After the concert another nice day

We had breakfast with Pete, while playing with Calliope. Afterwards Mas and I had a short wander around town, then went back to the Sussex Yeoman with Pete where we met up with Maureen, Pat, Beth and her boyfriend and all had a cheerful lunch together with much talking. I found I had a lot in common with Lorraine's parents. They lived close to Folkestone, and that is where my grandparents lived too. We had all spent holidays in Folkestone, and used the same beach, and knew the same places.

Afterwards Mas and I collected our things, bid farewell to Pete and headed off to the station, hoping that the last night of the concert would go well.






Pete and the 'Terror of the Twitten'













We had a rather fast journey home, despite having to change trains twice.
Once at Mill Hill, we took a cab home, where we found a mouse on the mat, and Salty waiting for us. We both felt really tired, but before long Manu called round clearly wanting to make an evening of it. Regretfully I had to explain that we were too tired to play tonight, and we went off to bed early, for us.

The Affordable Art Fair

Today I went off by tube to Sloan Square to meet Pat at the Oriel as planned. We were going off to The Affordable Art show in Battersea Park, bur had a drink in the downstairs bar, which Pat liked, before we set off. We took the courtesy car to the show, scrambling out of it in a stiff and undignified manner from the seat over the boot.

Pat had not been to one of these shows before, and I was not sure if she would find it boring after a while, but she did not, and took a real interest in the artwork. I saw my friend from the Scottish Art Gallery. I always look carefully at his exhibition because he shows interesting and colourful art. This is the 10th year he has shown work at The Affordable Art Fair, two displays each year and he used to go to the Chelsea Art show as well. http://www.scottishartportfolio.co.uk/

We looked at pictures until we both got really hungry, and finding a cough sweet was not enough, we went to the cafe on the premises and had a Cornish pastie each (the worst I have ever eaten) with salad, and a flapjack biscuit.

Thus fortified we continued looking at the art. Having looked at everything, and feeling tired we decided it was time to leave. We waited momentarily for the courtesy car, and had more comfortable seats this time. As we drove across the bridge the view was stunning because everything was bathed in bright light with the setting sun, and the Thames looked as if it was liquid gold. One of the other passengers asked if we could all drive up to Edinburgh by the scenic route, avoiding all that motorway nonsense. It would have been nice......! On reaching Sloan Square we slipped into the tube and went in different directions home. Pat's parting shot was that we would have to think of somewhere nice to go next month.

When I reached Edgware it was dark with a new moon looking very evocative. I decided to walk for a bit more exercise, and as I was going along a car pulled up, and my terrible neighbour asked if I would like a lift home! I was so surprised, and all the way back he talked about cars, nothing controversial at all.

Lunch and Lapada Antiques and Art Exhibition

Today I had arranged to meet Pat at Green Park so that we could go to the Lapada Art and Antiques fair in Berkeley Square. They have erected a huge Marquis in the garden for this purpose. We walked around the neighbourhood for a while, and settled on a pub for lunch. We went upstairs and had waitress service and an unhurried lunch together.

Afterwards we walked to Berkley Square, walking along Bruton Street looking at all the ultra expensive shops as we passed by.

The show was very interesting; Pat was easily able to recognise some of the ornate French furniture, some of it being almost large enough to rent out to lodgers to live in, and much too big for most apartments these days. I admired some of the jewellery, particularly two bugs, one made with garnet and the other with tigers eye , and each finished off well on the underside too with all the legs done individually.

We both liked some cat pictures by Louis Wain who spent a long time in Napsbury hospital not far from St. Albans.

Once we had seen everything we went off for a final drink at this pub which looked like an old Tudor building, but was actually rebuilt in 1933.

We had a long chat in there, and the clientele were very cheerful. It was obviously the place people pop into before taking their train home after work. We decided that we should go out together more frequently from now on.

We walked back to Green Park and took trains to the opposite ends of the line. This was a fun day.

Hurt tail and debt of gratitude

Yesterday morning Salty rushed indoors purring loudly but also trembling violently. I had noticed that he had not run in with his tail raised as usual, so I thought he had hurt it. He would not let me look at it, so I thought it must be really painful, ans spent time calming him down.

Mas had planned to meet a friend at lunchtime, and he was out until late afternoon. Salty spent most of the day sleeping, so I painted half of the interior of our garden shed in leftover white paint, it had become so dingy it looked like a medieval prison cell.

Salty seemed much better in the evening and ate with a good appetite, but he still was not raising his tail.

Today we were expecting Pat for lunch, but as the weather was not good enough to eat in the garden we decided to go to the Man in the Moon for a pub lunch. Pat arrived bearing wine and flowers, and we went of and had a meal which we all enjoyed.

We came home and had a few glasses of wine in the conservatory; we had a lot to talk about as we had not seen each other for some time. Mason had bought a chocolate brownie cheese cake (1,000 calories a slice), and we had some of that too before Pat had to leave and go home.

Pat is an old friend to whom I owe a huge debt of gratitude.

Talking to friends and family(not the monkeys)

On Tuesday Glen called in and had a sherry and biscuits, and told us what a nice time she had during the holidays with her daughter and family who had been visiting her. Afterwards I went for a walk, the longest I had done for a while which pleased me. Mas was making repairs to our fence in preparation for Salty being let out into the garden. I was having a rest later, when Manu phoned, he is looking forward to getting together one evening soon.

Today we had lunch in Stanmore, after doing a few chores and shopping, and sinfully watched an afternoon film on TV. Pat phoned, and later so did Toby. He and Romy really enjoyed their holiday in Guatemala, going into the jungle and looking at Mayan ruins. It must be interesting to hear Howler monkeys in the morning rather than birds.

Visits from friends, and various cheerful plants

Photograph of Joan's cheerful sunflowers, just the right picture for a depressing rainy day!

On Tuesday, as planned, our neighbour Glen paid us a visit, and we sat talking, eating biscuits and drinking tea for a few hours catching up with world events. I managed to do some gardening, and some of the usual chores. I spoke to Pete for a while, and in the evening Mas and I watched watched our usual TV programme Pie in the Sky.

As usual on Wednesday we went off to St.Albans, had lunch at the Thai Restaurant and chatted to our friend there before going off to collect our fruit and vegetables from the market. Lately we have been driving back on a slightly different route through picturesque fields with farm animals on them. The countryside was looking nice as the sun had come out.

Today Mason had an appointment with the doctor which resulted in him being told he has tennis elbow, despite Mason not being able to think of anything that he could have done to hurt his arm.

Pat came over to see us travelling from the other end of the Northern Line, which is quite a journey, the last time this was planned I was too ill and it had to be put off, so it was really nice to see her this time. We have been friends for many years, and used to work in Euston together. She bought me an interesting outdoors plant, it is a Salvia called Hot Lips.



















This plant spreads for three feet, so I will have to find a spot in the garden where it will be happy. Pat has given me several plants for the garden, lots of small roses.

We had a leisurely lunch together and caught up with all her family news as she now has two grandchildren, but she forgot to bring the photos. Before it got too late I walked down to Edgware with her she had lost her way coming to visit us as the cinema that used to mark the turning has been replaced. I was quite sad to see her leave, and we had spent a nice afternoon together.