The Best Haunted House In Evesham

What better way for Eric and Derek to wind down the spookiest month of the year than with a visit to the spookiest, best dressed house in Evesham, just up the road from us.

It goes without saying that once again the house has pulled out all the stops with this years theme - the TV series "Friends".  

Not, we have to admit, one of our more regular of views, but even Eric and Derek could pick the characters and their various antics, including smelly cat and Marcel the monkey .........

...... all, obviously, in skeletal form. It was all absolutely, quite amazingly wonderful, the level of detail and imagination mind blowing according to the spellbound  dynamic duo.

All proceeds collected go straight to the Air Ambulance and needless to say, every year this display raises thousands and thousands of pounds, drawing an admiring audience from far and wide for the month it's all on show.

It goes without saying that Eric and Derek showed their appreciation for all the effort that goes into this annual spooky labour of love, .......... the perfect end, they both agreed, to a glorious October, leaving the very best 'till last!

Derek's Nomination For The Woodland Trust Tree Of The Year 2027

Derek has found his nomination for The Woodland Trust's Tree of the Year 2027 ....

...... we mentioned it here before, a while back, but since then it's continue to grow, thrive and flourish, as Derek's love and admiration for it has grown too.

It would seem that, somehow, a new tree has sprouted from the side of the inside of an old shorn tree trunk, if that makes sense. It's become stronger as the months have passed, with Derek saying that its fortitude and strength against all odds is totally belied by it's delicate and pretty foliage.  

We're at a complete loss as to what breed of tree it is, any suggestions, oh wise Mr D, font of all knowledge?

However, we all agree it is rather lovely, and to be honest, if it were in our garden, it's the most wonderful shape for smothering in tiny lights at Christmas to look the epitome of festive. Obviously we'll continue to keep an eye on it, hoping it'll survive the rigours of the coming autumn and winter ............ and for many seasons beyond.

Shades Of Irredescent Plum?

It has to be said that the ever fragrant one isn't particularly interested in cars, other than for getting from A to B .......

..... however, there is one that parks on the cusp of our estate that has really taken her fancy which she has been examining rather closely .......

 ..... not for it's fuel efficiency,  technology, boot capacity, safety features etc. .......

No, it's the "glorious, rich colour", wondering if she could find a lipstick in Boots in the exact same shade, as she thinks it would be rather fetching on her!  What is she like? 

Celebrity Wines, Who Knew?

To be honest, these days, as we gently mellow, we don't really do wine, save for the odd one, two, three, possibly four bottles of Asti Spumante over the festive season, and the occasion one or two on other high days and holidays ..... 

However, according to Darrell, who is very slowly gearing up to thinking about said holiday, it doesn't hurt to look. So, imagine his huge surprise when he spotted "Celebrity Beverage" in Savers, a shop we more generally associate with the likes of shampoo, toothpaste, the odd perfume, household cleaning products and over the counter, winter medical essentials such as Corvonia, Vicks Vapour Rub and Lemsip.

Who knew they also purveyed the fine produce from Chateau Gary Barlow, Graham Norton and Gordon Ramsey?  On this occasion, no considered purchase or otherwise was made, as Darrell said he needed to do his due diligence re: research to see what the reviews said, not really having a truly expert nose for such things ........

I mean, would a checky Graham Norton Sauvignon Blanc be a perfect accompaniment to one of Darrell's most excellent Christmas puddings or one of Gary's Malbec's be a total faux pas as the After Eight are served?  Trust me, it sounds like a whole new minefield to the uninitiated like us!

An Arsenal Of Light

Soooooo last night, the clocks went back, not, it has to be said, young Eric's most favourite night of the year .......

.... as it heralds Darrell presenting him with a Vitamin D tablet with his breakfast each morning, knowing that Eric's usually buoyant mood does tend to take the tiniest of dips, knowing that the journey back from the school run will be in the dark until March next year at the very least. 

However, as ever, determined not to let this unavoidable, natural phenomena get his spirits down too much .........

..... Eric has amassed quite a considerable arsenal of light to afford him safe passage, and keep him amused ....... including glow-sticks  ....... what is he like? 

Halloween Log Review

At a bit of a festive loose end, Derek and Eric decided to explore the pleasures of a Comerfords Halloween Log ......  a company, although established, as it says on the box, in 1956 we've never heard of them either!

