes moved to the outside walls and put some paper on the floor.
I thought I heard the cuckoo today, but not sure

A busy few days, an indulgent day on Friday, pottering around Solihull for a few hours before picking up J and Th from school, tea etc.
Saturday was spent in the garden, which is looking quite good, plenty of work still to do on the borders. A suggested trip to the cinema with a friend was put off due to tiredness and aching limbs - I should have had a hot bath  to ward off the latter!
Sunday, walked to church then aimed to walk to Furnace End, to the car boot sale, but gave up and just enjoyed the walk home across the fields.
An afternoon in the garden then friends for a scrummy dinner of roast chicken followed by lemon sponge pudding - the one that separates into a lemon curd base and sponge above.
Today, I delivered mini sponge cakes to friends around about before picking J and Th from school....
I had to shop at JS on the way home, having a "Spend £20 save £3" voucher -salad for dinner and some bottles of "Taste the Difference" wine - always a good bet.

Hot again tomorrow, a day in the garden.
Brill!

Political Shouting Match..........

Started as a debate but getting nasty.
Fiasco time.
It was headlined as a "get at Ed" event, but More of a "needle Nige"
He's easily needled!
Ed has spurned Nicola's advances - how ungallant.
He has thrown down the gauntlet to "call me Dave" to have a one to one debate!
Wow!,

Heavy stuff.

This is relaxing after a few hours of hard work in the garden - I'm not very fit after nine weeks of limited activity and my leg muscles are feeling the strain of bending  and pulling.
However, the garden is not looking too bad as long as you overlook the untended beds.
I'll get there eventually!

A brown bath this morning due to a pump just down the road to make up for a leak in the village.
All well now.
Vacuuming done and Jan round for coffee and a natter, all before lunch.
Bed and Melvyn Bragg beckon.