Monday 26th December 2022

The day after.

I opened the secret Santa gift I received, but Jools hadn't opened the gifts she received from folks at work. Choclates, shortbread and After Eigt mints, mostly.

Now, I had bought a huge piece of beef to have for luch with Mike and Gorge, but they had plans from the big day, and Mike was working on Boxing Day, so it was just the two of us.

Jools had the idea of cutting the joint in two, and freezing half, which made sense, as we would have struggled with over 5lb of cooked beef and the left over salt beef too.

I got the biggest and sharpest knife, cut in (nearly) half, bagged and put into the freezer the larger half. Seasoned and floured what was left, and put in the tin to warm up before cooking.

After coffee, we would go for a walk.

So, before lunch. I say lunch.

Roast beef and all the extras.

We went for a walk.

Despite the mud we went almost to the top of Windy Ridge, to the bench, had a sit and a think, then down to the cross lane and back along Collingwood.

As you can see, it was a glorious day, endless sunshine, which would mean a chilly night later.

And these are the days of long shadows, even at midday they stretched pretty much the width of a field.

We worked up a proper appetite.

So, back home and on with the oven, put in the meat. Mix up the Yorkshire pudding batter, boil potatoes and prepare the vegetables for steaming. It all took about two hours, what with the half hour needed to rest the meat, then carve and serve.

It was amazing. I mean, everything was done to a turn, maybe the gravy a tad too salty, but OK when poured over the meal.

Boxing Day is football day, and the day on which the Prem returned. And Norwich would play in the last game to ruin a perfect day.

Probably.

Jools set up her laptop as the Prem was on Amazon, while she cleared away and washed up. She is a star.

Liverpool beat Villa and Newcastle thrashed Leicester.

And so to Norwich. A must win game away at Luton kicking off at quarter to eight.

And it was another no show from City.

For 70 minutes, we offered next to nothing, while luton pressed and passed the ball around, it was the least they deserved when they scored.

Norwich woke up.

Levelled.

And then Luton were reduced to ten men.

Should have been a cake walk.

And then the midfield went to sleep, the ball sprung forward and lashed home.

A 2-1 defeat.

Grim.