Wednesday, October 01, 2008
1st Oct. A Satisfying day. Nutfield.
I interrupt the trip to Wales because today has been good and full and interesting - and very satisfying.
The wind was very blustery but there has been lots of sunshine.
The first very satisfying part of the day were the results of Bill's recent blood test. There is nothing sinister about Bill's prostate problems - nothing more than commonly occurs to men as they get older. So, the nasty tests which might have been the next step can be forgotten. He just continues to take the tablets.
Our next mission was to go and look at "vinyl sisal" carpeting - you might think those words just do not go together.
The carpet shop was in the village of Nutfield - and sold beautiful floor coverings. The vinyl sisal was no exception.
The lady there was most friendly and helpful.
But the result was that we realised that this flooring option was way beyond our means - £45 a square metre, plus VAT!
And the friendly lady told us that any tiles already on the floor would have to be removed and the concrete base prepared.
I think we could have had new flooring for about £1500!!!!
So - mission accomplished.
We enjoyed a short stroll in the village - the photos will appear after my words.
We stopped for lunch in Horley - back to Wetherspoons for chilli con carne and rice for me and meat balls and spaghetti for Bill. We had money off vouchers for these meals. Bill even had enough tokens for a free coffee.
We did a bit of shopping in Lidls whilst in Horley.
On the way home Bill suggested we look at carpet tiles - a good idea, but he suggested Homebase! They had a poor selection and it is just one of those places where I really hate to be.
I then suggested we look in B & Q. I can't explain the difference between these 2 stores - but I feel comfortable in B & Q.
They had a good selection - and included exactly the carpet tiles I would like. Bill is sure he can lay the carpet tiles himself. He can take his time and I know it will feel more satisfying to him.
We then saw a rug. We have long had a rug at the kitchen end of the room; the present one was from a boot sale and I love it, but it is getting tatty. The rug we saw in the shop was perfect, couldn't be better.
I felt anxious - supposing this is the only one and they get no more.
In the end we had to order one - a good day to do it because it is 10% off for "old" people on Wednesdays.
We will go an order the carpet tiles next Wednesday.
I am so satisfied to have sorted out the flooring so quickly and easily.
And of course I have already seen the curtains we want in T J Hughes.
I can now picture the "new" kitchen rather better and I like what I see.
Now for some of the pictures we took in Nutfield.
It is situated along the sandstone ridge.
Nutfield stretches a short way along the busy A25, with some large lorries trundling through. That is a shame.
But there are some pretty little cottages on the main road - the grander Victorian mansions are dotted all around.
And here is a simple harvest display on one of the window sills.
The wind was very blustery but there has been lots of sunshine.
The first very satisfying part of the day were the results of Bill's recent blood test. There is nothing sinister about Bill's prostate problems - nothing more than commonly occurs to men as they get older. So, the nasty tests which might have been the next step can be forgotten. He just continues to take the tablets.
Our next mission was to go and look at "vinyl sisal" carpeting - you might think those words just do not go together.
The carpet shop was in the village of Nutfield - and sold beautiful floor coverings. The vinyl sisal was no exception.
The lady there was most friendly and helpful.
But the result was that we realised that this flooring option was way beyond our means - £45 a square metre, plus VAT!
And the friendly lady told us that any tiles already on the floor would have to be removed and the concrete base prepared.
I think we could have had new flooring for about £1500!!!!
So - mission accomplished.
We enjoyed a short stroll in the village - the photos will appear after my words.
We stopped for lunch in Horley - back to Wetherspoons for chilli con carne and rice for me and meat balls and spaghetti for Bill. We had money off vouchers for these meals. Bill even had enough tokens for a free coffee.
We did a bit of shopping in Lidls whilst in Horley.
On the way home Bill suggested we look at carpet tiles - a good idea, but he suggested Homebase! They had a poor selection and it is just one of those places where I really hate to be.
I then suggested we look in B & Q. I can't explain the difference between these 2 stores - but I feel comfortable in B & Q.
They had a good selection - and included exactly the carpet tiles I would like. Bill is sure he can lay the carpet tiles himself. He can take his time and I know it will feel more satisfying to him.
We then saw a rug. We have long had a rug at the kitchen end of the room; the present one was from a boot sale and I love it, but it is getting tatty. The rug we saw in the shop was perfect, couldn't be better.
I felt anxious - supposing this is the only one and they get no more.
In the end we had to order one - a good day to do it because it is 10% off for "old" people on Wednesdays.
We will go an order the carpet tiles next Wednesday.
I am so satisfied to have sorted out the flooring so quickly and easily.
And of course I have already seen the curtains we want in T J Hughes.
I can now picture the "new" kitchen rather better and I like what I see.
Now for some of the pictures we took in Nutfield.
It is situated along the sandstone ridge.
Nutfield stretches a short way along the busy A25, with some large lorries trundling through. That is a shame.
But there are some pretty little cottages on the main road - the grander Victorian mansions are dotted all around.
The church is down the hill a little. We walked down and strolled through the lych gate with its lovely old stone roof and looked at some graves and admired some lovely trees.
Much of the church dates from the 1300s.
The part of the church in the foreground is Victorian. When the railways came wealthy families took the opportunity to build large country houses for big families and staff. Thus more space was needed in the church.
We said Good Morning to a man clearing an area close to the main door. He was quietly and well spoken - I wondered if he was the vicar. He was actually a church warden.
He had a key to the church and was happy to let us in.
He chatted with us for a while and we felt we began to know the parish rather better.
He was particularly proud of the stained glass windows - justifiably so for they were by the Victorian artist Byrne Jones.
He was particularly proud of the stained glass windows - justifiably so for they were by the Victorian artist Byrne Jones.
Here we look down the aisle to the altar with Byrne Jones's angels.
You can see it is harvest festival time with fruits and crops at the altar and hops round the arch.
Here is a closer look at the angels.
Byrne Jones also did this window showing Mary and her cousin Elizabeth (mother of John the Baptist).
This is not a Byrne Jones window. It is modern and was created to commemorate the lives of a local couple.
The art work was not confined to windows! The ladies of the Women's Institute had created this WW2 Land Girl and she was sitting amongst some harvest festival items in the children's corner.
I was a little surprised that they even had a children's corner for it is a church following very traditional Anglican lines. Services are from the old Book of Common Prayer and only the King James Bible is used.
There is apparently an excellent choir who sing high quality Anglican choral music - no guitars and Graham Kendrick modern stuff for Nutfield!
They do have bell ringers - there are 6 bells, some dating back to the time of Elizabeth I.
I bet there will be changes - the present vicar has been there just 2 years after the 50 years of the previous one. The new broom will want to establish his own identity some time.
And here is a simple harvest display on one of the window sills.
