Back to normal

Things were back to normal this morning; Sophie went to the gym, and Keith took me to work so I didn't have to worry about parking!

I walked into far fewer emails than we've been receiving recently, and by 4pm, the hundred cancellation ones were done (by Jaden and me), and we were down to just a handful in the normal inbox. The phone calls have also dried up, so that's a bit worrying... I'm thankful I still have jobs to do, but I think Sara will stop looking for cover on a Monday, and it will be just Kathy and me on the phones. Nicola asked if I wanted to take the minutes at a meeting in July when Sara is off, and I jumped at the chance. We're all hoping that our new gym on Brackmills will be up and running in early June and provide more work!

Keith and I pootled home via Overstone; anything to avoid the dreaded A43, which now bears a patchwork of repairs after it was closed at night over the weekend. It was my turn to cook tonight, and Keith had prepared the vegetables and the mince for me. I made a savoury crumble topping, and then it was time to relax for half an hour before cooking dinner.

Masterchef started tonight with Anna Haugh and Grace Dent, and Sophie and I were looking forward to it. We watched it on iPlayer before our dinner, and already we have a contestant crying, two saying their food is inspired by parents and grandparents, a couple of crumbs, a tuile and a gel!

An early morning shock!

As we hadn't eaten dinner last night, Keith didn't go shopping, so I took myself to work. I called into a Tesco store on the way to buy myself some lunch and didn't get to the car park until 7:30am. There was not a space to be had! I was shocked! Luckily, directly opposite our office is a small car park and I was able to leave the car there! Phew! That was a close call!

The rest of my working day passed uneventfully, and I took a different route home, via Kingsthorpe and Brixworth, for a change. It didn't take too much longer, and it was far more pleasant!

We had used up our eggs yesterday, and I needed one for tonight's meal, so I asked Sophie to get some on her way home from work. The small Waitrose in the fuel station didn't have any, so she bought three packs of chicken fillets in a sauce instead (for a small mortgage), and we decided to scrap the meal we were going to have altogether. Another day!

 

The chicken fillets were delicious (in some kind of barbecue sauce) and lovely served with new potatoes, asparagus and peas. By now, I was back to my old self, but Sophie still felt a little queasy.

After dinner, Keith and I watched the last episode of The Capture, and we were suitably satisfied with the ending. I think there may be a series four!

Feeling a little fragile!

We went to bed very late last night, but I had a terrible night's sleep, and felt nauseous for some reason. It definitely wasn't alcohol, as we'd stuck to wine, but I was wondering whether it was the heavy meal of lasagne, followed by the creamy dessert?

I woke up feeling out of sorts, so all plans to get a lot done today went out of the window! Sophie felt the same, so we drifted about the house, feeling a bit yukky and guilty for not doing anything! I ate beans on toast for breakfast, and the nausea came back, so we decided to skip dinner tonight and keep it light on our tummies. Keith said he also felt a bit fragile, and he didn't go to the evening, so perhaps we had had a bit of a run-in with a bug?

I spent the afternoon transcribing more of my Nepal diary and created a separate blog for it, so I can share it with the Encounter Overland Facebook page. I'm hoping that the people in the group will find it interesting! I also did several loads of laundry, so the day wasn't completely wasted.

Sophie had a lovely afternoon reading in the sunny conservatory with Mooney, and I felt a lot better after I'd had a nap and caught up on some of my lost sleep!

We had a very light supper - egg on toast - and had an early night. It's back to the routine tomorrow!

A sociable Saturday!

I had arranged to go out for breakfast with friends Andrea, Fiona and Lynda this morning, and had volunteered to drive to The Wavendon Arms, near Milton Keynes, where we had a 10:00am booking.

We all met at Lynda's house in Cogenhoe, and it only took about half an hour to get to the pub. It was a gorgeous day, but too chilly to sit outside! We took our seats inside and, while we waited for Andrea to arrive, ordered coffee and tea.

Once Andrea was seated and we had ordered more drinks (another flat white for me, as it was a tiny serving!), we had a good look at the breakfast menu. I chose the traditional full English, Lynda opted for the vegetarian version, and Andrea and Fiona ordered combinations of scrambled or poached eggs, toast, bacon, and smoked salmon.

We had a great chat, and it was lovely to see everyone again and hear their news. The food was good and plentiful, and the pub was pleasantly busy with early diners. We paid the bill, a reasonable £25 each, and said goodbye to Andrea before returning to Cogenhoe the same way. The weather was still glorious, and the countryside was looking beautiful.

I said goodbye to Lynda and Fiona and drove home. I couldn't believe my eyes when I turned left at the Holcot roundabout to head down to the village, as there was one long continuous line of cars and vans leaving the car boot sale. Anyone caught up in it would have been severely delayed!

Sophie was ready and waiting for me when I arrived home for our planned visit to Homesense in Northampton. I wanted to get two new lampshades for the living room, another bottle of white for tonight's wine do at Michelle's, and a small gift for her.

The traffic leading to the St James retail park was horrendous, so we decided to abandon our trip. It's much better if I can go on a Wednesday, and a lot quieter! Sophie hadn't had any lunch, so we drove to a Subway outlet on Brackmills, and she bought herself a chicken salad and some cookies to enjoy at home later. She had pre-ordered the meal, and while we sat and waited, we watched a crowd of boys on BMX bikes take over a large part of the car park with their bikes. They were all wearing big, bulky helmets, so they were being sensible, at least!

Sophie ate her salad while I drove to White's Farm Shop near Earls Barton, where I hoped to buy another bottle of white wine and some chocolates or flowers. I spotted a bottle of French Chardonnay with a pencil-drawn picture of rustic barns, which appealed, and also bought Michelle a set of three pretty candles. We'd spotted a homewares shop when we parked, so we had a quick look at the lovely, quirky shop, and I treated myself to a bar of honey soap. It smelled gorgeous!

Back home, we relaxed, and I had a nap before our evening out. We both freshened up, and I wrapped our two bottles of white wine in foil to disguise them. Keith was looking forward to his fish and chips and an evening of sport!

We walked to Michelle and Richard's house at 7:00pm, and were closely followed by Paul and Sharon. There was a flurry of greetings, and we congregated in the kitchen for a glass of fizz and Chambord with an added raspberry. The two cats, Hector and Lily, eyed us a bit warily!

We decided to start the wines with one of Paul and Sharon's rosés, followed by our two whites, then the second rosé and, lastly, Michelle and Richard's two reds. After nibbling on crisps, we sat down at the dining room table and enjoyed a chicken lasagne with salad and garlic bread.

