It’s been a peaceful Christmas, not just for us but it has been noticeably quiet in the village. Our Christmas started on Christmas Eve evening when we linked up with family in New Zealand where it was Christmas morning and lunch preparations were well underway. Then on Christmas morning we chatted on Google Meet with our family in Bucks. Our grandsons had opened their presents, delivered by Father Santa, (a combination of Father Christmas and Santa Claus, a name which our

The cold snap appears to have come to an end. Saturday morning the conditions were not too bad so, in the morning, we ventured down for a walk along the front. There were patches of ice where the fresh water spills out of the cliffs and across the concrete promenade. So as to avoid the worst areas, we walked on the gravel in front of the beach huts. We felt sure there would be less ice on the field paths but were proven wrong. In the afternoon we walked the tracks and pa

Since yesterday evening, I have been keeping in touch, via WhatsApp, with our youngest son as he travels to New Zealand for a holiday and Christmas with family. Not the best start to his journey, the flight from Heathrow was delayed; the crew were late getting to the airport due to the rail strikes. An element of time was made up and they landed just forty-five minutes late in Singapore. The next leg of the journey involved an immediate transfer to a flight to New Zealand’

A change this month for us Ex-WI’s. Instead of our monthly meet in a café in the village (either at the Potting Shed in the Garden Centre or Music Room in the Belfry Centre), one of our group invited us to her home. With a log fire blazing in their living room, it set the scene for pre-Christmas mulled wine along with sausage rolls and mince pies. I am not sure what it is about a log fire which creates a homely atmosphere but with glowing logs and warmth we all sat back, r

Going back to last week, we purchased two large plaice fillets for our Friday evening dinner. This was accompanied by peas (well it has to be peas with fish!) and some new potatoes Peter is growing in bags. The seed potatoes were supposed to be ready for Christmas but as the foliage had died down, Peter was keen to see if any potatoes had formed. There weren’t many, just enough for us for two meals, providing a welcome change from main crop potatoes. Back to the plaice, w

I have developed an interest in the areas in and around the Himalayas. This all started after watching the film, based on Heinrich Harrer’s book, Seven Years in Tibet. I later read the book which was so much better, as is often the case, than the film and covered in depth their journey prior to reaching Lhasa. More recently I have read, Frozen River: Seeking Silence in the Himalaya by James Crowden, bought for me by our youngest son, and I am currently enjoying Jamie Zeppa