The plumber ( Wee Davey ) is indeed extremely hard of hearing. I explain the problem first quietly, then loudly. He looks back blankly. The suggestion that we communicate by text proves to be a strange, but workable, solution. Wee Davey has come all the way from Falkirk which explains his £150 call out fee. His hourly rate is £60. He's here for four hours, finds the problem and gets the leaking pipe fixed. The simple joy of having hot water - and heating - restored is beyond measure. Wee Davey sports a very trendy hair style - he has a kind of pony tail that sprouts from the crown of his head. The pony tail seems to be braided into a sort of 'bun'. This is not a look I'd expect on a plumber from Falkirk.
This morning it's sunny when we set out on our tour of the village and sunny when we make it onto the beach. The high tide has brought up a mass of small shells that cover the sand. They crackle as Sophie walks over them. She is delighted with the noise they make.
There's a stretch of razor clams, maybe a hundred yards long, higher up on the beach. Razor clams mean Oyster Catchers. Sophie's nemesis. She chases after them. They take off with a flock shared shriek. The PONette almost glows with satisfaction. Proof positive, if any were needed, that she is a lean, mean, hunting machine. I say nothing. The Oyster Catchers settle back on the sand, untroubled. Sophie moves on to chasing things only she can see.
By the time we make it into town the streets are busy. Term is moving towards final lectures and the start of exam time. In six weeks the students will be gone. This morning they all, without exception, seem to be up and about. We think of going to the cafe by the old church but the tables outside are already taken. We head off instead to the Jaffa Cake cafe. Sophie approves of this choice.
The wine shipper we used in France has lost the last three consignments. Getting our money back has proven to be on the annoying side of tedious. French after sales service is a truly dire thing. A brief ' We're so sorry ' would have kept me happy but instead they send me a ' as per our terms and conditions' e-mail that shows complete disinterest. We've moved to a new merchant in London who has convinced Angus to order some cases of non-French wines. A Chilean wine with the unlikely name of Purple Angel is recommended to go with Easter lunch. Angus slowly unpacks the cartons while the PONette settles down to watch him. She's soon asleep. Tonight we shall try a Dog Point Pinot Noir from New Zealand. 'Decant it at least two hours before dinner' says the accompanying, hand written , letter.
Now this is what I'd call a colourful invitation :https://twitter.com/hugorifkind/status/1643568081019584512/photo/1
This lady is v smart and always worth reading :https://jacobin.com/2023/04/global-politics-eu-brexit-climate-change-populism
8 comments:
Good to hear that Wee Davey sorted the leak, albeit at a price. Both Nobby and I think Dog Point Pinot Noir sounds worth a try. The Coronation invitation is indeed colourful (and I love Hugo Rifkind's tweet). The Helen Thompson interview covers a lot of ground, much of it well above my head.
Cheers, Gail.
Haven’t tried Dog Point but love the Roaring Meg and Mt Difficulty… happy Easter from Fiona in NZ
It sounds as though Wee Davey was worth every eye-watering penny - glad he sorted things out.
Dog Point Pinot Noir does sound interesting abd we await your verdict, though some amongst us may just vote for chocolate-less Jaffa cakes.
I wonder if Charles found the original for his invitation on Google images? They have designs for every occasion.
A hand-written note with your wine sounds delightful - always good to see the personal touch.
The coronation invitation is indeed colourful, as befits a state occasion.
The Diva's nose can "see" things we can't, and off she goes in pursuit. Glad to hear the plumbing repair went well, if a little expensive.
French wines from the Yapp Brothers, yapp.co.uk
Montes reported surrounds the wine with Gregorian chants while it is in barrel - supporting the "angels" component to the Purple Angeles. Interested to hear if that is enhanced as a parrt of the Easter lunch.
I guess that tied up hair would stop him getting caught in anything, and certainly keep it out of his eyes. Roaring Meg and Mount Difficulty are two of our regular tipples here. Central Otago does good Pinot. I hope you enjoy it.
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