Found my Decree Absolute waiting for me after I returned from Chester/Marple visit last Sunday. It came almost by return of post since I requested it, amazingly quick considering how long every other legal process in the divorce seems to have taken! Patrick pointed out that it was a year to the day since he caught Kevin and Ugly holding hands in the CAMRA minibus, and guessed that their relationship was in danger of wrecking our marriage.
More later about Chester - too busy packing to do much blog updating at the moment! I'm moving out on February 6th :)
I had been to Chester before with Kevin and Keith, and remembered that I really liked it. We arrived by train in order to pick up my new (second-hand) Nissan Micra from Marple on Sunday, and took the taxi to the Telford's Wharf pub. Unfortunately it was music night and they were charging £4 admission. We quickly legged it across town to the excellent Bear and Billet instead, where we had some wonderful Cheshire Cat and Okells IPA, and also had fun with the Pringles dispenser!
The hotel was nice, Express by Holiday Inn was it's rather long-winded name, it was right by the racecourse/old Roman harbour with good views of the track. We had a good night's sleep then Patrick headed off for his freight meeting and I headed off for the sales! There were plenty of bargains in the beautiful two-tiered shops, trouble was I was rather broke, so I confined myself to a 60-litre Karrimor rucksack for £30, a gold coloured watch with my £40 worth of H. Samuel vouchers, and a skirt and top from Monsoon, £10 each.
Then it was back to the much quieter Telford's Wharf to watch the world go by with a nice pint of ale, and wait for Patrick's meeting to finish.
Raced across town to get the train to Frodsham where Patrick's friend Sharon lives, but missed it by one minute! Chester station is very bad for passenger information. Waited an hour for the next train, in an adequate pub nearby. Sharon had cooked us an excellent meal which she'd had to keep warm for us. After very pleasant evening we caught the last connecting train back to Marple - but the train from Oxford Road broke down just outside the station!! Finally got to Marple about 1am, very tired.
Chester was very enjoyable once more - I'm sure we will be back soon, probably by boat!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
All Change
Well, the Financial Order for my divorce came through yesterday - Kevin now has 28 days to hand over the dosh, then I can move out of Rectory Road - fantastic! I've instructed my solicitors to apply for the Decree Absolute, will have to orgasinse a Divorce Party when it arrives!
I also handed in my notice at work, leaving on the 29th February. I will be a kept woman for a while till I find a job near to Bath where Patrick lives. Some of my colleagues were more surprised than others!
Also, my train friends said I must have a train leaving doo. So, parties all round soon :)
I also handed in my notice at work, leaving on the 29th February. I will be a kept woman for a while till I find a job near to Bath where Patrick lives. Some of my colleagues were more surprised than others!
Also, my train friends said I must have a train leaving doo. So, parties all round soon :)
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival
First festie of the year at Whittlesey near Peterborough. A man dresses as a bear using 5 stone of the finest straw, then dances through town (3 times - different routes), then the bear is burnt the next day (minus the dancer) to celebrate the New Year. These days the procession is accompanied by all sorts of Morris dancers (over 40 sides this year) and there are folk concerts and ceilidhs in the evenings and at lunchtime, also a couple of baby Straw Bears, I'm guessing inhabited by local schoolboys! There is also a blessing of the plough held at the local church.
We arrived on Friday night to attend the folk concert, which included Flossie Malavialle, whose powerful voice and quirky sense of humour had impressed me at Fareham and Gosport Folk Festival. She sang in both English and French, the French songs including Edith Piaf and Jaques Brel numbers, the English ones including Janis Joplin, as well as her own emotive material. She went dowm a storm with Patrick and the crowd at Whittlesey - the men in particular I'm guessing!
I recognised Pig Dyke Molly and the Ironmen (a Border side) from previous festivals. I took lots of photos of Pig Dyke Molly as their costumes are amazing and their dances are superb - almost like ballet. The Ironmen were very loud and fierce, frightening a small Molly in the audience. Their "My Uncle Billy" song probably didn't endear them to parents of small children either ;-) The Witchmen were another very entertaining Border side, nice spooky music and impressive dances. Ramrugge and Persephone clog teams were also very interesting - both danced with real bobbins presumably from defunct cotton mills.
