Sunday – 4 January We woke to a freezing cold Kettering! It felt much colder than the forecast suggested. Well, at least it was dry! 🙄 But we weren’t at home for long, as we’re off to our favourite City – London – where it was a tad ‘warmer’. We’re with friends, John & Trish …
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New Year’s Eve (2025)
My Blog is still broken and I’m unable to upload any photographs! 👎. Hopefully, it’ll, be fixed soon, but in the meantime, I’ll keep things ‘short and sweet’. Usually, at this time of year, we’d be off to see a Pantomime, and then we’d probably see the new year in with friends and/or neighbours. This …
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Christmas 2025
Here’s my annual jottings for Christmas week, 2025… After what seemed a manic period taking us up to this week, we somehow managed to get ourselves really well-organised this year, where in the week before this one, it all seemed very relaxed – just what retirement should be about (but it seemed to have eluded …
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Trish & John’s Festive Meal 2025
With Australia calling (or at least whispering) this might be the LAST of Trish & John’s legendary annual Christmas Meal get-togethers. We’ve been going to these for what seems like, forever – and we’re sure to miss this annual gathering of our neighbours & friends for what is usually a mega-festive-feast with a Christmas Quiz …
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The Countryman (Again!)
Here I am at The Countryman in Staverton Village. The Pub is becoming a semi-regular haunt for our three-monthly catch-ups with Ian & Ann and Alan & Mags since discovering it with old work mucker, John ‘Mez’ Merrell, exactly 17 years ago today, back in 2008! 🙄👍. Sadly, Mrs P wasn’t able to make the …
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Up to Uppingham
We took the short drive to nearby Uppingham today for lunch with Nick & Celina for a pre-Christmas catch-up. Ultimately, we were to end up with our first visit to ‘No 23’, a rather upmarket Bistro (where they even had a dress code on a Sunday!). Bet you can’t guess the address!!! 😉 But, before …
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Christmas Prep
Today was all about Christmas preparations! With all the cards written, we turned to even bigger tasks! I think we’re even earlier than usual with all this – it’s still November! 🤔 First job? Put up the Christmas Tree! An hour later, mission accomplished! Next: Christmas Wreath up! Then it was setting the table for …
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New Arms!
A first visit today to The Fancott Arms in err, Fancott, Toddington It was time for a catch-up again with longtime mate, Angela C. The location was about halfway between us, and made a pleasant change to our usual haunt of The Bistro just up the road in ‘old’ Toddington. It was less about the …
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Winner, Winner! TV Dinner! – Paddington in Peru
It’s another of our ‘Winner Winner, TV Dinner’ Nights. Jo & Janet joined us for 2024’s ‘Paddington in Peru‘. On the ‘Dinner, Dinner’ front, a rare evening off (pretty much) for Ann as J&J supplied the Mains and the Dessert – all we needed to do was prepare the veg and the custard!! 😀 When …
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The Olde Victoria
Today, a welcome return to the Olde Victoria – our local – to meet up for lunch with long-time friends, Richard & Pauline. The last time we four got together was June last year (also at the Olde Vic!), and it was good to catch up. For the first time EVER (20+ years!) we couldn’t …
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Return to the Wheatsheaf
We met up with Mick & Jane at The Wheatsheaf in Titchmarsh for Lunch today. We were last here (again, with Mick & Jane) in April 2022 and it was good to be back. This used to be our go-to Pub/Restaurant when we first moved here (we must have visited close on 50 times!), but …
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Movie Night: Grease
We got together with John & Trish round at ours for our first Movie Night of 2025. Our Film of choice was the iconic Grease, from 1978. Ann laid on some food too! We even squeezed in a Cheeseboard!! It was great to see Grease again. I think we knew all the tunes and all …
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Ohme, Sweet Ohme!
Technology waits for no man – but I do try and keep up! 😯 Way back in June 2019, we took the plunge and bought our first BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle). At the time, one of the attractions was a sizeable financial subsidy from the State to buy the car AND a Grant to have …
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Christmas 2024
Merry Christmas! After last year’s aborted efforts to celebrate due to me seriously lacerating my left hand on the Friday before Christmas (and subsequent operation on Christmas Day, 2023) we’re looking forward to this Christmas, even more so than usual! 👍😀 As the week leading up to Cbig day began (Christmas Day was on a …
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Christmas TV Listings (2024)
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 meal? (this year, our first one was last Saturday 😋😃) …or when the John Lewis Christmas TV Ad first appears? (an …
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First Christmas Meal of 2024!
