Fever, Fall and Miss Bettawear

It's a baby.

Feeling vile at work all day. Managed to fall off my typists chair trying to rescue a biscuit on the floor. Romy rather concerned since I also toppled off a stool in the shoe shop the other day, all, I may say, without the benefit of alcohol. My sneezy, runny cold has turned into a sore throat and fever. Got home at 6.45pm to find Malvolio loudly complaining about the lack of food and still, huge piles of washing abound. Romy's new computer arrived which is fantastic.

Further contact from the telly people wanting a piccie of me. Might send the Miss Whiplash one I sent last time. Apparently I have to stay at a hotel with the other contestants so will need someone to feed and drug Malvolio so may ask my upstairs neighbour. IF I decide to go.

Have been looking at three seater sofas in the IKEA online catalogue. There is quite a nice bedsofa one, which is old fashioned with a loose cover in a dull browny beige, which looks as though it could be very comfortable to sit or sleep on. I don't think Julian and Dorothy will approve, but I bet it's comfortable. Not much luck with tables and chairs except the slightly strange squarish one with corner chairs from IKEA which look a bit modern. There is also a round one from IKEA which seats four, and which you can put an extension thingy in to seat six. This might be the kind of thing, but will have a look in Marks and John Lewis anyway.

I see I will have to make a visit to Essex in January to snap Miss Bettawear in her latest incarnation as ????????????? All will no doubt be revealed - and, Miss Bettawear, do learn to spell, you lazy minx.

Nasty Cold, Washing and Room Redesign

Started non-stop sneezing and runny nose last night. This morning I feel tired and crabby and have what seems to be a summer cold. Hardly recognised my flat, as my upstairs neighbour has painted the front door in a rather smart dark blue.

I shall carry on doing more washing - seems this could last all week.

Julian has told me that they cannot catsit again unless I get rid of my sofa, table and chairs, and replace these with a three seater sofa that Julian can sleep on because Dorothy snores, and the bed in my bedroom is too soft. The table and chairs are too large, and I must have the room redecorated. Then Julian tells me that the TV needs to go downstairs (not a bad idea, since it is taking up space, and is only used for watching DVDs and videos). I may ask them to let me have one of their two enormous sofas, since they are far too big for their flat. I have seen a good table which is square, but can expand a bit, in Marks & Spencer. Not sure if they will still have it since it was in a sale, but will go and look when I am recovered.

On with the washing.

Oh Dear, More Telly Maybe

Hang gliding at Devil's Dyke.
Was rushing around Hastings the other day when a call came, supposedly from someone who had obtained my name from the cookery programme and wanted me to go on a new series of Hell's Kitchen, this time with Marco Pierre White, filming for four days towards the end of August, just after I get back from the next seniors trip. Agreed, as I was in a hurry. Maybe it will come to nothing.

Julian thinks I will be the meat in the sandwich and should not go on it. Romy thinks it would be fun, and Madeleine thinks they would not bother to chose me as the victim, but some young smartarse. I think I will have to consider this carefully before finally agreeing to become a complete prat (again, possibly) on national TV. At least without a telly I won't see the thing.

Dorothy and Julian invited me to Dragon Castle, but I was too tired, and think I have a cold coming on, so just popped into the local thai for a snack and will crash out soon.

South Coast Adventures

This is in the garden at Charleston farmhouse.Just returned home. It was a whirlwind week, starting with washout weather on Monday. All settled happily in the hotel and the guest house.

Minor problems throughout were getting people on and off the coach which took ages each time - one helper inside and one helper outside in case of falls, requests about baths and showers at the beginning of the holiday, problems with rollators and stairs.

The hotel were very decent and helpful, and apparently willingly changed their own nice salad leaves for iceberg lettuce on request!

We had a very successful day out in Brighton, stopping at Devil's Dyke for refreshments and viewing of hang gliding on the way. At Brighton the coach parked fairly close to the Lanes, the Pavilion, the Pier, and most importantly Harry Ramsdens for fish and chips. On the way back, there was a rather blustery chilly stop, again for refreshments, at Beachy Head. Another day out was to Rye Market and Hastings. There was a theatre trip to a variety show one evening, which proved very successful indeed.

