Saturday 4th January 2020

Its the weekend again, as if by magic.

And with the shopping and other chores done, we can just take our time to wake up in the morning, have a lazy breakfast and get ourselves ready to go out.

Somehow we manage to lay abed until nearly half seven, meaning the lazy start we had planned would now be compressed if we wanted to leave the house on time at nine.

The Kent church project, as I call it, is reaching a crossroads: I have to decide if I want to see it fully through, to see and record ALL Kent churches, and if so, do I stick to modern Kent or historical Kent. If its the latter, that means heading into Bromley, which is now London. Or do I reach a point where most, if not all of east and mid-Kent done, and leave it there? This is because west Kent is a hike to get to, with there always the chance that once we get to a target, it is closed.

Not sure, really.

But for now, the noble quest goes goes on, and in my sights were a return to one world famous church, a nearby one I thought I hadn't visited, but had, and two new ones further along a narrow lane.

Tudeley is world famous, not because it is a remarkable church, but in the 1960s, the monied family that lives in the nearby grand house had world famous stained-glass artist, Marc Chagall to replace every window in the church. It is the only church in the world with a complete set of his work. Jools saw three examples of his work in Chicago and I said we could return to Tudeley at some point, and at the same time, meet a fellow photographer again who lives nearby.

So, a plan was made, Tim said he would like to meet up again and visit the very fine pub again he took me to when I was last in the area.

Kent is a large county, not England's largest, but it can take some time to travel across, and getting to west Kent from St Maggies can take up to 90 minutes on a good day. So, dead on nine with our bellies full of coffee and croissants, we set off up the A20 and M20 with the radio blaring out on our trek to the other side of Tonbridge.

We arrive at twenty past ten, Tim was waiting at his house doorway, and we went in for a brew and chat. All very pleasant, but at eleven we head out for the short drive to Tudeley.

Tim's wife, Barbara, grew up in the village, and the couple were married there too, Barbara knew the family that paid for the windows, and the landowner's daughter who features in the east window, like Ophelia, floating in a stream.

The simple church is filled with blue light as the sun streams through the windows in the east and west sides of the church. Having already snapped the church, I concentrate on the details of the windows, the ephemeral figures and shapes in Chagall's work. It is fabulous, and we have the church to ourselves.

A short drive away is Capel, which is another revisit, because my shots of the wall paintings did not come out too clearly, so needed to be redone. Last time I was there, the chuch was shrouded in mist, and nothing of the surrounding countryside could be seen. Not this time, there was a fine view through an orchard to an oast house beyond with the dark hulk of the north downs further on still.

Nothing more Kent.

Nearby is the fine pub, the Dovecots, which still stores its ales in wooden barrels and lets gravity pours the beer. We go in and order our drinks, I have Adnam's Broadside, because Adnams. But, the chef is on holiday, and there is no food.

Oh noes!

So we have no choice to drink up and seek somewhere else to eat. Tim and Barbara says they'd go back home, but recommend a place where the next church is. At Matfield we find that the whole restaurant is fully booked, s they can't help, and with it now being after one, we were darned hungry.

They tell us, a few miles further on is Pembury, and the Black Horse there is good.

I had visited the church there a few times, but never went into the village as the church, the old church, is the other side of the main road. Now we pull into the village we find two pubgs, a convenience store and a fish and chip shop still frying. We would get something to eat anyway!

We go on the pub and they are friendly enough, a seafood specialty place, but they do burger and fries, which I order, meanwhile Jools has fish pie.

The burger was home made, from good steak, and was huge. I barely finish it, and fail to polish of the chips and salad.

Phew.

It was two, maybe an hour to take shots in before the light started to fail, so best get snapping.

Matfield church I discovered was Victorian, and had nothing much of interest, and I was in and out in ten minutes. A ten minute drive away was Brenchley, where Jools Nan used to live, the church there was much more interesting, thankfully.

That completed, as well as trampling through the churchyard to get some exterior shots, I am done, we are back in the car for three, and ready to switch the radio over to Radio 5 so i could listen to the football. And better than that, on 5 Extra, Norwich's game at Preston was on.

So, as we dive through the stunning rolling west Kent countryside, illuminated by the golden light of the setting sun, we drive back as the radio brought me updates.

City scored in the second minute, and again on 20 minutes. A third from near the halfway line near half time brought some relief, and maybe this could be our year. Needless to say, City would not make it easy, and conceded at the start of the second half, before scoring a forth themselves. Preston get a second towards the end, but it was pretty easy for Norwich, and Idah scored a hat trick on only his second appearance.

This might take some getting used to.

We arrive home as the sun set and darkness fell. As we drive passed Wallett's Court, a buzzard looked down in the fading light for something for its supper. I'll get a shot of the bugger one day!

Back home, we have coffee whilst the football plays out and night falls outside.

Norwich are through to the 4th round for only the second time in a decade, or something.

That evening we feast on more stinky cheese and crackers, then watch The Thomas Crown Affair with Steve McQueen, which has a jazzy soundtrack and cinematography way ahead of its time, even if the plot was thin.

We liked it.