To be honest, once removed from the box, the cake was simply a run of the mill, ordinary, chocolate covered Swiss roll, with vanilla filling, the only vaguely Halloween thing about it were, the orange coloured sprinkles, sprinkled, as the name suggests, willy nilly all over it.  The seasonal theme, it appeared, was weighing entirely on the box ........

..... and after a little research we found we weren't the only ones to make this observation.

However, for just £1.59 (from Home Bargains), maybe the true delight would be lie in the eating?

Again, sadly, once sliced, all did not bode well, the sponge was considerably lacking in the rich, dark chocolate colour Derek and Eric had expected ......

 ....... but perhaps the taste would finally redeem it and put paid to all the general nay-saying? 

Unfortunately not, now we'll all admit to having an off the scale sweet tooth at times but this was so overwhelmingly sweet it was just really unpleasant, with a horrid, sweet aftertaste that lasted forever!  There was no discernible chocolate or vanilla flavour, just this overbidding sweetness. As for the chocolate covering, well it had come a long  way from ever touching a cocoa bean. It was all truly, truly awful!

Needless to say, it's going on the bird table (poor birds, can they become diabetic?),  two bites (one each) was more than enough to give said Halloween log Derek and Eric's most mahooooosive thumbs down ever, fit only, if feeling wicked enough, for feeding the tiniest of pieces to unsuspecting Trick or Treaters as their trick!!!  What are we like? 

Sad, Sad New To Impart ....... With Uncertainty Looming!

We have sad, sad news to impart ........ our much beloved Postman Mr Rob has retired, without fuss, fanfare or pageant ....... let's just say it's been emotional, very, very emotional.

He didn't even tell us, such is the man, that he was leaving, so we didn't have a chance to express our grateful thanks to him over the past ten years.  We are bereft, receiving a bill will never, ever be the same again!

He looked after us so well, keeping an eye on us and always knocking on the door if he had a parcel saying "It's only me Boyz ......" so we wouldn't open the door unbeknownst, always knowing we'd also take anything for our also beloved neighbour across the way Kata (but not anyone else).

However, we did see him last night as he was calling on another neighbour up the road of a social type capacity (not delivering any late post) and well, let's just say, it got emotional all over again but he already looked at least twenty years younger and he said it was all a great relief, his dodgy knee had never felt better! We'll miss him soooooooooo much.  It is the end of quite an epic special era.

As to our new postman?

....... who's to know, it's all in the laps of the postal gods, questions may need to be asked in Parliament. As of yet, we have, to the best of our knowledge, no one specifically assigned to us, but we wouldn't say no to the very nice, tall young man or the very friendly lady one who have delivered our way when Rob has been on holiday or having one of his knee ops!  As and when we hear anything, naturally you will be the first to know!

Derek and Eric And Tom Read Wilson

Derek and Eric are in the posh town of Cheltenham to see Tom Read-Wilson. They've "loved" him for ages, whatever he's been on, the likes of I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, Tom Read Wilson's Magnificent Journey and Celebs Go Dating among many other things.

He knows so many very wonderful and interesting words, that he uses very correctly and precisely, something they both greatly admire, but more often than not, are not quite as successful at. So, when they heard that Mr Read Wilson was on tour with "The A to Z of Me", it was a no brainer, they got their tickets, bless them, in order to learn a little more about the man himself and his love for words.

It was all just as they'd hoped, there were so many new words for them to cogitate and digest, written, during the show, on a very large A and Z, spoken in sonnets, poems and conversation, in his own voice and in accents and sung.  There was even a bit of tap dancing, that they really hadn't expected.

Unfortunately, they perhaps got a little too excited, resulting in only two of the many  pictures they took at the end of the evening being barely usable.  They were gutted (disheartened, devastated, downcast......) when they got home and saw them, too much shake and blur, but as Eric opined, the memories are still well and truly implanted in his bonce. 

Their mission, forthwith, is to learn a new word from Tom on his Word Of The Day postings on Instagram and then attempt to wheedle it into one of our own conversations during that day,...... today's word was "pootle" so, wasn't too challenging.  

Unbelievable Charity Shop Treasure

Oh my goodness, we hit the charity shop jackpot today, both on the wonderous present front and for ourselves! What can I say, other than Darrell and I came home with our tails wagging between our legs and the biggest smiles on our faces!

