A spot of gardening.

I was able, at last, to get out into the garden today and mow the lawn. The weather wasn't perfect but it was mild enough for me to go out wearing a tee-shirt rather than a coat, and I did get to sit on our seat for a while and watch the robin looking for worms.

I mowed the lawn (I fear our lawnmower is on its last legs) and tidied up half of the border, taking out some plants that have run riot and which I don't particularly like. The robin was always with me, finding little worms in the soil and keeping a close eye on what I was doing.

I now feel ready to buy some violas or pansies to add a splash of colour as our garden just seems to be shades of brown and green. Sophie has suggested painting the fence to break it up a bit so I will investigate some different paints to brighten it up. We saw the sun a little bit today but on the whole it's been overcast although the milder temperatures have been welcome!

Keith went to see Sileby play and Mike was at work so it was just Sophie and I at home in the afternoon. She made us a small Margarita while we indulged in a couple of episodes of The Middle which we have on DVD.

I went and had a long soak in the bath and asked Keith to go and get Mike from work. He left at just before 6pm but Mike was very late and they didn't get home until almost 7pm which was a pain as Mum and Dad were coming around for dinner. Sophie and I had started a big pan of Paella and she looked after it while I sat and chatted to my parents.

The meal was a success and although I was originally planning to do it again next week for our Wine Evening, I've changed my mind as it needs constant supervision. I would also need to cook two pans as Michelle is vegetarian so I've decided to put on a buffet instead! It'll be much easier!

After we'd eaten and finished off our meal with a slice of ice-cream cake we caught up with Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, something we don't normally watch, but it was coming from Universal in Florida. It was a real treat to see the Florida sky and wish we were there too!

Back to reality!

After a lazyish morning, we dropped Mike off at work and went to do our big weekly shop in Kettering. I wasn't looking forward to it, to be honest, but after an initial irritation with the other customers in Aldi, most of whom seemed to be dithering about, it wasn't too bad!

After getting home and unpacking it all and enjoying some lunch, it was lovely to relax in the conservatory as the sun had warmed it up beautifully. I even had a little nap on the sofa in there! I did toy with the idea of going out and mowing the lawn but decided to try and do it tomorrow if the weather stayed dry. Our garden is badly in need of some care at the moment and looks a right mess, if I'm honest. Sometimes I feel we should just start again and take everything out, but I have a feeling the birds use all the ivy along the fence to sleep in at night! They do say that a messy garden attracts wildlife, so that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

Sophie and I went to collect Mike from work at 6pm and as the weather had been so nice, he was late coming out. Back home we opened a bottle of Champagne to toast Sophie's birthday and I prepared fishcakes for dinner, which, when it came to eat them I didn't really want!

Mingling with the tourists by the Thames!

It was Sophie's birthday today and to celebrate we went down to London to spend some time by the Thames. She opened her cards first and we all managed to get ready for 8.30am.

The journey down the M1 was uneventful but we did get held up a bit in London itself. We drove past Regent's Park and saw the giraffes at the zoo. It looked like it was going to be a busy day for them as there were lots of people queuing up outside, no doubt making the most of the beautiful sunshine and blue skies!

We found our parking space (through Just Park again) on a quiet residential street about a leisurely twenty minute walk from Tower Bridge. The place was teeming with tourists (us included) and after taking a few snaps we descended to the river walk below.

I'm so glad it was a gorgeous day for Sophie's birthday - we certainly wouldn't have thought about coming if the weather was wet and cold. On the way we looked at possible venues for dinner in the evening and saw a promising looking pub called The Horniman at Hays. All this area was busy with shops, pubs and restaurants so we were spoilt for choice.

Everyone was loving the warm and sunny weather

The Tower of London on the opposite bank

Birthday girl and her bruv

The Shard dominated the skyline

We walked towards Southwark and then crossed the river at London Bridge which gave us glorious views of both sides of the Thames. There were lots of office workers out having lunch in the sun and the bars and restaurants were doing a roaring trade. As well as tourists milling about there were also loads of joggers who were having a run in their lunch hour. It was a nice idea but dodging them was another matter!

We re-crossed the river by walking over the packed Millennium Bridge with views towards Tate Modern and behind us, St Paul's Cathedral.

We decided to take in a bit of culture by visiting Tate Modern as none of us had ever been before. It's housed in the old Bankside power station and is a very imposing building, divided into two galleries - the Boiler Room and Blavatnik Building which goes up to ten storeys with a viewing gallery at the top.

First up was a cup of coffee and a sandwich though, which set me back £25 even though Mike didn't have anything to eat, having had a Subway at the services on the M1. The cafe was busy with people eating and drinking and it was great to sit for a while and rest our legs!

At the time of our visit there was an exhibition of Picasso artwork but I think it cost about £22 each to see it so we gave that a miss! We looked at various forms of modern art and all I can say is... I don't get it and probably never will! Some of the photographs were good, including some taken in the US in the 1970s but a lot of it was just plain weird, including this exhibit:

I'm glad we went and visited but I doubt very much I will ever go back. My taste is more traditional and I love the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. There were lots of yummy mummies with their children all talking earnestly about what the art symbolised but I just thought it was a waste of time. The one thing we did like was the tenth floor viewing gallery with its fantastic aspect overlooking the river and some major London landmarks. I think it even rivalled the Shard for the views and of course, it was free!

