Temperature this week has been around the 20+ some days very hot & sunny.
It's been a mixed bag of things this week both weather wise and day to day things. The weather has been raging winds, heavy rain, boiling sunshine, sunny and overcast some of this all in one day!
The pouring with rain day was a bit of a worry and has highlighted to us that we need to prepare for winter, i.e. making sure we have the things and equipment to complete jobs that need doing around the house, in case we get locked down again. So we are compiling a list and buying things in for those rainy days. Also it is becoming apparent that we need to plan ahead and book things in advance. Everything that we want to do needs pre booking, from days out, National Trust, Wetland centres and restaurants. Off the cuff plans are not going to work anymore unless we just want to go for a walk or a drive out somewhere.
The gazebo has had to be taken down due to gale force winds blowing in from the west. It was easy to get down and pack away, so that’s a good thing. Many of our friends are now buying them; it seems to be the way forward for entertaining at home. However Ian & I think that the winter months are going to be long and possibly lonely, if we don’t get to meet up with friends somewhere. I am still uneasy going into pubs, coffee shops etc. as this (in my opinion) seems to be the cause of spreading at present.
Tuesday Ian Max and I had a lovely walk up to Bovingdon Green and into the nature reserve there. Ian has mentioned it a few times but I have never been. It was a warm day and nice a cool in the woods. We stopped at the Royal Oak for a coffee on the way back. £3.75 for 3 drinks. 6 miles done tick.
Had a visit to my hairdressers, which was rather nice, not so hurried as last time. He lives in Soho (works in Wooburn Green) and says that Thursday to Sunday Soho is dead, pubs are empty as are the restaurants. However Monday to Wednesday with the ‘eat out to help out” is a nightmare. The main street in Soho has been pedestrianized and the road filled with tables and chairs. This in itself is lovely, very continental and a great thing to do, safely eating outside rather than indoors. This however has the adverse effect of overcrowded pavements as there is no room to walk into the road and self-distancing on these days is non-existent. He had to go home, as he felt very unsafe with so many people around it was quite unsettling.
It appears that France and South Korea is spiking. Croatia, Austria, Trinidad and Tobago have all been added to the quarantine list. The R rate is reported to be at 1.1 nationally speaking. I am certain it will be lower here and much higher in Oldham, Blackburn and Pendle which have been partially locked down.
Thursday we went to Highclere Castle (Downtown Abbey) we had a lovely day, a Holiday day. The weather was fabulous blue sky and sunshine, still a bit windy but lovely warm wind. The house was so interesting although with the lack of paper guide notes (Covid safety) little information was available. Volunteers were around and did a great job of talking through things but as we had to keep moving albeit slowly we missed a lot. It’s a super place to visit and we were lucky to get tickets. I have tried in previous years but fully booked months in advance. With the lack of overseas visitors it was a easy to get tickets and the reduced numbers allowed on site made for a pleasant and safe day out. Well I say day out its really a half day even taking in the grounds and nice gardens. We decamped an headed across country to Streatley where we sat in the gardens of the Swan on the Thames had a beverage and a spot of people watching, before driving back to Marlow and an early supper at Da Luca. What a lovely day we had.
Saturday saw us mooching about the house quite at a loose end. The weather was hit & miss and as soon as we decided on doing something it started to rain. We did manage an hour or 2 weeding in the garden and mowing the lawn, which had grown so much it, was like a meadow and clogged up the mower. Cricket at the Ageas was on and off due to “rain stopping play”. We started watching race across the world, which several people have recommended to us. Ian was not keen but we binged watched the 1st series and thoroughly enjoyed it, having been to a lot of the places they visited.
Being rather bored and fidgety late Saturday afternoon, we were delighted to get a message from Pauric that he & Coleen were walking down to the rugby club for a swift beer. A, it broke the boredom and B, we got some more steps in. It was rather windy and as the evening drew in a tad chilly too, a splash of rain added to the event and the smell of Autumn crept in. How amazing we said that we were all prepared to sit out in the cooling breeze and spitting rain normally we would have dashed inside but all were quite content to stay because we needed the company and change of scenery.
Sunday morning I was busy polishing some minor scratches off the Saab, she looks lovely and shiny now. The car parking fiasco continues outside our houses. One car has been parked outside our neighbours for the best part of 2 weeks without moving at all. These people all live along the Oak Tree road end of Hillside road but park outside ours all the time. Even Martyn commented on who the hell keeps parking outside your houses all the time, they are even double parking and blocking the road. Along where he lives there is none of this and hardly any cars parked in the road. Grrr
The cricket has been rained off again, hence me writing this. Ian is prepping dinner of Roast lamb; Rosemary roasted potatoes and Mediterranean veg. The Stay inn is possibly opening later on this afternoon but nothing else planned.
Looks like a busy week next week so stay tuned for an update.
Food items.
Spicy Thai crab cakes (needs more work not crabby enough)
Spaghetti Vongole
A massive Calzone (Mr F managed to eat the whole thing Surprise)
Sea trout, New pots and some horrid stringy runner beans.
I also made some Raspberry and Chocolate Blondie’s.
Almost forgot I made some blackberry vodka.
I can’t think what else we ate so it can’t have been very inspiring.
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