Romy had a call from another hotel where our guests had left a key, but this problem was solved as they turned out to have another key and the hotel agreed to send the keys back. Medical problems included dizzy spells, a fall necessitating a hospital visit for x-ray ( poor Romy did not get back until 3.45am) and on the last night, a couple of people feeling unwell and having early nights. The weather had been fine during the day for nearly all of the week, but had not stopped pouring most nights. It was a very successful week, but I for one, was extremely glad to be back.

New Departures and Old Things

My old Le Creuset pots.

Off to Eastbourne today. My case is too small so stuffed another bag full. Now I have to take a carrier bag as well with some papers for our seniors to read and sign. The taxi has been ordered for 12.30. It was pouring with rain, dark and cold when I got up at 5.45am. Now the sun is out and it is getting warmer, fortunately.

Had a long conversation with Nibby, who is so happy in Kangaroo Valley. She has a new neighbour who has also bought a tiny old bungalow like hers, but has decorated it in a very smart minimalist style. So Nibby was nervous about inviting her to her 'maximalist' pad, absolutely so full of things. She says she need not have worried,as her new friend immediately curled up on the sofa, thought her place was wonderful, and has gone around telling everyone how super it is.

We were chatting about how much we liked to have old stuff around us which was full of memories. Sal says the Rockingham dishes and the ironstone which mother left her makes her feel very comfortable, and the lovely Chinese silk embroideries on the wall. I agreed that it was good to have things from the past and that my very modern kitchen looked much more cheerful with mothers Le Creuset casseroles from the fifties. It was good to indulge oneself with some new old things too. I said what pleasure it was for me to use my silver teapot, and to buy a few silly things I had always wanted as a child, such as my cuckoo clock, which still makes me feel happy every time I hear it.

I told Nibby that I had seen our nephew Edward, and that my newly discovered half brother Mykel had emailed again. It seems that Cherie is moving house, and that Roberto and Lauren have sold their place in Wales and are packing up to go and live in Brittany now. He will let me have the new addresses when it has all happened. I told Nibby about Facebook which she may be interested in to be touch with old school friends and would find it handy. I told her about Madeleine's newly discovered cousins from South Africa too.

I hope our week will be OK, and am already looking forward to my return!

Spicy Bar Shu

I seem to be a bit obsessed with snapping the kitchen sink.

Bar Shu excessively spicy, but my neighbour tells me that they have just imported the new season's peppers from Szechuan, and these are always much hotter than the old ones. As we were due to go in to the restaurant, at least half a dozen extremely drunk Chinese guys came out, and had to be helped out by their more sober companions. I wonder if the spicier peppers add to the effects of alcohol.

Anyway, Julian came over today to wave the hoover all over the house, which made me feel I had somewhat wasted my time previously, since only now does it seem sufficiently clean. A whole lot of cheese from Borough Market also arrived and I was urged to eat this. Of course I had to open some wine to go with it, so a half bottle was quite useful - had some quite pleasant ordinary Cotes du Rhone, which made me fall asleep for an hour or two. Dorothy had been working all day.

I took a few more snaps around the house and in the garden, and am now trying to get some washing dry in the machine before finishing the packing.

Seeing My Nephew Edward

Finally set off to meet Edward for lunch. Nightmare journey when torrential rain poured down, and practically had to swim, but we managed to eventually meet up in Jermyn Street and had some lunch at Rowleys, followed by a short shopping stroll. Edward is due to fly back tonight but has more people to see first. He has been to war graves of the first and second world wars to see where New Zealand victims were buried, so basically all over Europe, which is quite a tour in a short space of time.

Off tonight to Bar Shu with Dorothy and Julian. I still have masses to do - cleaning, packing etc.in preparation for Eastbourne so will try to get an early night.