25/12/2025
21.12.25
Hello Sunday - and what a day in prospect. The morning spent doing what I do during mornings. Namely breakfast and the puzzle.
Wordle 1,646 5/6
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Time spent sorting the following - an overnight bag, into into the car and ON THE WAY!!! Off to meet up with fabulous friends before all going to a gig at Pen*stone Paramount. A very smooth journey - until we had to turn off the A road towards our venue. My gosh the fog was not good. Challenging driving for sure but we got to the hotel in one piece, thank goodness. Hooray! We are here!!!
Met the mates, checked in then down to the bar for a cocktail before dinner. Actually that’s not quite true. I asked for a pint of bitter. Theakston’s? No way - it was on the bar but it’s smooth flow. How ANYONE enjoys a smooth flow bitter I will NEVER know. Went for a something that begins with W and followed by Gold. It was nothing like a decent bitter but at least it was hand-pulled - fairly acceptable. Picky, picky.
SO good to see V, G and R again. Haven’t spent time with them since the Shrewsbury Folk Festival at the end of August. We spent the next couple of hours catching up, having another sherbet or two and ordering an early dinner. Lots of laughs - so good to see these guys. Realised we have known V for about 30 years. Time flies doesn’t it? 😄
Time to go - The Pen*stone Paramount. A cinema that puts on live music too. About a mile down the road, down hill and up again - we are in Yorkshire after all.
Arrived in good time. J, The Aggies’ tour manager and general factotum who can’t be lived without, said hello. I think she was surprised to see us so far north. Had to be done. We have seen this band every December since 2005. Christmas doesn’t start until we’ve seen them! Rather later than usual this year but they are in the mix for sure.
What is wonderful about following C & J, as we have done since seeing the duo perform at Cropredy way back when, is we have developed friendships with people all over the place. Today I had conversations, via Facebook, with people in Australia. We have been in touch due to a mutual liking and respect for While and Matthews. Distance is really NO barrier is it?
It’s been another fabulous night. Some new music from the new studio album and lots of familiar tracks too. As usual every hair stood up when C got up - I knew as soon as she stood what was to come - O Holy Night - bloody brilliant. We had heard someone singing it on Radio 2 earlier - didn’t even come close to what C can do!
An incredible evening, ending with another standing ovation. No surprise there. We were treated to lots of tracks from the new, studio album and many old favourites, including that solo of O Holy Night from C. As usual every hair standing on end. She got a standing ovation too. The offering for the encore was Hark the Herald Angels Sing to the tune of Billy Jean by Michael Jackson. Bloody marvellous. They still can’t release their version due to the restrictions imposed by MJ’s estate. Never mind. Warm hugs from C and J when they came down from the stage. They were surprised to see us, so used to us being in the audience in South Petherton. Now we’ve moved up country we pop up at their gigs all over the place. Good to keep them guessing.
A brilliant night as ever, but then I may be biased??? 😄😄😄
Walked back to the hotel - in the rain - hotel dark. Luckily keys available to open the front door. It would seem Pen*stone closes early on a Sunday evening. No matter. We were home and able to dry off.
Bed was calling so to bed we went.
Goodnight 😴❄️🎄😴❄️🎄
22.12.25
Hello Monday! Woke up to so much LESS fog - bingo! That’s a relief isn’t it?
Got the puzzle done before breakfast…
Wordle 1,647 4/6
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That’s another relief isn’t it? Down for breakfast - full English’s, Eggs Benedict and Salmon with Scrambled Eggs the meals of choice. I wish we’d known about the size of the portion of scrambled eggs and salmon - would have shared a plate - more than enough for two! All washed down with copious quantities of OJ, tea and coffee.
Lots of chat, laughs and recalling highlights of the previous night. Gone ten when we left the breakfast room, could have stayed with V, G and R for ages but we had to vacate our rooms by eleven.
All packed, keys deposited and goodbye hugs in the car park. We followed the others out of town for a little while, they turned right, we went straight ahead. Home in well under two hours. Yet another wonder memory in the bank.
A coffee when we got in, NO need for lunch after such a generous breakfast so off to the supermarket to shop for the rest of the week. Don’t need much, will be using up bits from the freezer. Just need the fresh fruit and veg really - oh and some milk.
Shopping home and put away then a few more errands to run. Off to Rugeley to collect a prescription for mum, waited AGES to be served only to discover one item would not be. available until tomorrow, will have to arrange another collection. Ho hum.
Building society next, bags of change to pay in. Door locked and a queue forming outside. Waited MORE ages, watching two members of staff trying to solve a problem that appears to be preventing the ATM from dispensing cash on demand. Some customers locked in, we were locked out. Will be patient and get this little job jobbed - as I’m here.