The foil-wrapped rosé was brought to the table, and we all loved the delicate pink colour. Paul asked about how rosés were made, and I explained that you can make white wine from red grapes, but not red wine from white grapes! We all said the rosé was delicious, and it was revealed as Kylie Minogue's wine! Richard then kept score of both the label and the wine to see which would be the winner, which was noisy and hilarious as we all gave our scores and reasons.

Next up was the French Chardonnay that Sophie and I had bought today. I could hardly detect any aroma on the nose, and the taste wasn't much better, either! It cost £12.89, so I was very disappointed and said so. It certainly wasn't typical of a creamy Chardonnay. 

After the Chardonnay, we tried the Gary Barlow Sauvignon Blanc, and I began to think I had lost my sense of smell and taste, as this was bland as well! Everyone laughed when we revealed the label and Richard pointed out the piano keys on the label, which were G and B. A bit narcissistic! 

The least liked label - Gary Barlow - and the best

I was very disappointed with both wines, which amounted to £20... we should have just taken a Vouvray and a New Zealand Pinot Gris!

The second rosé was slightly dry and one I wouldn't rush to buy, but it was in a gorgeous bottle that we all loved handling. By now, Michelle had served a lemon cheesecake, which was delicious. 

We then poured the first of the reds, an Italian Montepulciano, which was too tannic and dry for me. Sharon wasn't keen either, and I had to persuade her to at least try the wine. B y now, it was noisy, and there was a lot of laughter around the table as we all chatted and enjoyed the evening. Lily had made an appearance and kept brushing against my legs, bless her, so Michelle picked her up, and we had a cuddle.

The last red was a Portuguese, and both Sophie and I loved it. Michelle and Richard said they hated the label, but we thought it was beautiful! It came from Aldi and was priced at about £6.50. This is one we will ask Keith to get the next time he's in the supermarket!

Richard added up the scores, and Gary Barlow's label was awarded the worst, with the Italian the best. Kylie's rosé was the most popular wine! I was astounded to see it was almost 1:00am, so we said our goodbyes and walked the very short distance home. Sophie then had a terrible job of getting Gomez in. He was out with Cora, Lynn's cat, and it took all of her powers of persuasion to finally entice him into the house for bed!

A quiet Friday

I drove myself to work this morning, and as the emails are not coming in quite so thick and fast, I was able to complete other jobs, such as putting on the May playscheme places, an NPLQ course and tidying up all the cinema box office returns spreadsheets. I also wrote a list of Frequently Asked Questions for BOB, who is returning to work soon and will have a different role!

Our small suite of offices was deserted today, as Nicola had taken a day off and Sara had gone home early. None of the senior management team was in, so it was blissfully quiet! I sped home at 4:00pm and relaxed until Sophie arrived about forty-five minutes later. We opened the bottle of Greasy Fingers to go with the chilli. I'd read Michelle's message properly and realised we had to take two bottles of white wine tomorrow night... one of a label we liked, and one of a label that didn't appeal! It was a good job that I checked!

The red was delicious, and despite its unappealing name, we'll certainly buy it again! Our film choice for tonight was Definitely, Maybe starring Ryan Reynolds and Rachel Weisz. It was perfect for our Friday evening!

After a delicious chilli con carne, we watched two episodes of Alan and Amanda in Sicily. Bring on the weekend!

FOMO and Bill

Keith took me to work this morning, and I had another busy shift dealing with emails. The phone calls have definitely lessened, and it's noticeably quieter, which is a bit of a worry. 

At 2pm, Keith collected me, and I dropped him off at home before going to see my Mum. She seemed OK today, but was a little tearful at the end of my visit and said she missed going out. I suggested going out for a cup of tea next Wednesday, but then she didn't seem keen. I do worry about going out with her as she is so unsteady on her feet, and I dread her having a bad fall and ending up in the hospital. It made me feel guilty but also a little sad that we can't go out and enjoy tea and cakes as we used to.

Back home, we didn't have any supper to sort out, as it was fishcakes and mash, so it was a relaxed evening, playing cards and chatting around the kitchen island. Sophie and I shared a bottle of French wine that was a hybrid of an orange and a Rosé. It was perfect for our fishy supper!

Later in the evening, we renamed the cats... Mooney is now FOMO (fear of missing out) while Gomez is (Baldie) Bill. Gomez has patches of baldness under his chin and on his legs, and he came in at the same time as Mooney went out to have a cuddle with us. We then saw Mooney staring at us from the door of the conservatory, and it was obvious he wanted to come back in, for fear of missing out! They are indeed a special pair!

Pottering about!

I didn't have any plans today, so it was lovely to potter about, doing small but necessary jobs. I wanted to get the en-suite shower cubicle cleaned, and another exciting job: cleaning out the fluff from the tumble dryer filter. Yes... I know how to enjoy myself!

There was satisfaction in finally doing the jobs that I'd been putting off, and I put out some feelers for help with replacing the under-cupboard lights in the kitchen and cleaning the oven. The last time I cleaned the oven, I burned my arms with the corrosive substance I used, and we have to virtually lie on the floor to get the bottom oven cleaned properly, so I refuse to do it again. 

So, I pottered about, Keith made me eggs on toast for lunch, and I just took my time and crossed off a lot of chores. I also did the usual Wednesday jobs, such as the shopping list, lunch and breakfast for work tomorrow.

Keith had already prepared the onion and pepper for tonight's meatballs and pasta, which Sophie had agreed to cook when she got home from work. Keith refuses to eat meatballs, so he had bought himself a beef pie for dinner.

Before Sophie ventured into the kitchen, we watched the first episode of Missed Call starring Joanna Scanlan, who had been sitting at the next table to us in Fischer's restaurant, London, back in January.  

The plot sounded promising: a 17-year-old girl on a French exchange visit goes missing after calling her Mum (Joanna Scanlan) in the middle of the night. We persevered, but after about half an hour, we gave up. We both agreed that the acting wasn't very good and it all seemed a bit unrealistic! I was disappointed, to be honest, but never mind!

Before dinner, we had a sudden, torrential downpour of rain and gusty winds, and we managed to get Mooney in, who must have been sheltering under one of the cars, as he wasn't that wet, bless him. Sophie started the dinner, and I opened the kitchen door to let some fresh air in, and heard a lot of sirens outside, something that is very unusual for our area. I then smelt burning, and realised that Sophie had put Keith's pie in the oven, but had turned on the grill by mistake! The top was completely black! We had to scrape all the burnt bits off and then put it back in the oven! I later found out that the sirens were from fire engines attending a fire in a field between Walgrave and Hannington. Drama indeed! 

