Herefordshire Week 035: Tuesday 25 – Monday 31 August 2020

Technically, half of this week was “Walton on the Naze Summer Holiday Week 01”.

More apples.


Busy morning Tuesday, picking more windfalls and making another batch of chutney, then my final “week” at work before heading off for our hols.

Today's Batch of Apple Chutney
Today’s Batch of Apple Chutney

It’s not a bad view out of my office window….

Morning, sheep!
Morning, sheep!

Work wasn’t too hectic – laying the groundwork last week definitely helped – and taking a half day’s holiday on Thursday meant we got to WON just before 9pm on Thursday night. Having arrived just after both the fish & chip shops had closed, we treated ourselves to a dirty pizza from the takeaway in town for tea. It made up for the 6+ hour drive in torrential rain. All. The. Way.


Friday was v windy, with big rain clouds moving out to sea, and producing very localised rainstorms. Avoided downpours for a scoot around the Aisles of Aldi and a walk out to the Coop at the Triangle to stock up on ingredients for Brandy Apple Mincemeat (and bargains).


I spent Saturday morning using up some of the Forty Acres windfalls (Golden Delicious edition) to make a double batch of Brandy Apple Mincemeat.

Brandy Apple Mincemeat
Brandy Apple Mincemeat

I have a really easy microwave vegan recipe, but it’s a photocopy and I can’t remember which book it came from, or who lent it to me. It uses 1kg tart apples, of which we have many, and a morning’s chopping, microwaving and stirring produced have 9 jars, which are now maturing in readiness for Christmas mince pies.

We went to WIV on Saturday evening for lovely dinner with Tom and Jo, which involved some very nice red wine and entailed our first train journey since… January for me, and sometime last year for Phil.

Good practice for Thursday / Friday next week when we are doing the longer journey in/out of London, and stopping off at Phil’s parents on the way back. Hoping it won’t be busy with commuters. I can’t see there being loads, but I imagine there will be more over the course of Sept.

The young people heading into Colchester for a Saturday night out were not wearing masks.


Whiled away the rest of weekend reading on the window seat, devouring more of the Flavia Albia series courtesy of Hereford Library’s ‘Click & Collect’ service, with a snooze on Sunday afternoon and a stroll up to the Naze before tea and cakes from Lilly’s.

Dinner was tasty Thai Takeaway from the excellent Pearl of Samui, with more of My Brilliant Friend – we started season 2.

Cake


Monday was a gorgeous sunny day, perfect Bank Holiday weather. Spent the morning reading and soaking up the sun on the window seat, before coffee with Margaret & Richard and an afternoon at the Beach Hut.


TV: Watched the end of Watchmen plus almost all of My Brilliant Friend, season 2. And a new Tuesday night real time TV treat …. series 4 of This Farming Life.

Podcasts: Various. I am running out….


My photos from Herefordshire week 35 on Flickr.

Phil’s weeknotes for W/E 2020-08-30.