TOM AND MARGES 80TH

Had hoped to have loads of pictures to accompany this blog ,but true to form the batteries on my camera gave out the second I switched on,and thats having changed them before leaving home.Anyway Charlie said he will e mail some so all is not lost.but how to get them from an e mail to a blog is another matter,so all may be lost.
Well we travelled down on Saturday afternoon to Rich and Als to spend the night there as the do wasn't until Sunday.We went out for a really nice curry in the evening.It was slightly different from the usual run of the mill restaurants as it specialised in veggie curries which were very nice and different.
Sunday dawned wet and miserable.Before going to the do we went to the local golf discount store to get Charlies birthday presents he will be 14 in a couple of days time.Rich ended up spending £200 on a set of clubs!!!!.
To the do.This was held at the RAC CLUB Woodcote Park as Tom is a member there.It brought back lots of memories as Rich and I were members there when we live in Ashtead as was my Father.I learnt to play golf there and it seemed as though little has changed from all those years ago.It really is an impressive place and both Rich and I were privileged to be members,although at the time we didn't realise it and probably took it all for granted.The do was excellent and held in one of the clubs private rooms,some 60 people attended with a menu of Smoked salmon,watercress soup,noisettes of lamb, tart tatin,coffee and wine.There were plenty of speeches ,with Tom being in his element.
Lyn and I decided to drive back to Norfolk after the event and a cup of tea at Rich and Als,and i must admit it was nice driving north rather than south,and it was really good to get back Home.
Today was supposed to be my first round of golf in many many years.I was due to ply at Swaffham golf club with some other villagers but unfortunately the weather was foul, and after waiting at the club for two hours it was decided to call it a day as there looked to be no break in the rain.Of course its stopped now,and it even looks if the sun is going to come out.
On the picture front,we continue to collect and have another 6 or so since my last blog.

TODAYS TRAWL

Had to take the car in for its first MOT,at the dealers in Bury St Edmunds,so took the opportunity of hitting the Charity shops in our quest for paintings for under a fiver,and on the left is our haul for today.Generally prices seem to be slightly more expensive and the quality not so good as Kings Lynn.Now I can understand the prices being slightly inflated because its quite a posh town,so you would therefore expect the quality to match the prices,but not so.Seems we have a bit to learn yet.However I do believe we have our strategy right as on entering the shop we split up and each scour half the shop, so saving valuable time and defeating the opposition.We have yet to enter into any bartering,although I'm not sure its the kosher thing to do in a charity shop.Perhaps we should pay more than the asking price.Now thats got me wondering.Todays haul £20.00 for 6 only slightly worse than our all conquering Ashes side.

MORE BARGAINS

Last of our current purchases.The one on the left cost £1.85

BARGAIN

It started slowly but its gathering pace.Below are some of the pictures that we have recently purchased to fill the walls of our cottage.A couple of weeks ago on one of regular trips to Swaffam market we picked up a picture off one of the bric a brac stalls for less than a fiver,and this got us thinking,could we cover all the walls in the cottage with pictures for less than a fiver each.Well it seems that the answer is yes.All we have to do is visit charity shops on a regualar basis and it would appear that there is a never ending supply.Yesterday we went to Kings Lynn and bagged four ranging in price from £1.80 to our maximum of £5.00.Tomorrow we have to go to Bury St Edmunds to get the car Mot'ed so will visit every charity shop there in our ongoing quest .Got a feeling that this could become something of an obsession.

EXPECTATIONS ARE BETTER THAN REALITY

Well for the last 48 hours or so the Met Office has been banging on about heavy snow in our area as well as much of the Southeast.So I went to bed last night like a schoolboy expecting to wake up with at least 6inches of fresh snow outside and a day off school to look forward to.I even had the curtain slightly ajar so that I could glimpse snow without even having to get up.So at first light I looked through the gap in the window, and to my horror no snow,so on with the news to find out what has happened.Well it seems that just about everywhere got what they were expecting except us.There were constant reports of road and airport closures,as well as live broadcasts from reporters who looked more like snowmen,so it was definitely snowing somewhere in the UK but not in Northwold.I felt quite let down alomost to the point of ringing up the Met Office and demanding our fair whack.Anyway a couple of cups of coffee later and it started,and now its stopped.So is that it?For Matt youv'e seen it all before and for Jonny just a small sample of what you are missing.
Out in the garden now to build my snowman, and to throw a couple of snowballs at Lyn,thats if I can seperate the gravel form the miniscule amount of snow.