Great weather. One day this week. One bright, sunny, cloudless day. Before and after, it’s been dull, damp, dreary, drizzle and muddy! Still, it’s been a half-decent week – we’ve had a couple of visitations from good friends and we hosted a splendid Not a Pub Night with a bunch of our lovely neighbours.
Tuesday, we had our dear friends and former neighbours Pete & Sal for lunch which is always lovely. Penelope prepared a delicious fish pie (apparently Sally’s favourite) and it was just marvellous to chat and catch up.
On Wednesday evening Penny hosted her book group here which meant that I was relegated to an upstairs bedroom. A successful meeting I gather – this is the meeting in the year when they choose the books they will read over the next months. Some great choices but, interestingly, some of the members suggested old “classics” which I would guess just about everyone has already read (To Kill a Mockingbird, The Color Purple). It is nice to return to and re-read some of these books from time to time, I guess, but I’m not sure what further discussion topics one can raise when the books are so well known?
Penny’s nomination for a book to read this year is James by Percival Everett, described by The Guardian as “A bravura rewriting of Mark Twain’s classic from the enslaved Jim’s point of view.” I’ve not read it yet but look forward to doing so sometime soon (whenever I manage to work my way through the other twenty-seven dozen books I’ve got on my “To Read” list).
Thursday lunchtime we had another good friend and former neighbour to lunch – Mary, who used to live opposite us in Byfield. It’s always lovely to see her and, of course, whenever Ms Playchute is entertaining visitors, it means that I get to enjoy a wonderful feast as well.
On Friday evening we hosted a Not a Pub Night gathering at ours. It’s been a while since we hosted one and this one was particularly lovely. There have been a few new couples move into the village at our end and, whilst we’ve exchanged pleasantries whilst dog-walking, it was lovely to have them and a bunch of our other neighbours for drinks and nibbles and to get to know them a bit better. I had meant to get a photo of the Saturday morning detritus but I foolishly cleared up before I remembered. Suffice it to say that the refuse collectors will have no difficulty deducing that we had a very successful gathering considering all the bottles in our recycling bin. Thanks to one of our neighbours for the following:
We’re off this afternoon to Chipping Campden to have a look at the Open Gardens at Campden House. We’ve not been before and it is (allegedly) a very fine garden – we’re hoping to see blankets of snowdrops, that first harbinger of Spring. If you’re unlucky you might get some photos and a brief description next time.
Finally, a couple of things caught my eye this week. Firstly, Edith Pritchett produces some thought-provoking Venn diagrams in the Guardian most weeks. This was one of her latest . . .
And finally, finally, Happy Groundhog Day to you all – I hope your groundhog sees its shadow, or not, depending on your preferences and needs.
And finally, finally, finally, finally . . .
YCNMIU
Yesterday marks the five year anniversary of the UK officially and finally leaving the EU. And how has that been going? If nothing else, you have to admire the headline on this article from You Gov – Few Britons think Brexit has been good for anything.
Perhaps not quite so much a “You could not make it up” moment as an “I told you so you f***ing morons.”
Meanwhile, keep breathing, keep happy, keep smiling, keep exercising, be good, be careful, and keep safe. And be gentle to wasps and bees – we need all the pollinators we can get.
Lots of love to you all,
Greg