All over

Yup, its all over for another year. A good time was had by one and all I hope.

On the 27th we managed to go to Hunstanton for the day.  It was so windy! A good walk followed by fish and chips of course.

The mud hut is rising out of the earth.

High winds

I recently blogged about the Honey Fungus that had infected a couple of ash trees here at work.  The full extent of the damage caused became apparent in the winds we had last night.  One of the trees has come down, its base rotted away by the fungus.  Luckily, it fell away from the buildings and was caught by another tree.

The tree surgeon has called it safe for now and will remove it in the new year.  I must have a word with him about the wood....

The first course is served

The first course of earth bags went into the 'hole' yesterday.  They were laid on a polythene damp proof membrane, which was in turn laid on some more polythene off cuts to help prevent any punctures.

The whole process is very slow but straight forward.  My back seemed to manage ok although how it will react to lifting the bags when the wall reaches head height, I dont know.  What has become very clear is that I will soon run out of earth to put in the bags.  I knew I wouldnt have enough but I thought it would go a bit further than seems to be. 

I shall have to think about this problem over Christmas.

Oh, and have you everv seen a more pissed off dog?

Christmas card

I have to say that I am not really that mad about Christmas cards but I got this one from my cousins Melanie and Dan and baby Echo.  So cool.

The circle is complete.

Nothing so profound as the meaning of life.  I just finished digging my hole.  It needs levelling off and the sides need squaring up, but it is just about done.  When I get paid, I shall order some damp proof membrane and some sand bags.  Then the fun really begins!

No more digging in the afternoon.  Had a lovely long walk with the Good Lady and the dogs stopping off a quick pint at the Ship on the way home.

The hole gets bigger

This weekend, the hole got bigger.  Once again, my back limited the amount of digging that I could do, but I am in no great hurry.  Needs to be a little bigger all round, but you can get the picture.

The big dig

On Sunday, after a year of thinking, plotting and constantly changing my mind, I thought I should actually make a start on the cabin/shelter/ chalet in the woods.  About the only think I have managed to decide on is that it will be circular.

So I bashed an old broom handle in the ground, tied a bit of wood to it and described an arc about 3.4 metres in diameter.  I then started digging.  Although I do not need any specific foundations, I would like to start the wall below ground level.  Also I would like to make this thing as low as possible.  Unfortunately, as I stand 6' 4" in my socks, this is not so easy; any height that can be lost below ground is a bonus.

The digging is slow work, not helped by my dodgy back, but then, I am in no hurry.  Part of the veggie patch is going to go and I shall have to see if I can transplant my leeks.  Either that or its going to be leeks with everything for the next few weeks.  When we had the new kitchen built on the house, there was a lot of rubble left over.  At a loss as what to do with it, I dug a hole at the bottom of the garden and buried it.  Where?  Right where I am digging my hole of course!

Murder at Rivenhall

We did a spooky murder mystery with Mcabra Mysteries on Saturday.  A great night was had by all, I hope.

Fungus

I am no expert, but I do like a bit of fungus; not only with my bacon, sausage and eggs.  These are growing at work.  As far as I know, it is Honey Fungus.  Not good to eat and sadly not very good for the trees either.

Hedgerow Port and Hunstanton

A very harsh slap on the back of the hand should be mine for my failure to post anything for such a long time.  But, work, life... always something to do... excuses etc.

So first up, I managed to 'put on' a gallon of Hedgerow Port the other day.  Not really port of course but the resulting brew should have some port - like qualities.

2kg Elderberry
1.5kg Blackberry
1kg Sloe
500g Blackcurrant  (not from the hedge)
500g Rasins
2litres red grape juice

With a high alcohol yeast and some careful step feeding of sugar I hope to push this little lot to around 18% abv

Only downside is it will not even begin to become drinkable for at least two years.

We had a lovely day in Hunstanton last week.  A good walk along the beach and haddock and chips for tea!  What could be better?

Southern Softies C90 run

So the weekend saw the most pathetic motorcycle gang in the world, once more causing havoc.  This time we were in the New Forest holding up traffic and getting in every ones way.

And boy did it rain?  We rode for eight hours and it chucked it down for seven of them.  Saturday night saw more torrential rain and gale force winds so there was no friendly badinage around the camp fire, we all just went to bed.  Typically the sun came out on Sunday as everyone packed up their battered, wet tents and headed for home.

Still great fun though!