After dinner, Keith and I caught up with another episode of The Capture, and that seems to be going a little far-fetched as well!

The wormy ones...

Keith took me to work today, and I stopped off on the way to treat myself to a Tesco meal deal lunch, as we had almost nothing at home. I bought myself a sandwich and a bag of Easy Peelers to enjoy as well.

I was dreading Nicola coming into work, and at first, she had a coughing fit so bad that I thought she was going to make herself sick! I disappeared to the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee, and thought back longingly to the afternoon when Sophie and I sat outside the Whispering Pines house and read our books in peace and quiet. Unfortunately, I need to work to afford things like this!

Luckily, she wasn't so bad for the rest of the morning, and then took a half day in the afternoon. Sara and I concentrated on the cancellation emails and managed to get them down to just over 200. The light at the end of the tunnel is in sight!

At 4:00pm, I rejoined Keith, and we drove home in heavy traffic. The schools are well and truly back now, and Easter is just a distant memory.

Sophie was overjoyed to find Gomez on her bed when she got home, and unusually, he stayed upstairs until after we had eaten. Sophie asked us to be quiet as she didn't want to wake the beast, but he came downstairs just as Keith and I were watching The Capture, which was very noisy (Frank Napier was using awful sounds to torture the new commander of SO15!).

Sophie then noticed that Gomez had worms... just what she needed this evening. She refused to let him out, and we had to catch him and make sure we applied the worm treatment to the back of his neck. After we'd applied it, he jumped off the barstool and shot us a look of pure loathing. And I mean, loathing! It was almost as if he'd spoken to us!

She then fretted about getting Mooney in and spent most of her evening up and down the stairs instead of relaxing. She hadn't gone to the gym this morning because she'd pulled a muscle in her leg, so that didn't help! Keith and I were riveted to the television, watching The Capture, so we weren't much help, either!

Mooney came in and had the same treatment, with the same results! He refused to come near us and ran off! I wish I could make them understand that it's for their benefit!

Irritations!

I had a real "ugh" feeling when Sophie woke me at 6:00am, but I know for a fact that Friday will come around again very quickly!

I took myself to work and chatted with Sara, who had returned after a couple of days off last week. We both believe that the emails are finally slowing down now, and today was the first day that we would really be able to tell how busy the phones would be, as the children are (mostly) back at school.

Nicola was exceptionally noisy today, and I really had a hard time working with the background of hacking coughs, sniffs, sneezing and loud yawns. As she now sits just behind me, the irritation was immense. Thankfully, I could use my loop earplugs to block out a lot of the noise, but why not just use a tissue? She's an adult woman, for heaven's sake, not a toddler! It was bliss to leave at 4:00pm and escape to the quiet of my car!

Keith had prepared dinner tonight and chopped up all the vegetables for the bubble and squeak. We cooked the Yorkshire puddings separately, and he carved the chicken. Before we ate, we played cards with our new Ypres playing cards. They are different to the ones we normally use, with V for Jacks, D for Queens and R for Kings. The aces are also marked as "1"!

After dinner, Keith and I indulged in a new episode of The Capture from series 3, which ended last night. It looks very promising!

Busy Sunday!

After coffee and a Wordle-off, I tackled a job I'd been meaning to do for ages - sort out our bed linen and store it all in a chest of drawers we have in the bedroom, rather than in the bed divan drawers where it is now. I hadn't got a clue what bed linen we had, so I sorted it all out and then transferred it to the chest of drawers, where it's more easily accessible. Several photograph albums took the place of the linen, as I don't get those out every week!

I found these two loose photos:

Mum and I - I'm about 19

Mum and I on a boat trip in Spain - I'm 12

Once this job had been done and I'd hoovered upstairs, we put the curtains back in the living room. While we were doing this, Sophie was preparing the vegetables for lunch. She'd asked if we could have roast chicken today, and Keith was more than happy to agree. Me, not so much!

Putting the curtains back wasn't as much of a chore as I'd imagined, and they smelt lovely from the laundry detergent! By about 12pm, everything was prepared, and the chicken went into the oven, stuffed with a lemon! Sophie cracked open a bottle of Cremant d'Alsace, and we had a pre-lunch aperitif. Now this, I did enjoy!

We sat down to eat at 3:00pm after a lot of hard work in the kitchen, and we all contributed. As well as the roast chicken, we had roast spuds, red cabbage, Brussels and bacon, roast parsnips, cauliflower and broccoli cheese, stuffing, Yorkshire puddings and bacon-wrapped chipolatas. Phew! The meal was delicious, and there was enough for squeaky bubble tomorrow and the other half of the chicken.

After clearing away, washing up and loading the dishwasher, Sophie and I relaxed in the conservatory with Mooney. We read our books and revelled in the warm sunshine streaming through the windows. Bliss! We even nodded off at one point. I loved looking up to see the fluffy, white clouds lazily drifting past.

In the evening, we watched Beyond Paradise, and it was a great end to a busy weekend! Back to work tomorrow!

Curtain catastrophe!

I went with Sophie to the gym this morning and sat in the car while she did a half-hour run. She had promised me a smoothie when she came out, and it was delicious. Virgin have introduced an incentive so that if she goes four times in a week, she gets a free drink, either a hot drink or a smoothie. It's certainly making her attend almost every day! She chooses a peanut butter smoothie, and I can understand why she goes now!

We returned home, and we noticed that the living room curtain pole was leaning at a weird angle! I had pulled on the curtain yesterday, and must have pulled the bracket away from the wall. We took the curtains down, and Keith had to drill new holes and attach the brackets again. It wasn't really what I wanted to do! This, of course, made me have a look at the curtains, which needed washing, and I hoovered the area above the curtains, which was cobwebby, and then I noticed how shabby the two lampshades were! One small thing leads on to many other jobs!

I had asked Sophie to make Mary Berry's panang chicken for dinner, so she prepared all the vegetables and the chicken while I helped Keith, who was balanced precariously on a ladder and drilling holes. With the curtains down, the whole room felt so exposed!

In the afternoon, Sophie and I went over to Tesco, and I bought my Mum some toiletries and chocolates, and we both bought our wine for an upcoming Wine Night next Saturday. We were given instructions to choose a wine with an off-putting label. I chose an Australian wine called "Greasy Fingers"... yuk! Sophie chose a Sauvignon Blanc with Gary Barlow's name emblazoned on it! I also bought a bottle of Grenadine to use in a cocktail tonight.

