Ladies who breakfast...

I was up and out of the house by 8:45am this morning to meet Lynda and Fiona for a 10am breakfast booking at The Swan at Salford. We met at Lynda's house in Cogenhoe, and Fiona had elected to drive us to the pub near Milton Keynes. As Andrea lived close by, she was meeting us there.

It was a beautiful morning, and we were looking forward to a good catch-up over a great British breakfast! Our route took us through Olney and towards Milton Keynes, and we passed an area with a lot of building going on and new roads, which upset Fiona's satnav a bit!

We arrived just before 10:00am, and Andrea was already waiting for us. Apart from us, the pub was empty, and as soon as we sat down, I ordered a Flat White from our Australian waiter, while the girls had orange juice.

It was great to catch up with my three friends - I can't remember the last time I'd seen them! Our chat was interrupted by the waiter who took our order: three full cooked breakfasts, and poached eggs and avocado on sourdough toast for Andrea.

The food was beautifully cooked and presented, and we all tucked in!

This was a great thing to do as we still had the rest of the day to be with our families, and three of us had plans for later in the afternoon. We agreed to meet up again in April for another breakfast, but in Northampton, and I said I would find somewhere for us to go.

Before heading home, we went to see Andrea's new house, and we said hello to her partner, Clif. They told us about their very quiet neighbours (they live next to a graveyard) and the one grave which is in a neighbour's garden. This was a criminal, buried just outside the consecrated ground of the churchyard. Andrea's neighbours tend the grave and make sure there are flowers growing around it, which I thought was lovely.

We said goodbye to Clif and Andrea, and Fiona drove us home, this time through Newport Pagnell, Horton and Brafield-on-the-Green. It only took us half an hour, which was great as she was looking at a house with her son at 1:30pm. I was looking forward to going to Market Harborough with Sophie for a drink at The Wine Shed!

When I arrived back, I was delighted to see that Keith and Sophie had set up the new television and had cleaned the TV stand and the corner of the room behind it, which was very dusty! The new television was lovely and had a beautifully clear picture! The old TV was in the garage with all the packaging, and the only problem was that our DVD player no longer worked with the new television. It was quite old, so Keith said he would order a new one. I need to watch my Ever Decreasing Circles DVDs!

Sophie and I drove to Market Harborough, and we had a look in Waterstones first. Sophie bought  The Outside by Albert Camus, a book I'd had to read for my French A-level. I hope she enjoys it.

From Waterstones, we went to The Wine Shed, and we were seated inside. The place was very busy with a noisy table of women next to us. They were enjoying platters of cold meats and cheeses, which looked delicious. Sophie ordered a cheese toastie, as she hadn't had any lunch, and we both chose a glass of wine. My daughter picked a French Merlot, while I opted for a glass of Vouvray.

It was lovely to sit and chat, and we squeezed in a slice of fruit cake with a small glass of dessert wine as a treat. Outside, it had clouded over from this morning, and it began to rain hard as we walked back to the car. Sophie wanted to buy a bottle of No3 London Gin (as drunk by David McCloskey), and after an unsuccessful visit to Majestic, we found one in Waitrose.

Before going home, we popped to the care home to see Mum, who was sitting in the dining room having tea. We took her back to her room and stayed for a chat, but she didn't make a lot of sense, unfortunately. She seems to be having vivid dreams at the moment, which she says are very real.

Back home, it was time to relax on the sofa and read. I had a short nap, and Sophie prepared our evening's meal, Tesco Indian curries with accompaniments. Sophie wanted to watch Newcastle v Liverpool after dinner, even though Keith wasn't keen. We said Newcastle would win, but they didn't, and I don't dare write the full-time score here! Oh dear!

Channelling my inner Howard...

There's an episode in Ever Decreasing Circles when the ordinarily mild and gentle Howard turns into a formidable figure after people assume he's going to lose a snooker match to the main character, Martin. He had been turned down for a job and was fed up with being so nice and not winning at anything. His stern face and demeanour while playing snooker make Martin wonder what on earth has happened to him! And, of course, he wins. It's a hilarious episode, but there is a grain of darkness about the situation, and I channelled my inner Howard this morning when I stayed in my car until almost 8:00am, enjoying my porridge and listening to Radio 2 with Scott Mills. I have missed listening to the Easiest Quiz on the radio! No more going in and starting work so early! What thanks do I get? Sara and Sheila get to go early as they arrive at 7:30am, but I don't!

I also spent much of the morning concentrating on the cinema work I do, and left all the cancellation emails for someone else to tackle. From now on, I might remind Sara and Nicola that I don't have time to do everything I normally do. Ha! How to demotivate a member of staff!

At 4:00pm, I drove home, and it took me fifty minutes to do the commute. I suppose that's better than yesterday, when it took Keith and me an hour to get home. An hour! My journey used to take me thirty minutes on a bad day!

I was mightily glad it was Friday, and although Sophie and I had planned on watching the original Rebecca, we were both put off by the annoying line down the middle of the television screen. In the end, we turned it off and Sophie prepared our dinner of chilli and nachos served with four Mexican dips.

After we'd eaten, we watched both episodes of Alan Carr and Amanda Holden in Corfu. The island is stunningly beautiful and made me want to weep. Fancy living there and renovating houses for a living!

Unwelcome news...

I just had a feeling that offering to help cover a shift today would come back and bite me on the bum... I didn't have to cover the whole shift on the phone, as Kathy had kindly offered to work from 10:00am until 2:00pm, so that was a bonus.

Just before Kathy arrived for work, Nicola called me into a meeting in the conference room with Sara. I immediately felt nervous... had I made a mistake, or were they going to tell me I was being transferred to Everyone Active? Nicola went on to tell me that I would be losing my six hours that I work on Thursday, which initially didn't feel too much of a shock. I had been thinking of giving them up myself after all the hassle we've been going through with the commute and parking, so I was OK. This was, of course, down to us losing three sites from the 1st of April. 

