Birthday

An Afternoon Out In Walsingham

~ beetleypete ~ 51 Comments

Yesterday morning, one of my stepdaughters came with our grandchildren to celebrate my birthday. She brought cards and gifts, and also lots of food and a cake for me. She had been up since 6am to make everything, and it was most appreciated. I even had ‘sparkler candles’ on my lemon drizzle cake!

When they left, Julie drove me for an afternoon out to Walsingham, in lovely weather. It is only 15 miles north, so took little time to get there. The very small town is one of the most important religious places in Britain, housing the famous shrine of the Chapel of Our Lady of Walsingham. This was first constructed in 1061, and by 1153, an Abbey had been established there and Walsingham became a centre of pilgrimage. You can read the full history using this link. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walsingham

The mixture of interesting buildings makes it a nice place to spend some time in, and although we are not religious, we enjoy the peace and quiet of this serene little town. It is still a centre of pilgrimage to this day, and people travel from all over Britain (and many other countries) to see the shrine.

The main entrance to the chapel.

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Inside the chapel.

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The tomb of a bishop.

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Stained glass.

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In the quiet gardens, there are individual memorials.

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The main building seen from the rear.

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Julie next to the town pump. This dates from 1538, and was one of the only sources of drinking water at the time.

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The entrance to Walsingham Abbey.

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The Abbey walls.

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The tiny Greek Orthodox Chapel of Saint Seraphim, north of the town.

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Some of the private houses in the quiet back streets.

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We looked around the Farm Shop and had tea outside the bookshop tea rooms before leaving Walsingham.

Birthday Boy: 12 Today!

~ beetleypete ~ 98 Comments

Our beloved dog Ollie is 12 years old today. My constant companion since I retired, he has had a great life with us, despite numerous health problems.
As you may know, this will probably be the last time we will celebrate one of his birthdays, so here’s a photo tribute to the greatest dog I have ever known.
He is getting a new soft toy as a present, and any treats he desires.

Musings On A January Sunday

~ beetleypete ~ 65 Comments

Today is Julie’s birthday. She has never been fond of having a birthday so soon after Christmas, and at a time of year when the weather is usually bad. So yesterday her twin daughters prepared a Birthday Tea for her at one of their houses. Home made food and cakes, cards and gifts, a chance to spend time with her grandchildren and her oldest son who also attended. This evening I am taking her to a nice restaurant in Norwich, and we are being joined by our next-door neighbours who are kindly driving us into the city.

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So far we have avoided the snow that has fallen in many parts of the country. Despite the cold weather forecast to get much colder next week, Beetley has been spared the worst of the winter up until now.

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Ollie has had a couple of down days. On Friday he seemed tired and sluggish, but still managed to enjoy his walk and eat his food. Yesterday he was asleep for most of the time either side of his walk, and late last night he was coming to us for cuddles and reassurance. Julie got up during the night when she thought she heard him choking, but he seemed fine when she checked on him. It has occurred to me that he finally realises something is badly wrong. We will keep his routine in place and hope for the best.

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There will be no episode of my fiction serial today, but I will put up a separate post about that for those that don’t read the musings.

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Wherever you are on this cold grey morning, I hope you are happy there.

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A Restaurant Recommendation

~ beetleypete ~ 42 Comments

Apologies to my non-British readers, but unless you are considering visiting this area as a tourist, you are unlikely to ever eat here.

Something I rarely do, but I have to recommend the restaurant where we went to celebrate my stepson’s birthday last night. On a foggy and cold night in Norwich, the spartan appearance of the restaurant didn’t look that appealing on arrival. But it is in one of the oldest parts of the city, in the shadow of the famous Norman castle.

Perusing the menu, (which changes frequently to include seasonal products) my first thought was that for Norfolk, it was an expensive place indeed. So I was hoping that the food would live up to its reputation, and be as good as my stepson had told us it was. (He has been there before)

What followed was one of the most delicious meals I have eaten in many years, and most definitely the best Italian food I have eaten outside of London or Rome. Service was professional and friendly, but not over-attentive. We were not rushed, and on a Wednesday night it was not full. But the atmosphere in the old building was good, albeit ‘minimalist’. That suited us very well.