One of our biggest gripes, though, were the lifts which were always full. We wanted to go from the fourth floor up to the tenth but every time the lift stopped it was full of people. Keith managed to get in one which left the three of us waiting, then Mike decided to walk up, while Sophie and I finally managed to get into one with two other (German, I think) women. We squealed with delight and after a trip to the ground floor we were whizzed up to the tenth just the four of us! It was like a little victory!

We decided to call it a day and headed back towards Southwark, passing the Globe Theatre on the way.

We arrived at Borough Market and stopped for a much-needed drink at the Southwark Tavern. Mike bought the round and it was heaven to sit and rest our feet and do a spot of people watching! After we'd enjoyed our drinks we had a wander around Borough Market and had a good look at all the different food and drink on offer.

The place was winding down at the end of the day so we walked on and saw the old Vinopolis building which has now shut down. It was such a shame as I have very happy memories of going there with Paul and Sue a long time ago for my Birthday. We were tempted into going to see the Clink prison but decided to re-trace our steps and head back to The Horniman At Hays for an early drink and dinner.

Even though it was only about 5.30pm the place was packed but we took a table up on the mezzanine level which was much quieter. We ordered nachos and garlic bread to share as a starter followed by burgers for the children, fish and chips for Keith and scampi for me. The pub grew steadily busier and by the time we left it was packed with early evening diners and drinkers.

The walk back to the car took about half an hour and I set Google maps to get me home, hopefully via East London and the A2 rather than the route we'd taken on the way down. However, I'm not sure exactly which way we went but we ended up crossing the river twice, once over the very pretty Southwark Bridge and then again via the Rotherhithe Tunnel, which I'd never used before!

We eventually got onto the M11 and then the M25 and arrived home at about 9.30pm. It had been a really enjoyable day and just emphasises how much we all love London!

A bit of a Spring clean...

Keith, Sophie and I all pitched in and gave the downstairs of the house a good clean this morning. Keith and I tackled the kitchen while Sophie dusted and hoovered the rest of the rooms. We even washed all of our glasses on top of the cupboards and gave the surfaces up there a thorough scrubbing. It was hard work but I did feel pleased when we'd finished.

We had a late breakfast of bacon, mushrooms, eggs and toast and I changed our bed, another chore I never look forward to! Sophie and I went over to Tesco at Kettering later in the day as I needed to get my boots re-heeled at Timpsons and I was going to buy Sophie a little present as she really had nothing to open on her birthday tomorrow. However, she insisted she didn't want anything as she'd had so many treats (plus a trip to London in the offing) so I gave in and just bought some beer for Keith and Mike.

On the way home we called to see Mum and Dad as they wanted to give Sophie her present for tomorrow. She received a beautiful scarf and some money to go towards a new phone, which she was really pleased with. We had a chat and then we sloshed home through the rain and relaxed for a bit before it was time to prepare Sophie's favourite meal of Jerk Chicken Pasta. She made us both strong Margaritas which were delicious and we played cards for a while in the conservatory. It's been a day of April showers but the forecast is very good for tomorrow, thank goodness! There's no way I would have arranged a trip to London if there was going to be heavy downpours.

Sophie and I cooked dinner and although the dish was hot, it was also creamy. With a side of garlic bread, it was delicious!

Experiencing the unexpected!

I was very nervous this morning as I had an interview for a Court usher job and I had to be in town for 9.30am. I left at 8.30am as I wasn't sure how the traffic was going to be and I was also a bit worried about parking.

However, I arrived at 9am and parked easily, paying for three hours just in case. I walked to the court in the drizzle and had my bag checked. As usual I set the buzzer off and was then directed to Security who didn't know of my appointment!

The man I saw did then go and find out and ticked me off a list, asking me to go up a ramp to the top and sit down on some wooden benches - the most uncomfortable I've ever sat on! I waited a fair while as I was early and noticed a woman go into the conference suite opposite. I wondered whether it would be this lady interviewing me but then I was a bit shocked to see another man go into the room as well. Perhaps there was a meeting going on? I hoped so!

When another woman went into the room I started to get really worried! After a couple of minutes she emerged and called my name, asking if I'd brought any documentation with me. I gave her my passport, my DBS letter and a P45 with my National Insurance number and she took these away to photocopy them. I then faced the prospect of being interviewed by three people, not the one I had imagined (and hoped for!).

The woman returned with my original documents and told me to wait for a couple of minutes. I was really nervous now and couldn't believe that I was being interviewed by three people for a job that wasn't paying that much! Sophie's interview the other week had been conducted by just two people and that was for a job paying far more, and in a much more prestigious organisation!

