The restorative powers of Christmas Cake . . .

 BTW, the new header photo is from May a couple of years back.  There are just Snowdrops out at the moment - how I wish we could fast forward to spring proper, and carpets of Bluebells again.

Here is that rare thing - a photo of yours truly! - with Tam of course.  We were dressed up ready to go for our meal.  We did enjoy it.  Keith's idea of eating out was always a bacon roll at the Sandwich Cellar in Backfold in Hay-on-Wye!  

We did enjoy our meal.  They did a choice of menus including a cheaper one, but we couldn't decide on a main from that so as some of the other mains were things like chicken in a red wine sauce (which we had with our Tesco £12 meal the other night) and something I fancied but was accompanied by truffled pasta and I loathe truffles, I ended up just having cod and chips - but WHAT fresh, sweet cod in the floatiest batter, and the chips - oh my goodness, the best I've ever had - 3 times cooked and fluffy inside.  A small dish of petit pois, home made Tartare sauce and even one of batter scraps.  Tam had cod with creamed spinach, artichoke and silver skin onions, with sauces/drizzles (yum too).  The wine was a revelation after the usual "house white" you get.  No mention of house wine anyway - we asked for dry white and it was amazing. Really full bodied and fruity.  Gosh, we'd have happily sunk a whole  bottle of it!  We shared a pudding - banana fritters with banana ice cream, a spoonful of chocolate sauce and chocolate sprinkles.  My friend whose husband is a chef said it is a really good gastro pub, but there's one in Abergavenny which has a Michelin star, so that probably qualifies for best in Wales.  This was the Felinfach Griffin anyway, if you're in Wales and want a good meal.

Yesterday Keith and I went to Malvern Fleamarket.  It was a very early start - made worse by the fact I woke over an hour before the alarm and got up as I knew I wouldn't sleep on so by 3.45 a.m. I was downstairs getting organized.  Keith just had a few mouthfuls of tea and a toasted hot X bun - not much of a breakfast to keep you fortified for the day.  He has had a change of medication from a pill to a 24 hour patch and I think that is still getting balanced plus he had done more walking than usual at the PD Clinic on Thursday and any over-doing has a knock-on effect for up to a week afterwards.  He was very tottery on his feet yesterday, which was such a worry.  He went into the Gents and several blokes came out and said to me, "Is he going to be alright?"   Well, I could hardly go in and check could I?  Update: Radar key for disabled toilet purchased, and Keith is marching up and down OK today.  Obviously lack of sleep makes a BIG difference to his mobility and energy.

We were late arriving, it took a while to get the mobility scooter out and everything sorted and they had the outside stalls at the far end of the showground.  There were lots of buyers and I don't think they had the field across the road for parking (being winter)  so had to put the overflow inside the actual showground and then on a field off the car park.   Going round the stalls in the sheds was difficult as lots of people and as seems to be the case rather than the exception, people just blocking Keith's efforts to manouvre towards or away from a stall or just plain going forward.  We went back to the car for "breakfast" about 10 a.m. and I was glad to have packed some of my brandied Christmas cake as a slice between us really kept us going - not sure if it was the cake or the brandy wot did it though!

Keith liked the font cover - but let's face it, what would you DO with it?!!

Keith was very thorough with the outside stalls and went very slowly, which is so incredibly frustrating for me, who does everything flat out and normally I would be away and along those stalls like a whippet - I can quickly cast an eye, see if there is anything to suit me, and then move on.  We missed every other row, and there wasn't a great deal of any merit or suitability, but Keith got a couple of things.  

He had to be talked out of buying more Windsor chairs and wouldn't believe me when I said there was no room in the stables, as he suggested that's where any could go.  I have told him he needs to look in and see how full they are and suggested he gets rid of some of the bins of "useful bits of wood" which came with us from Ynyswen.  He isn't able to do woodwork now and it needs to get sorted out.  Me - I'd chuck the lot as with the best will in the world, Keith's not able to make use of it now.  I also need to do as many car boot sales as possible this year to get rid of old stock, now I am winding down from our trading years.

A quick glimpse of some of the things on offer.  The Peacock style chair below should soon attract a buyer.

An old cash  till or a Fairground galloper ?

Lastly, a little painting which quite appealed to me.  I was good though and left it there.

Today I think we won't be doing much at all, just resting.  I can happily write we had a good day out yesterday but much goes unsaid, and to compare it to "the good old days" - well, this is a different experience entirely.