In two day's time, it will be all over bar the shouting!

As hinted at in the previous, and rather rambling post, there’s a lot going on, both past and present, as the run-up to the so-called “Big Day” begins in earnest. I’m not quite sure what’s so big about the 25^th December, but whatever it is I shall be relieved when it’s all over, as I’m certain dozens of other folk will be, up and down the land. I chose, quite deliberately, to go into work these past two and a half days, and with minimal production, packing and selling, it provided an opportunity to catch up on a number of tasks that had been hanging around for ages. My absence from the family home also gave Mrs PBT’s the chance to get ahead with preparations for 25^th.

I called in at Waitrose, on my way home from the factory, to pick up our pre-ordered turkey. Fortunately, it is a more sensible/manageable size, so we should be spared the chore of munching our way through turkey stew, turkey curry, and turkey sandwiches, and we’ve cut down as well on the number of nibbles, both sweet and savoury.  A nice spread of cheese, to go with the unopened bottle of port, left over from last year, the odd mince pie or three, and I shall be well away, not forgetting the odd glass or three of beer.

That 5-litre mini keg of Harvey’s Old I bought the other week, remains unopened, although I shall probably crack it open, later this evening. I’m imaging son Matthew will be contributing to the alcoholic fug with a few bottles from Armstrong’s in East Grinstead. The latter is that rarity, an independently owned off-licence that stocks some interesting Belgian beers, along with a healthy range of Samuel Smith’s bottles. Matthew’s girlfriend Charlotte will be joining us for Christmas dinner, along with her pet hound, so with four of us sat round the table, plus pooch underneath, in our recently renovated kitchen, it promises to be an enjoyable afternoon.

Apart from that, we haven’ go any real plans, apart from chilling out for a couple of days, before embarking on a major blitz to rid ourselves of some of the junk/detritus that has accumulated over the past three decades. We’re also contemplating a drive down to the coast, with Folkestone and its revamped “Harbour Arm” likely to top the bill. The Pilot, at Dungeness, and its renowned fish and chips is another possibility, alongside a visit to Rye. As several other bloggers are discovering, this corner of Kent, bordering on Sussex, is full of beery, culinary and visual delights.

A few days ago, last Sunday to be precise, along with quite a few other neighbours who live in our quiet, and tucked away road, we were invited to join a family who usually throw their house open for, as the invite says, mulled wine, mince pies and homemade sausage rolls. I appreciate that it sounds terribly pretentious and oh so middle class, but the host family are good company, and the welcoming and relaxing atmosphere that normally goes with these gatherings, helps promote a sense of community and good neighbourliness, something we could all do with in these slightly crazy times. Many people in the street have lived there a long time (30 years in our case, and quite a few, even longer), and the sense of community, shared values, plus general well-being, is something you can’t really put a price on.

Right, let’s not get too carried away, as there are plenty of other, more projects, and happenings to get stuck in and look forward to.  Mrs PBT’s and I have pushed the boat out, quite literally, by booking yet another cruise. This 16-day voyage to Norway will follow the Norwegian coastline as far north as Tromsø, calling in at several other settlements such as Narvik, Alesund, Alta and Trondheim. We’ll be setting sail in mid-March, a time of year when the Northern Lights are more likely to make an appearance.

There was another, more practical reason for choosing that time of year, which involved the company’s “use it or lose it” annual leave policy, which limits the number of unused leave days that can be carried over to the following financial year. We’d originally looked again, at Cunard, but their Norwegian cruise was fully booked, which is where, the smaller, independent operator Ambassador came up trumps. Significantly cheaper than Cunard, and sailing with smaller, and more personal ships, a couple we met on our most recent cruise, were full of praise for the smaller outfit, so we went ahead and booked. We obtained a good deal, and as another bonus, Ambassador operate out of Tilbury, a short distance the other side of the Dartford Crossing, and just 30 minutes’ drive from Bailey Towers, on a good day.

So, there’s plenty to look forward to, once Christmas and New Year are out of the way. I’m also determined to get a bit more walking in, during 2026, and having bought a guidebook to walking the rivers Darent, Medway and Eden, I’m determined to complete at least one of the river walks, detailed in the guide. Finally, if I don’t manage to squeeze out another post this side of Christmas, I’d like to extend compliments of the season to each and every one of my readers, and thank you all for your support and encouragement, throughout the year.