Wednesday’s
forecast was cold but sunny and, for once, was accurate. As you know,
Marcia is in the process of tidying up book 24 and, not surprisingly,
there were a few bits and pieces that she needed to check ‘on
location’.
So, notwithstanding
a thermometer that was suggesting it was the coldest April day in
living memory (which may turn out to be the literal truth) we set out
to brave conditions on the high moor. After a morning spent sorting
booky things we ended up in The Dandelion, attached to The Moorland
Hotel near Haytor. This is where some rather critical moments in book
24 take place but more important than that, it was warm. And
the food was, as always, superb.
Whilst in The Dandelion, there arrived a delightful Cairn by the name
of Morris complete with a green ball in his mouth, one man and two
women. I could not resist him and it is with great sadness that I
have to admit that none of the pictures I took worked: light levels
were low and Morris is a busy person with the result that none are
sharp enough. I really should have asked to take his portrait outside
but it was still very cold and I decided that I would take quite a
fair number and that there would be at least one that worked. Wrong!
It transpired that one of Morris’ party was a Marcia Willett reader
and they had a lovely chat before we left. The
women were sisters and, like Marcia, came from Somerset.
In a desultory sort of way Marcia and I were talking about what I would write
for today’s blog when it was suggested that it should include some
photographs of ‘Ladies who Lunch’. My idea or Marcia’s? Not
sure but probably hers – almost certainly hers. So it was we
decided that, on the way home, I would try and get some suitable
pictures of ladies lunching – results below.
On a more serious note: you will see above cattle and sheep gathered
round feeders at a time of the year when you would expect them to be
scattered around the fields tucking into the new spring grass. Not
this year. This is very bad news for some farmers who are seeing all
their profits being used to keep stock alive and healthy in this
awful weather. It could well be bad news for the rest of us: food
prices should increase to compensate our food producers for the
additional costs incurred by the weather thus spreading the load. The
strong hold that the supermarkets has on food buying means that the
odds are we shall see prices go up a bit but not enough and some
farmers will go to the wall – and that is bad for everyone.
On the way home we came across a couple of young chaps doing the most
incredible things on skateboards. The following pictures will give
you some idea of how incredible.
 |
| Martin Steward (left) and Mark Helliwell |
 |
Brilliant - totally brilliant.
Lastly, our blog dog this week is Ted.