We visited Mum for an hour, and she was delighted with her toiletries and chocs. It was then home to relax for a little while until cocktail hour! Sophie made us both vodka blushes, from the novel and film, Rosemary's Baby. She added some egg white to the mix, and the result was delicious! We played cards before Sophie cooked dinner, and it was as good as always, with enough left for lunches on Monday.

Our viewing choice this evening was an Indie film called Martha Marcy May Marlene, about a young woman who escapes a sinister cult, and finds it difficult to go back to normal life when she reconnects with her sister. Keith wasn't impressed, so he sat on the computer, but Sophie and I enjoyed it, even if the ending was a little abrupt!

The end of another week!

Sara was off again today, but Kathy arrived before 9:00am, so I had some company! I had another busy day, dealing with annoying emails, which now seem to be mostly about refunds! It never ends...

It was lovely to escape at 4:00pm and join Keith in the car park. It was great to look forward to a quiet weekend with not a lot planned. Hooray! I love Friday nights!

Keith went to the pub this evening, and Sophie and I opened her bottle of Taittinger Champagne. Although we love the Aldi Champagne, you can certainly taste the difference! We nibbled on the mini cheeses we'd bought in France, cracksters, and watched Race Across the World. Sometimes I wish Friday nights could go on forever!

Keith had made himself celery and Stilton soup, so he had that for dinner, while Sophie and I tucked into quiche and pizza with salad and potato wedges. We watched a hilarious episode of Have I Got News For You (there's a lot to talk about at the moment!) and then an episode of Alan and Amanda renovating two houses in Sicily, which they bought for 1 euro each! We can dream!

On my lonesome

I was all on my own at work today, until Nicola came in at about 9:00am. I could hear our lovely cleaner moving about, but this office is much more isolated than our old one, when people were always popping in and out.

I cleared a lot of emails and then tackled the moan report for March, just for the sites we were keeping. It took me a lot less time to do! At 2pm, I hurtled off home, said a quick hello to Keith and then went to see my Mum, taking some chocolates that I'd bought in France.

She seemed OK today, and we sat and looked at old photos on my phone until I left at about 4:00pm. While I'd been visiting Mum, the weather had changed, and a chilly wind was blowing. The sky turned dark, and I was convinced we'd have rain, but the clouds moved on. How different from yesterday! 

One of the photographs I'd looked at was a Martini glass, so I asked Sophie to make me one tonight. She used up the last of our Number 3 Gin, and the drink was just what I had fancied. I cooked dinner tonight, a very simple chicken and chipolata traybake with lots of vegetables and cous cous. Delicious!

After dinner, Keith and I watched the last episode of series 2 of The Capture. The third series is on now and finishes on Sunday. It's been very enjoyable!

Getting jobs done!

I waved Sophie off to the gym this morning and had a little lie-in before enjoying a coffee. There were two jobs I had to get done today: get the VW cleaned as it was filthy, and replace the rear windscreen wiper, which has been annoying both of us for weeks!

Keith went shopping, but before he went, he ordered a new wiper on Amazon for delivery today! I pootled about, catching up with jobs and trying to stay cool. Today is supposed to be the warmest of the year so far, with some parts of the UK hitting 24 °C! Phew! It was a beautiful day, and warm and sunny, but it's best not to get complacent; it can all change again soon!

We decided to take the VW through the carwash in Market Harborough, and it emerged gleaming once we had travelled through the automated system. We drove home, and I had a lovely hot shower and did some foot care to round off the afternoon. 

Before Sophie arrived home, I did a little searching on the internet for a family I'd known when I was about five or six. They were from the US, and the father worked on a US air base in Upper Heyford on the Northamptonshire/Oxfordshire border. Why they came to live very close to us is a mystery, when there were other towns - Bicester, Brackley, Towcester - much nearer. It was my first taste of US living, and I vividly remember the barbecues they used to have, my first sip of 7Up and visiting the base where everything was strange and new. I did a search, but I didn't get anything at all, so it may be a challenge!

Back to reality!

I waved Sophie off to the gym this morning, and after a quick coffee, got ready and left for work at 7:00am. It was just Sara and me in the office until Jo and Angela came in, and we set to work and tackled all the emails that had arrived over the last four days.

Predictably, the phones went mad at 10:00am, and I would estimate 75% of them were about swimming at one of the centres we no longer run. All I kept hearing Angela and Jo say was, "I'm sorry, we don't run those centres anymore." Customers had been Googling the number and coming up with ours, as Everyone Active doesn't have a central contact centre.

At 4:00pm, we walked out of the building into bright sunshine, and when I got to the car, I couldn't find my phone... What is wrong with me at the moment? I knew I'd put it in the pocket of my cardigan, but I couldn't find it. I went all the way back to the office to see if I'd left it on my desk, but it wasn't there either! Back at the car, I found it in one of the pockets of my cardigan after all. This comes hot on the heels of a) losing my purse on Friday, b) losing two chargers for my phone and laptop on Sunday, only to find they were in one of the overnight bags, which I'd searched twice, and c) leaving my handbag behind yesterday. I am a little worried!

I had a frustrating journey home, bit Keith's head off when he asked for help with something, and then felt guilty! Oh dear! I need to go back to France!

We had an easy supper of cold meats, salad and new potatoes and watched two episodes of The Capture. Let's hope tomorrow is more pleasant!

Bagless and footsore in Oxford - the celebrations continue!

I was up at 6:45am, enjoying a coffee and putting the first wash into the machine. I also tidied the kitchen and put some more stuff away. We took so much baggage with us for just three days!

The rest of the family gradually woke up, and I unpacked the small suitcases we'd taken with us and sorted out yet more washing. This was to be Keith's job today, as Sophie and I were going to Oxford and having afternoon tea at The Randolph Hotel as a birthday treat.

We left at about 10:30am and took Olive to give the poor VW a rest today! The traffic was heavy around the Towcester roadworks, and we queued to get onto the A34 going into Oxford. It was a beautiful day, and we were looking forward to a coffee at Gail's, cocktails in The Morse Bar, and then afternoon tea in the Drawing Room.  

We parked at the usual Park and Ride car park, and when I leaned in to get my handbag from the back seat, it wasn't there... I realised that I'd left it in the VW when I'd moved the car out of the way. I was shocked I'd left it at home, and then worried that someone would see it when Keith went to Tesco to do a shop. We couldn't get hold of Keith, so I just had to hope it was in the car! It felt weird and horrible to have no bag, no purse and no phone (unsually, I'd put my phone into my bag rather than keep it between the two front seats). It meant Sophie had to pay for everything, which I felt terrible about.

