Oh Lord! The colour of the kitchen units saga continues. The paint sample from the kitchen manufacturer arrived this morning and it’s about as close to the colour blue as my eyes which, like the sample sent, are grey. Apparently, and for no discernible reason, I was insufferably chipper first thing and so Catering had…
We have owned The Outhouse since 1993, so approaching 30 years and are, and have been, very happy here. We rented it out for a while when we lived and worked in Hong Kong and Tokyo, but we returned in 2001 and have been here ever since. We occasionally flirted with moving over the years,…
Here we go again and I will admit that my enthusiasm and optimism for 2021 has been a bit dented by the need for a third period of lockdown. We can both still work thank goodness and are still healthy (though possibly a little stout post-Christmas) and so I know I shouldn’t complain, however with…
The post-Christmas bombshell was that one of our Christmas Bubble tested positive for COVID and has been quite unwell. She seems to be on the mend now, but we had to self-isolate until today. It didn’t mean too much of a change frankly, as we weren’t going out or doing anything much and Catering’s business…
The lyrics of the John Lennon song seem particularly poignant this year. Christmas has come and gone and despite everything we still managed to have a good time. There were some really funny moments – one of which involved a stout middle-aged woman (who shall remain nameless) dancing like nobody was watching, but unfortunately they…
Catering is getting a bit sneaky in his old age, and I’m not sure I like it. Towards the end of Lockdown 2.0 I had to pop into the office to sign some thank you letters. I said I’d be home by about 10.30am but, due to the lack of traffic on the road, I…
The Spicer household is the proud possessor of an artificial Christmas tree. It was purchased 23 years ago (in the UK and then flown to Tokyo, so the air miles will probably take another 23 years to offset) when we lived in Japan. I got tired of paying US$ 200 for a tree (albeit a…
More frighteningly this means my youngest child is 21! A detail guaranteed to make you feel ancient, that and the fact that I have been offered a flu jab for the first time. As a result of COVID-19, we had already been forced to reduce the 21st celebrations to a family affair, with a couple…
I always go to the Italian shop in Maidenhead in the run-up the Christmas, together with the Granary in Watlington and Fortnum & Mason on Piccadilly, it is part of my personal Christmas rituals. It is like a cave of wonders and I am just like a small child in a sweetie shop – except…
Shortly after Boris said it was unlikely we’d have another lockdown I decided we needed a holiday. COVID-19 has resulted in the cancellation of two holidays so far this year and so not wanting to risk another disappointment, I opted for a week in North Devon – a few nights at the cottage, followed by…