I am deliberately not mentioning what we had to eat, as it might well not be on the menu if you decide to eat there. But rest assured that everything was completely delicious, and the portion sizes were just right too.

So if you are ever anywhere near the City of Norwich, or considering taking a trip there one day, be sure to add this fine restaurant to your list of dining options.

Here is a link to their website.

Home

Sad.

~ beetleypete ~ 57 Comments

I was going to start a new fiction serial today, but decided against it.

Too many gaps in the days ahead when we are busy doing something. I will wait until the New Year to start it.

Thinking a lot about Ollie, and his more or less terminal medical condition. Watching him trot around completely normally on his dog-walk earlier, interacting with other dogs and their owners, I started to feel unbearably sad. Sad for the time when he won’t be here to do that, and sad for the short life spans of our beloved pets.

Today is my oldest stepson’s birthday, so this evening we are taking him for a celebratory meal in the City of Norwich.

Not the best occasion to feel sad.

99 Today

~ beetleypete ~ 69 Comments

This is a photo of my mum when she was 15 years old, in 1939. WW2 was only a couple of months away, and her life in London would be changed beyond recognition.

If she was alive today, it would be her 99th birthday. Sadly, she died in 2012, aged 87.

She worked from the age of 14, until she was 76 years old. She loved her pets, adored her extended family, and endured a great deal of hardship during her life.

There has never been a day when I don’t think about her, and memories of her bring tears to my eyes. And I meet her in my dreams.

Happy Birthday, Mum.

Violet Anne Johnson. 1924-2012. A life well-lived.

Sunday Musings On My Mum’s Birthday

~ beetleypete ~ 39 Comments

I have published a separate post about my mum today.

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The weather this week has been all over the place. Temperatures ranging from just 16C (61F) to a peak of 31C (88F) on Saturday. We have had cold winds, warm breezes, thunderstorms, and one day of torrential rain that included hail. It feels like we had almost every season in just seven days.

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Ollie has not been coping well with the increasing temperatures, spending much of his dog-walk just standing in the river. It must be so uncomfortable for him, with his thick coat of fur.

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We had to look after our grandson on Wednesday, because of the Teachers’ Strike. With heavy rain that day, Julie took him to soft-play and bowling in Dereham, as it is inside. He made some new friends and played until he was exhausted. I can’t even remember what it is like to have that much energy, but I was 8 years old once. 🙂

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Whatever the weather is doing where you live today, I hope you are still able to enjoy your Sunday.

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Sunday Musings After My Birthday

~ beetleypete ~ 58 Comments

I found another gadget on the new car this week, Automatic Lights. Just turn the main light switch to Auto, and the lights come on when the sensor decides it is dark enough. For now, we have left it on that setting, but it’s good to know it can be overridden if you want to decide when to switch them on.

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As predicted, my birthday was quieter than usual. I received some nice cards, and Julie bought me some new Australian Sheepskin slippers, plus a nice bottle of red wine. I also got a bottle of wine from one of my step-daughters, and a delivery of chocolate truffles from one of my cousins. The children of my blogging friend Eddy Winko sent me some more chocolates and lovely hand-made cards, all the way from Poland.
In the evening, Julie took me to the Turkish Restaurant in Dereham, and we enjoyed a delicious meal.

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The weather in Beetley warmed up significantly, but that meant we lost the sunshine and blue skies, which were replaced by rain. Just as well I didn’t want to go out for the day on my birthday, as it was quite miserable. A contrast to last year at this time, when I was wearing shorts.

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Ollie is still doing well, and has not flagged at all on his walks this week. His appetite is good, and he has been playing with his toys. All very positive, for his age.

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Whatever you are doing today, do it with a smile.

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World News: 16/03/2023

~ beetleypete ~ 98 Comments

The only news I am interested in today is that it is my birthday. I doubt that will feature on any BBC broadcasts though.

My cards have been opened, along with some gifts sent in the post. When Julie gets home from work this afternoon I will get presents from her, and then we will go out to a restaurant this evening.

As the old saying goes, ‘That’s all the news that’s fit to print!