Strawberry Daze

This is a post about all the little things that have been going on in Guilsborough since my return.

Mum had a bottle of bubbly out when I arrived, and we also popped over to see our friends David & Kate. Took their dog Moe down to the allotments for a walk, and to pick raspberries and redcurrants.

 

 

I've been spending a huge amount of time down my local pub, The Witch & Sow, or, as locals still call it, The Ward Arms. Bit of a controversial renaming. I've been regularly seated at the bar watching Wimbledon and the football. Wednesday was a heck of a day, Federer and England out within a few hours of each other. Ho hum.

 

Also been over to my friend Jim's place in Naseby to sample his homebrew and eat ice-cream.

Aunty Patsy brought back some strawberries from the show, so we munched on those and had plenty of cuddles from her new rescue dog, Oaky.

 

 

My friend Sameer gave me some tea to bring home from Gisenyi, so mum's just put a big pot on. We've always had our milk delivered in the traditional way, in glass bottles collected by the local milkman.

 

We've also been doing a lot of shopping. It's been a couple of years since I bought any new clothes, so I'm stocking up before going back. We discovered a lovely tea shop in Milton Keynes and mum treated me to Afternoon Tea.

 

Cake

Scones with Cream and Jam

Sandwiches

Mum's cooking has been incredible. Plenty of steak with mushroom and red wine sauce, slow-cooked lamb stew and pan-fried salmon. Took a long stroll around the local reservoir to walk it off. There were hundreds of dragonflies and blue damselflies.

Had a good wander around the village. Mum and Merrick recently raised the funds to have the bells in the church restored. 

Coton Manor

St. Etheldreda Church

Confetti from a Recent Wedding

Also took a walk up to the Traveller's Rest, which is a crossroads about a mile out of the village. When I was little, mum used to call it the Ladybird Park because it was always teaming with ladybirds, but not anymore.

Mum was showing me some of the bottles dug up when they were gardening. We've found quite a few of these over the years. A guy I went to school with became a builder and collects bottles he digs up. These ones aren't so old as they have plastic caps.

This post is getting a little long, so I'll make another continuing the fun soon.