Monday 27th December 2021

Christmas Day Bank Holiday.

Third day of Christmas.

And one of those days when it never got fully light, the table lamp was on all day in the dining room, even when we were not dining.

Once we woke and got up, it was nearly half seven! And I asked Jools what she wanted for breakfast, execting an answer of fruit or something similar. Instead she said "sausage rolls".

So, we has sausage rolls, cold straight from the fridge, and huge brews.

Outside the rain fell from leaden skies, with the promise it would do for the rest of the day. But, having been inside since the 23rd, we both felt we needed some fresh air.

Which is why, once we had eaten breakfast and cleared away, Jools armed with her litter picker and bag joined me with camera and sore back for a stomp around the neighbourhood.

A few others were also out enjoying the day, if wading ankle deep in puddles can be described as enjoyable. Though one toddler went from puddle to puddle, jumping and splashing.

Despite living on chalk downland which drains better than almost anywhere else, when it rains and rains, the soil gets saturated here too, and so a route for stomping needs to be thought out, which meant mostly going down tracks.

I walked to the end of our street, along the path beyond before walking up to Collingwood, and then down the little Dip towards Windy Ridge, before turning right along the lower track.

It was easy going, for the most part, mainly as I had kept off the bridleways which were well over ankle-deep in mud, this is because my on-the-spot reporter, Jools, told me as she had gone on to Windy Ridge, reporting that Green Lane was almost impassable.

I reached a point where the puddles were almost continuous, and I thought should I go on, or turn round. On reflection, I thought best to turn round and walk back home. Which is what I did.

Rain was falling harder as I got within sight of Chez Jelltex, and I got damp, but not wet.

5,000 steps done. Not bad.

Back inside I googled cooked turkey recipes, and it came up with turkey and ham pie with a leek and cream sauce. As Jools was going to the tip, she swung into Tesco to get cream and leeks.

The recipe called for 600g or turkey and 600g of ham, which in our medium sized pie tin meant that it was stacked quite high. Between each layer of meat a spoonful of cream and leek mixture was spread over, and once all the meat was used up, I put on the pastry lid, brished it with egg yolk and put in the oven for an hour to cook through.

It looked quite the picture if I was honest.

I boiled up some sweetcorn and fried up some boiled potatoes and we had a fine feast. The pie was the Empire State Pie among mere mortal pies.

But was very good indeed.

And we ate it all up. Or half the pie, the other half tomorrow.

And then there was football. Always football.

Two Football League games, with Derby beating WBA, and ending with Man Utd v Newcastle until bedtime. There was another game in the middle, but I can't remember who played in that. At least Norwich didn't lose, as they were not playing.

Which was nice.

We grazed for the rest of the day, Christmas cake and the last of the bread I made last week, dipped in the cherry infused oil.

Yummy.