My Day

[MauriceMynah]

I didn't know which thread to hijack for this, but this one seems as good as any, and I'm happy to be submitting a positive post in these uncertain times.

I speak of none other than our NBN meet at Salhouse, and a suggestion I have about it.

I think it possible that May might not be the best month, still too early if the covid hasn't yet been committed to the bin of history. It is now that I start to skate on thin ice .

The NBF used to hold it's annual get together on the nearest Saturday to the 21^st of June. The logic behind this date was simple, it was the Saturday nearest to the longest day.

Whilst I understand that they no longer have an official meet I believe there is an unofficial get together still held on that day.`

I would put to you all that we consider the first Saturday in July as a date, for this year (2021) for our party, still at Salhouse as that seems to work for us as a venue.

I for one need something to look forward to, preferably at a time likely to be realistic. What think all of you?

[CambridgeCabby]

Whatever the date decided , we will be there 

[BroadAmbition]

Same here. If we can make it, we will 

Griff

[AndyTBoater]

Sign me up. 

[grendel]

the main problem with this is that we have already announced the dates for the meet -

and that people may have already booked a boat for that weekend, we try and give as much notice as possible to allow folks to take advantage of any deals going.

[MauriceMynah]

Ahhh, Right. I must have missed/forgotten that one.

Come back all I said! Sorry folks

[BroadAmbition]

I like others will be aware of the May date booked in our diaries, however it may no longer be a realistic date under the present covid restrictions unless we can get all of the country vaccinated by then - That's a tall order but certainly a goal to aim for

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Today is going to be a gudden primarily as not at work till next year

First off it's not raining for a change.  Secondly as soon our our window cleaner has finished so I can pay him I'm off out walking with Purdey dog.  Then its get stuck into washing the GriffTile van, inside and out.  Then change over to winter wheels, fit s/steel runner bars.  Apparently I have been ordered that it's my job to deep clean the floor tiles in kitchen / conservatory (Doubles up as our dining room).  More chores in t afternoon no doubt

Griff

[grendel]

not a great start to my christmas break, came back from lunch to finish off the job i was working on, finished it, emailed it out and then checked my emails, to find a message telling me we finished at midday, by now of course it was 1pm, still I probably would still have completed that job anyway, even if i had known, as i am not one to leave a job thats near completion for next year.

[SteveO]

6 hours ago, grendel said:

not a great start to my christmas break, came back from lunch to finish off the job i was working on, finished it, emailed it out and then checked my emails, to find a message telling me we finished at midday, by now of course it was 1pm, still I probably would still have completed that job anyway, even if i had known, as i am not one to leave a job thats near completion for next year.

Well at least you can enjoy your Christmas holiday with a clear conscience, knowing that you can start the new year with a clean desk and an empty "to-do" list.

[YnysMon]

Yay! We finally got christmasfied! A bit close to the wire this year. Ive (we’ve) left everything until last minute. A lot of my work colleagues did their Christmas food shop really early. I noticed long queues outside supermarkets at the weekend. Yesterday I figured that going to the supermarket in a downpour might be a good strategy. I took a brolly, but it turned out that I didn’t have to queue, so that worked out quite well.

Harry (works for Ikea) got a free real Christmas tree yesterday from work, so that’s outside with lights on. Youngest son Alec spent this morning getting our artificial tree dec’d out indoors.

I’ve spent the day cookin’. The most cooking and prepping I’ve done for a while. Couldn’t get a turkey crown when I did the Christmas food shop yesterday, so got a whole turkey instead and followed YouTube instructions on how to dismember the turkey to end up with a crown. Boys had peri peri turkey wings for lunch. Not sure yet what to do with the legs, which I’ll probably stick in the freezer. Cut off the meat for a curry or something, or attempt (probably badly) to debone and stuff? Carcass and giblets with veg and herbs have been simmering in the slow cooker to make stock for gravy tomorrow.

Also prepared bread sauce and Mary Berry’s apricot and chestnut stuffing for tomorrow and a lamb and squash tagine for this evening which turned out very well. I’m desperately looking out for pumpkin and squash recipes having grown too many of them on the allotment. Our window sills are covered with the blinking things.

Am now cooked out.

Despite all this food prep, Ive been wondering why this evening doesn’t feel at all like Christmas and have realised it’s the first Christmas Eve for about 10 years that we as a family haven’t been to/played in the Woburn Sands Band’s Christmas concert on the village green.

l will play some carols on the organ tomorrow in church, but we aren’t allowed to sing, and only 20 or so people are allowed in to our tiny church. One per pew.

I do hope that things will be more normal next Christmas.

 

[ExSurveyor]

It is a strange feeling this year. Despite hating shopping at any time of the year, I know it is getting near that time when I am forced to assist with 'the big shop'.  Matron has prepared early this year so my powers of trolley driving haven't been required.

Normally mid December we are out at work delivering various thank you gifts to over 150 organizations that supply us with business, not this year as I decided to retire early in August.

Bake day is always on the 23rd, all four grandchildren and another 8 great nieces and nephews arrive at 10am to spend the day baking cakes, sausage rolls, mince pies and making chocolates under Matrons supervision whilst I do endless washing up.

This year it was two separate days with just one set of grandchildren each day with mass cleaning in between.

Christmas Eve we usually have around 24 for lunch, not this year.

So much has changed in such a short space of time.

It will be a quiet Christmas for us, the first in over 42 years but we are grateful that we still have so much when so many have lost so much this year.

To each and every member, your families and loved one, I wish you the most peaceful time that is possible, comfort in this new loneliness and strength for the future.

