23rd January
Popped into Oliver’s Bakehouse for a coffee. My friend Sheila had told me how nice it was in there - and she was right! I had a lovely chat with the young people behind the counter, and explained that I was shortly going to celebrating my Silver Wedding. They very obligingly provided me with a leaflet detailing their buffet menus, which I have brought home for Spencer to look at. I must say that the chap I spoke to couldn’t have been more helpful.
24th January
We seemed to spend the whole weekend running Marcus and Violet Elizabeth to various rehearsals. As I mentioned last week, Marcus is in the Gondoliers with Basingstoke Amateur Operatic Society. This looks as though it will be a fantastic production, and we are all really looking forward to going to the Haymarket to see it. I believe that there are still a few tickets available from the Haymarket Box office. Violet Elizabeth is taking part in a charity Dance Show next weekend in aid of Naomi House. This has involved in a lot of costume buying (mainly from Primark), and a lot of late night rehearsals. Anyway, it will be nice to raise some money for this worthwhile local cause, especially as they seem to have had some funding issues recently.
29th January
Spencer and I were just getting ready for bed when we heard a strange noise. Upon investigation, I found that it was our cat, Mozart. Despite being his usual self earlier in the evening, he was most definitely out of sorts now. He could hardly raise his head, and just kept meowing pitifully on the staircase. I initially blamed it on the tuna that Spencer had insisted on giving him at tea time, but it soon became clear that a visit to the vets would be required first thing in the morning. We made him comfortable on the landing in his basket and spent an anxious night worrying.
30th January
Spencer rang The Barn Animal Surgery at 8am and got an appointment straight away. Mozart did not need any encouragement to get in his carrying basket and after a comfortable ride to Lychpit in the Bentley he was soon being assessed by the Vet. An infection was diagnosed and he was given an injection of antibiotics and we were told to bring him back tomorrow. We have been going to the Barn for a number of years now and have always found the staff most helpful and reassuring.
31st January
We spent an hour turning the Manor upside down looking for the cat to take him for his repeat appointment at the vets. We knew he was here somewhere because the cat flap had been locked on the Vet’s instructions. At the point of giving up, I eventually found him in the servant’s quarters. He had opened the storage drawer under one of the beds with his paws, climbed in and shut the drawer behind him. He wasn’t so keen on getting into his cat box this morning and caused quite a fuss when the Vet tried to take his temperature again in the usual fashion. As I bandaged Spencer’s hand later on at home, I consoled him with the fact that the Vet was probably used to people passing out in the consulting room. Mozart spent the evening lounging on a cushion in the drawing room. He seemed almost to have a smile on his face. Spencer spent the evening in the lounge. He most certainly didn’t have a smile on his face.