Jumping Through Hoops

It's been over six months since I last wrote this blog. I felt that people had enough on their plates to be bothered about my wittering so I kept quiet.

When I last wrote, our holiday of a lifetime had been postponed yet again. We booked it long before the pandemic was even a twinkle in a Chinese bat's eye and, ever the optimist I tried (unsuccessfully)  to convince Marion that it would go ahead.  She, ever the pessimist, was of course right.

But now, things have changed and, maybe, just maybe, we will be going soon. Our flights to St Vincent were cancelled by Virgin who are no longer flying there for the time being so we now have to fly via Barbados instead (hoop one). Our flights arrive in Barbados too late to catch a plane to Bequia so we have to stay in a quarantine hotel in Barbados overnight (hoop two). To arrive in Bequia we have to fly to St Vincent on the following day with a PCR test taken within 72 hours (hoop three). We then need to take another test upon arrival in St Vincent (hoop four) before catching a ferry to Bequia where me may (not sure about this one) need another PCR test (hoop five) before staying in quarantine for two days (hoop six).

Booking a PCR test that will be back in good time for us to fly has been difficult but we've found one at Heathrow so are staying in a hotel near the airport and taking the test the day before the flight (hoop seven).  The final cost of all these tests and hotel stays would probably pay for a European break but at least we will be having a holiday, albeit over two years since booking it and in the Caribbean off season (wet and windy) instead of the high season (dry and sunny). I really can't complain if that's all we have to worry about - people have suffered terribly in the last eighteen months. Ours is hardly a third world problem and ,who knows, with all the climate change, October may be the new dry season. 

I'll blog from Bequia .... as long as the volcano on St Vincent doesn't erupt again.

If you've read this blog before you will know that I started eBaying again during lockdown. It's something I enjoy very much and, indeed, my novel (see top right) is based on a fabulous eBay find. Here are a couple of recent finds. These were not found on eBay but I was delighted to find them. 

First Period Worcester Sauceboat c1753 Going To Bonhams Sale

Beautiful Royal Vienna Portrait Plate Found In A Junk Shop

Beautiful Pair Of Watercolours By Julius Caesar Ibbetson Going To Bonhams

Stunning Worcester Porcelain Night Light Holder With Lithophane Of Napeleon Going to Bonhams Napoleonic Sale.

The metal detecting season is just getting underway with crops being harvested very late this year. I've only had a few outings so far. The best find to date is this Richard I silver penny. Richard coins are rare and, although the portrait is unclear the lettering is very clear and reads Stivene On Lund. (Steven of London - the moneyer). 

We've not managed a single visit to our caravan in St Andrews since very early in the year and have missed our Scottish grandchildren very much. However we did have one bright spot in the pandemic when we joined up with them and our Kent family for a few days in Center Parcs.

Before the families went their separate ways we had a glorious morning at Lowther castle.

Lowther Castle - Well Worth A Visit

Another summer treat was the visit of friends Chris and Steve from Corfe Castle who had a short Suffolk break. We met them in Bequia and hope that they will be there when we return to Bequia next year (hoops permitting). 

More summer highlight were the visits of our Kent grandkids and Sarah coming down from St Andrews with Rose and Melody. We had lovely time with them.

Catherine had her first try at detecting. She enjoyed it and found a medieval button. I hope it was our first trip of many together. 

It was great to have the girls with us too. We enjoyed a trip to Aldeburgh and Thorpeness although the big treat to see Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella in London was thwarted by COVID closures.

So that's the blog updated. I hope to write more often now that things are quietening down (sort of). Come back soon and let us hope I will be posting something like this.