The knife sharpeners annual visit. He's set up shop in the garlic warehouse car park. His six and eight year olds happy to be spending the day 'helping' their father. Mother at home with the four year old, the two year old and the new born. Most children are told to avoid sharp objects. Here, it's positively encouraged.
Bob and Sophie harnessed up and taken off to the local Christmas market. A good chance for them to deal with crowds and noise. Sophie takes an immediate dislike to Father Christmas ( the newsagent ) and barks loudly at him from behind the safety of 'the fonts' legs. After ten minutes we leave. Father Christmas seems relieved to see us go.
Loic, the leaf blowing gardener, shows up. He blows the leaves into two enormous piles. Bob and Sophie take the opportunity to leap, head first, into them. Loic displays his characteristic good humour as his handiwork is unraveled .
On our morning walk we bump into the Very Old Farmer coming back from his daily visit to his wife's grave. He's been in hospital for two days having a new stent fitted. '' Ten goes it took them but they finally found a spot in my groin " he says with a candour and lack of embarassment only the very old and the very young can display.
