Saturday 28 June 2014

Saturday.


Yesterday afternoon we drove over to the home of our old friends, Brenda and Warren (Sorry Warren, should have said our friends of long standing, Brenda and Warren. They live in the bungalow shown in the above photo,  a few miles from here.


Their garden adjoins the Churchyard shown above. After we'd drunk coffee with them and talked about family news, I adjourned to the Church to take a couple of photos I've long wanted., and which are shown below.


 The Church has  two  so called 'scratch dials', although I think Mass dial is the more appropriate name. These two are on adjacent buttresses on the south side of the church. These are of medieval date, used long before the invention of mechanical clocks, and originally wouldn't have shown the 'double twelve' hours, but the times of the daylight Church Services, i.e. Lauds, Prime, Vespers, and Compline. When these times were shown the attendant (usually, I would think, the Parish Priest) would ring the Church bell for the appropriate Service, or mass. These Mass Dials were probably 'scratched' by a priest, and would work quite well enough to regulate the time for a country parish, upon the insertion in the central hole of a twig - as a gnomon (good Scrabble word). It's nice to see that someone keeps them still in working order - they both had their twigs in situ.


They are a nice connexion between the distant past and the present day.

Thursday 26 June 2014

Thursday.


Been a busy week so far:-

On Monday motored to London.
On Tuesday, viewed Sotheby's Arms and Armour Sale.
On Wednesday, bid at Arms and Armour sale (reasonably successfully - six lots).
Should add- stayed at daughter Lizzies, just off Chiswick High Street. Granddaughter Georgia cooked evening meal both evenings. She is due to bear our first Great Grandchild in a fortnight's time, and looks very well on it. We gave her lunch at a small restaurant near the saleroom on Wednesday, before the auction - well- before any of the lots in which I was interested were due to come up. The head Porter, Clive, had very kindly reserved Ann and I two seats in the front row, where I could hear nicely.

Driving home on Wednesday evening saw the above cloud formation (which had improved itself by the time I took the second picture, below).


Took the below picture this morning.


Must get on now - got some goodies to clean and a small amount of repair work to do.

Sunday 22 June 2014

Sunday 2.


P.s. Went upstairs to supper, and found Ann giggling over the above advert included in one of the supplements in yesterday's Telegraph. Had to re open the blog entry to include this advert.

 Being charitable, it's nice to think that even advertisers have a sense of humour (I suppose ?????)

                                     Goodnight All.


Sunday.


Been a fairly typical Sunday. Got on a with a good deal of work in the workshop. Been working on a fairly unusual 19th century tinder box. Then knocked off about half an hour, and pottered round our tiny garden, which is a mass of colour at the mo (especially the rose garden).


 Photo above managed to get roses and a reflection - which reminds me of something I meant to say about the new camera. It is fitted with an L.V.F. (not sure what the letters stand for, but it is a squint for taking photos in sunny weather. I've been missing it rather. Much prefer this device.

Just been called upstairs to supper, so must knock off now and go and eat.

Friday 20 June 2014

Friday.


This morning pottered about doing several odd jobs, then Ann reminded me that after cafe church I had suggested that I take her out to lunch to celebrate our roof being finished. Actually not quite finished - I checked with Christian, who told me he expected to COMPLETELY finish the job by early afternoon, so we pottered off to Hollow Trees Farm Shop, and partook of of their excellent lunch. Did various bits of shopping, returned home,  and found Christian laving a bite of lunch in his van, having now completely finished the roofing job, as well as various 'tidying up jobs' he's thrown in for the overall price (which was exactly what he'd quoted, and therefore rather less than I'd expected the final price to be). Wrote him a cheque straight away, and shall recommend him to friends, and neighbours (who are bound to ask, who's done our roof?). Top photo is of  roses alongside a  pathway near Saint Mary's Church - they have a lovely scent.


Above picture is of our back roof, slates on the lower part, and peg tiles above, looking very tidy (and we hope - now waterproof, too). Time will tell. The main frame of the building is of sixteenth century date (the undercroft is rather earlier) and has therefore not lasted too badly.  Must now go and get on with replacing books in their correct order on the bookshelves.

Thursday 19 June 2014

Thursday.


Motored over to Bury St. Edmund's today,and had lunch with Dave (Ann's brother) and his wife Jo. After lunch Ann and Jo pottered round town exploring the many charity shops. Met up again at 3p.m and displayed their haul. We got home just after five and found our roofers putting the finishing touches to the slated part of the roof. They told us they'd one or two 'tidying up jobs', and hoped to finish the job tomorrow. Looking forward to it. After that we can commence our own 'tidying up jobs' inside.

Wednesday 18 June 2014

Wednesday.


Photograph of our back roof late this afternoon.


Photograph of our back roof as it was on Monday afternoon.
                                          _________________________________________

In the early evening yesterday, something dreadful occurred in our town. We heard a good deal of activity, ambulance, helicopter, etc,  going on about a quarter of a mile away. Then Ann took a 'phone call from a friend of ours, Gloria, who lives very near to the incident. It concerned a  young married couple who we know quite well - haven't seen so much of them as we used, as they're very busy these days, both working, and raising a family of three young children. The youngest, who is a three year old girl, had been knocked over by a car, and rushed into hospital. This morning at early service we were informed that the child had died shortly after reaching Ipswich Hospital.  She was a lovely, bright little girl. There are no words for this one.
We were asked at the end of the morning service to pass the word  that at  6p.m. there would be  a service at the Church where the family worshipped (the U.R.C), to pray for that family. We went to the service, as did sixty or seventy others. And, once again - words were inadequate.
                                   ____________________________________
Should perhaps add, in fairness, that the driver of the car, a local man, was also taken to Ipswich Hospital later yesterday evening, suffering from shock.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Monday 16 June 2014

Monday.

