Staying North

Well, I think our planned trip to Westonbirt Arboretum is off. Looking out of the window this morning revealed plenty of white caps and a rough Bristol Channel. The tugs shepherding a large car carrier into Royal Portbury Dock were throwing up plenty of spray as they ploughed into the choppy water. So plan B goes into effect – a glass of wine, music and reading the latest batch of gastro-porn (Valentine Warner’s “What to eat now” and “Nigella Christmas”).

Venturing out today is limited to a brief shop for tomorrow’s brunch ingredients followed by an evening visit to The Lockhouse for delicious meal with Jean and Zoe. Great to have a good venue just a couple of minutes walk away. Return home to receive a wonderful surprise – phone call from Andrew! Not often you get a call all the way from Antarctica. Amazing how clear it was with no noticeable delay considering the distances involved.

Come Sunday morning the wind has dropped but it’s still pretty gusty. Hopefully it will have blown itself out before the day is over. Still, a relaxing morning to come with a tasty brunch before Zoe heads back to Worcester for an afternoon stint on her allotment.

While there’s still some light we take a short walk beside the steamer pier and lock gates followed by a quiet drink.