Eventually we were permitted entry. The chap in front of me just wanted to pay in a cheque. He could have done that via the external ATM. Staff were so polite, they didn’t point this out.
Everything finished in town, off to see the folks next. Dropped off the meds for mum but didn’t stay. Not feeling 100%, last thing I wanted to do was pass anything on to them.
Called in on my sister on the way home, just to drop Christmas cards and gifts off. She’s been under the weather too - didn’t stay long. A quick chat on the doorstep and we said goodbye.
It was getting dark - and foggy - by this time. At the bottom of Style Cop visibility was not too bad. By the time I got to the top it was bloody awful. Everyone driving along the road past the golf course, over the Chase, taking extreme care.
The journey back took longer than expected, thanks to the fog, but home safe and sound - better late than never as they say.
I’m on dinner this evening. Crispy gnocchi with squash and spinach. Couldn’t get any squash, not keen on butternut, the only type available - too sweet - substituted carrots instead. Final outcome more than acceptable. Finished the last of the jar of pesto too, loosened it with a spot of olive oil - perfect.
After dinner looked for a Christmas film or something festive at least, to occupy the mind. Ended up with Love Actually. I guess Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without watching this at least once.
Alan Rickman went down in my estimation immensely watching him play the cheating Harry. Only because I’ve always loved watching him, especially in Truly, Madly, Deeply.
How his character could cheat on Emma Thompson I will never know! 😂😂😂. I know, I know, they are only films and the actors are playing characters that come from the imagination of writers. That’s life - or maybe I should say celluloid? Are films still recorded on celluloid? I have NO idea - am SO out of touch. What the heck - it doesn’t really matter does it?
Well, it been a lovely evening, will get the jigsaw out. Nearly finished this one. Wonder if I’ll get it done tonight? Ambitious???
The answer is no - there’s always tomorrow.
Sleep well. 😴🧩🎄😴🧩🎄
23.12.25
Good morning campers! It’s dry and the sun is almost shining. Be thankful.
It’s Tuesday so should be a gym day. Sadly not. Still feeling a little under the weather - will give it a miss today. Yes, I’m a lightweight but what is the point? I could go and feel be**er? I could go and feel worse - and spread germs for that matter.
Got the puzzle out of the way - sorted.
Wordle 1,648 4/6
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Stayed home and cooked. Carrot and coriander soup, then spinach and potato soup then the vegetable/nut roasts from the £1 Vegan cook book.
Ended up with six portions of carrot soup, six of spinach and potato and four individual nut roasts. Will have two for dinner this evening and freeze the others. I do not know why Miguel Barclay calls this a nut roast really. It only contains chopped cashews and lots of vegetables. It’s nowhere NEAR as dry as most nut roasts I’ve tasted. We have substituted some of the carrot and parsnip with potato, just to make it less sweet, but I maintain it is the BEST nut roast ever!
After dinner we looked for something Christmassy to watch on tv. Discovered Christmas ghost stories adapted/directed/produced by Mark Gatiss. Perfect. Watched a couple before bedtime. 👻 👻 👻 Maybe not the best idea? They really were quite scary. Two based on stories by M R James and the third by Conan Doyle. 😄😄😄
Never mind. Good night.
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24.12.25
Well, it’s Christmas Eve and the plan is to do not a lot.
After breakfast AM walked down to the corner to do a couple of things, including picking up a lemon that I want for tomorrow. She got back. We had coffee.
I did the puzzle…
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Got that out of the way - then it was lunchtime all of a sudden. Cheese and biscuits today - with some chutney from a jar we got last Christmas. Not huge chutney fans in this house - obviously. Though that’s strange - I like a spoonful with a decent Cheddar - keep forgetting there are jars in the fridge. Will make a note.
It’s Christmas Eve, will look for something festive to watch. Have NO plans to do anything else.
Found something gentle on Netflix, called Jingle Something or Other, then Scrooge. The 1951 version with Alistair Sim as Scrooge. The best version, in my humble opinion.
Followed that with tea, a mince pie, The Snowman and Father Christmas. The latter by Raymond Briggs. It has become a Christmas tradition for us to watch these two animated films, based on Briggs’ books. I think they are brilliant and speak to so many people on so many levels, no matter what age. I cherish my copies of Briggs’ story books.
Then bits and bobs again until dinner.
Salmon with peas and potatoes done in the air fryer the plan for this evening. Absolutely delicious. The salmon cooked reasonably quickly, in foil parcels. To quote Craig Revel Whatsisname - Fab-U-Lous.
The rest of the evening spent being chilled, so that’s nice. We’ve had a video call from family in Slovakia. They celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve but it was so heartwarming to see everyone enjoying time together, gifts and suchlike.
Not much left to go this evening - I’ll say goodnight and set the table with some glassware I’ve been meaning to use for years…
Merry Christmas everyone.
