August Jollity

Lots of photographs** and loads to celebrate as it's been a mainly joyous few weeks since I last bored the rear end off my two faithful bloggees in the Ukraine.

 **Those photos I haven't used in the blog are posted at the end for those still awake.

The winning of the Ashes will mean nothing to your average Ukrainian-indeed to most parts of the heathen world but it means a lot to an Englishman and quite a bit to any Australian to whom, should any of my Antipodean followers be able to read this through tear blinded eyes, I send my condolences.As I write the fifth and final test is yet to be played and should the Aussies win then their defeat in a series of five tests will be by three games to two which doesn't sound too bad. Of course should they lose then the 4-1 outcome will be seen as the comprehensive thrashing that it was. Oh Deep Deep Joy. So I raise my glass to Peter H and his chums in the Outback-Cheers!

In addition to winning the Ashes we have had Pam's birthday, Fay's significant birthday, a holiday in the Kent Countryside and a couple of events which I couldn't take part in as I was away.

The celebration of ten years of the Paper Mill pub in Apsley was attended by Mac and Carrie on The Griffin sporting her smart new Fuller, Smith and Turner livery-the Griffin not Carrie-The unveiling of a bench by the bus stop at Marsworth to the memory of boating friend Graham who sadly moved into the Great Marina in the Sky earlier this year. Well done Dave and gang for raising the dosh and organising the bench-looks like a good turn out

                              A fitting tribute to a good man.

Plus another good man gained his Freedom last month with the retirement after 39 years of my friend Brian Wilson with whom I worked at Harrow Civic Centre for many years having appointed him as my deputy when I was Civic Centre Manager. The do was in the Members' Lounge and many old friends were present some of whom I recognised....and some of whom recognised me. I met the current mayor and got an honourable mention in two speeches which was nice cos I can't remember what I did when I was working there so it's as well somebody does. Brian was with his wife, Jeanette and daughter Hannah and was given a good send off which is what he deserved. I commented that if it wasn't for me Hannah would never have been born as Brian and Jeanette would never have met so that's nice-and here's the photo she took of Brian and myself. I sincerely wish him and his family all the best-lovely people.

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By normal standards Pam's birthday was a quiet affair with Nat and Ollie coming up from Bristol and were in good form generally raising mayhem round Berko. We had a very fine Spanish themed tapas party on the Saturday preceded by a pub crawl on the Friday with a repeat on Sunday then out to lunch with friends Lynn and Trevor on the Monday -so as I say quiet by normal standards

Lots of pressies

Tapas and Rioja. Ole!

Felicita Muma bunting

As part of the birthday present I booked an hotel in North Kilworth in Leicestershire where friends Alan and Fay were hosting a tea party on the Tuesday to celebrate Fay's birthday-I wont tell you her age cos she doesn't look it and you'd think I was lying. (I also bought Pam a dustpan and brush-she was swept away by it)

Room Service at Kilworth House Hotel

The girls spotted this in the Ladies Loo and thought it apt

Pam, Fay, Georgia and Ben

Sitting down to Tea

Nice Piano

Posh sandwiches

Then yummy cake

Pam and Fay argue over a Scotch Egg

and finish up sharing half a sandwich!

The Gang's All Here

Fay with brother, Reg and Sister, Angela 

It's changed a bit 

Fay spent some of her childhood in Marsh Lane,(near where I grew up) Stanmore and coincidentally this week I was sent this photo

After the Lord Mayor's Show-only a bit of pickle left!

I think this indicates this is a classy hotel

They even have a plane

The plane is part of the set for the open air theatre in the hotel grounds recently showing Legally Blonde

Me trying to take a selfie in the mirror with Tim and Ben. Somehow Georgia is there too.

In the end Pam took this one

A Cakewalk

Time for the Group photo outside

then back indoors for cake.

in gracious surroundings

The Orangerie where we had tea....and breakfast

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FAY AND THANK YOU FOR A SPLENDID TEA PARTY

After a day to catch breath we're off to Kent, back to Uplees Farm for a few days. We've timed our visit to coincide with the Swale Smack and Sailing Barge Match on the Saturday starting near Harty Ferry on Oare Creek. On our way to the farm we collected Florence from Caz and Philip and went for a reccy

Then back to the farm where we saw this piggy......

followed by a magnificent Shepherds Pie provided by Caz and Philip

On Friday after a swim    (and Florence got a certificate!) we went to Badgers' Hill Farm for a play on the swings, in a boat and then some(rather expensive and not very good) lunch

Back to Uplees where we were joined by Caz and Philip for Chicken salad followed by a glorious sunset

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Saturday morning and it's Race Day! We set off just after 7 a m to walk the 45 minutes to Harty Ferry (there has to be a Spoonerism there) along Oare Creek. It was a stunningly beautiful morning and as we walked through Oare Nature Reserve we were fascinated by the fields of cobwebs glistening in the sun. It was as though the fairies had been crocheting all night.

The racing was due to start at 8.45 so a fine sight greeted us as we reached the creek edge.

The boats in the first race (Staysail Barges) were crewing up and beginning to get into position. It was good to note that people in boats are the same the world over when it comes to priorities

First the beer went on board

then the dog

then the engine

and then the crew

and off they go to set sail

The early morning mist meant that the pictures were not exactly what I was after but did give the scene a sort of Turneresque look.

It was a wonderful morning with 9 classes of craft taking part; the course ran from Sand End near Harty Ferry to off Herne Bay and back finishing mid afternoon.

I managed to get hold of a programme which contained an interesting article on Oyster fishing for which nearby Whitstable is famed. Rather than being the delicacy which oysters now are, affordable only to tax dodgers and drug dealers, they were once the staple diet of Londoners rich and poor in the 1800s with an estmated 500 million oysters passing through Billingsgate each year! Now the rich keep them to themselves.Downright shellfish I call it.
The Oyster Smacks racing today are a reminder of that trade.

Later in the day after we'd walked back to the farm we set off to Whitstable where we picnicked on the sea front and went for a walk in the sunshine. I really like Whitstable; it has a good family feel to it with lots going on but no arcades or Kiss Me Quick hats.

They have lifeguards

and beach huts on stilts

and wind surfing

What more do you need?

Sunday morning and a walk along the boatyards at Faversham Creek to which some of the racers from yesterday had returned.

This ones ready to go back in the water

whilst this one needs some tlc

The shoreline around Faversham and Oare Creeks (don't we all dear) is part of a trail known as the Saxon Shore Way and later in the day we explored more of it going east to Conyer. We took a picnic which we enjoyed under a blazing sun and enjoyed a very fine pint in a very fine pub, The Ship Inn at Conyer.

We had toyed with the idea of a trip to France as we were so close to Dover but our day was infinitely preferable to sitting in a queue in Calais

Instant Boat!

The Ship Inn-we shall return

The Marina at Conyer

We met Caz, Philip and Florence at the Sun Inn in Faversham for an early evening tincture and Pam and I returned to Uplees Farm for a mega stir fry and sat watching another spectacular sunset. I took an arty farty picture of our pre-dinner drinks in silouette thanks to the aforesaid sunset

A wonderful break, a wonderful month with lots of good times. So until the next blog which I shall probably write on the third and fourth days of the last test as it should all be over by then, cobber. 

Bye bye                                                  

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** The rest of the photos

and in my spare time my boat is getting a spruce up.