However, when I went to sit back at my desk, I felt a bit miffed. Why weren't these hours protected? Nicola could have made them contracted like the rest of my hours, and to be honest, losing them felt like a bit of a blow. She's asking me to take on more work (Bob, for example) but cutting six hours from my week! And would these six hours really affect the business?

When Keith came to pick me up at 4:00pm, I went on a bit of a rant. I just knew that offering to help out today wouldn't result in any kind of acknowledgement, and I vowed to stop working before my shift started at 8:00am and stop being so amenable. It's not in my nature to do that, but I felt very much as if I had been treated unfairly.

It made me feel miserable all evening, and both Keith and Sophie sympathised with me. It made me think about looking for a new job, something I really don't want to do at my age!

What day is it?

Of course, I had no idea what day it was, and it felt like an old Monday when I used to work with Kathy and Jo!

There were loads of emails to be answered, and Sara admitted to not dealing with them much since Monday. There were even some from Saturday waiting to be dealt with! This kept me busy all day, and the time flew by.

The weather was better today, and I caught a glimpse of light on the horizon when I drove in. I cannot wait for it to be fully light at 7:00am. This winter has been so dark and gloomy!

We had a very easy supper tonight - chicken and salad wraps, which Sophie prepared while Keith and I played cards. We had some delicious ingredients to go in the wraps: lettuce, cucumber, cress, tomatoes, a pepper and radishes. Delicious!

Feeling a little weary!

I had an abysmal night's sleep, and I had no idea what caused it! Maybe it was the coffee I'd consumed yesterday (although I did ask for a decaffeinated flat white in Gail's), but I awoke feeling dreadful this morning. I texted Sara to ask if I could swap my shift today and work tomorrow instead. I also said I would cover a shift from 8:00am until 4:00pm on Thursday. I told Sophie about work, and she let me snooze until she left for work, and then I stayed in bed reading.

The weather outside was horrible, and once I got up, I felt guilty about not going into work today. I showered and then decided to have a look at televisions as ours is not working properly, and we have a lovely bright pink line down the middle. I found one that had good reviews and hadn't got a bad energy rating, and ordered it from Curry's. We were able to pick it up within a couple of hours.

Keith wanted to get his hair cut, so we drove to Mawsley to find the new barber shop closed for the day. I suggested Guy's in Kettering, so we drove there, and I fell asleep while he was having his hair cut! I did say I was shattered!

From the barber's, we drove to Curry's and picked up our new television easily. We'll have to leave it until the weekend to replace it, as I certainly didn't feel like faffing around with it this afternoon, being so sleep-deprived!

On the way home, we called to see Mum, who was in bed. She wasn't expecting me, and she looked very frail and thin. I stayed for a while and then left feeling guilty, as I wouldn't be about to see her again until the weekend.

Back home, I succumbed to my tiredness and had a nap. I woke up feeling better and made a start on preparing tonight's supper of mulligatawny soup. Keith had cut up an onion, a chunk of swede and a carrot for me, as well as dicing slices of bacon, so that was a bonus! I diced an apple and let all the ingredients soften before adding curry paste, mango chutney, tomato pureé and beef stock.

Sophie arrived home as the soup was simmering gently and said it smelled delicious. And it was! I served it with naan bread as usual, and it was perfect for such a cold, rainy night!

After dinner, Keith and I decided to watch Shetland from the beginning as we suspected that there might be a storyline running through all the series. Tosh was in the first episode, looking extremely young!

Celebrity sightings!

Off to London for the day!

It's Mike's 26th birthday today, but he is spending it with Abbie in Nottingham. We've arranged to meet up next week for a meal to celebrate. Meanwhile, Sophie had bought tickets for her and me to see David McCloskey, a former CIA analyst and author of spy thrillers, at Daunt Books in Marylebone. We had decided to head down mid-morning from Kettering train station and spend the afternoon pootling about the area and enjoying ourselves!

We took the 11:19am train from Kettering, which was new to us! Keith dropped us off, and we reminded him that we'd be back just after 10:00pm tonight. The journey to St Pancras was smooth, and we chatted all the way. The carriages were sparsely populated; what a difference to the packed trains to Euston!

We hailed a black cab outside The Renaissance Hotel and took it to Marylebone High Street. First up was a coffee at the new Gail's, and a snack. Sophie actually chose a matcha tea and a ham and cheese croissant, while I settled for a Flat White and a ham and leek mini quiche. This would need to keep us going until our 5:00pm booking at the Austrian restaurant, Fischers, a little way up the street.

From Gail's, we visited our usual haunts: Daunt Books, Oxfam and Bayley and Sage, where I bought myself a bar of soap. We then wandered down to have a look at The Wallace Collection, housed in Hertford House on Manchester Square. 

A plethora of boobs and bums!

There was an exhibition of Caravaggio's Cupid underway, but first we deposited our coats and scarves in a free locker and visited the café for a glass of wine and a bowl of mixed salted nuts.

The café was lovely, set in a covered courtyard in the middle of the building. We lingered over our wine, but as time was getting on, we paid the bill and went down to the lower ground floor for the Caravaggio exhibition. This consisted of a large painting of Cupid and a couple of statues. Not many people were visiting. The painting was at the end of a long, very darkly lit room, and I felt a little uncomfortable gazing at it. It was so obviously a young boy (in fact, Caravaggio's lover Cecco) and was a full-frontal nude. The look on his face was one of impish glee, but I found it all quite disconcerting. We didn't stay long!

Up on the first floor were rooms full of gorgeous furniture, drapes, chandeliers and sumptuous art.

The Wallace Collection was established in 1897 from a private collection, mainly created by Richard Seymour-Conway, 4th Marquess of Hertford. I had a feeling this man liked the nude female form, as there were numerous paintings and erotic miniatures. I had never seen so many boobs displayed in art ever, and I think I've visited a fair few art galleries!

