12 January - the most fabulous sunset!

We looked up from whatever we were doing to watch the most fabulous sunset for ages!

Christmas

Aaaahh.

Cards are all sent. Preparations made. Presents wrapped. Time for us to subside....into our handkerchiefs & hot Lemsips & Night Nurse, to cough & splutter through the night! probably the worst colds we've ever had! (Di says, even for her, "It's Man-flu!")

However, Christmas Day arrives. We've arranged to meet James & Sue, friends from Clapham Village at their house, for a walk & in spite of the rain, off we go, heading for Norber Erratics.

Fortunately, the rain is at our backs, all the way out. We perch behind a wall to eat our sandwiches, slurp damson gin, nibble mince pies & drink soup, then stand...and wow!, the rain has stopped!

It's still blowing a gale, mind.

We drop off the high ground at Sulber Gate & head towards Austwick, then cut across a corner for a quicker way back to Clapham. By now its dark. We've been out for nearly 5 hours. Home to a hot bath & soak, clean up.

Get the meat in the oven. Lay the table. Soon enough, James & Sue arrive with the veg & the brandy butter & we are sitting down to gloriously tasty, locally farmed, roast pork with crisp crackling & all the works, followed by flaming Christmas pud & that brandy butter! And chatter is continuous too.

So, thank you James & Sue, for joining us, leading the walk (new ground for us) and making our Christmas Day really special.