Sept 19 Colvestan Manor

Not much to report. Julie was home and she made nice potato whatevers....a bit like pikelets (but not sweet) for breakfast--very nice with scrambled eggs.  We left London mid morning..headed out to Victoria station and caught the bus to Peterborough where we picked up our hire car and headed for Mundford in Norfolk. We are presently staying at Colvestan Manor.  The owner and her husband Wendy and Edwin are characters. 500 acres of arable land. They grow sugar beet and barley (for seed only). Edwin is 82 and not about to retire.  Wendy is nice--stoic and oh so English.  She reminds me a bit of the matron from the Carry On movies in the 60's--Hattie Jacques was the actresses name.

Sharon my sister-in-law will be pleased to know that breakfast is cooked in her 70 year old AGA. She has a circular wire contraption with two sides to it, so it is hinged in the middle and closes in on the object which you wish to place over the hot plate.  Wendy toasts her bread in this contraption everyday. It's as old as the ark. Furthermore there is a drying rack (wooden slats) above the oven, up near the ceiling to dry the washing. And the AGA heats their water as well.

Part of the house or at least structure dates back to Doomsday--1066!!!  We are upstairs (how unusual!!!!) and as the water pressure is poor, a bath is the only option--thank god for the face washer!

There is carpet in the bathroom and in the toilet....weird!  Yuk...not our cup of tea that's for sure. Antiques all over the house..a lot of oak furniture including a rather sweet rocking horse upstairs.  He'd have to be a few decades olde that's for sure!

The garden is very charming. Wendy told us that in summer a temperature above 22 degrees or so, is considered to be absolutely boiling!