Saturday, May 30, 2009
Saturday 30th May. Ford, Littlehampton and the washing machine.
There are 2 blogs today.
This might be the best solution for some time to come. There will be the story of my day, followed by another posting with pictures telling of an episode of a Thai day.
Today has brought us back to normality.
Under clear skies we drove early to Ford. The Sussex countryside looked magnificent.
New flowers have appeared in the hedgerows and verges - the dog roses (a delicate favourite) ramble all over the hedges and bright eyed tall daisies and buttercups fill the grass, where dandelions had been before our trip to Thailand.
As the stall holders poured onto the site to set up their wares we realised that we had almost forgotten how to buy - what will do well in Dorking?
I bought china and glass - books were not to be found (at least not ones I thought suitable for selling). Bill bought one item - but it did cost £50. He has long wanted to have a large model airplane; the sort that were produced for travel agents and such like for display in their offices.
It is a lovely item - and at some point Bill assumes he will make some profit.
We also bought 3 large white bathroom towels for £1.50 and a crisp, cotton long sleeved white shirt for Bill (30p).
Then it was time to move on into Littlehampton for breakfast at the Balaton.
Our Cypriot friends greeted us warmly and wanted to know all about Thailand.
We enjoyed our "usual" - the all day breakfast, rather than the big breakfast.
Then we strolled back out along the river estuary to the beach.
The tide was far, far out leaving a huge expanse of sand.
Littlehampton beach is quite popular in the summertime.
I walked right out to the sea and paddled. The water was a bit colder than I experienced last weekend at Paradise Bay, but it was still delightful.
Here I am on the beach.
This part of the beach, right by the estuary is not safe for swimming. But on the broad flat beach only paddling was possible. Nevertheless 2 life guards sat up on surfboards on the roof of their buggy.
This might be the best solution for some time to come. There will be the story of my day, followed by another posting with pictures telling of an episode of a Thai day.
Today has brought us back to normality.
Under clear skies we drove early to Ford. The Sussex countryside looked magnificent.
New flowers have appeared in the hedgerows and verges - the dog roses (a delicate favourite) ramble all over the hedges and bright eyed tall daisies and buttercups fill the grass, where dandelions had been before our trip to Thailand.
As the stall holders poured onto the site to set up their wares we realised that we had almost forgotten how to buy - what will do well in Dorking?
I bought china and glass - books were not to be found (at least not ones I thought suitable for selling). Bill bought one item - but it did cost £50. He has long wanted to have a large model airplane; the sort that were produced for travel agents and such like for display in their offices.
It is a lovely item - and at some point Bill assumes he will make some profit.
We also bought 3 large white bathroom towels for £1.50 and a crisp, cotton long sleeved white shirt for Bill (30p).
Then it was time to move on into Littlehampton for breakfast at the Balaton.
Our Cypriot friends greeted us warmly and wanted to know all about Thailand.
We enjoyed our "usual" - the all day breakfast, rather than the big breakfast.
Then we strolled back out along the river estuary to the beach.
The tide was far, far out leaving a huge expanse of sand.
Littlehampton beach is quite popular in the summertime.
I walked right out to the sea and paddled. The water was a bit colder than I experienced last weekend at Paradise Bay, but it was still delightful.
Here I am on the beach.
The sea is out there to the right somewhere!
Bill was not with me when I paddled - so no pictures. He stayed and took more photos amongst the people.
This part of the beach, right by the estuary is not safe for swimming. But on the broad flat beach only paddling was possible. Nevertheless 2 life guards sat up on surfboards on the roof of their buggy.
When we got home I put a load of washing on.
I played around with all the Thai photos - we have photos from 4 people and I decided I needed them all together to enable me to sort out blogs more easily. It was lovely to go back over all the days and put them all together.
Then I went to unload the washing machine and found the washing still to be wet.
We have known for a long while that the machine would not survive much longer and today the drum was not moving at all.
Bill wasn't sure if he shouldn't just get and fit new brushes. We know we should make do and mend where possible.
But this machine has lasted for very many years and we decided to waste no time in ditching it.
We went and bought a new one - a basic Indesit, just as before. We bought it home from the shop and Bill fitted it straight away.
It is now doing its first wash.
Today has been a competitive day. I took little notice of the football. I always supported Chelsea of course as a young woman - my pupils at school would have been very disappointed had I said I didn't support a team. And a little later on I knew the family of one of the Chelsea players.
So I guess I am pleased they won the Cup.
And I must hurry away to see the results of Britain's Got Talent. The final acts certainly proved that this is true.
Who will win? The little girl (Hollie) so reminds me of Jessica and her voice moved me. I love the saxophonist and one of the dance troupes were really good. The now renowned Susan Boyle belts out a song with feeling - but I am not sure she will be the winner.
The results will be well reported in the news of course.
Got that right then......... the final 3 were the saxophonist, Susan Boyle and the dance troupe - and the dancers won.