The paintings were stunning, though, and we saw several by artists I'd never heard of, such as Boucher, Fragonard and Greuze. There were a few Canalettos which I recognised immediately, and a Dutch painter that I thought very much resembled Constable or Turner, called Hobbema, famous for his woodland scenes.

Street scenes

It was wonderful to wander around, gazing at the treasures as the light waned outside. Just before 4:00pm, we retrieved our coats and scarves and set off for Marylebone High Street. We picked 31 Below for a cocktail as they were offering their seasonal and classic drinks for just £8 each. We opted to sit outside as we had been gently roasted by the temperature inside Hertford House! The staff put the heaters on for us, and we sat and chatted until 5:00pm, watching the world go by.

A few minutes before 5:00pm, we walked the short distance to Fischers for our booking. It was just getting dark, and the shops and pubs were lit up:

Gail's

We were shown to a table at the back of the restaurant and given menus. It was a gorgeous setting and reminiscent of Vienna in the early 20th century, with tiles and mirrors on the wall, a huge clock and aproned wait staff.

It took us a while to decide what to have for starters, but in the end we opted for a selection of herring (me) and salmon (Sophie). I chose a bottle of French Sauvignon Blanc to accompany the meal, which was priced at an alarming £39.75. The Austrian wines were just too expensive.

We both chose the small schnitzel for a main course, accompanied by spätzle and potato salad (both extra). I chose the lingonberry compote, while Sophie chose the jus Parisienne. An American couple next to us, obviously early in the dating game, conversed loudly, making me laugh when he said his favourite drink was Diet Coke or Pepsi Max... I might have fled at that point!

Our starters arrived, and they were delicious. I made Sophie try my herring and recounted the story of when I first tried them in a remote eaterie near Scrabster in northern Scotland. Keith and I were on a Scottish tour and had stopped for lunch. I ordered egg mayonnaise while Keith chose the rollmop herring, and when I tasted his, I made him swap! The selection I had this evening was sublime and served with pickled vegetables. I must eat herring more often! Sophie's salmon was equally good!

Who is she?

Our main courses were delivered, and the American couple left. We were very glad we'd ordered the "small" version! My potato salad was creamy, and I could detect mustard in the sauce. We gamely tackled our schnitzels, and the wine went very well with the meal. Another couple arrived, and both Sophie and I just knew that they would be at the talk at Daunt Books. This was confirmed when the man said they had to be out by 7:00pm! 

Starters

Mains

Yummy desserts!

We asked the waitress for a little pause before dessert, and a woman arrived in a flurry of hats and scarves, coughing and obviously cold from being outside. I looked at her and recognised her from television, but I just couldn't remember where! I knew it would drive me mad!

She was meeting a friend, and while she waited, we could hear her practising her lines. Sophie didn't know her at all, but I definitely recognised her... who was she?

We saw these two men at the talk as well

For dessert, we ordered Black Forest Gateau (Sophie) and Berggasse (me), a trio of ice-creams with cream and butterscotch sauce. Delicious! We were well and truly stuffed!

Keith had kindly said he would foot the bill for dinner, but it was quite hefty, even with a 10% discount for attending the talk! The restaurant charged a 15% service charge, and I have noticed this beginning to creep into restaurants. The service was very good, but I would hate for the UK to go the way of the US and have tips at 20% or more... If the service had been mediocre, I would definitely have questioned the charge, and I hope it goes to all the staff and isn't kept by the restaurant itself.

Before leaving, we both used the loos, and they were absolutely beautiful, each one individual with its own sink. For some reason, they reminded me of opulent train carriages! I didn't dare go and speak to the actress, especially as I didn't know her name or what she'd been in! I left her in peace to chat with her newly-arrived friend!

It was a short walk back to Daunts, and we were shown to the back of the shop where travel books from Europe are displayed. The area had been set with chairs in rows, and we queued for a glass of wine. In front of Sophie was David McCloskey's wife, very glamorous and blonde. Sophie said she is a political adviser to the Government. She looked very intelligent!

We took our seats, and the talk began. Sophie was beyond excited to see her hero, and the talk was very interesting, mainly about his new book, The Persian. This was his fourth book, and he hinted that there would be a fifth. Towards the end of the talk, they invited questions from the audience, and he came over as a thoroughly lovely man; he was very intelligent and charming, and very good-looking! A veritable James Bond!

At the end, I urged Sophie to go and buy the book and get it signed. The queue wasn't that long, and she was so excited while she waited. David McCloskey had his fair share of weird hangers-on, including one woman who said she'd seen him numerous times before and asked if he remembered her. Er, no!

When it was Sophie's turn to go up, she asked him about Charles Manson and said she'd just finished watching Homeland and would love to work for the CIA! She then finished by asking what his favourite cocktail was... he replied a Gin Martini and told her the measures and the type of Gin he preferred! I think they hit it off!

To say my daughter was on a high afterwards would be the understatement of the decade! She positively floated on air as we went outside to hail a cab to take us to St Pancras!

Eureka!

Before catching our 9:15pm train, we had one last cocktail at The Booking Office. What did Sophie enjoy? A Gin Martini, of course! I had a Negroni, and then we walked swiftly to platform 1 to get our train back to Kettering and reality. What a fabulous day we'd had!

Whilst on the train, I Googled everything I could think of to try and get the actress's name. I then remembered she may have been in Doc Martin, and I hit the jackpot!

She was Joanna Scanlan, a BAFTA-winning actress who had been in lots of TV dramas! Hooray! My quest was over!

We arrived back at Kettering to a somewhat grumpy Keith (and that was before we told him how much the restaurant bill was!) and discovered he hadn't put the heating on at all. The house was freezing! Back down to earth with a definite bump!

A wet Sunday again...

Why is it that Sundays are always wet and cold? Today was horrible, with heavy grey skies and a nasty, cold drizzle.

I had two jobs to do today that I hate: changing the bed and putting a colour on my hair. The results are worth it, though, and I love getting into freshly washed sheets! My hair also looked a lot better when I was finished! Badger be gone!

