March
After
a wet and stormy February, a generally cold March kept us waiting for spring,
with just a short spell of warmer weather bringing out the daffodils and hyacinths.
Tuesday
4 – Pancake Day! Teresa produced a
steady stream of light, piping hot, pancakes, tossed high from the pan, until
the batter ran out.
On
Saturday 15 Roger and Teresa presented a quiz at the bowls club, ably assisted by
Jay, who was home for the weekend and kept all the scores up to date. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, judging by the
level of good-natured banter, and, after a close contest, a new set of winners
emerged.
Roger reading out the questions ►
On Wednesday
19 we met Helen in
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On
Friday 21 Teresa went to
◄ Helen in the Barbican where she used to work
and study.
At
the weekend we generally visited Jay in
On
Monday 24 the nearby Gloucestershire-Warwickshire Railway invited its
neighbours in Toddington for a free ride.
In the morning, the railway had put on a promotional package for local
businesses: hotels and guest-houses, for
example, can provide an accommodation
package including train trips – very popular in Gold Cup week, as
race-goers can be delivered by train to
The
afternoon event – a ride down to Winchcombe and back – was lower key, aimed at
recruiting members and volunteers. A
couple of dozen or so villagers took up the offer. It was a fine day, though with a keen
wind. We started early, lunching in the
station café, and looking round the shop and museum. Good views on the train ride, and a stop in
Winchcombe long enough for tea and cakes, where we met some of our neighbours. I’m not sure that anybody volunteered as a
result, but we do already support the railway as members, and feel it is a
great asset to the village.
It
was Teresa’s birthday at the end of the month, and we had a few small
celebrations. On Friday 28 Teresa
ordered a take-away lobster supper from Russell’s fish and chip restaurant in
Broadway, to which we added a steak for Roger and shared a nice bottle of
wine. She seemed to be into lobster,
because one of her presents was a voucher for a lobster dinner for two in
On Monday 31, Teresa’s actual birthday,
we started by visiting Broadway, where we had a few calls to make. Teresa was
keen to have coffee in Broadway’s latest coffee bar, in a recently much
expanded delicatessen.
A passing gentleman kindly photographed us in front of the shop, which
was very busy when we first passed, but, after a short stroll, we were able to
get Teresa’s favourite seat at the back of the shop, overlooking a well
maintained garden
Teresa
ordered this artistic coffee and a white chocolate and raspberry ripple cake ►
Sharing the table was a lady with her
knitting: Teresa, who has just started
knitting, couldn’t resist asking for some advice, and a few minutes’
conversation revealed that they had both been to the same school at a similar
time. An exchange of amusing
reminiscences ensued.
One of our calls was at the library,
which was operating out of a mobile library van, following damage to the
building in a series of attempted arson attacks in the village the previous
week. We also looked round the charity
shops, where both Roger and Teresa made lucky finds.
Back home, Teresa opened her cards and
presents.
◄
She had already had these flowers from Helen.
Teresa’s
cards, under a beautiful embroidery by Helen
►
She had a plastic film cutter, which we
think we assembled correctly despite the impenetrable instructions, as well as
various small presents and some magnificent boxes of chocolate.