We jumped straight onto a bus and alighted one stop earlier than usual to walk to Gail's, which is tucked down a quiet side street. The enticing array of delicious foods made our mouths water, and we chose a ham and cheese croissant, two different baked custard tarts, an iced matcha and a flat white.

We sat outside in the sun, and it was lovely. I'd worn a short-sleeved dress, but I'd donned a pair of heeled boots to wear with it, and they weren't that comfortable! The decision proved to be a real problem today! Sophie disappeared inside to get us more drinks, and I emptied a plate of crumbs from the croissant onto the pavement for the pigeons who were pecking about. They ate everything, and a couple more arrived, which was a bit alarming as I had visions of flocks of pigeons descending! However, they pecked away and cleared up all the crumbs, and then one flew onto my shoulder! I jumped and brushed it off and was then worried it had pooed on me! That would just about have made my day! Sophie wasn't around to witness it, but I did feel as if the pigeon was saying thank you!

After our drinks, we bought a block of cheese in a branch of the Jericho Cheese Company, and then had a good look around a wine shop. The owner asked if we needed any help, but we just wanted to look, which I think annoyed him. What is it with men running wine shops? (apart from Duncan, of course!) I complimented him on the range of wines and spirits he offered, but he just grunted at me!

We ended up buying two bottles of wine - a Vouvray and a German Pinot Noir - and walked up to the main thoroughfare to visit an Oxfam bookshop and another that was selling brand new books for as little as £5. Of course, Sophie bought two!

We made the decision to go to the Morse bar for a drink as I didn't fancy walking all the way to Waterstones, or even visiting the Ashmolean with my sore feet! We took our usual seats in the bar, and I had a good look at the menu. I chose a Gin-based cocktail while Sophie opted for a French Martini. We sat and sipped our drinks and did a fair amount of people watching! At one point, a huge crowd of people arrived to check in but they were dealt with efficiently and quickly by the receptionists.

It was heaven to sit and relax and chat, and at 3:30pm, we walked to The Drawing Room for our afternoon tea booking. We sat by the window at a table that soon proved to be too small for the amount of crockery and food it needed to accommodate!

Sophie chose Earl Grey tea, while I went for classic English Breakfast. We were served:

Sandwiches:

Smoked salmon and creme fraiche 

Cucumber, cream cheese, cumin and mint 

Curried egg and rocket

Savouries: 

Apple and sage sausage roll 

Mushroom quiche tart with pickled onion

Plain and fruit scones with clotted cream and jam

Carrot, spelt and cinnamon cake

Cherry Bakewell tart

Raspberry eclair

The pots of tea were huge and made with leaves rather than bags. We opted for a glass each of Nyetimber sparkling wine, and it was delicious!

I had mentioned on the booking that it was Sophie's birthday, and they brought her out another eclair on a decorated plate. What a lovely touch!

When I first saw the array of food, it didn't look like a lot, but boy, did it fill us up! We had to have a couple of rests to digest the food, but we ended up taking home the two scones and the carrot cake in a beautiful, dark blue box. Phew!

The Drawing Room was a lovely place to indulge in the afternoon tea, and apart from a few minutes of a crying baby, it was peaceful and quiet. We could have stayed forever!

However, the time was getting on, so Sophie paid the bill (she had no choice), and we reluctantly went out into the crowds. We waited along with queues of people for the bus and had to sit upstairs. Our bus driver drove extremely slowly back to The Pear Tree park and ride, and stopped many, many times on the way. I felt like we were driving through glue!

Back at the car, we headed back the way we had travelled this morning, and the traffic around Towcester wasn't too bad. We arrived home at about 7:00pm, and I was finally reunited with my bag and phone. No messages, of course, but that was a good thing!

We spent the evening chatting at the kitchen island, and then it was ten minutes of University Challenge before an early night. Back to work tomorrow!

Celebrating Sophie's 30th Birthday at "The Whispering Pines" 3rd to the 5th of April

Happy 30th, Sophie!

After another good night's sleep, we wished Sophie a very happy 30th birthday! She had enjoyed herself immensely so far, and we were hoping for another great day, visiting Ypres for lunch and a wander about. She had left her cards and gifts at home to open this evening, rather than bring everything with us.

Our checkout time was 10:00am this morning, but we were up, showered, dressed and packed well before that. We did a final sweep, followed the departure instructions left by Margot, who had popped in to say a brief hello last night, and we were off. The weather was looking promising, and we hoped for a little sun and blue sky!

Hopefully, we will be back!

The long, straight roads of Belgium

We took the A16 towards Calais and the traffic was lighter than normal. We kept forgetting it was Easter Sunday! Soon, we had passed Calais and the ugly, industrial outskirts of Dunkirk, and we were in Belgium. The road signs were Flemish with lots of double letters, Oostende, for example! Ypres became Ieper, and we turned off onto the N8, a road that was undergoing construction work.

We had been travelling for nearly an hour, and I needed a coffee, so we found an area of wasteland next to a petrol station and pulled in. I parked overlooking flat, arable farmland with ugly concrete barns dotted about. Sophie had made a flask of coffee and had packed the remaining pains with a couple of breakfast bars. We sat and enjoyed our coffee while staring at the flat countryside. It had become grey again, but thankfully, it remained dry!

Restored by coffee, we set off towards Ieper. The road was long, very straight, but uneven and uncomfortable to drive on. The smooth, pothole-free roads of France were a distant memory! Every so often, we came to a village strung out along the road, and we marvelled at the difference between Belgium and France, which was so close. Some of the houses were beautiful, though, and they were all neat and orderly.

It didn't take us long to get to Ieper, and we followed signs for parking near the Menin Gate. The town was quiet, and we were able to park for free in a residential area next to a river. Sophie found a bar on her maps app, so we crossed the river on a wooden bridge and walked along a path that led to a stone tower. We climbed a steep flight of steps and found ourselves overlooking the river, with trails leading off in different directions. Several families were out walking, and a couple of them said hello. What a lovely, friendly place!

The bar that Sophie had found turned out to be firmly closed, so we walked towards the main square in search of a drink before lunch. Ahead of us was the large, imposing Menin Gate, a war memorial dedicated to the British and Commonwealth soldiers who had died in the First World War. It was beautiful and something I've always wanted to see. Sophie had first visited with her school when she was about 14, and had experienced what it was like in the trenches on a freezing day in February. I just wished we had longer to explore.

