As the Days Lengthen

We are nearly at the end of January, and 1st February is the date that Miss Read tells us is the first time of the year that you can go for a walk after tea. Tea in this instance is 'four o'clock afternoon tea', not tea meaning dinner or supper. So as we are now out of the darkest 10 weeks of the winter, it is time to supersede the Shortest Day post and look forward to spring.

My snowdrops are not quite out yet, so here's a photo from February a few years ago - I'm sure they will be flowering before this post gets replaced! 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

 

Wishing you all the very best for the season! This picture was on the front of our Christmas card, It was taken at the Luttrell Arms Hotel in the autumn.

The photo at the very end of this post was inside our card, It was taken in our own garden.

This year our chosen charity in lieu of buying commercial cards is MDS UK - the support group for the condition that Mr Bufo has been diagnosed with.

Each year, and every year, I thank Susan Cooper for this poem:

The Shortest Day – Susan Cooper

So the shortest day came, and the year died,

And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world

Came people singing, dancing,

To drive the dark away.

They lighted candles in the winter trees;

They hung their homes with evergreen,

They burned beseeching fires all night long

To keep the year alive.

And when the new year's sunshine blazed awake

They shouted, revelling.

Through all the frosty ages you can hear them

Echoing, behind us — listen!

All the long echoes sing the same delight

This shortest day

As promise wakens in the sleeping land.

They carol, feast, give thanks,

And dearly love their friends, and hope for peace.

And so do we, here, now,

This year, and every year.

Welcome Yule!

How We Were Chuffed on Wednesday

You may remember that last year we had a steam train ride to Kingswear with Saphos Trains. We enjoyed it so much we booked again this year to go to Shrewsbury. It was an earlier start, as it is further to go, but we were at Romsey station in good time to catch the train at 6.50 a.m. The plan was for a diesel to take us to Bristol, where we would meet a steam locomotive to take us on to Shrewsbury and back.

We had a morning snack box, as before, though we didn't think there was quite the variety as last year's. 

But the coffee was fine, and 

the fizz, which arrived soon afterwards, was 'Pink Lady Pear Cider' - which I would call perry, but that's what the label said. Some people were disappointed that they weren't getting bucks fizz, but that didn't worry us. 

When we got to Bristol, it turned out that the steam engine, which we were supposed to meet there, was stuck at Taunton, on the far side of an 'incident', and not expected to get through in time to take us up to Shrewsbury. So the plan was changed, so that the diesel that had been on the back of the train (at Bristol you change direction) would take us up to Shrewsbury, and if the steamer could get through in time, it would meet us there, to bring us back.

All the way up to Shrewsbury there were photographers waiting for the train, and we wondered if they had known that we wouldn't have the steam engine on, or that it might be worthwhile waiting around until the engine came through later. We therefore arrived in Shrewsbury about an hour earlier that originally planned, so had longer there than scheduled.

We had a pleasant wander round, and a cool drink in a cafe with an outdoor area overlooking the river.

Then we made our way back to the station, and sat around for a bit until the steam engine arrived (see main picture for unobstructed view)

We had ordered an afternoon tea, and when we we finally able to board the train, after several others (going to various places in Wales, Birmingham, and Manchester) had gone through our platform, we found the stand set up at our table with two little jars of strawberry jam all ready.

Later we were brought a selection of sandwiches - here are Mr Bufo's

and these were mine. They had taken proper note of my food intolerances, which was nice

Along came some sparkling English wine - which wasn't wonderful, but not too awful, and we shared one can and brought the other home, and there was tea and coffee ad lib.

And then the cakes arrived 

And the cream, swiftly followed by the scones - although there was only one each, and they were fruit ones, which I never feel are correct with jam and cream.

We thought it was a bit off that we didn't get an afternoon snack box this year - we had paid (or rather it was paid by Mr B's elder daughter as a birthday present) quite a lot extra for the tea, and if we hadn't done so we'd have had the snack box as everyone else did. We had thought the tea was an extra, rather than instead.

But all in all it was a very pleasant day out, and we'll be looking to see where they might be running one next year that we can get to.

75 - How did that happen?

Having reached such a venerable age(!) I thought a family party would be fun, so 40 or so family, including 10 children, plus 3 friends, gathered at the Field Restaurant at Udder Farm for a spread. 

The children could play outside as it was a beautiful day, and we had a section of the restaurant partitioned off so the rest of us could mingle and chat.

It was lovely to see cousins from both sides of the family, and I think a good time was had by all. No photos of the children here of course, though some were taken and will be sent to their parents.

Mr Bufo and I felt very pleased with the day!

Everyone's going to the Moon

Today we went to the moon! Or, rather more prosaically, we saw the moon art installation at Winchester Cathedral. We were in plenty of time for the bus to Winchester - which was, of course, late - and as we so often do, got off at West Gate and walked down. The advantage of this is that Warrens the stationers - appropriately just below Staple Gardens (although I am sure that is named from the Wool Staple rather than the office type of staple) - was able to sell us some bulldog paper clips and some rather good cards for upcoming birthdays.

It was a treat to see the cathedral nave without its chairs. I know they clear it every year, but I've never managed to visit at the right time before.

The moon installation is most impressive, and we sat and looked at it for quite a while. They use NASA images and it is remarkably accurate and 'lifelike'.

While we were there the choir began a practice, which was an added bonus, starting with a run-through of 'Dear Lord and Father of Mankind' - probably to warm themselves up - and then a Kyrie, and some other pieces they were obviously still learning. They were still singing when we had walked all round the east end ambulatory and down the south aisle to the exit door.  

I was sad the crypt isn't open at the moment, as I always like to pay my respects to the Anthony Gormley man standing down there. My late friend Nicky and I always went to say hello to him if we went into the cathedral on our regular coffee/lunch meetings. But apparently the recent wet weather means the crypt is too deeply under water to allow people in, so the door was firmly shut. (Adding later that I may have mistaken the door, and didn't investigate further because I had read the FB post about flooding closing the crypt).

We also went into M&S, where I didn't see anything I wanted, but Mr Bufo found something he needed, which was useful as he had a £10 voucher, and we bought some of their bread. Then we went to Robert Dyas, who couldn't provide what we wanted, and a hardware store in George Street, that did have it.

A bit of a pull up the hill then to Jewry Street, where we had booked lunch for 12.30 at Brasserie Blanc. We were a bit early, but our table was available. Very good lunch on their 'half price mains' offer and because we were a bit early starting, we were out in time for the 14.05 bus back to Romsey, rather than having to wait for the 14.50, which is always full of schoolchildren. The bus stop is conveniently just a few yards along Jewry Street from the restaurant.

New Year, New Post

- If only to get the 'Blogs I follow' list up the page a bit by hiding all of last year's posts!

Cold and sunshine today, so after half an hour trying to cut things back in the garden, about to sit with my crochet (see pic for current project) and watch the snooker final. Just a few more rows of the border to do, but waiting for another ball of one colour I have just run out of to be able to finish completely.

Season's Greetings

 It's time ...

To wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

This year our charity in lieu of sending commercial cards (we send a few we've printed out with this picture on) is Macmillan Cancer Support. The photo was taken by Mr Bufo in the Capability Brown Chapel at Compton Verney this year.