Early Christmas

A festive day with all the family in Shillington - a lovely Christmas meal, gifts and games.  

Some very accomplished Christmas gift wrapping on show..

And, of course our Christmas sweaters and Christmas hats... although a mild day made them feel a little warm!

Several games were played..

A good time was had by all!

Meeting the train

Lauren travelled down to Bedfordshire today from Coventry and we met her at Millbrook station.

A tiny station on the line between Bletchley and Bedford it is unmanned and the original station building is now a home.  

A rather faded notice board showed some historical photos and is maintained by the Friends of Millbrook.

When the train arrived it was a fairly modest single unit..

Vintage photos..

While I was at home this week, Mum showed me a few photos which are now definitely in the vintage category (though not yet antique).

This first one was apparently taken on my first Christmas Day, hence at just 5 months old I was tackling serious food - as recommended by Gran, apparently!

A few years on and Maggie has arrived - looking more than a little nervous about being held by 'big sister'.

...In fact even my presence seems to cause her concern.

At this point I have also been fully trained in the art of washing up..

...and, of course, posing for the camera!

Christmas Rose

Mum has a wonderful collection of Hellebores growing in her garden but they can be difficult to photograph as they often hang their heads. 

Walking up the lane yesterday, these beautiful ones were growing quite high on a wall in a neighbour's garden and hence much easier to capture!

Lunch at Menu Gordon Jones

Our annual visit to this extraordinary restaurant where the chef/owner works in the corner of the room preparing by hand -  with just one sous-chef - amazing delicacies for the (up to) thirty or so diners.

There is no menu, everyone eats the same, often quite tiny, tasting dishes.  Each one is quite an experience with unusual flavours and ingredients combined with quirky but beautiful presentation.

Can you tell that we enjoyed it??

And so to Bath..

This morning, after a few hours of concentrated gift sorting and wrapping, we set off for Bath under a grey and wintry sky.

We travelled via the Fosseway, through Tetbury, where the Market was quiet today.

Arriving in Bath, St Stephen's Church on Lansdown is illuminated for Advent...

Drive-thru banking

In Great Falls on Thursday I decided to try the Drive-thru at the BB&T bank.  A simple transaction - just withdrawing some cash - although not quite as simple as it should have been, as I hadn't pulled the car up quite close enough!  Have the same problem at the entrance to car parks sometimes.

Back here in the UK we have been shopping in Leamington today where there was a Sunday market in the main street.

One stall was selling wooden garden ornaments - rather quirky rabbits ...

... and a whole series of ducks in wellies!