We pootled about the house, Keith and I had leftover Chinese for lunch, and then Sophie and I went to see my Mum in the afternoon. She had hardly eaten any of her lunch, which was disappointing. She was determined to tell me about a dream she'd had and was a bit rambling today, but it was nice to sit and be with her. I honestly don't know how long she has left.

Back home, I filed my nails and put on a coat of clear nail varnish and had a nap in the living room while Keith watched football. Sophie was eking out her last ever episode of Homeland that she's been watching and was dreading it being over! What is she going to immerse herself in next with Gomez?

Keith had prepared tonight's dinner of roast chicken this morning, and he and Sophie cooked it. I sorted the roast potatoes, but there was too much going on (we had pigs in blankets and stuffing as well), so I retired to the living room and said I would do all the clearing up and do the dishes. Thankfully, there weren't too many cross words!

After we'd eaten, Sophie went to watch the last half hour of Homeland with Gomez, and we were told not to go upstairs. Keith and I watched the last episode of series eight of Shetland, and I think we're going to work our way backwards to the start!

Eyed up by Elon...

It was bliss to have a lie-in this morning and a relaxed start to a three-day weekend! Sophie went to the gym for a run, but struggled to get on a treadmill; it was so busy! 

We both pootled about when she returned, and she took the cats for a walk around the estate. It was bitterly cold today with an icy wind that made venturing out quite unpleasant. I tackled multiple piles of laundry, ordered myself some new clothes for work, and sorted out my underwear drawer. This was a well overdue job, and I unearthed things I'd forgotten I had! I also threw out a lot of stuff. I had several old perfume bottles in the drawer, and I had a feeling they couldn't be recycled with our regular glass. Looking on the internet, I discovered that The Perfume Shop recycles them, so it might be worth a trip to Milton Keynes to take them.

Sophie was meeting friends in Towcester this evening for a drink and a pie (at a pub that specialised in serving them) and had asked Keith and me for a lift. We were more than happy to oblige, and I had booked a table for us at a Chinese restaurant in Towcester, so we were all ready to go by 5pm. It was still a little light, and the sky was a mix of beautiful clouds in greys and blues. We relied on Jeeves to show us the way and to avoid the Queen Eleanor roundabout. He took us along the Brixworth bypass and then over to Harlestone and Duston, where he instructed me to go through Swan Valley on a brand new road. We then turned onto the A43 and came off at Hulcote, leading us straight to a car park off the main high street.

We walked the short distance to The Plough, which was packed! A huge television in the corner was playing rodeos in the US, where mad men were being thrown off bulls! Bizarre! We had a drink while waiting for Sophie's friends, and then Keith and I left to go for a drink at a pub nearby. We picked The Brave Old Oak, which was a bit old-fashioned and a little smelly. Someone had brought in their dog, which never stopped barking...

Just before 7:00pm, we walked to The Rice Bowl and took our seats in the middle of the restaurant. Next to our table was a large fish tank with two koi carp:

The white one did not take his eyes off me all night. I felt so sorry for them just swimming about in the tank without any freedom, poor things.

We decided to order the £36 set menu, which consisted of various starters, followed by crispy duck, and then five dishes for the main course. The restaurant wasn't busy, and a Chinese couple opposite stared at their phones the whole time they were there!

Our starters arrived, but we didn't have any prawn crackers with a sweet chilli dip. The food was OK (seaweed in an edible rice bowl, spring rolls, spare ribs, satay chicken skewers and breaded prawns), but I couldn't help comparing the food to The Han in Market Harborough, which has always been excellent.

There was a long wait before we were served the crispy duck, and we ran out of pancakes before we had eaten all the meat! Sophie had texted me to say her meal was over, but I didn't get the message to say she was on her way to the restaurant. I saw her say goodbye to Becky and Grace outside, and she had no choice but to sit and wait for us to finish our meal! It was now 8:30pm, and we had been in the restaurant for an hour and a half!

Sopihe ordered herself a beer, and we named the fish Donald (the orange one) and Elon. As I said previously, Elon stared at me the whole time we were sitting at the table. If I looked back at him, he'd glance away as if embarrassed, but then return to staring at me. It was a little disconcerting, and I wished I could have kidnapped him and given him a better life.

Our main courses finally arrived, and we think the delay was due to a large party in a room at the back of the restaurant and the number of takeaway orders they were taking. The staff were friendly, and the owner chatted to us about the racecourse at Towcester, but the service was abysmally slow.

Keith and I didn't do justice to the main courses - chicken with broccoli, sweet and sour pork, chow mein, fried rice and a beef and pepper dish, so I asked if we could take it home for lunch tomorrow. The bill came to £104, which was more than I was expecting, and they'd added a 15% service charge. If the staff hadn't been so friendly, I would have disputed it!

We walked back to the car on rain-soaked streets and drove home. Both cats had come in earlier in the day, so we kept them in, much to their disgust. They wandered about, and Mooney had a mad half hour clawing at one of the armchairs and trying to get something that he saw underneath it!

Sophie and I watched Graham Norton from last night, and I sampled another two of my whiskies. I just have two left now!

Thank goodness... it's Friday!

As Keith took me to work this morning, we didn't have to leave until about 7:20am. Sophie hadn't gone to the gym, so she heated up my porridge for me, bless her. Little things like that make all the difference!

We made good time to work, and I waved Keith off before going into the office. I took my lunch bag into the servery, which is going to be our staffroom, and could see that work was progressing. Hopefully, it won't be too long!

I had a busy shift, dealing with all the emails and making more progress on the moan report, as well as putting on the February half-term activities. We had a little discussion in the afternoon about the heating, as Georgie had been in and turned off the ferocious radiators. Consequently, the office was a lot cooler, but Sheila was feeling the cold. Georgie brought in his heater and put it right at the top of the office, which warmed it up beautifully. Perhaps this is the solution? Let's hope it gets Nicola's approval!

