6th January 2010
A happy New Year to all my faithful readers! As I write, we are
again plunged into chaos with a fair bit of snow. In an uncanny repeat
of last February, the children are off school, Spencer is “working from
home” on his job of National Importance, and I am left to hoover up the pine
needles from the Christmas Tree. The road outside the Manor is
impassable again and as I said to Maria Miller MP, if only we could be given
a sack of grit, Spencer would have it cleared in no time at all.
Some of you might be wondering how I am managing to write this article if
you have read in the January Basinga that I am recovering from a major
operation. The truth is that the operation has been delayed till next
month, but I had to get the Basinga copy in before the Christmas deadline.
So I shall be able to continue my column here in the Basinga Extra for a few
more weeks.
Christmas passed somewhat uneventfully at the Manor, as we had thought that
I would be out of action, and therefore hadn’t made any plans to do
anything. One bright note however is that Marcus passed his driving
test at the first attempt in sleety and foggy conditions at the end of
December.
On a rather disappointing note, I have to report that M&S at Sandhurst let
me down badly regarding their Sale. Regular readers will know that
this is my shop of choice for most items, and I had avidly planned my
expedition, having checked the opening times both in the shop and on their
website. I like to be there when the doors open and enjoy limboing under the
shutters as they are raised. The shop was advertised as opening at 10.30 am
on 27th December for browsing, with the tills opening at 11am. Of
course I told Spencer that the shop was opening at 10am just to be sure, and
in fact Marcus drove us there as a last practice before his test. We
arrived at 10.10am, whereupon I smugly informed everyone that it didn’t open
till 10.30am. There were groans all round, but then Spencer asked what
all the people who were pushing overloaded trolleys doing! To my utter
dismay, the shop was already open and all the bargains were gone!