Leading away from the gate was a main road with numerous shops, bars and restaurants. We entered the first bar we came to, called St Arnoldus, which was advertising twenty-five beers on draught! It was a long, dimly-lit bar and we took a seat near the entrance. We all chose different beers - a whisky-infused beer for Keith, a beer brewed in Bruges for Sophie, and I had a local dark beer called Wipers Times Dubbel.

Just after we sat down, a British couple arrived, and we got talking to them. It was Keith's accent that prompted the conversation, as they were from Middlesbrough. It was lovely to sit and chat, nibble tiny balls of Wotsits-type puffs and relax.

However, the time was getting on, so we paid our bill and set off along the street towards the huge main square. This was also used as a car park and was surrounded by beautiful Flemish buildings.

Ieper was a gorgeous town, and one I hope we'll return to. Sophie and I both fancy a break in Belgium, visiting Ieper again, Ghent, Bruges and Dinant. The Belgian specialities - beer and chocolate - are right up our street! We went into a shop selling chocolates, beer and gifts, and I bought Keith a new Le Chouffe glass as his other two had been broken.

We found a restaurant right on the square, and although the prices were a little steep, we didn't have the luxury of time to wander about and look for somewhere else. The restaurant was called Vivaldi, and we took a table right at the end of the dining area.

Sophie wanted to go home and have a Chinese takeaway this evening, so we didn't need a huge meal. I opted for a salad with cheese croquettes, and both Keith and Sophie chose croque madame toasted sandwiches with an egg and a side order of fries and salad. We all drank the dark local beer I'd enjoyed in the bar.

The food was delicious, and my dish had every type of salad vegetable I could think of, as well as some I wouldn't have expected, such as asparagus and green beans! I helped out by eating some of the crunchy, hot chips, and we agreed that it had been a great meal with a friendly ambience.

Back to France

After paying the bill, we wandered around the gorgeous square and admired the buildings. I just wish we could have stayed longer and explored more. Walking back to the car, the streets reminded me of Bruges, with a similar architecture and atmosphere.

We recrossed the river and walked past a large group of people enjoying a picnic in the sunshine. By now it was warm! Back at the car (which I noticed was filthy and covered in a large dollop of bird poo), we put directions for Calais into Jeeves and set off.

Our journey back to the motorway was a lot different. We drove through Ieper and out into the Belgian countryside, passing through a large industrial area with a dual carriageway that reminded me of roads in the US! We then turned off onto a road through arable fields and farmhouses, and suddenly, we were in France again!

We spotted a petrol station and decided to stop and fill up, but as usual, I took the wrong turning, and we ended up in a part that had been closed down! As I drove out behind the station, we briefly went into Belgium again (the car lets you know when you cross a border!).

We gave up on the petrol, both here and at an aire we came to on the motorway, where signs said we had to pre-pay before filling up. We certainly had enough to get home, and it was cheaper than in France. Very soon, we were near Calais and the Shuttle terminal. We were a little early and were offered the 3:54pm train, which we accepted. I think we should have gone straight through to passport control, but we all needed the loo, and I wanted to buy some chocolates for work.

I had them in my hand, about to go and pay, when Keith said there was a last call for our train! I dropped the chocs back onto the shelf, and we dashed back to the car! We then had a queue to get through both passport controls, and the UK official was lovely, asking Sophie why she was travelling on her birthday. Indeed! We should have stayed another night!

Homeward bound

Amazingly, we were the last but one car on the train, and we settled back in our seats for a snooze during the crossing. Back in the UK, the roads weren't busy, and we made good time home, taking the same route as Friday. 

Just after we arrived home, I saw Isla, who was about to feed the cats. They had behaved for her, and Mooney was in the conservatory when we went into the house, much to Sophie's delight! No sign of Gomez, though!

We unpacked the car, put some stuff away and ordered a Chinese takeaway. Sophie then opened her cards and gifts, and we sat and relaxed. We all agreed it had been a lovely break, and we would love to go back to The Whispering Pines again one day!

Sophie was delighted to get Gomez in later in the evening, and he cuddled up to her as a welcome. I think both cats had missed us while we were away and the creature comforts of the rest of the house!

Celebrating Sophie's 30th Birthday at "The Whispering Pines" 3rd to the 5th of April

A return to St Valery-sur-Somme

We awoke after a great night's sleep (beautifully quiet and dark), and after breakfast of pains au chocolat and coffee, we were ready to leave by 9:45am. Our house is in a very rural setting, and before we could reach the main road, we had to wait for a herd of cows to cross! They all trundled across the road, and the very last one hobbled after the rest of the herd. She was a bit thin, but she seemed happy enough, bless her! The farmer waved his thanks as we edged forward, and we waved back. It was lovely to see!

Jeeves provided the directions to St Valery-sur-Somme, and we passed through the centre of Boulogne, which we didn't realise had so many steep roads! No wonder the Tour de France was held here last year!

From Boulogne, we headed out into the countryside on the D940, driving through flat farmland interspersed with little villages. We crisscrossed a railway line all the way to St Valery-sur-Somme but never saw a train, much to Keith's disappointment.

Soon, we reached Étaples, where a "coquilles" or shellfish festival was taking place. It was hectically busy, and we drove along the street we visited back in 2023, where we had a meal overlooking the River Canche. We drove across the river and left the mayhem behind us as we continued through the lovely, quiet countryside. The weather had deteriorated a little, and the earlier sunshine had been replaced with grey cloud and drizzle.

We came across a supermarket petrol station and topped up. Before we'd left for France, I'd heard stories of fuel shortages, but we didn't have any problem finding petrol, despite the prices being higher than in the UK.

We continued on our way and soon saw signs for the town. We approached St Valery-sur-Somme across very flat marshland, grazed by sheep and cows on long, straight roads bordered by trees. As we neared the town, the traffic grew heavier, and it soon became apparent that a lot of people had had the same idea as us!

We had planned on parking in the centre of St Valery-sur-Somme, but soon realised that was a foolish dream! We drove along a cobbled street right next to the river, then turned left into the car park. I drove in but soon realised there was no way out. A French car had followed me, so we both had to reverse. By now, I was mightily fed up!

I made the mistake of turning left again, so I had to repeat the circuit along the river. There were a couple of spaces, but I had a driver right behind me, making it difficult to back in and parallel park. Back at the car park, there were still no spaces, so we decided to drive out of the town and park on the outskirts. However, as I drove along the Quai du Romerel, I spotted a space! It was right next to a parking meter, and I nearly took out a whole crowd of people and children on bikes as I manoeuvred into the space. Phew! Mission accomplished!