 Eventful few days this end of Suffolk. The picture above shows the state of our garden (the roses anyway). It also shows, in the top right hand corner, the tip of a ladder, and this is because, our local roofing firm (about a hundred yards up the road from us) have started work on our leaky roof. This started last December, and we have been living, since then with buckets strategically placed whenever it rained. This led, directly to today's miracle. Our neighbour, Christian, the roofer, who is assisted by one of his sons, was giving me a progress report this morning, and I told him about my other problem :- the fact that my computer appears to be dying on its feet. He immediately told me that he might be able to help with this. His younger son, is apparently a whiz with computers.  "I'll send him round to see you this afternoon."   Dylan (hope I've spelled that right) turned up, spent about forty minutes playing with the computer, and reported it to be now in a good state of health (!!!!!!!).   Told you it was a miracle, didn't I?
On Saturday, we motored up to North Suffolk for East  Anglia's Annual Blogmeet,  hosted by Zoe and Russell. It was up to its usual high standards - glorious food, good wine, and excellent company. At the end of lunch, Zoe produced the above floor show - a delightfully well behaved  (well, one minor mistake - which we can put down to his extreme youth), and very sociably inclined young tortoise, photographed above.
Thank you Zoe and Russell - we thoroughly enjoyed our day.

                               ________________________________________

Yesterday, Sunday, we had supper with Sheila, who lives about two hundred yards from us. Supper followed by two good games of scrabble. Sheila told us she hadn't played in years, but played two very good games despite that. Made me exert meself!   Been a  good weekend, followed by GETTING MY COMPUTER PUT RIGHT.  Who could (reasonably) ask for more?

Sunday 8 June 2014

Sunday.

 Went to Communion Service at Aldham Church this morning, and got home about 12.30. It was such a lovely day that lunch in the garden - sandwiches, strawberries, etc., seemed a good idea.  After lunch we decided to have a further play with the new camera. Quite pleased with it.

We then both spotted that a fairly unusual cloud was stretched across about eighty percent of the sky (judging from horizon to horizon). Ribbon like appearance with 'mares' tails' (cirrus ?) all along it, and appeared higher up than the few small white clouds in the sky. Have any of you scientific types out there any idea of what it was? Judging by the movement of the higher clouds there was a slight South West wind blowing at the time. No wind apparent at ground level. All suggestions (sensible ones mind, Rog and Crowbard) appreciated.

Friday 6 June 2014

Friday.


All three of these photos were taken on my new camera. The first two are for the benefit of Crowbard, as they are, I think rather better pictures than I put up the other day, of very small flowers at the base of a bonsaied yew tree. They are, I think different plants, the top one has double pink flowers with 'striped' petals, slightly over a quarter of an inch diameter. The lower picture has single pink petals, the flowers being just under a quarter of an inch diameter. I think they are probably some sort of alpine, Crowbard.



Took the above photo, a selfie (as we youngsters say) in the garden, just before setting off for the    
( unexpected) commemoration service of a friend of ours.

Tuesday 3 June 2014

Tuesday.


The photo above is of a yew tree which I have been 'bonsai-ing' for the last ten (?) years. In the soil around it are some very tiny pink flowered plants, which I think Ann took from a sink garden/rockery we once had. They are nicely in proportion to the tree, but I've no idea what they are - alpines of some sort, I should think. Does anyone know?

This afternoon, having an hour to spare, we strained and bottled the sloe gin from the sloes picked last year. As you can see, we've made seventeen half bottles this year. Got three half bottles left from the year previous, so will probably open the first of this lot sometime around Christmas, when it should be drinkable.



      Got a very early start ack Emma, so -    Good Night.

Monday 2 June 2014

Monday.


Spent today getting things ready for the antique Fair at Long Melford. Pricing, last minute polishing, etc. The above and below photographs were taken via the near side car window, last week, when driving through Newton Green. The picture above shows a rather higgledy-piggledy group of old cottages at the side of the green.

The above photographed house always interests me. The main house is of eighteenth century red brick. An extension was built in 1802, and this was commemorated by putting the date into the red brick end wall in the currently fashionable (but expensive)  'white bricks'. In this area we decorated brickwork from early Tudor times onwards, usually with geometric patterns in 'burnt' bricks, and this is an effective form of decoration. The above cottage is the only one I know where a date has been built into the brick work (and in White bricks!!!). If not unique (which I think it might be) it is a very unusual form of decoration. I'd be pleased to know of any others, dear readers.  
                                   --------------------------------------

Must knock off now - I've promised Ann a post-supper (which we've just had) game of scrabble.

                                    Good Night, everyone.

Sunday 1 June 2014

Sunday.


With reference to yesterday's 'Mystery Object', here is a photograph showing a small ivory plate behind the breech end of the barrel tang. It is engraved (En suite with the other ivory mounts on the gun) with the initials  U. M., presumably the maker of the weapon, or (just possibly) the owner's initials, and the date 1662, again presumably the date of the weapon's manufacture.  The weapon appears to have been made in what is now Austria (or Germany); and, although the date is perhaps a little later than might have been expected, the people of that area tend to be rather conservative in their working practices. Any further questions, please ask, and I will give the answers (if I know them).