February - Speed Awareness month!

31st Jan - I had a good trip back from Devon - I was lucky because I planned to call in at Haldon Woods just outside Exeter to give Suki a walk on the way home and it was heaving with people, in fact it was difficult to find a car parking space.  When I got to the pay and display machine there was a small notice indicating that the forest was going to be closed at midday because of the weather.  It was by then 1 pm and it was heaving with people enjoying themselves and they were piling in and paying their £3 to park.  So I paid and went for my walk, but when I got back to the car an hour later they had indeed shut the entry gate (exit was still possible) and there was bedlam outside with cars which had turned up and couldn't get in - many with bikes on top.  I don't know where I would have gone if I hadn't been able to get in there because it is 15 miles from Bovey and Suki needed a walk and I like it to be somewhere with toilets so that I can not worry about that side of things on the way home.  They closed it because of the wind, but it wasn't that bad really and they will have lost loads of revenue from car parking and the cafe.  Can you imagine if you had got a family of children ready, loaded up the car with all the bikes and driven there only to find it closed.  I really enjoyed listening to my book, and then to my music, on the drive home.  I am so glad I have got the bluetooth on the car radio sorted.  And now I have the radio tuned too!!

When I got home Mike had just got in from his weekly bike ride up to Richmond Park, one circuit and back and in the evening we went out for a Vietnamese meal.  It was very good - we are never going to complete our project to go to every restaurant on the Chiswick High Road because we keep going back to the ones we like!  I had a vermicelli bowl with fried beef - and of course a couple of bottles of Saigon beer.

1st Feb - I went to my Uncle's and ran several errands for him including a trip to Sainsburys.  He is always very grateful.  His friend, Bob, who usually comes in and gets him bits and pieces had had an eye operation and couldn't drive for a while, so I am doing extra errands at the moment!  I also sorted out his computer again.

2nd Feb - I was invited to Petersfield to celebrate the birthday of Simon, my godson, and when it included the offer of a bed for the night for me and Suki I decided to accept.  I drove down to Petersfield early enough to have a nice walk in Queen Elizabeth Country Park in the afternoon before arriving at the How residence just after 5 pm.   Hannah was still in York (at University) but the rest of the Hows were there plus Rozzie - an honorary family member!  After ceremonial opening of the birthday presents in the kitchen we walked over to the local Indian restaurant and enjoyed a splendid meal - complete with a profiterole cake topped with fireworks for a finale!  Suki and I slept the night in Hannah's "wing" over the garage and left early in the morning to go for another walk in the country park.  It was a glorious morning - crisp and clear with blue skies and sunshine and we had a fabulous walk.

That same week I rang a nice handbell peal of Rutland Major called by  Robert.  I had wanted to have another go after making such a mess of it before - and this time I studied the peal composition and tried to familiarise myself with the changes of position at the calls and which way round my bells were in various parts.  I was much more confident this time and pleased with the way I had rung.

On 5th Feb I picked Amanda and Sam up from Stansted airport - managed to squeeze them, bump and Bethany, and all their luggage into my little car.  They stayed over with us and we completed all the paperwork etc for the transfer of my previous car to Amanda - and fell foul of the new rules regarding the road tax of which I was unaware.  If I had known that the road tax could no longer be transferred with the car we would have dated the documents for the end of January.  However because I dated them for 6 Feb I ended up paying double tax for the month of Feb as I had to buy a new tax disc for Amanda which started on 1 Feb, but I only got a refund from the end of Feb.  What a rip off!!  We had a bit of an epic with insurance companies in the evening but eventually found one which would accept Amanda's Spanish no claims discount and which wasn't too horrendously expensive.  So the next day they packed the car and I waved them off to Melton Mowbray to their newly rented house - it was very odd seeing my car being driven off by Amanda.






On 8th Feb I went walking with Maryanne - doing a 6.5 mile walk from The Fox at Ibbstone and having a nice lunch there afterwards.  The next day was Shrove Tuesday and Mike cooked lots of lovely pancakes for tea before going out to choir practice.  We completely over-indulged and had about 8 each!



Lorraine flew out on 11th for yet another trip to Australia - this time to a friend's wedding.  On 12th Feb we had another go at the Cambridge Royal on handbells at Steve's and although we didn't score a peal, we did score a quarter peal with me on 3-4.  My first surprise royal on an inside pair.

Then it was off to Devon again.  All the paperwork regarding the speeding offence had now been completed and I had opted for the speed awareness course.  This had to be booked on-line and could be booked at any centre in the country - so I decided to book it at the Best Western Hotel in Kingsteignton near Newton Abbot and combine it with a week in Devon rather at some dismal London venue.  I had a lovely week in Devon - and then stayed on for a couple of days to do the course thereby extending my holiday too.  The course was just like a Revenue training course - presented by two trainers with different styles.  The main emphasis seemed to assume that everyone in the room made a habit of speeding and the course was designed to break the habit, whereas there was at least one other person beside myself in the room who had simply not known that the speed limit was 30 and there seemed to be no answer to the problem when on a country road - only when in a town with lamposts!  However there were a few useful tips and some interesting facts and figures and it was over by 3 pm which was nice.

With all the rain the rivers were very full in Devon and the river Bovey was impressive going over the rapids up in Bovey Valley woods.

I was once again very glad that this tree trunk bridge had been replaced by the large on on the RHS

Suki kept herself warm and comfortable when we were not out walking!

And there were some beautiful days in between the bouts of torrential rain!

Hay Tor looking magnificent

 At the end of the month I was back in London and we went to the Roving Ringers reunion weekend.  Suki stayed with Linda.  It was based around the St Albans area so not too far away.  It was good to meet up with everyone again.  I didn't do much ringing but enjoyed the weekend.  Mike had to ring from a chair at St Albans cathedral because the wheelchair would not fit along the narrow walkway to the tower.