As predicted in the last post, March has flown by. We have been very busy and have managed to fit in a lot and I have to say we are now looking forward to getting to our flat in France, where I hope we will have some time to relax. It has really been quite a month all told!
I started off the month with a session demonstrating how to paint stones with my friends at the craft group. Everyone who took part really enjoyed it and found, as I do, how relaxing it is. Once everyone got it into their heads that you do not have to be a budding Picasso to do this, I could see their confidence increasing and by the end of the evening we had a great selection of lovely colourful stones. Mine as usual were to go out in and around the parks of Carlisle for people to find but some of the ladies wanted to keep theirs or give them away as little gifts. I think the evening was declared a success….and it made a nice change from knitting!
I was busy again on the Thursday evening of the first week of the month, as I had to give a short speech at Speakers Club. I chose The Archers as my subject…which came as a big surprise to many of the members of the club, as a lot of them choose far weightier subjects for their speeches! However, it seemed to go down well in the end, and to be honest, I had quite a lot to say as I have loved The Archers for many years and even have an Archers Addicts mug to prove it! I remember when we lived in France how much I used to look forward to the omnibus edition…and I still do now that we are back in the UK. I also love being able to listen via BBC Sounds when we are in France for our getaways…although I have heard rumours that this service may be about to come to an end soon. I sincerely hope not…I can’t imagine what the inhabitants of Ambridge will get up to in a whole month if I can’t keep track of them!
On the first weekend I went to help out Hazel as she and her friends organised an Amnesty Coffee Morning at a local indoor Farmers Market. It went very well and not only did the group raise some much-needed funds but they also got their Amnesty messages across to quite a lot of folk. I helped with the raffle and discovered a secret weapon in selling tickets too by sending out our little very appealing granddaughter to ask people very politely if they would like to participate! Not many people could resist her!
The next week was very busy and a bit stressful as I took part once again in the Carlisle Music and Drama Festival. My classes were all on the Monday evening, so at least I got them over and done with early in the week! I did well again and came home with the four trophies which I won last year. Geoff did a couple of stewarding sessions during the week which he really enjoyed…especially some of the music classes where he said the standard of the competitors was fantastic.
The following weekend saw us heading down the M6 on the Friday afternoon to spend the night at Garstang in Lancashire, before heading the next day to Preston for the annual Preston North End pre-match gathering of the faithful (plus lots of family extras now) old school friends of Geoff for lunch. It is now a very big gathering and we were very pleased to see all our friends plus our son Matthew and Ethan again… and especially Betty Stuart (Tony’s mum) who is now 100 years old. She is still fantastic and as sharp as a tack greeting me with congratulations on my success at the festival, as she still follows Facebook…and of course this blog… regularly! Prior to our meeting at the pub for lunch, much to my surprise, Geoff had suggested having breakfast at Barton Grange Garden Centre, which he soon discovered was a big mistake…and an expensive one too as I love garden centres and this one is massive! I don’t think I’ll get to go there again! When the football lot left, I set off to drive to Southport to visit an old friend of my own, Jenny, and we spent a great afternoon exchanging family news and photos. We all had a really nice day in different ways…and better still for the boys…Preston won the match!
We were on our travels again the following week, this time to Durham, where we met up with two friends from my midwifery training days, Madeleine and Rose. The main object of this jaunt was to allow Geoff and Madeleine to go to the opera in Durham, which they did after we had had a meal together. Rose and I had not enjoyed the opera last year, so we opted out and just lingered after coffee and caught up with a lot of news until Rose left to drive home. The whole trip was really nice this year though, as Geoff & I drove down via the Weardale route stopping in dear old St John’s Chapel (which is full of memories for me) and as we got to Durham in really good time, we were able to have a great wander around and visit the cathedral…something I have not done for a very long time, before the ladies arrived. The next morning, we met up with Madeleine again and had breakfast together before she shot off on yet another opera related visit and we set off homewards. I had really enjoyed this trip…especially as I did not have to go to the opera this year!
We have eaten out a bit this month too as usual, but not quite as much as normal due to other commitments. We met up with Mike one Wednesday at the Sun Inn in Bassenthwaite (one of our favourite eating places). Linda was not available that day…she was on Grandma duties… but I did meet her for coffee & a chat on another day. Mike and Geoff enjoyed a nice gentle walk together whilst I watched the fantastic bird visitors on Linda’s feeders from their kitchen window We also decided to try a new venue (for us anyway) in Cockermouth one Wednesday called Shills. It was very good (and very full too) and we enjoyed the food there which was a bit different. We will definitely return.
I cannot write about this month without mentioning a certain football Cup Final. As an almost Geordie (I wasn’t actually born in Newcastle) my allegiances have been mainly towards Newcastle United Football Club. My children – especially Matthew – are ardent supporters and so it was with some trepidation that we watched that final against Liverpool. Our grandchildren were of course all kitted out in black and white, much to my son-in-law’s disgust, as he comes from Liverpool! It was a bit of a nail-biting match (especially all that added-on time!) but the absolute delight of all the Magpie fans was wonderful to see as Newcastle won that trophy. My son was totally made up, as the photos he sent us showed! It has been a long time coming after all and yes, he and all his family were in Newcastle this weekend for the open top bus parade and celebrations on the town moor
Now, I have to confess that neither Geoff or I are remotely houseproud and we both hate decorating or even changes in the house at all! However, I have to report how delighted we have been to finally get some new windows put into our back door at long last. We really like our Carlisle flat, but it is very dark in our living room, as the only natural light comes from a door and two small windows leading into our small garden. As it is a converted mill and therefore some listed building rules apply, we had to ask permission to get the solid wood panels replaced by glass. This was granted over a year ago and we eventually got it done last week…and we love having the extra light at last! We have also managed to get someone to come and steam clean the floor tiles in the hall and again we are very pleased with the result. Once upon a time I would have gone down on my knees with a scrubbing brush to do this but not any more…I might not get back up these days! Add to these major improvements some moving of paintings which are adorning our living room and bedroom walls, due to an impulse buy of a rather large painting of some birch trees which caught Geoff’s eye in the Op shop the other day, we have really been very busy…and adventurous by our usual standards! I hope that Geoff has not caught the “bug” now, as I have heard him muttering about some overdue redecoration which is needed in our flat in St Aygulf too…help!
We have, of course continued with all our usual stuff this month including an eye clinic appointment for me (injections again in both eyes), Op shop shifts, pickleball sessions for Geoff etc, etc. I have done a talk to a ladies group this last week about moving to France and our life there, which was well received. I have also had my hair cut at long last and so I look decent enough now for our trip! We have done a bit of gardening and the little border looks tidy and very pretty with all its spring flowers at their best. And I am happy to report that the lovely Magnolia Stellata we got last year, has bloomed before we go – much to Geoff’s delight as he loves this little tree and this is the first time it has done so Mother’s Day was duly celebrated first at church yesterday followed by a lovely lunch of home-made Moules/Frites chez Hazel…just to get us in the swing of Frenchy life before we actually go! I have also been running around trying to sort out all the family April birthdays before we leave…not always an easy task that! My lists of “what to do before we go” and “what to take with us” have grown…and happily have lots of things crossed off now as our departure approaches. We are now all checked in for the flight and the “roaming” option is now on my phone so I’m done…I think! I will have time (just) to post this before departure on Monday morning and then we are off to Edinburgh and then Nice….and hopefully some warmth and sunshine -fingers crossed. The next month, my friends, will be spent in our little flat in St Aygulf…youpi!
A bientot mes amis