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| All I want for Christmas....... |
Well as usual the run up to Christmas was a mix of pleasure and pain. I always look forward to Christmas and this year was no different.I was busy as buggery but avoiding the lurgy that seems to affect so many at the moment. I know I will cop it at some stage but till then rock on.
We (The Cowroast Lock Moorers and Friends) had our annual Christmas gathering at the Red Lion Marsworth at the beginning of December and that went well although for the first time since I started organising them over 20 years ago I didn't boat down-a combination of factors; ailments amongst nearest and dearest and crew, I was already too busy with stuff to spare the time and, truth be known, I couldn't raise the enthusiasm.
However we did raise £320 for the hospice and collected lots of food for the homeless at Christmas and a good time was had by all.
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| Our collection for the Emergency Night Shelter |
The week after it was off to Joseph's school to see him in their drama night-it was excellent as was Joseph -who was as good as I am biased. A star in the making.
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| Proud Mum and Grandma |
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The following Friday saw the Cowroast Christmas Quiz at the Cow Roast Inn which, jointly with George, the Landlord, we organised on behalf of the British Heart Foundation. It was a disappointing turn out but a lot of fun and we still raised £350.
So with the money raised at our St George's Day party (£400) this worthy bunch of about 35 drunks, their friends and other scruffy 'erberts have raised over £1000 again this year which aint bad.
Next it was off to the Grand Junction by boat to Bulbourne for lunch.
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| Mike P and Ady |
It was lovely to see Bill and Sue, returning to the boaty scene albeit briefly. Nice people.....but then I don't deal with any other kind.
The food was good and the wine flowed-my only minor moan was we were on two tables-a 6 and a 7-but then if we'd been on one table it would have been 13.....which apparently is unlucky.
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| a double Geoff |
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| Bill and Sue |
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A couple of pictures to enjoy
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| I just loved this |
Off to Oldham to visit my sister and brother in law. I broke my journey in Bakewell to do some Christmas shopping and stayed at the same b and b as last year which is undoubtedly the best value for money in Derbyshire. A lovely house and tip top accommodation.
http://www.onecastlestreet.co.uk/
Not only did I complete the little shopping I required but Bakewell Post Office didn't have a queue so cards and parcels were despatched. I like to send my cards from far away places-keeps the recipients guessing as to which prison I might be in.
It was good whilst ooop north to meet up with Valerie and Martin at Tom and Moira's for lunch. The journey both ways was a piece of cake which is a funny way to travel-but that's life in the gateaux. (E Presley)
The Saturday before Christmas and George at the Cow Roast Inn has organised his developing choir for a Christmas presentation-and very good it was too with sausage rolls and mince pies and a reasonable attendance. The choir really is coming along nicely and made the festivities come alive.Thank you ladies-and George
My apologies for the quality of the pictures-I couldn't get through the crowds....
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Off to Kent for Christmas where we spent Christmas Day at Caz and Philip's in Faversham and we stayed on a farm in Uplees nearby for the whole holiday. We'd stayed there before and enjoyed it very much-away from it all, renewing old acquaintances with the locals. see below.
So no spud peeling for me this year. Wonderful. We travelled down on the Wednesday before and settled in at the farm before a wonderful meal at the Three Mariners.
Nat and Ollie were making their way separately to Caz and Philip's and the plan was to meet up for a pint on Christmas Day before lunch and jollity; we having booked a cab for 8.30 that evening. It all worked perfectly with Caz and Philip hosting a perfect Christmas lunch, a joyous day with lovely people- and no spud peeling. Much blessed.
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| Florence and Pam being silly. |
To the Sun in Faversham for a pre Christmas dinner drink......
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| An honour to carve |
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| Chef de cuisine-a great effort by Philip and Caz ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Boxing Day lunch at the farm preceded by a walk for those capable of such exertion (night night Nat and Ollie) which certainly included Polly Patch who was in her soggy doggy heaven.
Another jolly afternoon and after the guests had departed Pam and I had a pint in the excellent Anchor in Faversham and a quiet supper a deux.
Sunday and after collecting bits and pieces from Caz we headed off to Whitstable, always a joy, for a walk and mince pies on the sea front.
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| Over here Pam |
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| No, here |
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| Hello |
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| Santa Simpson-looked good blowing in the wind (B Dylan) |
Whitstable is famous for its oysters. If you like that sort of thing. Which I do.
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| I took this picture for my friend Roy who adores dogs generally and poodles in particular. |
Nightmare journey home thanks to Dartford tunnel being closed because people were driving through it and a generally hopeless M25-about 4 hours going round the wrong way before collapsing around a pint.
The journey home apart it was all round a brilliant Christmas and my grateful thanks to Caz and Philip and Florence, Pam and family for such a good time.
New Year's Eve and we're off to Stowe for a stroll round the grounds and mini picnic in the car.
We had a quiet evening with an excellent home made curry and Champagne. (the curry was home made-the Champagne came from Tesco).
I must have had something else as well cos I didn't get up till gone midday and went to sleep again about 4 pm! All very pleasant.
January 2nd-you know that lurgy that I mentioned at the beginning of this rubbish?......well I have a feeling tonight's the night. (R Stewart)
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An administrative matter-Google have issued the following load of bull. My comment on their site follows their edict.
In 2011, we announced the retirement of Google Friend Connect for all non-Blogger sites. We made an exception for Blogger to give readers an easy way to follow blogs using a variety of accounts. Yet over time, we’ve seen that most people sign into Friend Connect with a Google Account. So, in an effort to streamline, in the next few weeks we’ll be making some changes that will eventually require readers to have a Google Account to sign into Friend Connect and follow blogs.
As part of this plan, starting the week of January 11, we’ll remove the ability for people with Twitter, Yahoo, Orkut or other OpenId providers to sign in to Google Friend Connect and follow blogs. At the same time, we’ll remove non-Google Account profiles so you may see a decrease in your blog follower count.
We encourage you to tell affected readers (perhaps via a blog post), that if they use a non-Google Account to follow your blog, they need to sign up for a Google Account, and re-follow your blog. With a Google Account, they’ll get blogs added to their Reading List, making it easier for them to see the latest posts and activity of the blogs they follow.
Posted by Michael Goddard, Software Engineer
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I think Mr Goddard should be immersed in a bucket of custard for unilaterally making what is obviously a decision solely for the benefit of the avaricious Google. This is of no benefit either to blogger or blogee. If it affects adversely my enthusiastic and adoring readership-particularly my 2 readers in the Ukraine where I have almost god-like status- I shall drop Google and blog elsewhere. So Happy New Year to you Mr Poohead Goddard.
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