Amaryllis

Every winter we enjoy seeing amaryllis plants growing. You pop the bulb in some soil and compost and watch it grow at a phenomenal rate. Each morning it seems to have grown even bigger! Once it starts you can practically see it grow. The flowers are very large.

Usually they are over in about 6 weeks. Sometimes they flower again later in the year. This year, most of ours are white, a colour we have not had before.

Yorkshire Pudding

Traditionally Yorkshire Pudding was eaten as a separate savoury course before the main meal. It was designed to fill you up, so less meat was needed at the main course. Our 7 year old granddaughter is now an expert and makes good Yorkshire Puddings! I love Yorkshire Pudding, especially with some gravy!

Lavenham

Today, we had a simple lunch in a café in Lavenham, Suffolk. Lavenham is a fine village that became rich in the 1400s as a result of the wool trade.

BREXIT mess

Whether you voted "remain" or "leave" in the EU referendum, we can all agree on one thing: we are in a right mess!

At the moment the UK parliament is likely to reject the latest proposal and we are due to leave the EU in March this year. If I was a betting man, I would expect our departure to be delayed and some compromise deal agreed afterwards.

Most in the UK are bored with BREXIT and can't believe the mess. All we ever wanted was some control over those who live and work in the UK and tariff free trade with the EU. We never wanted a common currency and taxes, I think. Deep down, I expect most EU nations want this, along with peace in Europe. If this means an EU defence force instead of NATO, so be it.

Back to the drawing board...

Our home

We are lucky to live next to a 200 year old windmill and Burwell Museum, which is probably one of the very best local museums in the whole of the UK. It is manned Easter to the end of October mostly by volunteers. The old photo show our home directly in front of the windmill. We can see the windmill as we eat breakfast. Where I am sitting now in the lounge the view of the windmill is fantastic.

Grandchildren

We have our "London" grandchildren staying with us. They miss their kitten. My wife bought them each a cuddly kitten toy, which was a hit at bedtime.

BREXIT

One thing everyone in the UK can agree on about BREXIT is, "this is a fine mess". The world must be looking at the UK and thinking how stupid we must be! I am sure there is brinkmanship going on on the part of the EU and UK government, but at the moment we are heading (by mistake) for a no-deal BREXIT that no-one wants. 

The EU does a lot of trade with the UK, we need EU low skilled workers in our fields, care homes and hospitals. The EU will miss our money going into the pot. The EU is desperate for other nations not to leave. Time will tell how this will pan out. 

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46617152 .