 

 

[grendel]

This year my Christmas preparation was minimal, several weeks ago I picked up the basics for chrismas dinner alongside my normal ship at lidls, a turkey breast joint (frozen) and several packets of frozen Veg - honey roast parsnips (frozen ), roast potatoes, and frozen sprouts.

as for the rest of the christmas trimmings, i am not fussed, one way or another, but a chance raffle prize in the company christmas raffle (all the gifts from suppliers and contractors) netted me 2 small 1 person hampers with a bottle of proscetto, a tiny christmas pud, brandy butter, stollen, and a piece of christmas cake in each, has furnished the remainder, along with the 2 boxes of chocolates and a bottle of wine, thats me set up for christmas food, an early night to bed, watching the dvd of Bohemian Rhapsody, and a bottle of baileys, set me up for christmas eve. 

And so to this morning, up early as per usual, 5am is no stranger, My body clock will wake me around 5am every day anyway.

After lengthy consultation (and bearing in mind that they are within my support bubble, and that neither them nor I have really been going out anyway) I will visit my parents this morning for our normal christmas get together (coffee and mince pies) but on my own instead of taking my daughter with me.

Plus I will be taking some essential supplies with me (my mum has run out of cassis and I have a spare bottle).

My visit to my sisters boxing day will be replaced with a facebook group video meeting. 

Anyway, I would like to wish everyone here a Happy Christmas, and have as much fun as you are allowed, with hopes for a better year next year.

[Vaughan]

3 hours ago, psychicsurveyor said:

To each and every member, your families and loved one, I wish you the most peaceful time that is possible, comfort in this new loneliness and strength for the future.

From our splendid isolation here in France, I echo that sentiment!

We have our neighbours here in the village and it is a very friendly community, but there is no hope of seeing any family this year.  One of my in-laws has suggested we have a Christmas zoom conference, but luckily, we are not set up for that!

It will be a shame not to see my grandchildren but my daughter is very busy right now with all the vaccinations, so Christmas will be her only day off.  She has always had a sadistic side, which loves pronging needles into people but in fact she and two other matrons are doing shifts to organise the logistics of getting people into the hospital to have it done.  They are all elderly, some infirm, and it is not just a question of laying on transport.  They have set up a special area in an old canteen where they have to have an arrest trolley and several beds available,  in case anyone gets taken poorly while they are there.  It makes it a long process and you can't just have them all standing in a queue in the car park, like Tescos!

Still, I have just had our boat winterised and it turns out she has used a whole tank of diesel during this season, so it can't have been all work!

Meantime, we have decided to move house to somewhere more comfortable, although still in this area.  We went out looking for a sensible retirement bungalow with a bit of parking, and ended up with this!

 

The big yard at the back gives out onto another road and the lower floor is all garage and workshop space, so there is also room to build a model railway! I daren't tell you what it cost, but let's just say that in Norfolk I could have bought one, or maybe both, of my daughter's garden sheds for the same price!

We complete on it at the end of January and so it gives us a positive project to look forward to, after what has amounted to a completely wasted year of our lives.

Meantime, it is now 6AM, I have got the fire lit and Susie and I wish you all a very happy Christmas, wherever you may be!

 

[ranworthbreeze]

Christmas Eve was another day of baking, finishing off the a chocolate cake by adding the butter cream and the Cadbury Milk topping. I then started on a apple pie after picking the last of the apples from the tree (enough to put some in the freezer and leave a few on the tree for the birds).

Mike went out with Stuart & Lucas while I finished the baking. buttes for a late lunch and tiding up for Christmas.

A few friends called in with their present runs in the afternoon and early evening, it was good to chat with them from a distance, sadly no hugs this year.

 

[SteveP]

I have a Kilo bag of peanut m&ms that I shouldn't eat but praise be I also have some Woodforde's Norfolk Norada pale ale how did that get to Blackpool? Now I know he's real!🍻🍻🍻

[Gracie]

Good Morning everyone

A very Merry Christmas to you all

I've been up since 6 with the children which isn't too bad, a bit of a lie in for Christmas day in fact. We made some mince pies yesterday afternoon which my Dad said were nice but he did go a shade of green when he ate one. I think I need Ian for a masterclass or some such 

Have a lovely day wherever you are, take care and stay safe x

Merry Christmas x

[Ray]

Merry Christmas one and all, may your day be merry and bright 😁

🎅🥂🍺

[BroadAmbition]

Oooops,

Wrong thread

Griff

[JanetAnne]

This year's festive lights... 

 

 

Beccles bridge making Potter look a piece of cake. Current clearance about 2'6". You can just see the top of the bridge height gauge....

Not high tide yet but the run off from all the rain is making the upper Waveney look like Yarmouth Yacht Station at full flow!

[NorfolkNog]

Good grief. Never seen it like that. Something like a months worth of rain in 24 hours? As well we didn't get our December trip in!!!! 

[NorfolkNog]

Following JA's piccies here's a view of a torrid Waveney nicked from Twitter 

 

[JawsOrca]

These last couple of weeks have been a nightmare just getting around. Most of the fields are flooded and the upper waveney is just a big lake, there's so much water about.. In all my years of driving including around here I've never been afraid of driving but geez it's nerve wrecking! It seems there's lots of rivers which zigzag all over the roads here so it's easy to get pretty stuck.. But still nice to be here..   Fingers crossed for some dry days though.. 

[Turnoar]

Are there still such things as ditches in Ditchingham.... strikes me after driving Wednesday evening that it’s about time we dug some, the section of the B1145 I was on was like a river. The road drains haven’t been sucked since the fall which isn’t helping matters outside my front gate. The roads are puddling pools  these days!

[OldBerkshireBoy]

River water level is very high and brown here. More black sky's today as well.