At 4pm, Keith and I drove home in heavy traffic. It was bliss to get home, revel in the lovely warm house and look forward to a glass of wine and a film. We wanted to see the original Rebecca, starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine, but we discovered it will be showing next Friday, so we recorded it. Instead, we watched Indecent Proposal starring the gorgeous Robert Redford, Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson. Sophie was a bit disappointed in the ending, but I loved seeing it again. It was a real 90s movie!

Dinner tonight was a very simple affair of baked potatoes and accompaniments, and we were going to stay up and watch Graham Norton until we realised it wasn't on until well past 11:00pm! This was because of the final of The Traitors, which we haven't watched. There's been so much hoohah over the series, maybe we should!

Out of the darkness...

I took myself to work this morning, but Keith has agreed to take me in twice a week so he can do the shopping. Our plan to go on Sunday and Wednesday isn't working out very well! It will also be a relief for me as I won't have to leave so early in the morning, and it will be a more pleasant journey with Keith by my side!

Two meetings were going on today in our boardroom, so lots of people arrived to take part. It was great to say hello to some of my colleagues whom we don't see so much of anymore, including the staff at my old site. The noise level rose considerably as everyone arrived and greeted one another!

 I tackled all the emails and made progress on December's moan report. I will be so glad when that is out of the way for another month!

I left at 2pm, dashed home to see Keith, and then went to see my Mum. She was a lot brighter today, but still looks terribly thin. We sat and chatted and looked at photos of her and Dad on holiday in Greece and the US. They were lovely, happy memories.

I drove home in the gloom, and when Sophie arrived back after work, she said we were now out of the ten darkest weeks of the year, from November 16th until today. Well, hooray for that! I don't mind the cold and wet weather in winter; it's the dark mornings I hate. I honestly cannot wait until it's light at 7:00am and, even better, when Sophie sets off for the gym in sunshine.

On the 20th of February, sunrise will be just after 7:00am, and sunset will be 5:25pm. Not long to go now!

A cosy cup of tea

Sophie went to the gym this morning, but woke me up before she went so I could say goodbye. I went back to sleep and snoozed until 8:00am. Bliss!

Keith went to Tesco while I tackled some chores. I called the Funeral Directors in Kettering to finalise the details for my Mum's pre-paid plan, and then I paid in full, so that was sorted out. I also had to resend my Dad's will and death certificate to his pension company, and I was mightily glad when these jobs were out of the way.

I was meeting Michelle, my friend and neighbour, for a cup of tea this afternoon, and popped around at 2:00pm. She had her log burner alight, and both of her cats were curled up in a basket in front of it. How lovely! Lily came over to say hello and made a real fuss of me, which was lovely! She probably smelled Mooney on me!

We sat and chatted, and it was lovely and cosy in Michelle's living room. Outside, the weather was horrible, with a brisk wind and rain lashing the windows. It was great to catch up with Michelle as I hadn't seen her for a while, and she told me all about her upcoming travel plans, lucky thing! They're off to Iceland soon and hoping to see the Northern Lights.

At 5:00pm, I walked home and relaxed. Keith had prepared the meat and vegetables for tonight's chicken stroganoff, which Sophie made for us. It was a delicious meal, and I just wished I could have taken some into work with me for tomorrow's lunch. I'm hoping the work on our staffroom will be finished soon and we can sit in there instead of at our desks!

After dinner, Sophie and I went upstairs to watch a Netflix documentary about a young girl who had gone missing from her bedroom in Salt Lake City back in 2002. It was riveting, as always, and almost too bizarre to believe!

Bizarre goings on...

Sophie didn't go to the gym this morning as she was concerned about Mooney's foot. There shouldn't be anything seriously wrong with it, but I'll keep an eye on it tomorrow when I'm home.

I took yet another different route to work this morning, the most direct yet, which is along the A43 down to Riverside, and then along the dual carriageway into town. It only took me twenty minutes, so I sat in the car for a while. Sara and Sheila are allowed to leave early as they are in by 7:30am, but this hasn't been extended to me, so I thought, why should I go in and work for free? When I did arrive, I sat and ate my porridge and read my Kindle until 8:00am! Ha!

I had another busy day, and at 11:00am, I had a meeting with the company that supplies Bob, our AI pal. I was shown how to train him, and we talked about a range of FAQs that he could answer, which I will supply. I'm hoping that by doing this, and also continuing to work on the new booking system for our playscheme, I will still have a job!

It took me a while to get out of the hospital grounds again, and I drove home via the A43, which was congested, as usual. I wish I could wrinkle my nose and be home! Keith and I watched the news at 6:00pm and decided to watch Donald Trump's speech from the White House. He came on at about 7:00pm and droned on for over an hour. I am fascinated by him and can't believe the things he comes out with... His speech was so bizarre that we were all helpless with laughter, but he gets away with it!  Why isn't someone censoring what he says? I'm in no way political, but his latest whim to take over Greenland is beyond a joke. Time will only tell what happens!

Keith cooked a delicious chilli con carne for dinner, and we continued watching Trump until 9:00pm, as we had paused his speech while having dinner!

Cats will play...

I've started leaving for work even earlier now, and I'm on the road by 7:00am. I still worry about finding a parking space, which is horrible and overshadows my journey into Northampton.

Sara had been busy while I was away, and there were a lot of emails to deal with. We still haven't heard about our jobs and who is being TUPEd over to Everyone Active, but customers are now starting to ask a lot of questions about what's happening at the end of March.

Today passed very quickly, and I decided to try a different route home for a change. I went via Kingsthorpe and along the Brixworth bypass, but I still ended up getting home at 4:45pm. Tonight, I felt (I know it sounds stupid) as if I had hardly any spare time! Before I knew it, it was 5:00pm, and Sophie was leaving work. I did the usual chores, and we sat and chatted in the kitchen for a while before dinner of beefburgers and salad. 

