Party in the Park

We had a good day working at the flat last Friday; it felt, for the first time that we had achieved something.   On the way back to Overstone we stopped off to see Sue; she had been discharged from hospital and Anne had gone to pick her up.  Sue looked pretty tired so we didn’t stay for long plus our weekend guests had already arrived so we had to get back home.    We’d left the keys in a safe place so step dad John and his partner Marie had let themselves in and made their selves at home.  This was the first time that Marie had seen the new caravan and she liked it.   Good job really as this was to be her home for the next few days.  At least it wasn’t raining on Friday evening.  Phil & John went down to the club house for a couple of hours whilst I prepared dinner.  Actually they were only meant to go for one pint and I ended up having to call Phil on his mobile and cajole him into coming home.   As it happens, John met somebody that lives here at Overstone who recognised John from La Manga.  It’s a small world.

Unfortunately it was peeing it down on Saturday morning.  Phil cooked bacon sandwiches and then we went over to MK.  Phil wanted to sand walls for a couple of hours so we dropped him at the GP flat and then I took J&M over to Cranfield to see the flat.   I had a couple of small things to do there and then we headed back to Newport.  I needed to go to the bank and we had some time to kill so we went to a café in town for a cup of coffee.  We picked up a very dusty Phil and then headed back to Overstone.  Unfortunately the A45 flooded and we had to come off and go the back way home which was via Billing and involved a long traffic queue by the bridge.  I guess it took nearly an hour but at least we got home in the end. Lunch was cheese and onion quiche with a green salad; we didn’t want too much as we were out for dinner in the evening.

There was a party in the park here at Overstone on Saturday evening and I had invited Anne and Jim and Sue to come along to watch the band after dinner.  But with all of the miserable weather I thought there was no chance that we would be able to go.  Who would want to sit in a soggy field in the rain?  But the sun came out mid afternoon and it actually felt quite hot so I popped to HomeBase and brought a gazebo.  Phil & John put it up in the park and also took a table and some chairs.   The rain stayed away until half five, just as we were about to drive to Weston Favell.   We had booked a table at The Mandarin table for 6pm and had arranged to meet Sue and Anne and Jim. We were a little early and the restaurant was really busy.  I was glad I had booked but what I hadn’t realised that on a Saturday evening you only get the table for an hour and a half.  

Still I like the food at The Mandarin and on Saturday evening they had some Thai dishes which are my absolute favourite.  After the meal, Sue who had driven in her own car went home and Anne and Jim followed us back to the park.  We picked up the ice box, some blankets and a couple of extra chairs and headed for the party in the park.  The steel band turned out to be a brass band; at first I did think Salvation Army but in actual fact they turned out to be quite good.  We had a few drips from the Gazebo but it didn’t actually rain.  Okay, it would have been better if it was a balmy mid summers evening but that was never on the cards.   The party in the park finished with a spectacular firework display which everyone enjoyed.  A good, free evening, and well done to the park management for organising it.

We didn’t have such an early start to Sunday morning and it was all a bit of a rush when we eventually got up.  Phil & John went to take down the gazebo and when they got back we went to find the car boot sale that Marie wanted to go to at Overstone Park.  It wasn’t where we thought it was but we asked someone for directions and found it quite easily.  The car boot was quite a big one but most of the stalls were selling a load of old rubbish.  Marie got a bag and a belt, John got some DVD’s to take to La Manga but I came away empty handed.

We had a late lunch at The Manor which was absolutely packed out.  I should have cooked really but lunch out was easier.  On the way home we brought papers from the site shop and then it was back to the caravan for a chill out.  I was absolutely knackered and went to bed for 2 hours;  Phil had to wake me up because we had said we’d go next door for tea.   Too much of the red stuff and a late night and I just can’t hack it these days!

J&M decided to stay an extra day in the hope that the weather would improve and they could explore.  We took ourselves off to the flat yesterday morning before they rose because there was much to do.  I stopped off at Sue’s for a cup of tea first and a catch up while Phil sanded but then it was straight back to crack on with the ceilings.  The first coat on all the newly plastered ceilings was fine but the second coat wasn’t so thrilling.   My neck was starting to ache and I was struggling to see where I had painted.  But I was determined to do a good job and ensure that I didn’t end up having to do a third coat.  A third coat would have been plain right tedious.  I think I have got away with it but I shall have to see when I go back today.

While I painted, Phil sanded and sugar coated the walls in the hallway, not an easy job and he was cursing the whole day.  Luckily he had a couple of trips to B&Q to get supplies and he also had to pick up some bits from Sue’s garage.  I think Sue took pity on him and ended up making him a cup of tea and a corn beef sandwich. Other than that, we pretty much worked all day, well I say all day, we actually downed tools at half three.  To be honest I was knackered.

When we got back to the caravans, we found out that the electric was down on the whole site.  Thank goodness I could still have a shower because I was absolutely covered in paint.  I wondered what J&M had done with themselves all day but when I went into our caravan I found out.  Bless ‘em they cleaned both caravans from top to bottom and had done all of my ironing.  And there was a big pile of ironing, 3 wash loads in fact.  Not only had they done my domestics but they’d also cooked dinner as well.  I told them they could stay again!  Dinner was toad in the hole with mash and onion gravy followed by jam rolly poley and custard.  I am not sure we were very good company though as we were both knackered.

J&M are going home today and very shortly we are going to the flat.  We have the plumber Blue coming at eight thirty to refit the radiators. Unfortunately I need to get another coat on the walls where the new rads are going and they have to be able to dry, so once again I am under pressure.  We had a good day yesterday and FINALLY, I feel we are getting somewhere.  Don’t get me wrong the whole place still looks like a bomb site but at least I can see a light at the end of the tunnel, albeit a small one.