Saturday 8th January 2022

Each week I make plans for things to do at the weekend. Mostly these are plans I put into action, but sometimes the weather thinks dfferent.

We had passed through Blean on Friday evening, and I thought of the unsual church in the village and that poor light last time I visited meant the shots were not so good. So, a return?

I checked online, open from nine every day.

And Jools needed to go into Canterbury, so a plan of an early trip into the city, breakfast out, do chores then up the hill past the Universtity to Blean and the church.

Now, the weather was supposed to be bad later in the day, so we had to be out and about early. But, after getting up we go to Tesco and despite it being dawn, the light was dreadful with the promise of much rain and soon.

How soon?

Well, we were in the shop for about half an hour, filled up our trolley, and once paid and walking out, rain was falling heavily, and as my dear old Dad would say, its set in for the day.

THe light would be bad in Canterbury, and bad in the church. I decided not to go.

Jools was going to go still, just not to the church afterwards.

So, once she left, I change the Kitty litter in the tray downstairs, vaccum the living room, sweep the bathroom, have a shower, then wait for the postman to bring me a new batch of film-related t shirts.

It was FA Cup weekend, which meant that the afternoon would be spent listening to the radio while the rain hammered down outside.

Jools came back so we had pork pie from M&S that she had bought, and then I settled down on the sofa to listen to the footy.

Needless to say I fell asleep.

I did wake up at half two, make a brew and am feeling better.

Norwich were not to play to Sunday, so instead I got to cheer Cambridge on against Newcastle, and Cambridge win, and deserved too as well. Amazing that there is still magic in the cup.

We were to go out for dinner.

Jools joined the dining club in Deal, and we got in for their first event of the year.

You have to take your own booze, and they place charges corkage. We decided bot to drink, so we ordered a taxi and left in time so we could go to the Just Reproach for a swifter.

There was just one more group in the place, on a Saturday night. A mix of New Year and COVID said the landlord. I had a pint of spicy Gadds, and Jools had cider, then to pass the time we play cribbage.

At seven we dash through the rain along Middle Street to the club, and were show to our table in the "library". The books were actually wallpaper, but it was done nice.

Five courses, we had:

Black Spot pork Terrine,

carrot and ginger soup,

beef wellington,

rich chocolate mousse

and rounded off with a cheese board.

Jools drank most of a bottle of weak white wine, while I had a whole bottle of chianti.

It was very good indeed.

We just had to get a taxi home.

I tried to call the one who dropped us off; he was busy, so we walked to the bus station and found a single cab on the ranks.

Take us home.

Which the driver does.

Away to the west, the crescent waxing moon hung in the sky, guiding us home.