September already!!
We are in Walton on the Naze for a couple of weeks, enjoying a holiday on the Sunshine Coast with intermittent interruptions for admin.
Major event: Haircut!
So, yes, Tuesday morning featured a haircut. Not just any haircut… my first haircut since 19 August 2019.
Yep, over a year ago.
I am calling this one my COVID-Chop.
Locks chopped we headed down to the beach hut. Spent the afternoon reading and enjoying the soft evening light. Quieter now that the summer holiday season has come to an end. Always a lovely time of year to be in Walton.
Wednesday we walked along the prom to Frinton for coffee and cake, sat outside the Bird & Bean. Took some books to St Helena’s Charity Bookshop. Good to see both of them open.
Back home, Phil and I transferred our individual To Do Lists out of our heads and onto paper. Digital paper. We both felt better for it, for different reasons.
Thursday/Friday saw us make our flying visit back to London to meet with the removals man and two potential redecorators, and to do various other bits of house move admin. Thankfully train commuters were much more compliant with the mask wearing mandate.
We booked the removals and they’re going to do all the packing too. All being well, our stuff should be coming over to Herefordshire at the end of the month. We just have to find house room for it.
Once we have quotes from the decorators we’ll book that in for as soon after as they can manage.
Admin involved a walk over to Cheapside, where Wonder Of Wonders, Bow Lane Wine Vaults was open!! Sadly, too rainy to venture back for an early evening drink, plus we both needed to spend the time packing up a few fragile things.
But we did have wine, crisps and Waitrose pizza for dinner.
And whilst in Waitrose I bumped into one of my super Silver Surfers, which was really, really lovely. I do miss them, and that volunteering element of my life. Now I know we’re in Herefordshire for the long run, I’m going to find a replacement.
Saturday, Sunday and Monday continued the London socialising theme, with Hazel coming to stay and Catherine driving over for the day on Sunday.
Phil, Hazel and I had the long awaited fish & chips from the Tollgate Fisheries on Saturday evening, with a G&T aperitif featuring ice, gin and tonic from BJH.
Catherine arrived early on Sunday, and the three of us walked to Frinton along the beach, moving on to footpaths to Great Holland and almost into Kirby Cross (in search of a pub, I do confess) before heading back across the fields to Frinton
In Frinton we sat outside The Lock & Barrel enjoying a Sunday lunchtime pint. Not sure I’ll ever be allowed back into Frinton after such a display of wantonness.
Lunch back at the flat, then ice creams and a short stroll before Catherine headed home. A great day. Wonderful weather and fab friends.
Phil escaped by heading back to London for the day to do a bit more preparation at the flat and to meet up with friends for lunch.
A leisurely morning on Monday, Hazel and I strolled up to the end of the Naze and back before she took the train back to London. Phil and I spent the afternoon at the hut.
Podcasts: I subscribed to some new “listens” earlier in the week, with The History of English podcast proving a particular favourite. I think it’s mainly because I am fascinated by the centuries between the departure of the Romans and the arrival of the Normans. The centuries of invasion (or, perhaps simply “immigration”?) by the Angles, Saxons, Jutes and others, and then the Vikings from various parts of Scandinavia that we don’t know much about.
TV: More of season 2 of My Brilliant Friend which covered the teenage years as Lenu and Lila’s lives really start to diverge and emotions and character emerge. Plus the next instalment in This Farming Life.
For other perspectives:
- My photos from Herefordshire week 36 on Flickr.
- Phil’s weeknotes for w/e 2020-09-06.