Saturday.
So, what to do with the day? That age old question. We, or rather I decide that today should be a steak day. Or at least dinner should be steak. So after breakfast we head out to Preston. I have decided there is a church out there I have yet to visit just beyond and across the marshes, so it being a fine day, we should head there.
My first aim was to snap some snowdrops. And not knowing where would be best, we thought we would try All Saints at Waldershare, as it seems to have most woodland plants worth snapping. We drove up the lane, and as I looked to the right as I parked I could see snowdrops. There were several clumps, but most we going over, but there were some new growth flowers that were well worth snapping. I tried my old macro on the 6D and it worked very well, and produced some very good results.
As we pass through Preston and out to Stourmouth, I remember that I had visited that church just the once, and back in 2008, right at the beginning of the Kentish church odyssey. So, I decide to take the turn down Church Lane, and through the wonderful thatched cottages and small farms. Right at the end of the occasionally flooded lane. I say occasionally flooded, as despite being rain-less for the best part of 10 days, the flood water has gone down, but clearly the water table is still very high. Anyway, we could drive through the water and reach the church.
Right at the end of the lane, beside the village pond sits the church, and being under the control of the Church Conservation Trust now runs it, it was open. I have snapped it before, so I go in to re-assess it and record it with my new camera, and as I suspect I see many new details.
We then head to the final church (I won’t reveal its name as yet as it subject to a GWUK). I drive up the narrow lane into the village and find a space outside the church. It has an unusual tower (for Kent). It is Norman-esque, square and as I said, most un-Kentish.
Once inside, I meet the vicar and various wardens as a meeting us ongoing. The church is a pleasure, dating from the 14th and 15th century, with parts even older. I meet a warden from Minster, who invited me to his church any Saturday, and if he is around he said he would take me up the tower(!)
We drive back to Preston, I buy a beef joint for another weekend, the steak and a good supply of fresh wild garlic and pork sausages. The sausages smelt out the car, but in a good way. I also got some pork pies for lunch. Fully laden we headed back home as it was lunch time.
Jools went to visit Nan in the afternoon, and I stayed behind to mow the lawn. The ground seemed dry enough, so I got the mower out, refuelled it, topped up the oil and pulled on the handle. And again. It caught and roared into life. I quickly finished the lawn, with the warm sunshine and the light winds meaning it was hot work, but I resisted the temptation of a beer. Jools came back and took me into town so I could attend the beer festival at the yacht club. It was named after a prominent member of our branch of CAMRA and was secretary of the yacht club.
There were a good selection of beers still, and I have three beers and wait for Jools to return to collect me. On the radio, City were struggling against Stoke. We take the lead but are pegged back by a harsh penalty. And even playing against 10 men for the last 17 minutes, we fail to mount a serious threat against their goal. Two more home points dropped and now just nine games left and the run in from hell to come.
I cook the steak whilst Jools goes to the chippy for chips. We tuck into dinner as it gets dark.
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