Sunday 6th February 2022

Part two of the weekend.

And I need to start with two announcements.

First, at midday yesterday, one of the cornerstones of the GWUK group on Flickr, great artist and all round top blike, Magnus, sadly passed away. Life can be hard and cruel, but for Magnus to have is double cance both in remission, then fall to a side effect to the treatment.

We got to meet Magnus when we went to lIverpool in August 2019 when I went to see Norwich play at Anfield. The day after game, he and another friend from Flickr, Janet, took us round Liverpool, where we visited both cathedrals, took us for a meal at the Philharmonic Pub, and in the evening back to his house for a wonderful dinner.

He was a kind and knowedgeable friend, great artist as on the day we met him he gifted us some original artwork by himself.

After suffering treatment, it had seemed Magnus was on the road to recovery, as did he.

Secondly, we have decided not to visit NZ this year.

It was a tough decision, but if we're hinest, the price of plane tickets have more than doubled. We could afford it, but it would be a stretch, we hope to go next year when we hope that prices will be back to something close to normal. I won't lie, this hurt. We have been looking forward to this for over 15 months, and to have to delay it by 23 months now hurts.

But we can't afford the price hike, really. And then there is no guarantee that the border will even be open, who know what great things COVID has got planned in 2022?

So, we are going on a cruise on a schooner in the artic next January, a 24 bert boat to look at the northern lights and hopefully whales. Hopefully northern lights too. So, we are booked up and so am looking forward to it.

Sunday.

70th anniversay of Princess Elizabeth becoming Queen after her Father died in 1952.

I have nothing against Liz as Queen, but in the 21st century, we should abolish it. As it is, the papers were all full of the Queen saying Camilla should be Queen Consort rather than any of the other multitude of problems the country faces.

Sigh.

Can we have a revolution now?

Outside the rain fell, and it was cold.

Jools went swimming, I stayed home had a shower and listened to the radio. IN short, made myself seem busy. But wasn't really.

When Jools came back, we had breakfast.

And it was time to start preparing lunch. We were to have Jen and Sylv round for lunch and I was cooking roast beef. As well as preparing everything, I had to clean the fryer, romove months of build up of grease and replace the oil. So all ready for cooking the spuds. Yes, I ceat with roasties, not quite the same taste, but pretty much always come out crispy.

At eleven, I start cooking the beef, prepare the vegetables and mix the batter for the Yorkshire puddings.

Phew.

Jen and Sylv arrive at half twelve, we ply them with tea and/or wine, while I carry on finishing the Sunday lunch.

It all comes together at half one, I dish up, Jools pours the fizz and we sit round the table, toast our health and tuck in.

Nothing quite like a decent roast, and this was decent, even if I say so myself.

After eating, we talk for a while, then they wash up, so that I can watch the Forest v Leicester Cup game which Forest win 4-1. Quite the result.

Jen and Sylv leaves, and I struggle to stay awake.

Somehow the weekend has slipped by, but we did loads of stuff.

We have hot cross buns for supper before the final acts of the weekend, writing blogs and posting shots for #wildflowerhour, and it is time for bed. Or would be were it not for the Africa Cup on Nations final on the telly box.

I head to bed at ten with the game heading for penalties with the scores at 0-0, seems I wasn't that bothered who won after all.