London Visit

Earlier this month, during some of the coldest weather the UK has had for years, we spent four days and three nights in London, staying in student accommodation at the London School of Economics, which we can recommend for warmth, comfort and economy. During the day we explored London and visited several of its fascinating museums. On two evenings we went to the theatre and on another our son Ben, who works in the City, met us after work and took us on a magical starlit walking tour of the frosty City streets, past his office, The Guildhall, Bank of England, the Gherkin and Tower of London to a smart Italian restaurant in Wapping where we had a delicious meal and walked back again. The photo shows Jenny and Ben watching the ice skating outside the Tower of London. We really enjoyed our trip and will do it again sometime.

London Visit

Our Village Shop.
One of the many good things about living in this small village is that, despite competition from several supermarkets five miles away, there is still a thriving Village Shop selling everything from newspapers and firelighters to organic vegetables and gourmet foods, many sourced locally. But it was not always so - in 1996 the shop was in danger of closing. Following the retirement of the previous manager it was being kept open by a rota of village volunteers. There was little stock and the property, and adjoining house, were in poor repair. Then along came Sue and Keith Gudgeon who bravely took early retirement from their jobs in London and bought the shop and property. They renovated it and used all their skills to turn the shop from a failing business into the success it now is. After seven years they sold the shop and retired to live in the village and Sue has now written a book telling the story of their epic struggle and the support given to them by villagers and staff. There are many amusing stories but the book also shows what it takes to succeed in an extremely competitive area of business. Entitled "The Other Side of the Counter", Sue is selling her book at £8.99 a copy. If you would like a copy just "comment" with your email address and we will pass on your enquiry.

Happy New Year

A Happy New Year to everyone reading this blog. We saw the New Year in with a dinner party for twelve friends at our house, Pippin Cottage. We played lots of silly games and at midnight, to the deep chimes of Big Ben on the radio, we toasted the New Year with champagne and sang Robbie Burns' song, Old Lang Syne. It was a great night.