Tag: The Duck Stanhoe

Yabber Yabber Yabber

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After such a sad end to 2017, 2018 started in dramatic style when half way round a hack on New Year’s Day George suddenly went hopping lame – literally could barely put one of his hind legs on the ground. We were in the middle of nowhere, but fortunately not alone – Sarah was a great phone call interceptor as I blubbed into George’s mane thinking the worst. It was a very long, slow hobble back to the yard, arriving as the vet pulled in.

Total mystery. A good dose of bute and the next day he was absolutely fine. I can only think that he must have trapped a nerve, and then untrapped it. He has now reverted to retard status, belying his 21 years and making me hold on tight! Blummin horses.

I seem to have clocked up a few miles since New Year’s Day, starting with a trip to Wiltshire to interview Jane Holderness-Roddam for BHS Magazine. What a delight – I spent a very happy couple of hours at her kitchen table whilst she regaled me with wonderful stories from 50 years ago.

The following day I met up with new web client Flora Harris, for a WordPress lesson, before heading to Charlotte & Pete’s for the weekend. Charlotte pulled out all the stops with a great dinner party on the Saturday followed by a big lunch on the Sunday, filled with old friends of mine. Her boys were there too (boys? they are in their 20s) and my godson had me in stitches. It was a perfect 4 days.

I ventured down to London shortly after, for a feast of tapas with Hils (Chateau Bonkers chatelaine) and then met up with Clare (of Shanty the Highland cow fame) for more food, wine and the theatre. We saw a play called Beginning, on now at the Ambassadors Theatre – and if you get a chance to go, take it.

No sooner was I back in Norfolk than my best friend from school arrived for the weekend. Even more chat marathons. And then to Scotland…. although this was work, brainstorming ideas with a couple of clients. By the time I got home I was totally talked out.

The month wrapped up with some fun flying (yep, I can still land successfully) and the Musketeer Events christmas party – dinner at The Duck, Stanhoe. Truly delicious and huge fun. My ‘quiet time’ doesn’t feel to have been all that quiet…

A sad end to the year

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December started with a celebration – a fantastic lunch with my very old friend and fixed wing flying instructor, Alan and his (albeit unofficial at this stage) ‘intended’, Liz. It was a perfect day – both because I haven’t seen him that happy since before he lost his wife to cancer 15 years ago, but also because he had (finally) fallen on his feet big time with a perfect match (I know, despite protestations, I’m a romantic at heart and love it when I’m proved right!).

From there it was on to Norway. Seeing the Northern Lights has long been on the bucket list of both me and another old friend, Katie. What I hadn’t expected was the breathtaking beauty of the country – which you can only see in the all-too-short days (it was pitch dark by 1.30pm which took a bit of getting used to).

Every single Norwegian we met was charming, and yes… we did see them. Incredible! The snow was knee deep, the views spectacular and we also saw moose and reindeer, which was a bonus.

We booked through a fantastic new company run by Magnus and Anders. They have a big, glass walled room at the ‘Observatory’ so you can stay toasty warm, drinking coffee and chatting (albeit in darkness so as not to miss what might be starting) while you wait for the lights to appear, at which point you pile on layers of clothes and dash outside. I thoroughly recommend these guys and might well return in a couple of years when they have built accommodation on their farm (we stayed at a hotel in town). Find out more here.

No major excitements after that until my birthday, which was spent with Growler and included a scrumptious lunch at The Duck in Stanhoe. A few more suppers and drinks (fell off the waggon totally!), some murderous work out classes and a wonderfully quiet christmas followed, before the crushing news that Alan had suffered a fatal heart attack less than 3 weeks after our lunch.

The wind has very much been taken out of my sails.