Pie and a Pint again

Pie and a Pint

Continuing on from the Cookswood theme, Robert and Lauren came down for the weekend and we all gathered together for a BBQ at our house. Gary, completely at home amongst the flowers and Malberry tree, cooked a superb selection of meat to accompany the various salads and chips. We did try and make inroads into our vast selection of beers and, in all fairness, did have four cans, wine being the preferred drink of the evening. 

The evening was a celebration for Alex; he has finally finished junior school and now moves on to Bournemouth Grammar School. 

Robert’s news 

That was not the only celebration; Robert has finally submitted his thesis for his doctorate in Psychology. Yes, a major achievement and hopefully he will pass and then he will be a Doctor in Psychology. The downside is, he will insist we all call him Doctor Robert Smith! The thesis title is ‘The Emotional and Temporal Donor: A Thesis on Prosocial Decision-Making over Time '. We are very proud of his hard work and his achievements to date. I have started reading his thesis, and I must admit, barring a few words I had not ever come across, find it an interesting read. Once his paper has been published, I will send everyone the link. Nail-biting, cracking story so far, I think you will enjoy it.

Saturday 

Lauren and Robert met us at the beach; they decided to do their daily run from the house to the beach. The water is now a lukewarm 20deg C, so a refreshing swim to set us up for our day's adventures. 

Between Susan and Robert, it was decided we would visit a farm shop a few miles after Wool. Called the Jurassic Farm Shop, voted best farm shop in Dorset. Robert did correct us and said that was in 2018. I must admit, it was a very well-stocked farm shop with a butcher that was friendly, rare experience and so refreshing. Normally they glare at you when you ask what the different sausages are, but he was happy to tell us, and we bought some, with four burger patties, each costing the same as a pack of Tesco Finest burger patties, but the pack has four in. BBQ tonight; this time we will have the future Doctor Robert Smith as the chef. 

Once finished, we set off to Swanage, Durlston Castle to be precise. 

Plans change, and as Lauren had never been to the Square and Compass, we laughed off Swanage and headed down the road less travelled to Worth Matravers, a small village situated on the cliffs 4 miles west of Swanage and 4 miles south of Corfe Castle. Now that you know where it is, I will tell you about how we came to enjoy a pie and a pint. Well, we all ordered half pints, and we had a selection of pies. Chicken and Bacon, Steak and I settled for a sausage roll. Very tasty and good value for your money. 

Susan and Lauren decided to visit the cake shed in search of Dorset Apple cake to round off the huge pies we had just consumed. 

Novel concept, just a small booth about the size of the old telephone booth. Self-service and an honesty box; you pick your cake and pay for it. Lauren picked a Lemon Curd cake, and Robert went for the Carrot and Walnut cake. Both looked very appealing; I refrained, the sausage roll was quite large and filling. Lauren did admit to having eaten too much but seemed happy with her choice. Susan did help them get through the rather large portions of cake before we walked back to the cool comfort of the Tesla and made our way home.

Visit to Bankside Manor

I had the single honour of visiting Bankside Manor on invitation from Lady Helen of Bankside Manor. The Bankside Estate has many interests throughout the world. A charming 18th-century villa in Tuscany, Italy, with olive and vine orchards nestling in the foothills of Monte Ferrante. Then there is the housing estate in Thailand. But getting back to Bankside Manor. After a lovely coffee made with truly Italian coffee beans and a De'Longhi coffee machine, we walked the lush gardens and orchards that enhance the natural beauty of these immaculate gardens. I had a meeting with Mark, the estate manager, who outlined their vision for the future of Bankside Manor. Everyone has common problems, and he is pondering the important decision of extending the Manor House to accommodate their ever-expanding family. Mark also has a passion for motorbikes; he says, ‘One can never have enough motorbikes’. His collection ranges from vintage motorbikes to the latest Japanese bikes; in all, he has a few. He has his eye on another motorbike but will wait until the best offer comes along. Lovely people, and I am looking forward to an evening in August; Susan and I have been invited to join them for dinner.

Burger Night

Friday is Burger Night; we all know that by now. This Friday Robert was the BBQ chef, so he ordered two steaks and put a liberal amount of salt on them and let them marinate in the fridge for 24 hours. They were possibly the best steaks I have had in a long while. He explained why they were so good. The meat draws the salt into the middle, and then as they mature the moisture rises to the outside, and when you cook them they have a great crust and are juicy inside. We live and learn.

Dramatic Rescue at Sandbanks Beach

Actually, we did have some drama at midday. Robert and I went for our daily midday swim and met Susan at the beach. Hot day, and our swim was very welcome. When we got back to the car park, there was a commotion at a car near us. Turns out there was a dog left in the car and was in severe distress. The wardens had called the police. To cut a long story short, Robert broke the window of the car with a fire extinguisher as the two police cars arrived. The one police car took the dog to the vet immediately, while the other had a word with the owner, who had finally arrived. Susan wisely realised that Robert was not the best person to have a few words with the man and took him to the beach to wash the blood off some small cuts he got when breaking the window. Some people are not just stupid; they are morons. 

As animal cruelty is a criminal offence, he will shortly be appearing before the old bill, and he will not be getting his dog back. 

Michael has bought a house in Australia 

Yes, weird but true. It is a five-bedroom, two lounges, two dining rooms, two kitchens, four bathrooms, one utility room and a swimming pool. Susan is very excited, as there is a room for her when she goes down under. No more sleeping on the couch, a proper bed. The little darling does love her creature comforts. Well done, Michael, and this all happened while he was away in Perth, that is Perth Australia, not the Perth we love in Scotland. He set Matilda a few chores while he was away, and one was to buy the house. Someone is listening, not sure that happens in my idyllic home. I will no doubt get some unfavourable comments, but that is the nature of investigative journalism. Well done Michael, I am sure everyone is super happy for you. Enjoy Perth, last chance of some peace and sleep.