Week one of our government-sponsored enforced incarceration, week two of our self-imposed isolation. We’re still talking to one another (just) and getting through (slowly) a number of tasks and jobs that needed doing as well as walking across the fields most days when the weather stays fine. Hope you are all well. Continue reading →

This week we have mainly been self-isolating, hiding indoors most of the time hoping to avoid just about everyone and washing our hands every 20 seconds for ten minutes. Is that right? We’re coping well so far – after about three days we’re at least still talking to one another. According to the government we’ve only got another three or four months to go until the worst is over. Continue reading →

Another great week of rain, rain, wind and rain apart from the odd and very occasional bit of sunshine when the wind blows hard enough to blow the clouds away. A lovely reminder of how nice it can, occasionally, be. Continue reading →

We had our first (and hopefully last?) smattering of snow on Thursday. We awoke to a smidgeon of a sprinkle, like icing sugar dusted across the garden. Thankfully, it was mostly gone by about noon and in its place we had more rain. Quelle surprise! Continue reading →

It’s been a miserable, miserable week. Storm Dennis has left areas north of us under water and it has done little this week apart from rain, rain, and rain accompanied by gale force winds and then a bit more rain. Even around here, where we haven’t had any actual flooding, the ground is completely saturated and the rivers are certainly at their peak.

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Happy Valentine’s Day – I hope your secret admirer conveyed his/her affections.

We’ve had a very busy week with lots going on. On Sunday our dear friends and former neighbours in Byfield, Pete and Sally, came for lunch along with Adam and Ava. Penny made one of her famous fish pies and it was great to catch up. Continue reading →

Happy Anniversary! Yes, tomorrow will be the first anniversary of the start of our kitchen extension/renovations. The job that they cheerily said at the outset would take “three to four months.” Having not seen anyone since before Christmas this week we’ve been blessed with the company of Dave the carpenter who’s been ticking off, one by one, the extensive list of tasks which remain to be completed. (BTW, Dave is a very decent and efficient carpenter unlike the very, very, very patient carpenter we were stuck with for the last couple of months). Only another three to four months, I should think! Continue reading →

Happy Groundhog Day!

At last! We have been well and truly Brexited – rather like being filleted, I suspect. Alive. With a dull knife. And no anaesthetic, awake and conscious through the whole exercise while our vitals are ripped out and we are rent asunder. It will be interesting to see how long it is before it all goes tits up and whether the gullible naïve racists who voted to leave realise that they too are being f**ked with all the rest of us. Ironically, those areas which voted most vigorously to leave are exactly the areas which are going to be hardest hit. Continue reading →

Another great week – our first “proper” evening’s entertainment with “real” guests in the new kitchen, a new approach to our “award-winning” sourdough, a trip up to London for an exhibition followed by a minor mishap and some remarkable customer service from an online supplier. Continue reading →

After the excitement of last week, a relatively straight-forward one and therefore there is little news to relate this week apart from the appearance on page 4 of a national newspaper of someone exceedingly important in the local community. Continue reading →