We have just spent Christmas in Suffolk, though I didn’t say so at the time in case there are any burglars who follow the blog. I have a lifetime accumulation of tat in the house and you can’t be too careful. It would be virtually impossible to replicate the collection these days, particularly the shelves of 1970s paperbacks that fall apart when you open them up.
It started badly when my leg started playing up in the week before we left. Then I started sneezing. And coughing. By the time we got down to Suffolk I was ready to convalesce.
At that point my arthritic finger came into play. At first it just ached, then I caught it in a cupboard door on Christmas Day. That made my eyes water. It also rendered me fairly useless, and one-handed, for Boxing Day. Fortunately everything is recovering now and the leg and finger are back to imperfect normality.
The cottage itself was wonderful and the owners had put up Christmas decorations and left gifts (a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates). Despite my various trials we had and excellent dinner and a fun visit from Julia’s brother and his wife. We also had time for jigsaws, chess and dominoes (all provided). The jigsaw had all its pieces but the chess set and dominoes didn’t, which can be a bit tricky.
The unusual name comes from the name of a shipwreck which provided the timbers for the building in the seventeenth century. Unfortunately I can’t find further details, though there are some interesting wrecks of this name, including three around Australia and one in the North Sea (when a U-Boat sank over a dozen trawlers).
After the first day the weather was wet and wintry until it was time to come home.
Looks like we’ll have to go back when the weather is better.
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So nice, even though you weren’t feeling your best. Happy New Year!
Happy to you and Clif too.
It all looks very lovely. Very nice of the cottage owners to decorate. Happy New Year!
Thank you. Yes, the decorations were a nice touch. Happy New Year to you all too.
I am glad that your leg is back in working order.
🙂
Middleton is a very pretty place! Did you manage to get to the Bell Inn? I am glad you are feeling better but I’m sorry you were in pain over Christmas. I don’t say when we are away from home either as I have a nice collection of 70’s paperbacks too!
I mainly sat inside muttering about the weather and the evils of the modern world. It was a bit like being at home but the surroundings were quainter and the roads were narrower. 🙂
😀
🙂
May 2018 be far healthier and accident-free. Cottage looks good, but beams a bit low
I grew up in a house with low beams and the lessons I learned then remain with me. The kids had a few problems, but eventually learned to duck. Julia was untroubled by the lowness of the beams. 🙂
Lovely change of scene!
Yes, we enjoyed it.
I love that door latch. The rule about chess with missing pieces is that you have to play two games, swap sides, play with out making replacements. It’s like waging war with whatever army you have on hand. You Brits have been good at that.
I didn’t know the chess rules so we made a new piece from silver foil. There’s very little that can’t be fixed with foil or string. I imagine, with our current defence cuts, that this will soon be standard military issue.
It isn’t an official rule. It’s a camping and living in someone else’s house rule. Or my big sister’s rule.
If your big sister says so, that’s official as far as I’m concerned. 🙂
You have reminded me of something about Chess and I will need to write a post on the subject. FYEO. (not really)
🙂
Looks like a place where you don’t have to despair, even with a bad leg and an injured finger! I do like the Christmas bush they decorated!
It was very relaxing. We’re thinking of going back later in the year as there is so much to see and do.