After dinner, I received a message from a neighbour to say a black cat had been fighting with her cat and wondered if it was one of ours? We hadn't got a clue, but Mooney did come in and start holding up his paw, so it could have been him up to no good... What are we supposed to do, though? There's no way we can keep them in! I messaged the woman back and said we didn't know who it was and that our cats can be on the timid side, so we'll keep fingers crossed it wasn't Mooney! 

Blue Sunday

This morning has been a whirl of washing, unpacking and trying to get clothes dry. Outside, it was a horrible, grey and misty day, and we thought longingly of yesterday's and Friday's blue skies and sunshine.

In the early afternoon, we went to see Mum, who was lying in bed when we arrived. However, she was fully dressed, but her lunch had hardly been touched, and she wouldn't eat any of the chocolates I'd bought for her. It was a depressing visit, to be honest, and I have a feeling she knew we'd been away.

We stayed and chatted, but she didn't mention my birthday or ask what we'd done to celebrate. On the way home, we called into the shop at Mawsley and bought some snacks for lunch, which we ate in our favourite layby overlooking the fields. It was still very misty and grey, and I had the feeling that tomorrow is known as Blue Monday. I can certainly believe that! It should be the law that we keep up outside lights to cheer everyone up in one of the darkest months of the year!

Back home, we pootled about, and Sophie and I played cards. She thrashed me in the first game, but I got my revenge and beat her at every game after that! We had a very simple meal tonight after our busy day, and then it was time to relax a little before an early bed. Work beckons tomorrow!

A birthday trip to Normandy - 14th to the 17th of January, 2026

Homeward bound

We were both up, showered and dressed by 8:00am, and it was still dark! Sophie applied the headlight converters to the car, but I still don't know if we put them on correctly. I didn't get flashed anyway!

We filled the car with petrol at the Carrefour in Creully-sur-Seulles and then followed directions to Caen (or Cayenne Pepper, as we've renamed the city). Even at an early hour on a Saturday, the road through Caen was busy, and we realised that we have an Airbnb booked here for June when we return from Bergerac... We will need good directions and a lot of concentration!

Once onto the autoroute, though, the traffic diminished considerably and soon we were whizzing past the towns we'd visited yesterday. Before long, we were up and over the Pont de Normandie Bridge and looking down at the Seine. Once through Le Havre, we started looking for an aire to stop and have a coffee and breakfast. By now, it was almost 10:00am, and I desperately needed another coffee!

We stopped at the first one we came to, which offered petrol and a café/shop. Being two women on our own, we were a little reluctant to stop at the very basic aires with just loos and picnic tables, but we weren't keen on the one we stopped at and remained in the car. We stopped here last year, and it was an aire that was very difficult to get into! 

Back on the road, the autoroute was empty with only the occasional car and lorry. If only British roads were like this! We decided to stop at the Aire de la Baie de Somme to use the facilities, and then we pushed on to Wimereux, where we'd planned on having lunch. As we neared the coast, the weather, previously grey and very foggy in patches, cleared up a little.

Strange goings on...

Numerous roadworks were going on along some of the stretches of the motorway, and in one section, the right-hand lane was coned off even though nothing was happening. Unfortunately, a duck had somehow got onto the road and was rushing about in a panic. I saw it and hoped it would get out of the way, but it didn't, and I ended up hitting it. There was no chance it had survived, and I felt terrible, but to have swerved to avoid it would have put Sophie and me in danger. There was a car behind me, which must have witnessed it, and for some strange reason, once the road returned to two lanes, the driver came right up behind me but didn't overtake. They just sat right on my rear bumper until I pulled over almost onto the hard shoulder and indicated. They then overtook but were still very close. It was an elderly woman driving, and I was furious that she had driven so close! Luckily, she pulled off at the next junction, but for some reason, in my mind, the two incidents were connected! It wasn't surprising that she had a large dent in one of the rear passenger doors!

The rest of the journey to Wimereux passed without any more drama, and we were soon in the lovely seaside town and pulling into a space on the main street. We walked down to the front to find both Les Oyats and the JFK restaurants closed. It was a gorgeous day, but we couldn't see the English coast as it was swathed in cloud. We decided to try Cap du Nord, another restaurant similar to Les Oyats, and they had a table free. 

The restaurant was busy, and we were seated in a kind of overflow area. We shared a tapas starter of cheese and ham, and Sophie ordered a Welsh complet. I opted for grilled salmon with a Bearnaise sauce and vegetables. We drank a delicious Rosé with the meal.

We were given lots of bread... and butter! Yippee! The starter was delicious, and I enjoyed my main course, but Sophie was bitterly disappointed with her Welsh. She said that even before she started, it had a layer of grease on top, which was a little off-putting. It was served in a cast-iron dish, and it did not meet her expectations at all, which was a shame. It was priced at 18,80 euros, which I thought was over-priced for a slice of bread, ham, cheese and an egg, accompanied by chips.

To get over the disappointment of her main course, Sophie chose chocolate mousse for dessert, while I enjoyed a chocolat Liégeois, which nearly put me into a food coma...! We paid the bill (around 90 euros) and waddled back to the car, stopping to take pics on the way.

We had to be at the shuttle terminal for 3:00pm, so we just had enough time to pop to the Carrefour in Wimille, buy some wine and chocs with the euros we had left and then check in. We picked out five bottles of wine and chocolates for home and work, and we were on our way.

The motorway was typically busy with frantic French drivers, and we made good time to Le Tunnel sous la Manche. We didn't have the option to take an earlier train, but after quickly visiting the loos and driving through the passport controls, we realised we were on an earlier train and surrounded by port staff who were all driving black Kias. A shift must have just finished, and they were on their way home!

I napped for the entire crossing while Sophie read, and we emerged into a very misty and grey England. The M20 and M25 were an almighty shock after the empty roads of France, and we made good time, arriving home at about 5:30pm. 

