It was John C’s 65th Birthday last Monday – a perfect excuse for a belated neighbourly get-together tonight! We picked up Paul & Karen and arrived just before 6.30. Everyone else was already there by the time we arrived – and we were all soon in a party mood! 👍😁 Yes, pretty much a full …
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Scones, Trains, and Automobiles!
Well, that’s a first! We’re off for Afternoon Tea in a railway carriage that doesn’t go anywhere (No! NOT another rail strike day!!!) 😁 In another first, we had snow today! The first for two years!! Our visit to ‘Carriages of Cambridge‘ was a Christmas gift from our great friends, Jo & Janet, and we’d …
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Buckden Bound – The George
We drove over to The George in Buckden today. The reason? A celebration of brother-in-law Roger’s ‘significant’ birthday! The last time we were here was in April, last year, with Roy & Susan for a lunchtime catchup – and it was good to be back! After a slightly torturous journey (the Sat-Nav) had a bit …
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Winner, Winner! TV Dinner! – The Banshees of Inisherin
Another of our ‘dinners round the box’. Tonight, it’s 2022’s ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ that did very well at The Golden Globes and has been tipped to do well at the forthcoming Oscars. What’s not to love? Cast Colin Farrell as Pádraic SúilleabháinBrendan Gleeson as Colm DohertyKerry Condon as Siobhán SúilleabháinBarry Keoghan as Dominic KearneyGary …
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Boys and their Toys (Part 23) – Samsung S23 Ultra
Temptation of the Tech! After a lot of dithering by me over the past few years, I finally succumbed to the temptation of the tech! Yes, time to upgrade my phone. I didn’t need to, as my current beast, the very reliable Samsung Note10+ 5G (bought back in 2019) has easily been the best phone …
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Film: Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
It’s been a while, but Marvel Studios is back to kick off ‘Phase 5’ with their 31st super-hero cinema release. If SciFi/Sci Fantasy isn’t really your thing, look away now! For the rest of us, here’s a spoiler-free review of the latest blockbuster from Marvel Studios! But hang on a minute, Phase 5..? 31 movies..? …
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Party Animals
We headed off to our old stomping ground of Peterborough tonight for long-time friends Mick and Jane to celebrate their 60ths! Our Party invitations seem less frequent as each year passes, but we were especially looking forward to this one, as we’ve known Mick and Jane for what seems like forever! We last saw them …
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ATMs Reunited
A timely reunion today (again) for three ex-Sainsbury ATMs (that’s ex Area Training Managers!) — Paul, Geoff and yours truly! Today, given our pensionable status, the eatery of choice was the geographically convenient for all of us (and wallet-friendly) ‘Hobson’s Choice, just off junction 9. Boy! It was busy and for the first time ever, …
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The Late, Late Christmas Dinner!
We don’t need much of an excuse to catch up with friends (as many of these Posts here will confirm!). “The Late, Late Christmas Dinner!” put a convenient label on today’s proceedings, brought about because we weren’t able to see Nicki over Christmas last year. Jo, Janet and Carol joined us, making it six for …
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Winner, Winner! TV Dinner! – Top Gun: Maverick
Towards the end of last year, we decided that in the new year, every so often, we’d invite friends round, cook something and enjoy a film together! – We’re calling them… “Winner, Winner! TV Dinner!” So, for 2023, our first of these get-togethers was having David & Valerie here with Top Gun – Maverick ready …
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RIP: Cousin John
Today we said goodbye to Cousin John De-Winter at Beckenham Crematorium. The last time we were here was in April 2014 for (my) Mum’s passing and whilst we were there, we took the opportunity to look at the Rose that we planted in her honour in their Remembrance Garden. Given the travelling distance, we opted …
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Catford Charge
These days, long-distance driving for us is reserved for holidays only – no longer any 100 mile-plus jaunts to chase down the next big job for either of us! So, today was a bit of an exception. It was family-related as we were going to Cousin John’s funeral tomorrow at Beckenham Crematorium. Plan A was …
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Fibre is good for you!
Those that know me, will be very aware that I have an ‘enthusiastic’ (read ‘slightly obsessional’) interest in Internet speeds around these parts! It probably began just over 30 years ago when I was in the first few years of running my business from home. The Internet was just becoming a thing and the ‘big …
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Thank Cod – it’s Curry Night!
Those that know us, already know that we’re partial to a curry (or 10!) on a Saturday night. Tonight, we invited long-time friends and neighbours: Paul & Karen and Dave & Rosi round to put the poppadums through their paces! We also tried something new tonight, where amongst the usual spicy staples – Curried Cod …
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The George (again and again!)
We’re off to one of our top-three eateries around these parts – The George in Great Oxendon. This was our fourth visit here, having been introduced to it by Paul & Sue back in November, 2021. Today, it was our three-monthly catchup with Ian & Ann and Alan & Mags. We arrived in good time …
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Bev’s Pizzeria!