We’re already in December, and very unusually, we’ve not had a single Christmas meal yet! That’s so unusual for us, but we only arrived back from New Zealand last Sunday! At this point in 2023, we were on our third! It’s a tough life, ehh?? 😀 We picked up Paul & Karen in time for …
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John Lewis Christmas Advert (2024)
Yes, it’s that time of year again! It’s Friday, 14th November and right on cue, John Lewis has launched its Christmas TV advert. In past years, the offering was guaranteed to also boost the sales of Kleenex, but in more recent times, they’ve been a bit ‘lack-lustre’ and haven’t tugged the heartstrings quite so strongly! …
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Return to The Falcon Inn
Off to the Falcon Inn in Fotheringhay to meet up with long-time pals, Mick and Jane to celebrate their 41st Wedding Anniversary. The last time we were there was pre-Covid back in 2017. Before then, this was our go-to Pub/Restaurant when we lived in nearby Peterborough. Since then, we’ve developed other allegiances and, in that …
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Bank Holiday Street Party 2024
A Bank Holiday Street Party in nearby Berwick Way for no other reason than ‘because we could’! 👍👍 Well, the weather wasn’t exactly ‘glorious’ – a cool and breezy 17°C – but that didn’t prevent around 20 of us from getting together at the foot of Berwick Way. With Mick, the Burger King on BBQ …
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Job Done in Dunstable!
Headed off to Toddington in Dunstable this morning to catch up with long-time friend, Angela C. The journey there took longer than expected – it should have been around an hour, but with the M1 near Flitwick being dug up in both directions, it made my progress VERY slow! 😟 We made good use of …
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Theatre: “Legally Blonde”
We headed off in the direction of Kettering’s Lighthouse Theatre this afternoon to see ‘Legally Blonde’ (based on the 2001 film of the same name, that starred Reese Witherspoon). It wouldn’t be my first choice of theatre entertainment, but with six women – Ann, Jo, Janet, Carol, Helen and Chris and just me along for …
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Return to ‘The Old Bridge’
Since I suffered my hand injury on 22nd December, we’re still playing ‘catch-up’ with my social diary! Today was another of those days as we met Steve & Helen at The Old Bridge in Huntingdon! We were last here as a foursome back in October, 2023 where we were so impressed, a planned return was …
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Catchup: Nick & Celina
Today was a (very) belated catch-up with friends, Nick & Celina (originally pencilled in for the 22nd of December, last year!). As regular readers will already know, this was postponed because I was in hospital being treated for a severe slicing to my left pinkie brought about by an ‘argument’ on the day with a …
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Olney another Birthday!
Celebrations began early this year for Ann’s birthday! Yesterday, it was down to Ann’s brother for a celebratory Birthday Lunch – and it didn’t disappoint! 👍 Roast Lamb, cooked to perfection and bags of opportunities to catch up with all Roger, Jane and Oli’s news! Today, just before 9.30, we headed over to MK for …
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Mexican: Possible 3!
We invited John & Trish around tonight for a Mexican meal and a movie night! On the menu? Unsurprisingly, it all went down a treat! 👍👍 The choice of tonight’s Film was easy! Trish, even though she likes Tom Cruise, hadn’t seen Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning (Part 1) – sorted! It was probably our …
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Return to the Red Lion
A return to the Red Lion in Cranford today. It’s right on our doorstep and the only reason we’ve not been there more often is that it’s a tad pricey. Still, it was good to catch-up with long-time mates Mick & Jane. The last time we were here was with Nicki back in July, last …
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First Visit: The Wharf Inn, Welford
We headed off to Welford today – it was our first visit to The Wharf Inn. We met up with fellow ‘Northants Nutters’ – Paul & Sue and Richard and Nicki – for lunch. It was already buzzing when we arrived just before 1pm. After getting some drinks from the Bar we were shown to …
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Catch up: Chris and Gill – Castle Ashby
We headed for The Deli at Castle Ashby today for Breakfast and an overdue catch-up with long-time mates: Chris & Gill. Quiet when we arrived, it was absolutely packed by the time we left – it was clearly a popular destination! 👍 And we could see why! The food was delicious with great service too! …
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Holiday: Fuerteventura
Due to my hand injury, it was just too much effort to record a daily Post for this holiday – our first trip to Fuerteventura. Instead, below is a short summary. Gosh! It was an early start. We were up at 4.15am.. yes AM!!! and on the road to Paul & Sue’s just before 5.30! …
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Film: One Life (2024)
Off to the local Odeon to see this one. It wouldn’t have been my first choice of cinematic entertainment – not enough spandex or sci-fi for me, but Ann was keen! 😘👍- But I’m so glad I went!! Read on… Official Trailer How long? A loo-friendly 1 hour 50 minutes! 👍🍾 Synopsis Directed by James …
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