Thursday, December 23, 2010

 

Dorking on the day before Christmas Eve.

Today has been a lovely day - just the sort that I like.
Breakfast was late again - but why worry?

We got ourselves ready and drove to Dorking.
Firstly we needed to do some food shopping - that elusive beef wellington remained elusive.
Waitrose - the Dorking branch is just a small store - was, of course, quite crowded.
But certainly there were no ready prepared beef wellingtons.
So that treat will be part of 2011 at some point - beautiful fillet steak and pate wrapped up in a golden puff pastry.

Therefore, amongst the crowds we had to change plans - turkey is now on the Christmas Day menu. We have a large crown of turkey breast rolled round some lovely looking stuffing and wrapped in bacon.
Mmmm! Roll on Christmas Day!

But first there was today's lunch to consider. Our venue was The Spotted Dog - a simple, basic pub in South Street.
Bill ordered steak with a bacon and brie crust, which looked good.
But I had been savouring another jacket potato with coconut and mild chilli prawns.
It was really good.
We sat by the window between a roaring open fire and the radiator.



Dorking is blessed with a wide range of small independent shops. We passed really only a few, but most had superbly decorated Christmas windows.

Bill took some photos.

We called in at the shoe repairers because Bill needed some shoe laces.





This one was taken from within The Spotted Dog.


And here is the same Father Christmas watching the world go by.


This was part of the nativity scene in another shop window.
It is impossible to avoid reflections.
I loved that donkey.


A tree in a very good independent little stationers shop.

Easy for this shop which deals in fancy dress items.

And now back into West Street.

Simplicity amongst the shoes.
Shoes that I would not - could not - ever consider wearing and most definitely would not pay the price for.
Enlarge the picture and shock yourself!



And back to Pilgrims Antiques Centre.
Yes, that's me inside!





Bill couldn't resist the train set in the window of James Roberts, opposite Pilgrims.

We then spent a busy couple of hours in Pilgrims helping Jill and Hilary and laughing a lot.
Today has been a very good day for sales.
One couple came in and obviously thought that their Christmas dinner table could be better dressed and spent £150 on a dinner service, being sold by Jonathon. That took some wrapping.
Monika came in too later in the afternoon.
It was so good to be busy and with people we share our lives with.
One more day to now. We have deliveries to make tomorrow - the small gifts we want to give to those we can in our own neighbourhood.
It could be a quick process or it could take all day - depends who is at home and who invites us in.

Hope last minute preparations, big or small, feel good for you.

Dorking on the day before Christmas Eve.
posted by Grandma P on Thursday, December 23, 2010