Countdown to India, Sri Lanka and The Maldives - Day -19

John, Jackie, Brian W and Brian on our Thursday 8 mile (pub crawl) walk

Saturday we did go to Alex and Rob, and had a lovely evening. Turns out we were there last year on January 6th too according to photo memories. That’s a good tradition to start!

Sunday we did go and see John, with the last of Alex’s yummy Christmas cake and had a good catch up before going dancing at a social club on the way in to Kings Heath. The floor was a reasonable size, though very slippery in one corner, the live music from a man on a keyboard pretty good, though a bit Wurlitzery and the people seemed ok. Particularly in that we were joined by Andy and Em, who we have seen at the Beetlestone’s and other IVC associated events, and who Brian knows from way back. We did scuttle off a little early to get to the pub, for a Sunday club drink. I thought we were past the stage of two social events in one evening, but it would appear not!

Wrapped up on a cold day heading to Barnt Green for breakfast

Monday we were up bright and early, well early anyway, to go to the nurse, I thought with an 08.20 and an 08.40 appointment we would be just in time for breakfast at Cafe Morso, but actually we were out, me with a needle in each arm, and Brian just in his right arm by 08.30, half an hour before the cafe opened! Home for breakfast then!

We both felt quite square eyed by the end of the day, looking at recommended hotels on India trips, looking at house insurance, paying bills, sending the last of four payments to the investment Jason had recommended. It had to be done in 4 blocks as you can only do a certain amount a day. This was day 4 and she’d warned me to keep my phone nearby as the security team might call….. Finishing up with an online Monday Club.

Fabulous bacon and egg baps from Warwicks in Barnt Green

Tuesday, having had no call from the bank security team, I assumed all was good, so I could now make the capital gains tax payments for us both, only to find payment number 4 had been returned to my bank account. Back on the phone then (telephone banking is very convenient) only this time when I asked to speak to a person, rather than do it all myself I got transferred to the security team (it’s clever as well then) after insisting that we check with Jason, who wasn’t available, his administrator had to get on the phone to the investment platform to confirm that the other three payments had made it to the correct place. He had to call back, and then I had to call the bank back, to make the final payment. I know it’s all to protect me, but it did mean that making one payment took all morning! I finished just in time to go back to Donna and Keith, for the postponed lunch from last week. Again, a fantastic welcome from Cookie and Cracker, who have both had haircuts, though we all decided we actually prefer Cookie a little scruffy! The boys were slightly disappointed in that we went out without them, but this just meant we got another fabulous welcome home afterwards. A lovely meal at Ounce, they really do very good steak, and lots of chat. Back for a cuppa (for B, another glass of wine for Donna and I) and furry fuss before a gentle return home.

What is this the remains of? We've no idea, an old iron age fort perhaps?

Wednesday, now I can pay the capital gains then! Six days this has taken and there is still one investment to make. This is why we didn’t leave the cruise in India and go travelling. Imagine trying to do this from foreign parts. They probably already think I’m money laundering, what would they think if I’d been trying to do it from India? We then had to chivvy our preferred company to actually put figures on our 53 day quote because Wednesday was the only day we had left for this sort of thing. Having done everything else, but still waiting for this we thought we might as well go to a tea dance, just down the road in Mappleborough Green, 15 minutes away. I was very dubious, but actually they were a lovely group of people, nearly all of them came over to introduce themselves and make us welcome. The couple we sat by knew Brian’s mum from when she used to run dances (and had been taught by Jenny his ex wife). It’s a very small world!

The Hewell Lane level crossing, halfway along the 'famous' Lickey Incline. Very exciting if you're a railway buff. A man was waiting with a big camera, so we had to stop to wait for whatever it was he wanted to photograph

Thursday we were out with John and Brian, though not doing the walk that they had planned. We turned up to get the 08.06 train out of Alvechurch only to find it, and at least the next two trains cancelled. The advantage of being free agents, we’ll walk to Barnt Green for breakfast and do an 8 miler from there! Two pubs (The Cross Inn at Finstall and The Ladybrird Inn at Bromsgrove), five pints and a virgin Sex on the Beach (which sounds much worse than a mock tail version of Sex on the Beach) for Brian W involving much silliness and a great day out. Home by 6 for beans on toast and as much water as we could get down our necks and we felt fine on Friday!

And here it is, an old diesel Class 37 engine (very exciting for me as I designed and supplied a fan clutch for those in the 1980's when they had over 300 in the fleet!). We waved, he hooted his horn

Just as well, because Friday was just as busy. We’d reserved an Explore trip to Sri Lanka and the Maldives to tag on to the end of the India trip well we missed the Maldives on the cruise after all. So although it’s expensive, it’s not as expensive as flying there just for that! So confirm that, book flights, and it’s really happening!

Novel sign for dissuading people from trespassing  

All confirmed before 10.45 when I nipped out for a haircut, short, I said, it’s got to last till April, I said! And so it is! Then off to Denise and Paul, for some Christmas cake, chat, bit of DIY, allotment soup and a 5mile road walk to keep out of the mud, via a coffee shop in Solihull before finishing up in their local pub the Fieldhouse for dinner!

And another one. Good sense of humour round here

Today we had to pack and nip in to Specsavers to get the lense put back into Brian’s glasses after it fell out in the pub last night before coming over to Fi and James’s where we are now Oscar sitting for a week while they are away on their first cruise, round the Canaries with the three girls and Fi’s mum and husband. We are feeling very spoiled, James prepared a chilli for us last night, so all I’ve got to do is heat it up, open the wine and enjoy, oh, and eat the cheese and chocolate, and whatever else we can find left over from Christmas! Oscar is such a cute cat, albeit getting on in years we enjoy being with him, though we are still going to be busy, what with going away on the 1st of February!

That's looking out towards Hartlebury and I wondered if the hill in the distance was the Wrekin but Brian W was unconvinced. Its probably too far south for that

And so to the pub (The Cross at Finstall) and Brian tries a Sex on the Beach

Followed by another pub, The Ladybird by Bromsgrove railway station. Its still only mid-afternoon! We followed this with a train back to Longbridge (it didn't stop at Barnt Green) followed by a taxi ride home as we couldn't be bothered to wait for the next train!

Back to sanity and here we are housesitting Oscar cat for a week in Leamington Spa while my daughter, Fiona, James and three grandchildren go off on a cruise in the Canaries

I think it'll be a good week!

Particularly as, at the moment, the sun is shining