Home Diary 2016

August

On Sunday 7 we made our second excursion to Malvern for the Band in the Park concert.

Teresa entered the Winchcombe show on Bank Holiday Monday – quite an undertaking for the day before she set off on her holiday in the States. As ever she entered a wide range of the baking and preserves categories, and was rewarded by winning the overall cup for the second year in a row, on the back of first places for her Chutney, Quiche, Gingerbread, Scones, Custard Tarts and Lime Jam; second places for her Loaf, Lemon Drizzle Cake, Stonefruit Jam and Jam Tarts; and third places for her Lemon Curd, Cookies and Strawberry Jam.

Not to be outdone, Helen submitted entries in the photography section. While Teresa won first place in the Animal category (the piano playing dog – see our March diary), Helen won third places in the Sunset and Foreign land categories, while they also had several Highly Commended between them.

August is a month for anniversaries, with (this year) Roger and Teresa’s Ruby Wedding Anniversary falling on Sunday 21, while Roger and Helen have birthdays earlier in the month.

On Wednesday 10 we celebrated Roger’s birthday by dining at the Lygon Arms in Broadway, courtesy of the loyalty scheme operated by the hotel’s spa, which Teresa uses regularly. Very good fare in the impressive surroundings of the Great Hall. Unfortunately, the Spa has changed hands, and the loyalty scheme has now been discontinued.

Teresa’s cheese starter (left) and lamb main course (right) with Roger’s chicken in the background

Both Helen and Juliet were at home for the weekend of 20-21. We celebrated the birthdays on Saturday 20 with a lunchtime ride on the nearby GWR steam railway, followed by drinks and presents in the evening. On Sunday 21 we had lunch in the Pheasant Inn in the village. In the evening Teresa arranged an appropriate celebration of our 40^th wedding anniversary with pink champagne to drink, and small red themed presents for everyone.

Anniversary cards and presents

Many thanks also to Uncle Mick and Auntie Pat and family for remembering this special occasion, and for their generous gift, which coincidentally exactly fitted our theme.

On Tuesday 30 Teresa went to up to London, where she stayed with Helen for a very short night before getting to Heathrow for their flight on Wednesday 31 to Boston for their holiday in the United States, where they were to travel by Amtrak from Boston to San Francisco.

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