Saturday 11th December 2022

"And at the end of the day, there's always a disappointing football match."

But before then, there's a whole day to get through.

Neither of us had any ill effects from our jabs on Friday, sore arm notwithstanding. So it meant the day was all ours to do with what we wanted.

Saying that, Jools didn't feel well enough for churchcrawling, but hunter/gathering at Tesco was fine.

So, after coffee we drove to Whitfield and after filling the car with unleaded, we go to the store to buy stuff for the weekend, and the final things for Christmas, which means that we just have veg to get as everything else is either bought or ordered.

I buy a gift for the charity Christmas box, so that poor children will have something. I bought a Hey Dugee singing stick that the child will love and their parents will hate. Does this make me a bad or good person?

Maybe both.

Back home to pack the shopping away, have fruit for breafast, followed by bacon butties and huge brews.

Although Tesco had most things, there was no fresh fruit other really than bananas, apples. And for the second week, bacon, especially smoked bacon was in very short supply.

But we dine well on our bacon butties, then, Jools confirmed she was not going out, so I could visit anywhere.

Within reason.

Well. Most churches in the aea I wanted to visit or revisit I have done these past few weeks.

One I hadn't gone back to was Lydden. Its a small place, but its a short drive there, so could be a stopover on the way to somewhere else.

I go down Coldred Hill, then along to the church.

It was a glorious day, I mean no clouds, clean, sparking air, but cold and frosty.

The church was unlocked, cold by welcoming.

As expected, there wasn't much I hadn't recorded, and no glass to use the big lens on. So, I go round to recrod everything, then on to the next stop.

Bekesbourne.

I hadn't called the keyholder, but she only lives opposite the church, so not that much of a hassle to walk over the small bridge over the dry Nailbourne.

I reach the church, park outside and walk to the old palace.

I rang the bell. Dogs barked. A lot. But no one answered.

Another time, then.

Three miles along the Nailbourne is Littlebourne where the bournes changes its name to the Little Stour and flows all the time. There is a church ther,e and I can't remember when I was there last.

I drive round the village, find the church on Church Street. Where else to keep your church?

Again, it was open, but having no real memory of this, it was good to go in again and take lots and lots of shots, mainly of the large number of Victorian windows.

Once done, I decide there were no other churches to be done that day, athough I go do Wingham and Ash again, there's plenty of other occasions to do those. But it was a ten minute drive from Preston, and I noticed during the week we were out of sausages, so decide to go in and see if they had any.

And good job I did, as they were down to a few bits and pieces, but had some venison and cranberry bangers, so I get five pounds. Also, they were selling of these very large chickens, perfect for the late Christmas dinner we're planning when Jen comes back on January 24th, so £15 gets that and it can go in the freezer.

By which time it was lunch. We have gingerbread, or mixed spice bread. Two large stars, so I pull of each point and dunk it in a coffee, so soft enough in the end.

And amazingly, football is back. In fact, below the Championship, it never stopped during the World Cup, the the Prem and Championship did, and Norwich were to play for the first time in a month, away at Swansea.

So I could watch the early game, Portugal v Morocco as well as follow Norwich.

Good nes in both games, as Norwich scored in the first minute then hung on to claim all three points, and Morocco knocked out Portugal; Ronaldo, Pepe and all.

There were tears at the end. Bitter ones from Ron and tears of joy for the rest of us.

And then, France v England.

Bev and Steve had double booked, so I could not go round, so we lit the log burner, had Craig on the wireless and watched the game.

In truth England played well, but didn't create enough. France scroed in the first half, then we got a penalty to even things up. And in the 2nd half, France scored with their only chance, from a peach of a cross. Soon after England got a second penalty, but Harry put it over the bar.

Good from England, but not quite good enough.

Its just its four years now to wait fot the next one.