Disappointing

My smart new (and rather expensive but very comfortable) shoes broke on the first outing.

from the sublime

to, well, what do you think?

pink sparkly reindeer in September.

weird shop window display in Zara.

challenging heels in Liberty’s Manolo Blahnik promotion.

beautiful work by Michelangelo in the Royal Academy.

A day in Padstow

Padstow is a place which we’ve intended to visit for a while.  One of those towns which seems so familiar even though it’s not (to us, at any rate).  Not in any rush to return home on Sunday morning, eight of us decided to spend the day by the sea, explore the town a little and - yes, you’ve guessed - have lunch!

We arrived late morning and walked down to the centre, feeling disappointed that there were so many of these:

and not enough of this:

But gradually, we became a little more acclimatised and enjoyed looking around.

Nevertheless, like so many of these seaside places, some things predominate:

Three pasty shops in a row!

But just the one shop selling the seaside essentials.

There were stylish clothes and yes, we did do a little bit to support the local economy.

Our priorities were unchanged however.  We had an appointment to keep with Paul and settled ourselves in “the library” where the eight of us enjoyed a memorable lunch ably taken care of by Michael, who recommended a particular dessert:

Well, it would have been cruel to turn down his recommendation, wouldn’t it?

The best laid plans

We’ve just returned from a couple of days away with Mark’s choir, who were singing concerts in Exeter and Bodmin over the weekend.  We met up with friends in Exeter on Friday morning and enjoyed seeing a little of the city because, although I’ve been there for meetings and seminars, I’ve never actually seen beyond a conference centre.

We met by the cathedral, my curiosity taking me inside St Martins, the small church above, where I found some glorious memorials.

By no small coincidence, our friends were waiting next door

We enjoyed a terrific lunch before returning to the hotel and meeting up with the choir, most of whom had travelled by coach.  No sooner had we left the restaurant however, than a text message was received: the accompanist had been taken ill and the concert planned for Friday evening was in jeopardy.

Such concerts are carefully planned though, people had bought tickets and wanted to support a great cause.  It’s not easy to cancel at a couple of hours notice.  The show must go on!

Well, the show did go on, but not without a few hiccups and upset in spite of everyone doing their very best.  Even so, the atmosphere was bleak as a result of the anxiety – it wasn’t easy to watch the carefully rehearsed numbers go steadily adrift; to see fifty or so grown men and women react like rabbits caught in the headlights of an oncoming juggernaut; worst of all, to observe the panic effects on those who were unable to blend into the melee as easily as others: the conductor, a couple of stand in pianists, soloists and so on.

There was also the worry about the sick accompanist, not to mention another concert on Saturday!

In spite of all the difficulties, a great deal of money was raised so everyone took solace in knowing that their discomfort had not been in vain and after a post mortem few drinks in the bar the spirit of determination to do better was raised.

Saturday dawned bright and clear and fresh air was needed, so we drove to Topsham.  Great little town with lovely shops to potter in.

We found “slipper heaven” and sat for a while trying on all kinds of colourful footwear, admiring the lovely cushions whilst we did.

By which time we were feeling peckish!  Time for lunch…

We followed on from the previous day and had another appointment with Michael, this time splashing out a little and enjoying the most sumptuous lunch in a glorious setting.  My dessert, above, was typical of the exquisite presentation and I can confirm that every bite tasted as good as it looked.

As we left, our friends pointed out the last visitors in the guest book. I guess that at least one of them doesn’t eat as heartily as we did!

On then, to Bodmin and the second performance which most were quietly fearing.  As often happens in the face of adversity however, not to mention learning a little from the previous evening, everyone pulled out the stops and put on a very respectable programme. 

Phew!

Double phew!

Stiff competition!

It was a fun evening last night and my goodness, the cooks, gardeners and needlewomen of the village turned out in force bringing the fruits of their labour for judgement.

Sadly, my card was outclassed by masterpieces of parchment craft and quilling.  My photo didn’t do so well either, but then we do have some ace photographers in our midst.

But surprisingly, my little patchwork bag got a first, in spite of that amazing cathedral window cushion.  I think the judge was rather taken by the handles ;-)

My sourdough loaf looked fantastic but was up against a few good, traditional loaves baked by breadmakers who have years of experience, not to mention considerable talent.

I did get another first prize, though, in the class for things which had gone wrong!