Another year...another birthday party!

Where does the time go? Fortunately we have great friends who make great food and like to talk, so a good evening is always guaranteed.

Pot luck supper

Prosecco and olives

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Roasted red peppers filled with cherry tomatoes and anchovy (Annie)

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Chicken in zaatar with sumac and lemon (Ruth)

Lentils, rice and crispy onion (Ruth)

Sprout flowers with pomegranate seeds (Gill)

Baked aubergine (Gill)

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Cheese (Fanny) and green salad (Diana and Chris)

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Halva ice cream, fruit salad and chocolate sauce (Keith and Nicky)

Lemon cheesecake (Ros)

Upton House and Barney Adler

Reminders of the war time experiences of my mother and father flooded back yesterday on our visit to Upton House near Banbury in Oxfordshire. 

Upton House was where my father spent time during the war when the bank at which he worked was evacuated to the country house of the owner, Viscount Bearsted.  Upton House now belongs to the National Trust and they decided to recreate the house to depict this period in its history, when the owners moved out, the best pictures went into store in the Welsh mines and the house was turned into a bank. 

We visited Upton House about 3 years ago and left information about this war time period, as did the offspring of one of the other bank employees.  I provided them with an extract from my father's memoires and photographs, around which they have built the exhibition and reconstruction.    It was a strange experience to go round the house and see my photographs of my parents and see my father's words in print.

My father would have been mightily amused that Peter and I were invited to a champagne reception for the opening of the exhibition, along with the current Lord Bearsted, and all the guides knew the name of Barney Adler.  The guides and the staff were so enthusiastic.  They have clearly had a great deal of fun recreating the war time atmosphere, the graphics and the props - even down to some beautiful 40s clothes in the wardrobe and a knitted swimming costume. 

In the pub for lunch on our way to Upton House

At the entrance to the grounds on a cold and windy day

Upton House

Waiting in the kitchen for the others to arrive

The three themes of the exhibition

Great war time graphics

A framed picture of my father

In the kitchen

With the oral history volunteer (c) and the Director of the National Trust (r)

With Ann Thomas who has been corresponding with me

My father wrote about rook pie and so they created one!

Dad's words

The pie

My father's 'desk'.  Mr H Bluglass's son was also there and remembered 'Uncle Barney'

My father's boots!!

My father's bed with his 'diary' and a photo of my mother on the bedside table

Not actually his writing, but his words, approximately!

My father's 'diary'

The bedside table with my mother's photo

Standing by my father's bed

The slide show at the end of the tour

A star!

More or less true!

More star billing!

My father on page three of the brochure.  He's 3rd from the left with the walking stick.

Back to the old ways

Well, here I am back in Norwich.  The weather is spring like, the front and back gardens have been readied for spring and 5 sacks of garden refuse are ready for disposal.  The bulbs are pushing through and the tree the children gave me last year is in fat bud.  The laundry and piles of ironing left over from Christmas (oh the shame!) have now been cleared and my workroom desk has been tidied.  The wardrobe (to be absolutely honest, three wardrobes) has been overhauled and three large bags of clothing and other bits and pieces have disappeared into the charity shop down the road.   I've been to book club and film club and walking club and contacted the library about volunteering again.  Almost back to normal!

The walk was interesting.  Yes, it's meant to be a loaded comment!   There were four of us, the weather was almost perfect - fresh and sunny and pleasant out of the wind - but the walk was rather longer than planned owing to the fact that our leader was under the impression that it was a 4 mile walk but was working off the sketch map that also included an 8.75 mile walk.  You can imagine!  We also got lost but ended up back at the pub as planned and only an hour or so late!  It was 7 hours since I had had a small breakfast so I rewarded myself!   Never mind...the company was excellent and it was wonderful to be back in the Norfolk countryside and I'm sure I'll stop aching in a few days!

Interesting roof

Green lanes

Signs of spring

Ripe for development

My reward (and downfall!)

Farewell Paris, until we meet again or à la prochaine!

Farewell lunch in our tiny flat for the ladies of the Craft Group at the British and Commonwealth Women's Association.  I cooked, they bought loads of wine and champagne.  I shall miss them!

After my farewell, it was time for Peter's.  They said some lovely things about him and his management style which they had clearly appreciated.  Apart from the two main 'speakers' others stood up to pay tribute to Peter. He was very touched and I was very proud.   They bought him a new pencil case with his name on it (having been amused by his attendance at meetings with his pens in a zip lock bag), four enormous wine glasses and a beautiful carafe.  Then, more champagne!

And now we are back in Norwich - unpacking, washing, ironing, sorting out! Back down to earth in fact!