Keith was pleased to see us, and the house looked lovely, plus it was warm and toasty! I opened my birthday cards and a gift of whisky from Keith and Sophie. It was one of the whiskies I'd enjoyed - Seaweed & Aeons & Digging & Fire (& Overproof). At 50%, I will treat it with respect!

We unloaded the car, cuddled the cats and chatted to Keith about our trip. It had been a thoroughly enjoyable few days away. Now, back to reality!

A birthday trip to Normandy - 14th to the 17th of January, 2026

Coffee by the sea

We both awoke after a good night's sleep, and we were delighted to see blue skies this morning when the sun rose just after 9:00am. While Sophie was getting ready, I took some photos of the house:

Our plan for today was to take a slow drive to Deauville, visit the market, and have lunch. It was a gorgeous day and perfect for a leisurely tour of the Normandy coast.

We drove past the British Normandy Memorial and turned right at a set of traffic lights to take the coast road, the D514. There are some very pretty towns and villages along this route that I would love to explore properly. We liked Courselles-sur-Mer with its marina, and Bernières-sur-Mer, where the owner of our Airbnb lives. 

At Luc-sur-Mer, we found a parking space next to the beach and walked back to a restaurant where people were enjoying a coffee.

We ordered large white coffees and sat back to enjoy the stunning views over the sea. It was a lovely, very friendly place, and there was a great atmosphere of people sitting with their espresso cups. It certainly beat being at work!

After we'd paid the bill, we strolled back to the car along the promenade where several dogs were enjoying the sea. One retriever kept trying to catch large pebbles that his owner was throwing to him!

This was Sword Beach, taken by the British, in an attempt to capture Caen, a few miles distant. It was hard to imagine what it would have been like on June 6, 1944, with the Allied troops arriving, as it was so peaceful now.

House porn...

We drove on, and it was interesting to see this route from the other direction, as we normally drive up from Deauville. We saw the most gorgeous houses, each one making us gasp, and Houlgate, in particular, had an amazing range of beautiful houses, all with steep roofs and interesting features. We had learned that the converted church in Houlgate was being made into apartments, each one costing well over €1 million! Hmmm! So how much were these houses? We loved Houlgate, and it may be a place to stay in the future.

We also loved the beachside houses in Blonville-sur-Mer, which were mostly shuttered up against the elements. I can only imagine how busy this area is in the summer! It was bliss to drive slowly along the coast, and I kept pulling over so people could overtake me.

Serious people-watching

When we reached Deauville, we managed to find a space on the street near the market. It was still going on, which was a bonus as I thought it would have packed up by the time we arrived. Sophie looked for a pair of burgundy corduroy trousers (she bought a black pair last year), but she didn't see any she liked.

We were surprised to find the restaurant we'd been to twice closed until the end of January. It was a good job we hadn't planned to eat there again! We went instead to Brasserie Marion, which was offering a three-course set lunch for 41.50 euros. As we had been quite sensible over the last couple of days, we decided to push the boat out today! Quite a few other diners followed us in, so we weren't the last to arrive!

We were settled opposite the bar and watched as people arrived, with lots of kissing going on. I love the way the French greet each other! Looking at the menu, we chose the same starter - a "tataki" of salmon with sesame seeds. Sophie went with fish again for her main course and chose the Thai cod, while I played it safe and opted for the chicken in a creamy sauce with mashed potatoes. To accompany the meal, I chose a French Sauvignon Blanc.

Our starters were delicious; the fish was raw, served with a beautiful sauce and topped with sesame seeds. I loved my main course, but I don't think Sophie was too keen and had trouble with the noodles in the soup. If I'd chosen the dish, I would have been wearing it!

Opposite us was a family of three, but the father (I assume he was) just had a glass of Champagne and an espresso and then disappeared. The mother and daughter stayed to have oysters and some kind of seafood, with more Champagne. I was dying to see what they'd order for a main course, but they didn't have anything. They went out to smoke instead! The daughter was as thin as a reed, and no wonder!

We managed to find room for dessert - both of us chose chocolate mousse, and it was delicious. It was a great meal and came to about 115 euros, which wasn't bad for the standard of food and service. We walked back to the car, and as we only had half an hour left on our parking ticket, we decided to head to the beach and see if we could have a leisurely stroll. 

It was only a short drive and we found an area where there were parking spaces, and a complex with a toddler pool and bathing huts. The expanse of beach was huge, and we could see the industrial port of Le Havre in the distance. Earlier, on the drive, we'd seen what looked like one of the tall chimneys on fire!

The beach was covered in furrows from a digger, and by the water's edge we could see people racing horses on little carts. A lot of people were out enjoying the sun and a walk along the promenade. 

As both of us needed the loo, we decided to have a drink in a nearby bar. Sophie chose an Aperol Spritz while I chose a Perrier water. It was heavenly to sit by the window and gaze out over the beach and sea. I should imagine this place is heaving in the summer and is known at The Parisian Riviera.

I was able to indulge in yet more people watching: a couple of men outside and a woman talking to the birds, and most fascinating, two women of a certain age who came in, asked for Ginger beer, but were told there wasn't any, and settled for a Perrier water instead. Both of them wore dark wigs which were styled in bunches, which was bizarre as they must have been in their late 60s! I just wish I could have taken a photo of them!

Sophie's Aperol Spritz was 16 euros, but she said there was probably more Aperol in Gomez's wee, and he had never drunk Aperol. She reckoned they'd just wafted the bottle past the glass! OK, yes the drinks were expensive (my small bottle of Perrier was 6 euros), but what a view and location!

Reluctantly, we tore ourselves away from Deauville and set off for Ver-sur-Mer. We followed the coast road until Dives-sur-Mer and then branched off into the countryside, following the same route as we did on Wednesday. At one point, we were driving along a tiny country road when we could see the sea and what looked like a huge gas platform out in the Channel.

Our last night

Once back at the house, we packed and loaded the car as we wanted to be away for 8:00am in the morning. It was then time to relax and I picked out a film called The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones to watch on Netflix. Sophie wasn't keen so she amused herself by cuddling the little grey cat from the house across the road. He climbed up onto her shoulders and nuzzled into her neck, which she loved!