Some liken Whittlesea Straw Bear to a pagan pub crawl, as all the Morris sides were scheduled to dance in the local pubs as well. Whittlesey is blessed with a large number of pubs - my favourite was the oddly named Letter B in which some teams were brave enough to do Rapper dancing (very fast sword dancing). However the best beer of the festival had to be the Fenland brewery's Straw Bear ale as served in the Ivy Leaf Club - delicious! Must look out for Fenland beers again.
Of course, as we were staying in Peterborough, I ouldn't resist dragging Patrick to the Oakham Brewery Tap (under threat - please support it!) and also Charters, which I thought must surely impress my man, being a very large Dutch barge with a real ale bar on the bottom floor and a Chinese restaurant on the top floor.
All in all a very interesting and relaxing weekend!
We arrived on Friday night to attend the folk concert, which included Flossie Malavialle, whose powerful voice and quirky sense of humour had impressed me at Fareham and Gosport Folk Festival. She sang in both English and French, the French songs including Edith Piaf and Jaques Brel numbers, the English ones including Janis Joplin, as well as her own emotive material. She went dowm a storm with Patrick and the crowd at Whittlesey - the men in particular I'm guessing!
I recognised Pig Dyke Molly and the Ironmen (a Border side) from previous festivals. I took lots of photos of Pig Dyke Molly as their costumes are amazing and their dances are superb - almost like ballet. The Ironmen were very loud and fierce, frightening a small Molly in the audience. Their "My Uncle Billy" song probably didn't endear them to parents of small children either ;-) The Witchmen were another very entertaining Border side, nice spooky music and impressive dances. Ramrugge and Persephone clog teams were also very interesting - both danced with real bobbins presumably from defunct cotton mills.
Some liken Whittlesea Straw Bear to a pagan pub crawl, as all the Morris sides were scheduled to dance in the local pubs as well. Whittlesey is blessed with a large number of pubs - my favourite was the oddly named Letter B in which some teams were brave enough to do Rapper dancing (very fast sword dancing). However the best beer of the festival had to be the Fenland brewery's Straw Bear ale as served in the Ivy Leaf Club - delicious! Must look out for Fenland beers again.
Of course, as we were staying in Peterborough, I ouldn't resist dragging Patrick to the Oakham Brewery Tap (under threat - please support it!) and also Charters, which I thought must surely impress my man, being a very large Dutch barge with a real ale bar on the bottom floor and a Chinese restaurant on the top floor.
All in all a very interesting and relaxing weekend!
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
New Year's Resolutions
1. They will not simply be last year's resolutions recycled!
2. I will eat more freshly prepared food. I'm trying to move away from ready meals and frozen pizzas.
3. I will get more exercise - walking, swimming and cycling.
4. I will look to the future and not dwell on past failed relationships
5. I will not eat more than one sweetie a day (difficult, as people keep bringing in their Christmas leftovers to work!)
6. I will only buy things that I need in the sales.
Well that will do for now, can't think of anything else for the moment...
2. I will eat more freshly prepared food. I'm trying to move away from ready meals and frozen pizzas.
3. I will get more exercise - walking, swimming and cycling.
4. I will look to the future and not dwell on past failed relationships
5. I will not eat more than one sweetie a day (difficult, as people keep bringing in their Christmas leftovers to work!)
6. I will only buy things that I need in the sales.
Well that will do for now, can't think of anything else for the moment...
Open Mic Night at Farnham Maltings
Was good to be back in the town of my forebears once more, nd in the Maltings where I've had lots of good times thanks to Darren Beech, the organiser of the folking.com events of a Wednesday. Who knows, when the ex and his woman (who attend every folk gig they possibly can) are on holiday I might sneak over again. On Friday the pair were well out of the way in Birmingham so Patrick and I headed for the open mic night and some very nice Triple fff Maltings Ale down in the Cellar Bar
I was very pleased to see Anthea Neads, an ex member of my choir, Guildford Vox. She has a stunning voice and writes lovely songs - we miss her at choir but obviously can't stand in the way of her solo career. Anthea was first on, and gave a really good performance. I especially liked 'Castle Town' a song about Guildford.
Other highlights included Anthea's friend Lesley Spiers a good guitarist. Sean Lewis seemed to be in a different league with his stunning Spanish Guitar playing and soulful songs (annoyingly, he doen't seem to have a website, or I'd put a link in!). Harbour, a folk band from Farnham, were very enjoyable, I'll be looking out for them in the future. Their fiddle player told a rather rude joke though!
