A Tragi Comic October

The pace hasn't dropped since I last blogged in early October and we've managed to live almost every day to the full. We've not done as much cinema going as we would like this year but, a wet afternoon was the ideal time for us to visit Cineworld in Ipswich again.

There wasn't much showing that appealed to us so we went to see Downton Abbey which would not be our usual choice but has been critically acclaimed and recommended by friends. It's visually perfect with beautiful costumes and cinematography. The plot is bordering on the comical but, as long as you suspend belief, it's an entertaining way to spend a wet afternoon.

After the comedy it was time for the tragedy - in this instance Brexit. We travelled to London for the People's Vote march. To make the most of the trip we went a day early and spent Friday looking for something for Marion to wear at our daughter Sarah's forthcoming wedding. 

The weather in London was glorious and we enjoyed the sights as we walked to the hotel.

I'm always on the lookout for interesting sculpture in London and noticed for the first time this wonderful frieze on The Monument to the Great Fire after passing it many times. 

After a successful shopping trip we went into the West End for dinner at Brasserie Zedel. This is a must see place. It's an enormous art deco dining room just off Piccadilly Circus. Staffed by waiters and waitresses in formal dress it's a people watcher's paradise. The location was great, the service excellent - the food? It's not as good as The Crown or The Station in Framlingham (by a long chalk) but don't be put off visiting.

Filling our time on Saturday morning before the march we went to the Royal Academy for the Antony Gormley exhibition. It's a stunning display of Gormley's work. Here are just a few favourites.

Perfect simplicity 

Some of the pieces are spellbinding

The scale is incredible

These simple forms reminded me of the Pompeii plaster casts. Very moving.

We met up with Framlingham friends to join the march. After going on zero demonstrations in sixty years we've now managed to go on three since 2016 and we'll keep going until there's nothing to fight for.

It was another good humoured and extremely well attended march. Don't believe those who tell you it's just the middle classes on these marches, there are people from across the entire social spectrum.

Back on the comic spectrum, I treated myself to this marvellous book for an early Halloween present. The title is based on Hogarth's A Rake's Progress it's full of Brexit based photo montages and is totally hilarious. Now that Brexit has been extended beyond Halloween, treat yourself to a copy for Christmas. 

Making further use of our time in London after the march, we went to The National Theatre to see Master Harold And The Boys. Here we were back in the realms of tragedy with a blistering observation of the horrors of apartheid. Beautifully performed and without a break, it's a rollercoaster of emotions and highly recommended.  

Back from London it was time to head to Kent to pick up grandchildren Teddy and Catherine for a half term trip to stay with us in Framlingham.

We had a trip to the castle but found the Halloween attractions booked up so we decided to return another day.

A friend kindly let us use their beach hut in Felixstowe. It wasn't beach hut weather but the kids loved it.

A trip to Felixstowe is not complete without a visit to the wonderful amusement arcade on the pier. It really is a much underrated resort. 

Back at the castle on Thursday we managed to get into the Zoolab Halloween themed show. A young animal enthusiast kept a crowd of kids enthralled with his array of creepy crawlies. The packed room asked him scores of questions and he answered every one fully with passion and patience. 

We had our own creepy crawly when I opened the garden clothes dryer up. So lucky that it was me and not Marion who hung the washing out.

We got the children back to Kent on Friday and on Sunday it was time to go to London to collect my Mum who was there with my sister Julie and my niece Nati. Mum came to spend a few days with us while Julie and Nati explored London. 

Mum's not far off 94 now but she's still going strong and we've had a few moments of comedy with her.

Mum needs the subtitles on the TV. It's not perfect watching the music rounds on University Challenge. First time I've answered every question before the teams.

We took Mum back to London yesterday to meet up with Julie and Nati who were taking her back to Spain.

Mum with Nati

After dropping her off we walked to the Royal Academy to see the new Lucien Freud self-portraits exhibition. He was an exceptional artist if not an exceptional human being. 

 We also tied Mum's return in with more comedy - a show at the London Palladium.

We booked tickets to see Eddie Izzard over a year ago so it was perfect timing.