We had a salad for supper again and then it was time for bed. Tomorrow will be a long day!

A birthday trip to Normandy - 14th to the 17th of January, 2026

Fermé!

Both Sophie and I had a good night's sleep and woke at about 8:00am. I had woken a couple of times in the night, but managed to get back to sleep again, which was lovely. It's dark here until about 9:00am!

Sophie wished me Happy Birthday! and we had a coffee each (there is a Tassimo coffee maker here) and then enjoyed a light breakfast. Outside, it was raining, which was slightly disappointing. We hoped it would let up at some point, but at least it wasn't snowing! We were to see more evidence of the violent storm that struck this part of France last week as we drove about today.

We hadn't made any real plans for today, so we decided to head to the British Normandy Memorial nearby, where there was a café. Luckily, we had brought umbrellas with us, so we drove the short distance, but when we entered the vast (empty) car park, it was clear that the café was closed. It wasn't surprising, to be honest. Who in their right mind comes to Normandy in the middle of January?!

I suggested Arromanches, a walk about and a hot chocolate in the hotel we visited two years ago. It wasn't far away, and we drove along the coast. The beach here is Gold, one of the British beaches, and there was a memorial on a headland overlooking the town of Arromanches.

We parked in the centre of the town and walked along the promenade, passing the Marine Hotel where I'd stayed with my parents back in 1988. Of course, most places were closed, but a gift shop was open, and the small hotel on the front was busy with locals.

We could see shells and pebbles on the beach as the tide was a long way out, and the remains of the Mulberry Harbour were clearly visible.

We went into the hotel's café and took a seat in the window. A group of locals arrived and sat around a couple of tables, chatting away, which was lovely. There was a nice atmosphere and our hot chocolate was most welcome!

Mad cows!

After we'd paid the bill, we ambled about a bit more and had another look at a memorial overlooking the sea. A bedraggled couple arrived and put a shell on the wall, along with lots of others. We didn't know their nationality, but they looked British!

Before going back to the car park, we had a quick look in the gift shop, and I think we upset the woman running it as we dripped water all over her floor... she asked us to put our umbrellas into a stand by the door, and then she took a mop and wiped up the wet. Oops! The shop sold local produce, so we bought a spread for toast (with nuts, I think) and a bottle of beer for Keith. There were several bottles of Calvados, but they were very expensive!

When we'd parked the car, we'd noticed a gallery so we decided to go in. What a lovely place it was! The artist was Vanluc and he specialised in brightly coloured paintings of cows! It was a real family affair as he was there, with his wife, and his daughter told us all about the way he worked and the inspiration for the paintings. There were various media, some of which were very expensive, but the gallery also sold postcards, mugs and coasters. We each bought a mug for work, and Sophie bought a postcard and a coaster. We also learned he'd designed the sculpture we saw in the town overlooking the beach.

Fermé... again!

From Arromanches, we took a leisurely drive through the sodden countryside to Creully-sur-Seulles. On the way, we saw several fallen trees, casualties of Storm Goretti last week. For the past two years, we'd stayed in an Airbnb near the town, and it was a place we wanted to explore a bit more. We found a space on the main street, but then realised it was only for an hour. We walked a little way and found a brasserie with people enjoying their lunch, so we walked back to the car, found a space near the chateau and walked back. On the way, we looked at the menus of a hotel, but it was closed!

O Comptoir des Potes was a delightful little brasserie offering a three-course menu for a tad under 20 euros. We ordered a pichet of red wine and gave our order from the blackboards dotted around the restaurant. The place was popular with local workers who were tucking into platefuls of food!

We chose the terrine en croute to start, followed by beef bourguignon, and the food was excellent! The staff were friendly, and one of the waiters asked where we were from in English.

We managed to find room for dessert - an apple tart for Sophie and creme bruleé for me. We were the last to leave (of course!) and paid the bill. It was a thoroughly lovely birthday lunch!

After our lunch, we decided to visit the chateau and learned it was 6 euros to go in. We left the umbrellas in the car, and a man who was clearing away leaves had parked his little truck almost behind our car. In French, he asked if we were leaving and then mimed that we had plenty of space to reverse out. He was so funny!

We walked into the grounds of the chateau, and it looked very much closed up! I was able to use a damp loo, but there was no sign of life anywhere!

We ambled about and then drove to the brocante shop further along the high street. I was worried it would be closed, but it was very much open and just how we remembered it from last time - dusty, dirty and a complete mish-mash of junk. We did see a couple of beautiful armoires, but I think we would have had difficulty getting them home, balanced on top of the car!

We had a good look, and I spotted a lovely blue plate with the inscription:

"Aprés la soupe, un verre de bon vin, épargne une visite de médecin." After the soup, a good glass of wine saves a doctor's visit! That pretty much sums me up!

This time we went up to another floor and could hear somebody ferreting about... we discovered it was a woman looking at a pile of dusty old books. Was she a ghost? What a strange place!

Sophie picked out four lovely pink glasses, and we went to pay - 15 euros for the lot! Outside, their van was parked opposite, and we could see old furniture in the back. They obviously do house clearances, and it seems to be all bunged into the brocante any old how!

We made one last stop before going back to the Airbnb, a trip to the nearby Carrefour to buy more Cracksters and two gooey cakes to enjoy with our Champagne later. Well, it was my birthday!

A relaxing evening

Back at the house, we relaxed, and we both had a nap on the sofa for half an hour. At about 6:00pm, we opened the Champagne and settled down to watch another Netflix documentary about two French pilots who had been jailed in the Dominican Republic for drug-smuggling. Again, it was very interesting and there was more to the story than we originally thought.

Before we watched the last episode, we enjoyed a light salad with a slice of ham, and then we ate our deliciously gooey cakes, which were like large profiteroles. Yum! What a lovely end to a great birthday!

Cheers!