Mike and Lucy

Well, they did it!  Mike and Lucy got married at 1pm on Saturday 3rd August.

We are so proud of you both and I am so pleased to welcome Lucy to the family as my daughter in law.  She is all we could ever have wished for.  May you have many, many long years of happiness together.

Everything went brilliantly and I hope everyone had a good time.  The sun even came out for the happy couple.  Hosting a reception for seventy people in your garden is not something to be undertaken lightly but I think we pulled it off.  A big thank you to all those that helped.

I will just put one picture on for now, but there will be more to follow.

A little trip up the river

The other day, I went for a lunch time paddle on the upper part of the River Cam.

C90s go mad in Suffolk

It is that time of year again and a very good weekend was spent holding up the traffic in East Anglia as the C90 Club did their thing.

The weather was cooler than it has been which was probably a good thing since although the bikes will not overheat, the riders can.  We camped just outside Diss and did about 110 miles on Saturday, exploring the beautiful East Anglian countryside.  Fish and chips on Aldeburgh sea front and a few beers around the camp fire in the evening; perfect.

Thanks to Andy for the use of his pictures.

Wedding preperations are well under way.  It seems only yesterday that we suggested having the reception in our garden.  Ten days to go!  So much to do!

Cambridge Botanic Garden

Despite having lived in and around Cambridge for the last twenty five years, I have never been to the Botanic Garden.  So yesterday the Good Lady and myself spent the afternoon having a good look around. 

We were impressed. http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/Botanic/Home.aspx

Bunty

Yesterday we said good bye to Blaufell My Fair Lady.   Known as Bunty, Bubblegum bum, Bunts or sometimes The Bunternator.

For ten glorious years, she was my friend.  Always faithful yet frequently dissobedient, she was simply always 'there'.

Bunty, you were the best dog any man could wish for, and it was a privilige to have known you.   Thank you for all the joy you brought me and my family.  Good bye sweetheart.

With the good lady and William as a puppy

With william in the garden

A day out in Thetford Forest

Who me?

Wilkinsons half price home brew

Went to Ely and the stuff was just flying off the shelves!  Still I managed to bag this lot.  All at half price.

This will keep me going for a while.

A little bimble

I was at a bit of a loose end yesterday so pointed Peanut's handlebars North and took myself off for a little bimble.

After ten miles or so of being overtaken by caravans on the A 10 I decided to hit the B roads instead and doing a bit of sun navigation I tried to head North East.  I finally hit the coast at Blakney which was a bit further East that I had hoped but a great ride none the less.

A fuel stop in Blakney, then it was on to Wells;next-the-sea for chips and a stroll around the town.  It is a few years since I visited and I was pleased to see it thriving.  I was especially pleased to see the harbour being used more with the addition of a floating pontoon for leasure craft.  At the end of the channel there was another development with a dock for comercial craft.  I believe these craft service the off shore wind turbines dotted along the coast.  

  
I will always have a soft spot for Wells as this is where my parents had their second hand book shop.  It is now a gift shop calles Simply Norfolk

Then it was a easy ride home.  147 miles in total.  Peanut ran like a sewing machine and comsumed a staggering £7.60 in petrol.  There were lots of 'power rangers' on the roads but I bet they didnt have have half as much fun as me on the old Cub.

Crick

We went to the Crick boat show yesterday which was a great day out as usual although this year, we had the added bonus of sun!

Lots to look at and talk about getting ideas on fit outs and equipment.  We went on all sorts of boats but the one that really stood out for us was the ultra cool contemporary offering from Isaac Davis

And the Isaac Davis boat

Jelly

T'was the boy's birthday so we had jelly with cream and sprinkles!

Bread

Finally I have nailed it!

I have been trying to make bread on and off for the last twenty years without much success.  The results have mostly ranged between solid and unbelievably solid.  All have been frankly inedible.

But thanks to my new best friend; the demi-god that is Paul Hollywood, Saturday saw the creation of a loaf worthy of any table.  Most was consumed with butter and cheese while still warm from the oven. 

While on the subject of making stuff, I found a beer kit tin in the shed last week.  It has no lable and I have no recollection of buying it.  So I added a kilo of Spray Malt and started it brewing.  It looks quite a dark one and smells very 'hoppy'.  It will be interesting to taste the results.

On a sad note, one of my favorite trees in Cambridge has suffered in the recent winds and has split in half. 

This is what it looked like in the New Year.

This is how it looked yesterday.