General

Birthday Bash

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An overnighter for Denise’s birthday, including a superb afternoon tea, an excellent dinner and, because we hadn’t eaten enough, a lovely breakfast the following morning. With a suite, complete with massive bathroom included in the package and excellent company, we all thoroughly enjoyed the break I think. Not the first and hopefully not the last visit to Wivenhoe house.

The Red House

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Spent a portion of yesterday at the Britten – Pears home at the Red House on the outskirts of Aldeburgh. Worth a visit, £5 entry gives you a yearly pass to catch any exhibitions that might be running so good value for the locals. Another ‘twenty years and finally go there’ sort of scene but more than just a tick in the box…..although the more …

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Wednesday “MEAL”

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After 20 years or so in East Anglia we decided that was long enough to give it due consideration and went along to the Museum of East Anglian Life at Stowmarket. Never inclined to rush, it didn’t start out too well as we worked incredibly hard not to find a major tourist venue that turned out to be smack in the town centre. After the …

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Birthday Break

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Spent the night in yet another unknown corner of the world we’ve spent the last 20 odd years calling home. Decided to have an overnighter in Clavering in Essex. Went with friends and so we split the birthdays, post mine (6th September) and prior to my mate’s. We were initially drawn by the overnight stay and promise of good grub at the home of the …

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Heritage Break

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Back from our first holiday since the stroke. over three months after the dreadful deed. Unusually, Denise arranged it all, booking us into the Flitwick Manor for three nights DB&B, which was nicely situated for both the English Heritage and secretive world of the codebreakers.

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Do you want the good news……..?

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Well, the good news is I’m still alive. And in a ‘for what it’s worth’ sort of a way, so is Denise. The reason for the complete lack of activity on the site is that we’ve both been very unwell. Denise went down with the very nasty ophthalmic shingles and in a desperate attempt not to be seen as some pathetic, peripheral outsider, I attracted attention by pulling off a (literal) masterstroke. The core of the story and the whole sorry timeline went something like this….

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Keeping On Keeping On

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Wednesday evening at the Riverside to catch the documentary on Alan Bennett, based on the year leading up to the publication of his latest diaries (“Keeping O Keeping On“). The film seems typically Bennett (or at least as I imagine him to be), a writer who seems as bemused as ever by his own popularity and is still as irreverent in his 80s as he was in his 20s. …

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Madrid Meander

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Just back from a Monday to Friday break in Madrid with friends. Have to say we were extremely fortunate weather wise; although a little on the chilly side most days were bright and sunny, perfect for wandering around a major city and general sightseeing. On the first afternoon, initially disappointed with our first impressions of the city, but that soon changed when we dug a little deeper and learned that to see Madrid architecture at its best you had to forget about ground level.

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Kelly + Victor at the Riverside

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Exceptionally, out on a Sunday evening last night (13th March) to the Riverside in Woodbridge to see a screening of Kelly + Victor, followed by a Q&A with the film’s director Kieran Evans. These “Riverside nights” have been put together and curated by Neil McGlone, who is friend and was a work colleague of Denise’s, but who is also a local film advisor and researcher. A nice innovation, I hope they’re a success.

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Memoirs, Colchester (5th March, 2016)

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Finally got to try Memoirs in Colchester with friends after a couple of previous attempts were cancelled through illness. Stunning building, previously the Old Library and part of the Town Hall, it’s now a lovely looking restaurant and cocktail bar – superb vaulted ceilings, period architecture and ornate artwork. Excellent food and lovely atmosphere, slightly let down by staff who were clearly still learning the finer …

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Aldeburgh Long Weekend

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Just back from a three night stay at the Wentworth Hotel in Aldeburgh for Denise’s birthday. This is something we did last year and we enjoyed it so much we decided to repeat it. Another excellent stay, lovely food and comfortable country house feel. Managed to get in a couple of reasonable walks as the weather was a little better than 2015, which made us …

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A Rambling We Shall Go – 2016

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After a disappointing “attendance record” in 2015, I hope to make much more of an effort this year and get to far more Ramblers hikes than I did last year. Having said that, I’ve started off badly by missing the one yesterday in the Iken area. Denise did manage to get along and was rewarded with an appearance on Anglia TV – much to her …

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