Charlton Horethorne Youth Theatre Challenge

For 8 weeks in February, March and April Jenny directed a "Youth Theatre" in our Village Hall. Up to 22 young people aged between 7 and 15 came along each week, wrote their own play, made the scenery and props, borrowed and operated lighting and sound systems and put on two performances on Saturday 4 April. All this with just the lightest guidance from a small number of adults. The play, entitled "The Monks' Place Mystery" was about the ghost of a monk seen and exorcised about fifty years ago in an Elizabethan house in our village and the lady who saw the ghost as a young woman was present in the audience. The young people enjoyed the experience and want to do another play next year. The Village Hall committee backed the project (the first of its kind in the village) and were rewarded with a profit of over £650.

Kings Arms 2

The gremlins certainly got into the photos which should have been attached to my previous blog about the re-opening of the Kings Arms pub in our village. What went wrong? - I have no idea! But here is a photo taken by someone else of our party of eight on the opening night. The restaurant has been booked solid ever since but we managed to get a table for lunch on Easter Day (12 April) which also happened to be the birthday of our younger son, Ben. The six of us (Jenny and I, Ben, Claire, Thomas (7) and Sophie (3)) had a lovely time. Meanwhile our daughter in law Sally (wife of our elder son Olly) celebrated her birthday with a family day out in the tropical heat of Benin, West Africa, where they are working. Ben and Sally were born within a few hours of each other on 12 April quite a few years ago now - what a coincidence.

Kings Arms Re-opens

After years of decline our village pub, The Kings Arms, closed about three years ago and there were concerns that 36 flats might be built on the site. Then along came two knights in shining armour. They bought the pub and over the last 15 months have spent £1 million rebuilding, extending and equipping the premises. The Kings Arms Country Pub and Hotel (as it is now called) re-opened last week and its fantastic. Two dining rooms seat over 80 guests with room for more outside when the weather permits. There is a comfortable bar, a snug, 10 luxurious en suite bedrooms and a croquet lawn. Every thing is of the highest standard and the food is lovely. The photos show the bar, dining room, a guest's view of the kitchens and one of the bedrooms. Well done the knights in shining armour. Book now to avoid disappointment!

Birthday Girl

Jenny was born on 29 February so only has a birthday once every four years, in Leap Year. The grandchildren find this very amusing and tell their friends that their Granny is only 15 years old as she has only had 15 birthdays. But when do people born on 29 February celebrate their birthdays in the three years out of four when there is no 29 February? Jenny likes to receive her cards on 28 February but it would be interesting to know if other "Leap Year babies" prefer 1 March. Although there was no 29 February this year Jenny received her usual cards and presents, including the necklace and earrings shown in the photo. Thanks everybody.

Family lunch and table tennis.

Today our younger son Ben, his wife Claire and children Thomas and Sophie called on their way back from a few days in Devon. Jenny made a lovely chicken lunch and we had a happy time talking, laughing and making plans for future trips away together. We put the table up in the garage and played table-tennis, the first time Sophie has ever had a bat in her hands. But we had to stop playing when our only ball went under the trailer and we could not get it out - we must buy some more!The photos show Sophie (being helped by her Daddy) and Thomas, who needs no help.

Pippin Cottage Memories

Two weeks ago we received a letter out of the blue from a lady who used to live in Pippin Cottage 40 years ago. She asked did we want some old papers that she had for the house and could we send her a photograph of it. Yesterday we collected her and brought her round for afternoon tea. She and her husband lived here for eight years and she could remember all the details of the old parts of the house, before it was extended. When they first came here (1969) one of the windows was still bricked up from the days when Window Tax was payable in England (1696 to 1851) and her husband opened it up again. They installed the first upstairs bathroom and built the first garage here. She was a nurse who later trained as a hypnotist and she treated her hypnotherapy patients in one of the rooms of the house. She told us lots of interesting stories and had us laughing all afternoon - we had a lovely day.

Snow

This last week we have had more snow than we have seen for about 20 years - several snowfalls which have not melted yet. Our minor roads have been icy all week so most of the evening activities which we enjoy have been cancelled. When you have eight successive nights at home you learn how little there is worth watching on television! But the snow has been beautiful to look at and its been lovely to hear the children whooping with joy as they zoom down the hills on their sledges - many schools have been closed on different days throughout the week. Roads and railway lines have been out of action too - how lucky we are not to have to struggle to work. The Village Shop has been a boon - but even there the shelves are beginning to look empty as supplies are unable to get through. And more snow is forecast ............