If you live in Kettering, then you’ll know of the legendary Frank’s Pizzas! But watch out, Frank, because there’s a new Pizzeria in town! Well, not in town! Just down the road from us at our friends – Bev & Jules! Bev had invested in his own Pizza Oven and has become a bit of …
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Second Visit: The Swan at Braybrooke
We met up with Paul & Sue for Lunch today at The Swan at Braybrooke in Market Harborough. We were there to celebrate some accumulated techy work I’d done for them. The original title of this Post was First Visit but as soon as we pulled into their (rather compact) car-park, I realised we’d been …
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Mick & Jane – Lunch at ours
Today was a very enjoyable catch-up with long-time friends Mick & Jane. Ann took on cooking duties at ours. According to this Blog, the last time we did this was back in August 2006! – in between times we’ve met numerous times at Pubs and Restaurants roughly halfway between us, but cooking at home for …
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New Who News – All We Know!
For Doctor Who fans, 2023 is shaping up to be a complete rebirth of the show! This Post was first penned in January 2023, when it was all rumour and speculation! In this Post… Old News Characters Head Honcho Music Maestro Director Duties Christmas Specials Episode Count Creative Control Teasers Anything Else? Updates Now that …
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Pantomime (Snow White) 2023
Oh yes, we are! — we’re at the Panto! 👍 Milton Keynes was our destination today, together with Jo, Janet & Carol for this year’s offering – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The last time we were in ‘Panto Mode’ was (also) in MK last January to see Jack and the Beanstalk in 2022, …
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New Year Getaway (2023) – Day 5 (Final Day)
Monday, 2nd January 2023 Morning all! 👍😀 It’s our last full day here at Church Farm Holiday Park – just a few hundred metres away from the beach at Aldeburgh, Suffolk. 9.05am: Holy Moly! It’s NOT raining! That’s two days in a row! 😉. Cancel my Amazon Prime order for the Ark Building Kit!!! Wet, …
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New Year Getaway (2023) – Day 4
Sunday, 1st January 2023 Welcome back, loyal readers. Happy New Year, wherever you are, whatever you’re doing! 👍 This is Day 4 of our New Year getaway. We’re staying at Church Farm Holiday Park in Aldeburgh. The weather so far has been truly atrocious – pretty much rain, rain and even more rain! In spite …
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New Year Getaway (2023) – Day 3
Saturday, New Year’s Eve 2022 Welcome back Readers of fine travel literature – and to my Blog! 😉 We’re now on Day 3 of our New Year getaway here in a very (very) damp Suffolk. We’re staying at Church Farm Holiday Park in Aldeburgh with mates Jo, Janet & Carol. In spite of being surrounded …
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New Year Getaway (2023) – Day 2
Friday, 30th December 2022 Morning loyal Reader! It’s Day 2 and here we are on our New Year ‘getaway’ with Jo, Janet & Carol at Church Farm Holiday Park in Aldeburgh, Suffolk. We arrived yesterday evening around teatime, and were soon settling into our new home – Alde Lodge – a very (very!) well-appointed static …
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New Year Getaway (2023) – Day 1
Thursday, 29th December 2022 With Christmas memories already beginning to fade, Ann and I headed for our next adventure – celebrating the new year in Suffolk! Helping us to see in 2023 and enjoy the area, are our good friends, Jo, Janet & Carol. Janet researched and booked the venue, whilst the rest of us …
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Christmas 2022
Hope you had a good one! This was our first Christmas, for a few years, without the threat of any Covid restrictions – and it felt good to be back to some form of normality. Yes, the dreaded virus is still around, but at least it appears, in the most countries, it’s under control. Not …
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A Chilly Christmas at Kilworth (2022)
We’re really getting into the Christmas Spirit now, helped along the way by browsing through this year’s TV Times and Radio Times; carol singing at last night’s Salvation Army Carol Concert – and now about to enjoy ‘That’s what Kilworth Calls Christmas’ at Kilworth House (where we spent our honeymoon night, back in 2011). Kilworth …
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Salvation Army Carol Concert (2022)
On a chilly Saturday evening, we headed to the Salvation Army Citadel in town for 7pm and their annual Carol Service. Due to COVID and other commitments, we haven’t done this for quite a few years! I can’t think why we didn’t go to this event back in December 2019 (their last one before you-know-what). …
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Gin, Gingerbread – and a Ginormous Kitchen
What a great evening! We got together with Kevin & Sarah, Mick & Sam, Jo & Janet, Steve & Juliet and Ian aka ‘Gin Buddies’ aka ‘Neighbours 2.0’ for a pre-Christmas celebration and to see the hard work that Kevin & Sarah had put into their new kitchen. Wow! Some transformation! Very modern, very well …
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Christmas TV Listings (2022)
We’ve all got different ‘triggers’ for when ‘Christmas’ officially begins. For many, it’s probably when the Supermarkets start displaying their Christmas lines! But that’s obscenely early isn’t it? So how about… …that first Christmas lunch? …when the John Lewis Christmas TV Ad first appears? …or receiving your first Christmas Card? 🙄. Speaking of cards, this …
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