February
Our first break away this year was because of being invited to the wedding of a son of an old school friend of mine. We drove down to Cornwall with Deb and Kay and stopped over at Jackie’s for the night to catch up. The next morning Sue and I left the girls to spend some time together and we decamped for St Ives to stay in a lovely little Airbnb overlooking the town. Later that day we went on to David and Millie’s wedding where many of the Burroughs clan had come over from NZ to celebrate the big day.
As it was also my birthday we stayed on for a couple. We wandered around a sunny St Ives and some of the local beaches and when we went out to eat at the Sloop Inn (circa 1312) where we bumped into the Burroughs’s and had dinner with them.
Later in January we (inc Deb) went to see Rumer play at the Union Chapel. She was supported by local Dorking act TIGY and the lead singer’s (Bailey) mother – Judy Tzuke. We ate a fabulous place called the Western Laundry nearby.
During Feb a bunch of us went out to Reigate to eat at a wonderful little venue called Lebnani that specialises in Beirut soul food.
We have started trying to get together with friends for a Sunday Stroll often in local parks where we can have dogs with us and not to far from a pub where we can have a rewarding pint afterwards. We have been to several locations around Surrey and have sampled several pints too.
A sculpture called the Knife Angel was touring and on show outside the Guildford Cathedral, so we went to have a look. It is an impressively large figure made entirely out of knives and blades to symbolise the artists concerns about knife crime and to encourage handing in of weapons.
March
Winter is not over, and we had a dusting of snow in early March.
A group of us went to the Hope in Carshalton to celebrate Tom’s birthday. The Hope is a pub that was rescued from closure by a group of enthusiasts who then turned it into one of the best places to get a beer with a listing in the CAMRA guide.
Later in March we went with Deb, Chris & Lynne, and Jamie to Greenwich to walk over the Dome, the weather held out and it was an interesting excursion (like trying to navigate a bouncy castle). The views were impressive.
We had a couple of gigs in London in late March – Eels at the Roundhouse and Death Cab for Cutie at the Royal Albert Hall. The music was great, but we certainly felt that perhaps we were to old for going out on a school night to these sort of events.
April
Spring started to make itself felt and we visited RHS Wisley to see some of the spring blooms.
Wild garlic also started to grow, and we picked a bunch which Sue turned into a tasty pesto.
Sue and I went out to the Dorking Halls to see Dave Gorman’s Powerpoint to the People comedy show, which was great.
One weekend we met Jamie in London and strolled around in what eventually became a pub crawl for which I do not recall how it ended.
An Easter get-together at the Whittenbury’s where we enjoyed good food, drink, and company.
On a particular dreary Sunday, Sue spoiled me by letting me build my toy soldiers (Bolt Action – Afrika Korps), followed by watching Dungeons & Dragons at the cinema, and culminating in a KFC dinner.
The weather has its moments and occasionally we have been able to get out and enjoy the garden.
May
May Day we saw some Morris dancers at Rusper before dodging showers at Nymans gardens.
A group of us celebrated Reg’s birthday at the Hope in Carshalton where the Mariners Mates were practicing sea shanties.
One Thursday we ended up in Dorking with a bite to eat and some drinks (again I seem to have had a bout of drink related amnesia as I do not remember the last shot – could be a concern).
There was an extra bank holiday to celebrate King Charles III coronation. On Saturday we watch some of the pomp and pageantry on TV before going over to Paul & Lorraine’s for a meal. Dorking is resplendent in Union Jacks. One the Sunday had a few people around for a garden party, and on Monday we popped over to the village fete for a little while before retuning home to put our feet up.
We have been busy redecorating a couple of rooms at home, the guest bedroom (for when Mum arrives for a summer holiday), and the bathroom. Once we had finished our final project, we took ourselves out and wandered around Leith Hill Place and Deepdene that have rhododendrons blooming now.
The weather started to improve (touch wood) and we had a few walks in the countryside and enjoyed a few alfresco meals. Now let’s hope it bodes well for the summer.
