April

On Sunday 3 we met Helen and Jay in Oxford for lunch at the Mitre – a portmanteau celebration of Mother’s Day and Teresa’s birthday.

Later in the month Jay attended a Benefactors’ dinner at her old college. All graduates gaining firsts the previous year are invited to attend. This involved us in a further visit to help her buy a suitable dress to wear.

◄ Jay’s new dress

We made several other visits to Oxford during the month, several of them in the little Fiat, which we had transferred to Jay in March, though, for various reasons she did not take it until towards the end of April. One problem was that, after a major service, it started to run very roughly in certain conditions: when we were able to take it back it turned out to be a faulty spark plug.

Preparation for the outdoor bowling season got underway, with Roger mowing the green for the first time on Saturday 2 (there is a monthly rota of men members for this). The opening of the green was on Sunday 17. As last year, we were blessed with a fine sunny day and over 50 members took to the green. Roger’s last sessions of indoor and short mat bowls took place the previous week. By the end of the month the summer programme of league competitions and friendly matches was under way.

◄ Members assembling for the opening of the green

Helen and Jay were both able to spend some time at home over the very late Easter towards the end of the month. We had a couple of days out locally. To Broadway Tower and Chipping Campden, and to the Rollright Stones and the Fosseway Garden Centre. We even managed to have the first barbecue of the year, at which we used for the first time an eco friendly chimenea, and were glad of its warmth as dusk fell.

◄ Roger assembling the chimenea

Broadway Tower

The Rollright Stones

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