First of all, the present, I mean who wouldn't want a crocheted Freddie Mercury, complete with mic stand, toilet roll holder gracing their bathroom?  An exquisite, handmade work of art for just £2.50 including the loo roll?  I ask you?  It's very tempting, to be honest, to just keep it for ourselves, but that, would be too easy. The hard task is going to be choosing who is going to be its lucky recipient, as, if most of our family or friends found out what we'd actually got, there could easily be an unseemly kerfuffle of those yelling "choose me, me, me"! 

As for the biggest candle we've ever seen for just £3.50 and the stand £1? Well, as we spend most of the now very dark evenings romantically ensconced in the glorious glow of candlelight, this will probably last us until Christmas, if not beyond.  It's flipping mahoooooooooosive. What a blooming bargain!

We are so well chuffed, it's going to be quite a while before we can top this haul, but that's the beauty of charity shop shopping .......

......... you just never know what you'll stumble upon next ......... 

The Bus We Have No Desire To Catch

There is one bus in Evesham that none of us, including Eric, have any wish to avail the service of  .......

..... not even out of some weird sort of morbid curiosity to see how the other half live, by simply travelling to it's maximum security destination, but staying firmly in situ, by not getting off and coming straight back home ..........

...... at the same time not wishing to draw attention to ourselves by piquing the interest of any fellow travellers on said bus, wondering who we might be possibly visiting on the outbound journey by taking a large cake tin with us!

Some things in life, it has to be said are best remaining total strangers to ....... 

...... although, we have had, in the past, a slight connection to the establishment when in our early days at The Towers the lovely couple in one of the top floor flats used to work as officers there and always looked most resplendent in their uniforms, with Darrell often musing as to what washing powder they used to keep their shirts so brilliantly white!  

A Bounty Of Discarded Treasure?

Well, it has to be said that the summer didn't produce the whole plethora of left out treasure Eric had at first anticipated, perhaps it was sooooooooo unbelievably hot that people just hadn't got the heart or sheer energy to sort out their unwanted items for others delectation. 

However, with the temperature now being much more manageable, Eric hasn't been too disappointed so far, in one day he managed to "stumble" across a very respectable and comfortable looking dining chair, sat sitting at the bottom of the "killer" hill in and out of town. Now if that was left there, it could offer much comfort and respite to those struggling up and down said hill, especially when laden with enormous bags of shopping! 

Then, there was this coffee table near the church without a (as of yet) spire, unfortunately, it was in Eric's expert opinion, not of the best quality, it was quite warped and chipped and not as appealing as the aforesaid "respite" chair, so no great temptation there to plunder.

And finally, and most unusually, a pair of children's boots, the type with handles on either side to heave up and on, something Eric has always quite fancied.  Usually, if something originally comes in a pair Eric only tends to find one, so to the right sized person, this could indeed be a most fortuitous find, especially when, at this time of year, we are more prone to heavier type rain and the prospect of jumping in puddles should the mood so take you!  A most excellent day "wombling", with the extra bonus of Eric not actually heaving anything home behind him! 

We're Not Turning Yet ......

Following Darrell's little debacle contemplating the price of lamb the other day, he decided to take himself off to the vegan market in town yesterday morning to see if there were any comestible alternatives we might embrace ........

The market was a little disappointing in size, but undeterred Darrell was still determined to do his "market research"

His first observation was that there were more cake venders than anything ........ 

...... but they were a tad on the expensive side, tempting and delicious as they looked, £6.50 for a small pot of cheesecake and £4.50 for a single donut,  crammed to the rafters with vegan substitutes though they may be, he couldn't really justify making a purchase, especially considering the wonderful cakes he makes from scratch himself anyway.  He also wasn't tempted by the vegan hot dogs made in every guise imaginable or the cheese that looked like something Alice would buy in Lush!

However, he did make two considered purchases, to wit three wonderful looking onion bhaji's, something we absolutely crave since moving to Evesham, usually only getting our "fix" when we return to the homeland  for family high days and holidays where they are abundant

On the other hand, he'd never ever seen an apple crumble samosa before, even in Wolverhampton, but on this occasion he passed ............

...... because he'd got his beady eye on a "very berry crumble top pie" that he thought would go down a treat for our pudding later on in the day and save him getting one of his own out of the freezer .......  nevertheless, for all this glorious foody adventure, we all still remain very much strangers to the porkless pork pie .........