Ten days ago was over to Malvern to meet up with my old schoolmates – 60 years to the week since many of us started at MCS in the Second Form. Unusually, the meetup started on Thursday night, as the tour of the Morgan factory had been organised for Friday morning (it doesn’t run at weekends). As Malvern is so close, I cauht a cab to the Premier Inn where we were all staying – about the same price as a cab into town, two stops on the train, and a cab to the hotel.
It was great to meet up, and there were a fair number of partners, some of whom I hadn’t previously met. About 20 of the ex-MCS mob attended – not bad from a 6th form of only about 60. The tour of the Morgan Cars factory was fascinating – the mix of old craftspersonship and new tech for the bought-in aluminium main chassis (bonded, not welded).
Friday afternoon was tea at Tony and Sue’s house, which was great, with vast quantities of cake.
Then home on Sunday late afternoon, and all day Monday, leaving at 0600h for our annual trip on the Norfolk Broads. We’ve moved back to September this year, after three years of trying midsummer, so it was fairly cool in the mornings.We’d booked a larger boat, as we’d hoped that Phoebe could come, but in the end it was felt better that she stay at Oak Cottage to look after her mother.
As in the past, the thermal underwear came out for the trip … and will probably now be in use until April. I had a good first night and following morning, several perch up to about 3/4 lb, and a couple of dozen roach varying from minuscule to medium. Sim didn’t catch anything there, though Geoff had a couple of decent fish. The second evening, Sim was jigging a lure for large perch, and the bait was taken by a reasonable pike! Otherwise, not all that productive, fish-wise.
Simon sadly fell in on Thursday! The first time we’ve had “man overboard” in 29 years of boating on the Broads. Geoff and I managed to haul him back on board – quite an effort, as the back of the boat is quite hight above the water, and soaking clothes add a lot of weight. Fortunately, he didn’t seem too bad for the experience. Sadly, in his fall he managed to break my ledger rod, and to lose his glasses. That all meant a trip to Wroxham on Friday. We were happy to pay for mooring in a very congested part of the Bure. Angling Direct was within a hundred yards, for a new rod, and better maggots, and Sim got the off-the-peg reading glasses he needed. A stocking-up trip to Roy’s supermarket for essential milk, and we were were tempted by bacon baps (Geoff had sausage). I’ve only visited Wroxham once befrore – an overnight stay when I was a day late joining the others on the boat, as I’d had Family Court stuff with Maurice about his kids … about ten years ago, I think. I’d forgotten how nearly everything is “Roy’s” … supermarket, hotel, and much else.
Back home late Saturday afternoon, and Sunday was a recovery day. Today (Monday) has been doing the backlog of Green Party printing – people didn’t exactly manage to get stuff to me before I went away. Folding will be tomorrow …
I did manage to make decent contact with UAL (Up A Level), and have fixed an appointment for Thursday morning for them to visit and talk about loft conversion. I’m behindhand on my target of 2 vegetarian days a week – down to an average of 1.96 – due to shared meals on my assorted holidays. Last night was mushroom and leek puff pastry parcels with spinach, and tonight will be mustardy cauliflower cheese with fried tofu. As tofu is tasteless, I marinaded it in Green Tomato Churney 2004 for five hours, which hopefully will do the job!
