No sooner back from the cruise and we were off on our trip to serve the cats for the second time this year. Overnight stop in Wentbridge on the way up didn’t prove to be as successful, with a few issues at breakfast that rather put a dampener on proceedings. Recompensed, but worrying enough to consider alternatives in the future….
redandwhiterag
Back in the Game
Just back from our first cruise since 2019 and first time abroad since the pandemic. Visited Lisbon, Portimao, Santander, La Coruna, Bordeaux, Brest and, finally, St, Marys. Too busy (you couldn’t make it up) so full post at some indeterminate future date!! I promise this won’t be the long ramble of previous holiday posts. This one is short, sweet(ish) and very much to the point….
Oenology tasting, no less
That’s a wine tasting event, for the uninitiated – including me, who had to look up how to spell it!! A Christmas present from S&G, Mrs. No Name kindly organised the trip and decided on Shawsgate Vineyard, which is just ‘up the road’, very close to Framlingham. We weren’t sure what to expect, but we did know it included the wine tasting itself and refreshments of some description.
Another Tick in the Box
Back yesterday fron a one nighter in Stoke by Nayland at the Hotel, Golf and Spa Resort, which also happens to be the home of Fleece Jazz. The latter has a thirty year history of presenting modern and contemporary jazz (and a little blues). Originally based at the Fleece in Boxford, then briefly at Kersey Mill, it found its current home at the Stoke by Nayland hotel in 2009.
Sudbury, famous for…..
being the birthplace of Thomas Gainsborough and for the house within which he spent his childhood. We’ve been threatening to go for many years and, on Friday, we finally did. He later resided there (again), following the death of his father in 1748 and before his move to Ipswich.[6] The building still survives and is now a house-museum dedicated to his life and art. Thee house was (predominantly) the focus for the journey.
Catsitting (They’re Leaving Everything)
With apologies to the living legend, but for some reason as we report back on the first of this year’s annual catsitting sojourns, Leo’s ‘Moonlighting‘ came to my ageing memory (and then found its way on to the page by way of the title) – so there you have it. In other news, as before, we again extended the catsitting week and explored further up the Northumberland coast, to make it feel a little more like a proper holiday.
And Now For Seconds….
After saying we would probably never return, almost 12 months on, we did precisely that! Another meet up with the friends we met last year, back at the Centre Parcs at Elveden Forest for four nights last week. Not much to add to the entry about last year, other than to say that at least this year’s break was completed without major incident or illness to either party!
It’s That Time Again…
and that time is a gig by the perennial favourite Eric Bibb. Astonishingly, it’s been over four years since we last saw Eric in concert (as this time, it was at the Apex in Bury St. Edmunds). More worryingly, it’s been nigh on three years since we ventured to ant live music at all, prior to our reintroduction via The Young’uns in Aldeburgh recently.
Jubilee Hall and more….
The more turned out to be a weekend (two night) break at the White Lion, wrapped around the Young’uns Saturday Night gig at the Jubilee Hall. We could have easily travelled up to Aldeburgh specifically for the concert but it is pleasant to be able to combine it with short break. Lucky and/or smart enough to be able to do so I guess…
Alfred Munnings
Noticed recently that the Munnings Museum had just reopened for the new ‘season’ so, as we had lived here for twenty seven years and hadn’t managed to squeeze in a visit, decided to do precisely that. After all, it’s such a long drive, being all of half an hour away down the A12 (sigh)
Shades of Blue – Where Art Thou???
R&B Update….. Just recently I have reinstated the editorial section of the R&B Primer, but only to include the series of articles by Steve Bellamy, originally produced in 2007!! They were always worthy of publication, but I was initially concerned by authenticity. Having revisited them at the behest of a reader, I have decided to make them available with the warning caveat emptor. Hopefully, they …
Allelujah
Went to the pictures on Sunday after a (very) long break to see the film of the Alan Bennett play Allelujah. I should note however that the film is actually scripted by Heidi Thomas (of TV’s Call The Midwife fame). It is set in a geriatric hospital unit in Yorkshire populated by lovable eccentrics and starring a formidable selection of seasoned British acting talent (Judi …