Petes Pix 2022

  Goodbye 2021  What a year... Covid Vaccinations: 6 February (No.1) 6 April (No. 2) Booster - 5 & 9 November  (J & P) Travel: Great Yarmouth - June Criccieth - July Alnwick/Banff/Hexham/Ripon - August Great Yarmouth - November Paignton - November Cancelled by Covid: September - Bordeaux River Cruise -  second year running. October - American Wine Society Conference, Atlantic City Funerals: 18 May - Ann Jones 17/12/1937 - 17/04/2021 01 Sep - Janet Stevens 07/05/1933 - 05/08/2021  13 Oct - Shirley Bunting 26/09/1934 - 15/09/2021

  To Chez Mumtaj with Dan and Krisie on their last night of their holiday in St Albans.  We had the round table in the front corner. I started with vegetable samosas f ollowed by Garlic Chilli Chicken Masala with Chana Masala, rice and naan,  and Stellenrust Pinotage to drink.  Afterwards we chatted to Chad.

  To Prime Steak and Grill with Krisie and Dan and, as Mondays are BYO with no corkage,  There was a theme - father and son were dining and drinking; Zinfandel maestro Joel Peterson owns and makes Once & Future and his son Morgan owns and makes Bedrock. Krisie said her steak was the best she'd ever had

  Emma, Toby, Joan, Krisie, Dan and Peter at lunchtime

Rain, wind and sodden paths meant we didn't take the walks we intended, but this evening we took Dan and Krisie on a brief  walk through Ellis Fields at dusk. Many houses were decorated with lights,  like this one in Ellis Fields. But none outshone the house in Beech Road, which again put on a display that cars stop to gaze at.

 

Again the clever knitters have decorated 82 St Albans' pillar boxes with festive tops. Here are just three of them St Peter's Street Sandridge Road Sandridge Road (back) The Quadrant - Post Office The Quadrant - (back) 2019 Xmas boxes here

  Probus 37th Annual Christmas lunch was held at Verulam Golf Club. Some people didn't book because of Covid, and the recent rapid rise of Omicron variant  leading to a Government recommendation to scale back one's social activities led others to cancel, but we still had 65 booked. I chose the spiced carrot and lentil soup to start with and it was really enjoyable with a bite of chilli, then I had  traditional roast turkey . There were two thick slices of turkey, which I couldn't finish . I'd have preferred more veg, but the meal was tasty. Christmas pud, garnished with redcurrants, with brandy sauce was well presented but ordinary, and there were mince pies and small cakes to follow with coffee and poppers. I was responsible for choosing and sourcing wines.  The white was 2021 Zalze Chenin Blanc Bush Vine   (South Africa, Western Cape) Terrific: dry but not acidic, fruit and balance and it went down a treat with those present. and the red was 2020 Domaine Camp ...

 Posted out my second Commonplace Book Front cover shows Joan at high tide on Sunset Beach, Gordon’s Bay, South Africa  in March 2020 shortly before we had to return home early because of RSA travel ban on incoming flights. The upper back cover inset shows Peter, Krisie, Joan and Dan in the sea front apartment we rented in Criccieth, Wales in July 2021, and the lower one was taken shortly afterwards in the Prae Wood Arms, St Albans, England and shows Peter, Joan, Toby and Emma.

  It was my turn to book a restaurant for the December meeting of the Grumpy Old Men. I chose Aspava and ten Grumps attended after three dropped out for various reasons. Clockwise from front left: Gerry, Mike, Martin, Mark, Andy, Rick, me, John, Mike & Gerry