Seeing Finley

 To Aylesbury to see Emma, Toby, Jack and new arrival Finley

Finley was very hungry and had a bottle and two feeds. He brought some up so his top had to be changed between our holds.

And then to Chez Mumtaj with an onion bhaji starter, lamb rogan josh and an excellent rioja.

Hello Finley

Emma went into labour at 07:30 and at 09:00 Finley George Robert May made his entrance.

He weighed 3.515 kilos (7.75 pounds) and is named after his great-grandfathers.

Toby will collect Jack up from his nursery and will take him to see Emma and Finley later. Emma and Finley should be ready to leave hospital after 21:00.

Museum of The Broads

Joan has to do some research for her next book in the Museum of the Broads in Norfolk, so we’ve booked a night in The Imperial in Great Yarmouth. I want to walk along Gorleston-on-Sea’s promenade after lunch in the charming café we found last time.

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And that’s where it all goes wrong. As we approach the coast the sun goes behind clouds. The wind is cold and the temperature drops by 10 or 11 degrees. The charming café is closed for its mid-week break. We have lunch in the Pier Hotel, that was the location of Danny Boyles’ 2019 movie Yesterday then walk along the promenade, but its really cold after the balmy weather of the past few days.

When we get to the hotel we are surprised how empty their car-park is. When we check-in we are told that their classy Cru restaurant, with its booths, is closed because of low bookings and we’ve been transferred to their casual all-day restaurant.

While we’re having a pre-dinner Champagne aperitif in the bar (because it’s too cold to sit on our balcony) the restaurant maitre d’ comes to us, and offers to organise us a secluded table with table cloths like in Cru, the food & wine will be the same as in Cru. We choose the wine so it can be opened to breathe

We have fillet steak, and

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2020 Rhebokskloof Pinotage (South Africa, Paarl)
Mature now, elegant, with sweet fruit flavours, really delightful. Well done, François.

After a good nights sleep and a hearty Imperial breakfast, we head out to the Museum of the Broads in Stalham. But it’s not any warmer and although much of the collection is roofed it’s till open to the cold air. We don’t linger, and it’s too cold to lunch there so we head for home, stopping for a light lunch on the way.

We’re home earlier than expected so weren’t planning on making dinner. We order a Nandos from Deliveroo which arrives before we’ve finished laying the table.  To drink with our feast I open

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2020 Henry of Pelham Baco Noir Old Vines (Canada, Ontario VQA)

HoP are Baco Noir masters and this wine, with a few years in the bottle, is a beauty. Lush and deep, silky and fruity it’s wonderful and finished too soon.

Rhododendrons and Bluebells

 

Sunny warm wind free so walked through Childwickbury to see the avenue of Rhododendrons. Most had not yet flowered.

Then past the Manor House and back through Batchwood which had  stunning swathes of bluebells.