Marion had tears of laughter rolling down her cheeks throughout the absurdist performance. He's a very funny guy and I enjoyed the show but if anybody else were to repeat his material the response would be - "what?" The highlight for me was Gina Miller sitting two rows in front.

Tragedy struck again when I had another try at finding a bargain on eBay. A pair of fine porcelain figures arrived in a hundred pieces. The seller refused to refund my postage claiming they were well packed - they weren't. Happily a complaint to eBay resulted in an immediate refund.

And happily this super £18 tureen c1830 arrived in one piece. It will be a tragedy if it doesn't sell for £150 and reverse some of my recent failures.

Another Non-Stop Month

I used to write this blog almost daily. It then slowed to weekly and I now find it's been a whole month since I last blogged. It's not for a shortage of things to write about but simply down to a lack of time (I am also fifty thousand words into writing my third novel). 

So what's happened this past month? I won't bore you with hundreds of words and will let the photos do the talking.

I don't think that I mentioned it in an earlier blog but our daughter Sarah and her partner Duncan have decided to get married. We were delighted with the news and when we went up to St Andrews early in September we had the opportunity to take a look at the venue that they've chosen. Cambo House is a super old house a few miles outside St Andrews and it's going to be a great location for the big day (or should I say big weekend) in December. Here are Marion and Sarah outside the property.

I love our regular trips to St Andrews and we were blessed with some decent late summer sunshine.

Granddaughter Melody celebrated her sixth birthday while we were there. I am so pleased that she and her sister are huge fans of Swallows And Amazons (my childhood favourite book) and Melody had a Swallows And Amazons themed party.

There was a travelling fair in Cupar during our visit. The girls loved it.

So did their Nanny.

I managed a few hours in the fields with the metal detector. I didn't find a great deal but was very pleased with this medieval seal matrix dating to c1300.

This is much older. I reckon it's an iron age toggle. I sent it with the seal to the Scottish Treasure Trove per Scottish regulations. They should confirm the identification.

We visited the Edinburgh museum whilst in Scotland. Here's part of the famous Millenium Clock. It's something of a monstrosity.

Back from Scotland we had  a few days in Suffolk. 

My recovery from the herniated disc continues and we managed a decent walk along the beach between Thorpeness and Aldeburgh and back.

We also enjoyed a good morning at the Glemham Hall Grande Brocante Fair

Then it was time to head down to Dorset.

We booked this super thatched cottage right by Lulworth Cove. It's a great holiday let and is a conversion of two cottages into one so it's very spacious. It's extremely well equipped and owned by a super couple we met on holiday in Bequia last year. We rented it through a letting agency. Google "Amy Cottage" or click on this link for details. 

Here are some of the highlights of our week in Dorset.

The world famous Durdle Door is within walking distance of Amy Cottage

The National Trust's Kingston Lacy is a forty minute drive

And well worth that drive

Statuary

The Japanese Garden

My back was sufficiently healed for me to walk from Lulworth Cove and all the way up this steep cliff.

The famous Stair Hole

Lulworth Castle - fascinating place

The sad village of Tyneham requisitioned by Churchill in WWII and now deserted

Marion with cottage owner Sue

Kimmeridge Bay - World famous for its fossils

Kimmeridge Strata

Although Kimmeridge is privately owned and the owners forbid the removal of fossils, the geology of the place is amazing and the fossils can be seen everywhere.It's a geologist's wet dream.

Just one of many

We couldn't miss a trip to Corfe Castle where we visited friends who we also met in Bequia.

The history of the castle is amazing. It was a huge place before the Parliamentarians blew it to pieces at the end of the Civil War.

The evidence of the destruction. It must have taken a hell of a lot of gunpowder to do this damage.

We got back to Suffolk in time to go to London on Saturday for another visit to the National Theatre. Hansard is outstanding. It's funny but also extremely sad and poignant. The cast of just two (Lyndsay Duncan and Alex Jennings) are superb. Highly recommended. 

We also found time yesterday to go to Cineworld in Ipswich where we saw Joker in the magnificent IMAX screen. I loved this. It's extremely dark but the cinematography is stunning and Joaquin Phoenix surely a shoo-in for the best actor Oscar. I imagine critics might carp at its portrayal of mental illness but ,with that one reservation, it's an outstanding film.