We donned coats and walked towards the centre of town. Both Keith and Sophie needed the loo, so we stopped at the first bar we came to for a drink. The tables inside were set up for lunch, so we had to sit outside on wooden decking. The chairs were a little dirty (bird poo), but we eventually found three that were clean, and a waitress gave us the drinks menu. Sophie chose a rosé, I ordered a glass of Chardonnay, and Keith had a beer. As we sat and waited for our drinks to arrive, it started to drizzle... it was fine at first, but then it grew heavier, so we were forced to descend to another area of the garden and sit under an umbrella. 

We sat with our drinks, but we didn't touch the small bowl of olives that the waitress had brought with the drinks. Normally, we would have dived in, but we noticed olive stones in the bowl that had clearly been nibbled by someone else... Ewww! No thanks!

NOT nibbled by us!

Despite the drizzle and the loud cawing of rooks in nearby trees, we enjoyed our drinks sitting in the garden. I admired the beautiful houses nearby, and it was great to sit and relax and look forward to lunch.

A black bun

We finished our drinks, paid the bill inside, where the restaurant had filled up considerably, and walked into the town via the promenade. We were mindful of the time and picked almost the first restaurant we came to, as the ones we passed looked very busy indeed.

The moody River Somme

The menu at Le Bistro de St Val looked good, they had a table free, and the place was packed with locals and tourists alike. We sat at a table by the window and had a good look at the menu, choosing a terrine (me), cheese on toast (Keith) and salmon (Sophie). Keith had another beer, while Sophie and I shared a pichet of rosé. For our main courses, I opted for a beef burger (quite daring in France!), Sophie ordered more salmon, while Keith was tempted by the pork ribs and barbecue sauce.

As the restaurant was so busy, we did have a little wait for our starters, but we didn't mind. It was great to chat, people-watch and soak up the cheerful ambience of the place as large family groups enjoyed their lunches.

When our starters arrived, I immediately regretted ordering mine, as I had two thick slabs of terrine, gherkins and a heap of salad, covered in a delicious dressing. We'd already devoured a basket of bread, and I hoped I'd be able to do justice to my burger! My starter was delicious, and Keith and Sophie were equally satisfied with their choices.

Thankfully, there was a decent interval between the starters and main courses, and by now, the restaurant had emptied out. People were still coming in, though, so obviously they weren't sticking to the 12pm-2pm rule. 

My burger arrived inside a black, seeded bun, something I'd never seen before! I had a mound of freshly cooked French fries, and yet more salad. Sophie's salmon was in a parsley sauce and served with two yellow potatoes and a wedge of vegetable flan. Predictably, Keith's pork ribs were substantial and also served with crispy fries.

The food was very good, and my burger was most definitely beef, not another variety of meat! We made our way through the meals, but we all confessed defeat when it came to dessert. Sophie and Keith had digestifs - a glass each of Cointreau and Cognac - to round off the meal.

As we were finishing, the man who had played his guitar at another restaurant we visited last September attempted to come in, but was briskly turned away by the owner! No argument, go! I watched as he crossed the road, head down and morose, and unlocked a scooter to ride home on!

We drool over property!

We paid the bill, used the loos and waved Keith off back to the car so he could digest his lunch. The sun had come out, and it was lovely and warm, so Sophie and I walked into the town and along the main high street.

We wandered along, looking in the shops and taking pics of the lovely old buildings.

We then cut through to the promenade by using a narrow alleyway, and walked along the river. It was gorgeous, and I took my coat off as I was so warm! Crowds of people were out enjoying the sunshine, and the outdoor tables were heaving. 

We strolled back to the car and, on the way, noticed a house for sale. It looked empty, and the garden was overgrown and needed attention. It was beautiful, though, and we both fell in love with it!

The office of the estate agents handling the sale was opposite, but we couldn't find out the price. I should imagine it would be well over 400,000 euros, though, as the town is a popular place and attracts a lot of tourists.

Sitting in the sun

Reluctantly, we returned to the car and set the satnav for Offrethun. We drove through beautiful countryside and pretty villages for about 15 kms and then turned onto the A16, which was a lot quicker! The traffic was light, and it only cost us about 6 euros for the toll.

Back at the house, we relaxed, and as it was sunny, we wrapped ourselves up in our throws and sat outside with our books to read. Perfect!

As we were reading, a car arrived, and we discovered we had new neighbours! We said hello, and later found out they were Belgian. It grew a little chillier, so we retreated indoors to play Scrabble and finally had something to eat at about 8:30pm, a repeat of the lovely salad we'd enjoyed yesterday, with chicken.

Before bed, we watched a French show about traffic police near Paris. We used subtitles to try to understand what it was all about! It was a good way of improving our French!

Sunset and pines

Celebrating Sophie's 30th Birthday at "The Whispering Pines" 3rd to the 5th of April

Shuttle mayhem...

We were all up, showered and dressed by 3:00am this morning and took the A14, M11, M25 and M20 to Folkestone. Sophie was glad she'd been able to have a cuddle with Mooney before we left, and only wished she could have taken both cats with her!

We have been a little worried about the fuel situation at the moment, so Keith suggested we pull off the M20 and fill up with petrol at Maidstone Services. I had an ominous feeling about it, as once past the junction for the services, the lane was closed...

We filled up, bought a paper and used the loo, but when we tried to return to the M20, the road was indeed closed. We had no choice but to take the A20 towards Lenham and try to get back onto the M20 at Ashford. The road was dark, and I had no idea where we were going!

Sophie's map on her phone kept saying we wouldn't be at Folkestone until 6:30am, which was ludicrous as we'd stopped about 12 miles from the terminal with an hour to spare! Boarding closed at 6:24am, so we became increasingly worried about why we had been given such a late arrival time!

Luckily, we were able to get back onto the M20 at Ashford and sped towards the terminal, making much better time and arriving shortly after 6:00am. Sophie said that the approach to the terminal was showing red on the map, and we soon found out why... the queues to get through the check-in gates were horrendous!

It became obvious that our experience today was going to be vastly different to when we were here in January! It was also clear that there was some kind of car event going on in France, as there were lots of BMWs, Porsches and other high-performance cars arriving and revving up their engines. It was like being at Silverstone!

We eventually got through the check-in gates and drove extremely slowly to the car park, a journey that normally takes about 30 seconds, but took us about half an hour. We had learnt that our scheduled train at 7:24am was delayed by 30 minutes, so we had time to use the loos again, and buy two bottles of Vodka in Duty Free.

In fact, the terminal itself was quiet; everyone was queuing to get through passport control, with the time estimated at an hour. We drank our coffee, ate some delicious sausage rolls that Keith had made specially for the journey and kept looking at the information board, which twice changed our time of departure.