All in all a good night out - despite the inevitable Farnham Maltings false fire alarms, which always happen when it's hissing with rain...
I was very pleased to see Anthea Neads, an ex member of my choir, Guildford Vox. She has a stunning voice and writes lovely songs - we miss her at choir but obviously can't stand in the way of her solo career. Anthea was first on, and gave a really good performance. I especially liked 'Castle Town' a song about Guildford.
Other highlights included Anthea's friend Lesley Spiers a good guitarist. Sean Lewis seemed to be in a different league with his stunning Spanish Guitar playing and soulful songs (annoyingly, he doen't seem to have a website, or I'd put a link in!). Harbour, a folk band from Farnham, were very enjoyable, I'll be looking out for them in the future. Their fiddle player told a rather rude joke though!
All in all a good night out - despite the inevitable Farnham Maltings false fire alarms, which always happen when it's hissing with rain...
First Footer
Happy New Year everyone!
I've had a really good Christmas, very busy, visiting various friends and family members. I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my parents, travelling up from Patrick's flat in Bath which is not far away from their house in Dorset. My sister was also there, always good to see Shirl. The mantle fell to Patrick to cook the Christmas meal, and he made an excellent job of it - his baked mushroom and stuffing starter is one to be noted for the future! The Waitrose turkey roll was also lovely and succulent.
Had a fantastic walk on Boxing Day with Pam and Chris - Patrick led the walk around Ham Hill Country Park and Montacute village in ideal walking weather, with some glorious views, plenty of historical interest and a good real ale pub, the Prince of Wales, at the end!
Then it was off to Marple for New Year to stay with Patrick's parents, and to do more work on the narrowboat. The new seats for the front had been cut and needed some minor adjustments before being painted and secured. I continued with my job of painting the bathroom. The bad news was, we found that Ripple's 3 batteries fail to hold any charge overnight so they will need replacing. And narrowboat batteries are expensive.
Good whisky and good company on New Year's Eve - as well as Patrick's Mum and Dad, his Auntie Vera and friend Irvin (whose moorings Ripple stays on) stayed up with us till five to midnight, when I got sent out of the house with a slice of bread, a jar of salt, a narrowboat made out of coal and a glass of whisky. I then had to be the 'first footer' back into the house in the New Year, as the darkest person in the house (although female)! It's supposedly a Scottish tradition but it looks like it's found it's way a little further south.
Patrick and I had time to spend one last night together in Dorking before each heading back to work and our (for now) separate abodes. Roll on the day when we can finally live together...
I've had a really good Christmas, very busy, visiting various friends and family members. I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my parents, travelling up from Patrick's flat in Bath which is not far away from their house in Dorset. My sister was also there, always good to see Shirl. The mantle fell to Patrick to cook the Christmas meal, and he made an excellent job of it - his baked mushroom and stuffing starter is one to be noted for the future! The Waitrose turkey roll was also lovely and succulent.
Had a fantastic walk on Boxing Day with Pam and Chris - Patrick led the walk around Ham Hill Country Park and Montacute village in ideal walking weather, with some glorious views, plenty of historical interest and a good real ale pub, the Prince of Wales, at the end!
Then it was off to Marple for New Year to stay with Patrick's parents, and to do more work on the narrowboat. The new seats for the front had been cut and needed some minor adjustments before being painted and secured. I continued with my job of painting the bathroom. The bad news was, we found that Ripple's 3 batteries fail to hold any charge overnight so they will need replacing. And narrowboat batteries are expensive.
Good whisky and good company on New Year's Eve - as well as Patrick's Mum and Dad, his Auntie Vera and friend Irvin (whose moorings Ripple stays on) stayed up with us till five to midnight, when I got sent out of the house with a slice of bread, a jar of salt, a narrowboat made out of coal and a glass of whisky. I then had to be the 'first footer' back into the house in the New Year, as the darkest person in the house (although female)! It's supposedly a Scottish tradition but it looks like it's found it's way a little further south.
Patrick and I had time to spend one last night together in Dorking before each heading back to work and our (for now) separate abodes. Roll on the day when we can finally live together...
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