Sophie had an appointment at 11am for an acupuncture session in Wollaston, so we said goodbye to Abbie and Mike and set off on wet roads to the village near Wellingborough. Sophie's Apple Maps took us via Sywell, Mears Ashby and Wilby and we turned onto roads that crossed the Nene Valley. We drove over a bridge and the river looked very high. Further on was a flooded area of fields, which I at first mistook for the river again!
We found the centre easily and I went into the treatment room with Sophie. The woman practitioner asked Sophie lots of questions to get her overall history and questioned her about her diet and lifestyle. Sophie then lay down on the bed and the woman inserted several needles into her ankles, arms and head. She then had to relax for about twenty minutes.
Another appointment was arranged for Thursday at 1.30pm so Sophie will take an extended lunch break from work. The woman suggested six sessions at first, which will work out at £300, but if they help Sophie to feel better every month, it will be money well spent! She advised Sophie to cut down on bread and wine and eat cheese in moderation. She seemed to think that our recent cheese-fest in France may have contributed to Sophie's terrible headache last week.
We left at 11.30am and I suggested brunch at Castle Ashby. We grabbed one of the two free tables and chose what we wanted to eat. I chose a sausage sandwich on sourdough bread and Sophie was delighted to see shakshuka on the menu.
It was great to linger over our brunch, and after we'd eaten we wandered around the small shops. There seemed to be a lot of new ventures and Sophie treated herself to a pair of earrings in a gorgeous clothing shop run by a friendly woman who was happy to chat with us and offered us a sweet! We also bought some goodies from the delicatessen, including cake, Comté cheese (!) and a sausage roll for Keith.
Leaving the lovely village behind we drove home, noticing how many of the trees had changed colour, most of them a beautiful orange or red. It really was very Halloween-like! There were leaves everywhere and if this storm happens, no doubt more will be carpeting the roads and verges.
Back home, we tidied and cleaned the kitchen and Sophie hoovered downstairs. I had a little nap and then we decided to take Mooney for a walk around the estate. At the top green, we met Lynn who is the local font of knowledge and a Parish Councillor. She and her husband were measuring the green as they intended to take back the maintenance of the trees and bushes again. Lynn and a small team of volunteers had been looking after our two greens a few years ago until the Parish Council put the maintenance out to tender and they had been sorely neglected.
We had a long chat while Sophie and Mooney played on the grass. I asked if she knew who had bought several fields next to our estate and I was relieved to hear it was another farmer who already owned fields near Walgrave. What a relief! The stunning views we have from our upstairs windows will be safe!
Lynn told me about a protest group formed to stop acres of land near us being given over to solar panels, and I said I'd wanted to go to the information session next Saturday, but I was working. This huge development is due to affect several villages in our area and there is strong opposition to the plans.
Lynn knows everyone, and everyone knows her, so it was great to stand and chat and say hello to neighbours who drove or walked past. Mooney was having a great time cavorting on the green and sniffing all the bushes!
The rain of this morning had disappeared to be replaced by blue skies and sunshine. It was a perfect Autumn day!
We said goodbye to Lynn and returned home for a cup of tea and a slice of cake. I had bought a small fruit cake for Keith and me to share, while Sophie indulged in Guinness cake. Delicious!
We played Scrabble and Sophie beat me by seven points, so not a disgrace! We enjoyed a lovely dinner of steaks in an onion gravy served with very thin French fries and green beans.
After we'd eaten we chose to watch Casino Royale, a film we never get tired of. Both Sophie and I swooned over Daniel Craig and Mads Mikkelson - what a pair of gorgeous men!
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