The quickest of quick blogs; mainly to catch today's dateline because in a few minutes it will be tomorrow.WoW went to Matlock and Reg and Mike sounded as if, for them, serious walking was on the agenda so I dropped them off in the Railway Station Car Park.
Then I found a great semi secret place to park; secret because although it was a public carpark there were no signs on the main street telling you how to get there. From the carpark a few yards took me to a good coffee shop in the shops bit. I lurked there for a while and my 2nd coffee was entitled a 'top-up' and, delightfully, was free. Stand by LA here comes Matlock!
And just a few yards from there I discovered this 'new to me' bridge over the Derwent leading to a park I didn't know about. The bridge with its strong lines and the bright shadows appealed. No doubt 'bright shadow' is a solecism or whatever they are called but I'm sure my meaning is clear.
Picture 2 is from the Bridge looking back up the river and, as you can see, the river is swollen but not dangerously so. f11 with camera braced against a bridge support because with these sort of 'record' shots I favour the 'sharp from front to back' look.Both of these were taken in the few minutes of sunlight I had. No doubt there was more than that but it wasn't really a July day. But I enjoyed it, as always.
This evening we attended the National Trust Mansfield Centre, Annual Dinner and again thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. No real hitches en route; some traffic hold-ups but we had allowed plenty of time. It was a real success and our enforced top table settings worked out rather well. There wasn't a traditional 'top table' at right angles to the other tables. It was merely the most central table of the rows. The guest of honour and speaker was the Regional Chairman and what an impressive young man. Extremely well qualified and an excellent and informative speaker. We were placed with Y sitting next to him, Peter and Joan sitting opposite and Jean sitting opposite me. Y, as always under such cirumstances, did rather well and together we all offered conversation which flowed and amused. And again as always Peter did the intros and chairman's bit with panache and even told two 'not too bad' jokes. The custom is for a 'free' raffle ticket to be put at each place setting and only 4 prizes. So no 'faff' of selling them and it went splendidly. Y is first-class at raffles and on the programmes enjoys a formal title - 'raffle co-ordinator' which Peter was v. humourous about, and he says, I have now been appointed her 'transport-manager' which arises from my propensity to frequently get lost.
This gift hasn't recently come about, I was afflicted when I was still working. When the Home Office were paying my expenses and I had to attend something in the middle of a strange town I used to call a cab while in the outskirts, pay him in advance, tell him where I needed to go and then I followed him to just outside my destination; thereby arriving impressively and with great flourish.
It wasn't too dressy. I wore a dark blue jacket, and matching trousers - a suit, I seem to remember they are called, and my Bramshill tie. I made sure everyone understood that this look was to be a rare event. Smart - I don't do well. Y looked lovely in an outfit of flowing skirt and matching top, dark with a subdued floral pattern
I'm ending there. Thanks Anon 1 for the comment about the woodpeckers and a picture of Y's nails will follow..... Y is grannying at Burton Joyce as usual tomorrow but, apart from taxi duty to and from tram, I seem to have a Rest Day.
Sleep tight everybody. And I hope I do too.
1 comment:
I do not envy you your visit to Matlock as I always consider it the gloomiest, most miserable of places; a relic from a time long ago and best forgotten (perhaps the war years without the camaraderie?).
The last time I remember being offered a free ‘top-up’ was when we visited the Sherwood Energy Village Headquarters Building (or 'The Odeon’ as I now think of it).
‘Unlimited coffee’ is a very civilised idea, however, and one which Sandra always insisted upon when we had the Durham Ox.
‘Pedants Podium’: ‘solecism’ it may well be but it is more specifically an ‘oxymoron’, I believe.
But a nice bridge photo which leads us on to…
I had not realised that you are a serial ‘way-loser’. That said, I have observed it on several occasions. It is perhaps made worse because you are not inclined to listen to helpful suggestions such as ‘you should have turned left’ or ‘we passed it half an hour ago’.
Could it be a case of ‘If you want to know the way, don’t ask an Inspector’?
Although I do not think of you as a Beau Brummel or Laurence Llewelyn Bowen, I am sure that, like me on similarly rare occasions, you do ‘scrub up well’. But I thought you told me years ago that you had given up suits? It might have been something to do with Lent and now it has been returned?
When I walked Ralph around the lake at the old pit tip this morning, the pleasure was not increased by the air being full of swarming midges (the adjective is no doubt unnecessary because midges do not know how to do anything apart from swarm).
No need to go to Scotland any more then? (‘We’ll keep a welcome on the hillside’ and an aerosol of insect repellent).
And don’t tell me that is Wales because whales don’t swarm.
'This is not a pipe'.
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