I was perhaps naive, but I'd imagined having a little chat on the way to the room and some small talk, but the reality of this interview was very different to what I'd been expecting. Sophie had warned me and had asked me some questions beforehand but I wasn't prepared for the type of questions they were asking - all of them about "behavioural" situations in the past. They didn't seem to know what I'd been doing in my working life for the last twenty-five years and really didn't know anything about me at all. I suspected that two of them didn't even work at the court, but had been brought in to oversee the interviews.

They each took it in turns to ask questions and although I managed to answer them all, I had a feeling that they were looking for more specific answers and I certainly don't think I played their "game" very well. It was a horrible experience and I left after forty-five minutes feeling like a failure. I know I would have been good at the job but I wasn't given a chance to explain why I'd applied for the job or to give them any information on what sort of person I was.

I drove home and had a chat with Sophie over a cup of coffee. Keith had gone to Kettering to get the puncture in my tyre fixed after taking Mike to work but I think Sophie had told him how I'd got on when I called her from the car. I worked out that the court job was paying less per hour than my call centre job! Even in the unlikely event that I get offered the job, I will turn it down!

In the afternoon Sophie and I went to Beckworth for a treat. Sophie bought lunch and she chose a barbecued pulled pork panini while I went for a peri peri chicken wrap, both served with chunky chips, salad and coleslaw. The restaurant was busy as always and we were seated inside this time, not in the conservatory. The earlier grey drizzle had been replaced with sunnier skies, which was a bonus!

After picking Mike up from work, Sophie and I cooked the Hairy Bikers' sausage casserole, but we ate a little later than usual. We were still full from lunch!

Rainy Monday!

Keith and I went to get Mike from Market Harborough this morning and we were amazed at how much water was on the roads, and running off the fields. We've certainly had some rain so far this year! Originally we had a weather warning out for snow for our area but this was downgraded to heavy rain and although it did rain in the morning, we had a dry afternoon, but there wasn't much sign of any sun, I'm afraid!

We took Mike home and luckily he was cancelled at work which meant he could relax a bit. Keith, Sophie and I went over to Kettering to do some shopping at Aldi and Tesco and we were a bit dismayed to see how busy the supermarkets were! I bought some ice-cream and ingredients to make Sophie an ice-cream cake plus food for dinner on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. I also bought a bottle of Tequila and one of Triple Sec to make Margaritas to have with the Jerk Chicken pasta that Sophie wanted to eat on the night before her Birthday!

After we'd had some lunch, Sophie and I went to the Generous George pub because last week, when she'd had lunch there, she was charged twice. The pub was packed with Bank Holiday drinkers and people eating. The staff member we saw didn't make any fuss at all about the over-charging and gave Sophie her money back as cash.

We popped into Waitrose to get some bread for dinner and then I suggested to Sophie that she drive around the town to get used to the roads as all of her lessons had been in Kettering. She coped really well with the heavy traffic and the unfamiliar surroundings!

An Easter Sunday walk

Unfortunately, even though today was supposed to be the driest day of the weekend, it was still dismal and grey with a spattering of rain first thing. It didn't put us off going for a walk as planned, though, and we walked down to the village to see the alpacas.

Keith and I didn't have our walking boots on but Sophie had her trainers on and couldn't understand why we hadn't worn proper footwear as the fields were really muddy. We took a bit of a detour to avoid a mud bath around a stile and made our way over the sodden fields to the alpacas, who were all gathered at the far end of a meadow, watching some dogs who were being walked by their owners.

On the way we slipped and slid all over the place and Sophie ended up on her bum! Rather than treat her sympathetically, we laughed hysterically, which wasn't quite the reaction she was hoping for!

Sadly, the alpacas weren't very friendly and all attempts to stroke them were met with a tossing of the head and a kind of grunt.

They looked as muddy and dishevelled as we did! We spotted a gate leading onto the road and made for it but between it and us was a large area of very wet field. Keith had the best solution - he used the gate as a way of keeping his feet dry!

Sophie and I tried to find another way but we gave up and had to follow his example. I was scared I was going to fall backwards and take an impromptu swim in the muddy water!

Safely back on the road, we walked through the cemetery before making our way over a short section of the fields and back into the village. It was lovely to get home, make a cup of tea and treat myself to some of the Easter egg that Keith had bought for me while reading the Sunday papers!

To work off the chocolate I cut back our Hypericum bush at the front of the house in the afternoon. It looked terrible after all the cold weather we've had so I cut it down and it looked much neater and healthier. Paul and Sue came and said hello with their dogs and I was just glad that Sue didn't tell me off for pruning the shrub - she did say I could do it over the Easter weekend!

I gathered up all the branches I'd cut down and was delighted to see the robin hopping about looking for worms in the soil I'd cleared. He kept looking at me as if to say, "Dig some more soil over then!"

After my efforts in the garden I had a lovely hot bath and then it was almost time to pick up Mike from work. It's so lovely waiting for him in the daylight as the place he works can be so dark in the winter...and very creepy!

Dinner tonight was my favourite - cold meats, salad, new potatoes and little nibbly foods such as pork pie, Scotch eggs and quiche. Delicious!