When the boards said we would be called in 15 minutes, we joined the long, snaking queue, making sure other drivers were displaying our letter and number! A couple of drivers up ahead were made to park and wait as they'd obviously tried to sneak in!

It took us about an hour to get through both passport controls and onto the train. We left at about 9:00am, so 90 minutes later than we should have. It was a frustrating start to the weekend!

Back in love with a Welsh

To be honest, maybe it was a good thing we had been delayed, as the weather was atrocious in France! I had a nap on the train and felt much more refreshed when we arrived in Calais. We turned off the A16 and drove towards Sangatte, before taking the coastal road to Wimereux. All plans to visit the beaches were cancelled as it was cold and misty with a nasty wind blowing in from the Channel.

We couldn't see the sea at all, and the rolling hills and Caps were covered in thick mist. We stopped in Audinghen at our usual café/restaurant and ordered a coffee, a hot chocolate, and a beer. It was cosy inside, with a lovely ambience, made even better when the local postman arrived for an espresso and resembled a younger John Mayer!

We paid the bill, said goodbye to the locals sitting drinking coffee and made our way back outside into the wind and rain. A poor woman was packing up a market stall where she'd been trying to sell vegetables!

It cleared up a little as we neared Wimereux, and we found a parking space on the street. It was a short walk to the front, and we turned right to see the lights of Les Oyats twinkling in the distance. All thoughts of sitting outside to eat were banished, and even in the covered outside area, it looked chilly, so we sat inside where it was warm and cosy.

Sophie was overjoyed to get a table (the restaurant wasn't busy at all) and she didn't even bother looking at the menu... she wanted a Welsh complet! I chose turkey in a creamy sauce with French fries, and Keith opted for the fish and chips. Sophie and I shared a pichet of Rosé while Keith enjoyed two beers.

We had a delightful lunch, and Sophie's faith in a Welsh was restored after her disastrous meal at Wimereux in January! A family arrived just after us with three very young children, but they were well-behaved. We couldn't tell if they were Belgian or Dutch, but the little ones were blonde and rosy-cheeked and didn't play up, scream or cry!

Sophie and I indulged in desserts - mousse au chocolat and a Chocolat Liegois. Both desserts were delicious!

Outside, the tide was coming in, and the sea was rough with huge waves crashing onto the sea wall. We paid the bill and ventured outside. Not many people were out walking along the promenade today!

We were amazed to see the young family that had sat next to us getting very close to the sea, with one of the children standing on the sea wall. With the spray coming off the waves, he could easily have been swept over.

A mercy dash!

It was as we were walking back to the car that I looked in my bag and couldn't find my purse... I panicked, and Sophie ran back to the car to see if it had fallen out. I went back to our table in the restaurant, but there was nothing there. Back outside, I checked again and found the blooming thing lurking right at the bottom of my bag! I tried to get in touch with Sophie, and we side-stepped a man who asked us if we spoke English. Er, no, go away!

Sophie had run all the way back to the car with a full, cheesy stomach, so she shouted at me when we caught up with her. She had evaded the mystery man as well, and I hoped he wasn't in dire need of help!

"Les Pins qui Chuchotent"

On the way to the Airbnb, we called in at the Carrefour at Wimille and bought some items to tide us over for the next few days, including salad, milk, water, beer and wine. The supermarket was empty; can you imagine what Tesco would be like on Good Friday?

It was a very short journey to Offrethun, and we turned onto a tiny track that wound up between fields. At first, we arrived at the wrong house, and I managed to annoy a local who had followed me when I pulled in! We carried on, and the road became more overgrown and narrow. I dreaded meeting a huge tractor!

As we neared the village, we saw signs for the house and turned in. There was a large private house first, and then two more houses further on, with parking. Ours was "L'Elegant" and stood opposite a row of tall pine trees, the "Whispering Pines" that the houses take their name from.

We accessed the key via a lockbox and explored before bringing our luggage in from the car. The house had a large open-plan kitchen/dining area/living room and three bedrooms (two upstairs with an en-suite). It was beautiful and modern and had everything we needed. There was a professional brochure from the owner with lots of information about the local area.

We unpacked and put everything away, and then collapsed on the comfortable sofa! We were all shattered from the journey and the early start, so we all managed a nap and woke feeling refreshed! 

Sophie and I played Scrabble, and we opened a bottle of Champagne to sip while we played. I beat Sophie, and we then played cards. Towards 8:00pm, we enjoyed salad and watched bad French television - the television doesn't have Netflix, our only little niggle!

Salut!

Packing up

Before leaving for work this morning, I stripped the bed and put on a fresh sheet and pillowcases. The rest I would do this afternoon after work and seeing Mum. It felt strange to be just Sara and me in the office until Nicola came in! In fact, there was nobody else in at all; the Easter holidays must have started early!

I did the last set of box office returns and the cinema reports, and then worked on the emails steadily all morning. We still have over five hundred cancellation emails to work on, and Sara and I have a little bet that when we return next Tuesday, there will be even more!

At 2pm, I wished everyone a Happy Easter and drove straight over to Kettering to see my Mum. I'd bought her an Easter egg and card and aimed to have a quick chat before going home and packing for the weekend.

When I arrived, I couldn't call the lift, so I went to use the other one, situated near the ground-floor dining room. I saw a lot of the residents in there, my Mum among them. The doors were closed, and I could tell they were watching a musical show. I didn't feel comfortable going in and disturbing them, so I went up to Mum's room and left her chocolate and card.

Before going, I spoke to one of the carers, who didn't seem at all happy that I was leaving without seeing Mum. She said she would be very upset, cry, and pace up and down the corridor, putting herself at risk of a fall. Not really what I wanted to hear! This was in complete contrast to what one of the carers told me the other week, that Mum was fine when I wasn't there! Who am I to believe then? 

I left feeling upset and guilty, even though I had nothing to feel guilty about! I had seen Mum last Sunday, and we were only going to France for a few days! It made me feel a bit subdued for the rest of the day, but I perked up when Sophie arrived home, and we sat and chatted in the kitchen.

Keith and I had packed, I'd hoovered, and Sophie put everything in the car before we had beefburgers and salad for dinner. She'd had a wonderful day at work and had been thoroughly spoiled by her colleagues with flowers, Champagne, Gin and lots of little gifts.

After dinner, Keith and I watched Beyond Paradise, and then it was time for bed at 8:30pm! We have to be up at 2:00am tomorrow... yuck!