Of Pies and Plackets

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 It has been finals week for us this week. The 2025 Great British Bake Off and Great British Sewing Bee finals screened here this week. We were very pleased that Jasmine won the Bake Off as she was both a lovely lass and a great baker. Very consistent. We were hoping that Orla would win the Sewing Bee, but it came down to the last made-to-messure and Caz created a stunning outfit and deserved the win. We have thoroughly enjoyed watching both of the competitions over the last 10 weeks. The competitors creativity, skill and determination is quite amazing.


We have had a good week with the quiz team too. On Wednesday evening we won for only the second time in the last 18 months. We scored 104 points giving us a winning margin of 4. On Friday evening most of the quiz team (Mike, John, Mel & Danny and Margie) came to us for a games evening. Mike came early to watch The Chase with us and have dinner (lasagne) and also organised the now traditional quiz. His questions were varied in difficulty and subject, and there was sufficient ambiguity with some to have light-hearted arguments. The highest score was 7 out of 21. Several scored 6. This was followed by us splitting into three teams to play Articulate, which was just as much fun as ever. Afterwards Margie left for home, Mike and I put the world to rights and the others played Triominos. We had a lovely selection of food, as usual as our guests all brought nibbles and drink, but this time the quantities were better and there was much less surplus.


On Thursday evening we joined the Community Meal at the marae, and again it was much more enjoyable. Fewer people (around 40 I guess) made it much easier to have conversations. We were talking to an interesting guy called Brian, who is doing a PhD on Burnout Recovery as part of his business studies, as well as some regulars.


I have enjoyed my new ambling routes again this week, Virginia Lake on Monday and the riverside path into town on Saturday. Walking by the river was particularly pleasant in the sunshine. In the afternoon Nicky was on duty in the kitchen washing dishes at church for a fair trade Common Good coffee and chocolate event.


While the weather has been dry, the winds from the south have brought a hint of winter with them. The tui have been enjoying the flowers on the kowhai in the front garden, and we are enjoying the flowers on something which Nicky planted but can’t remember its name. Due to the way it reminds us of gladioli, we have called it Gladys:


Take care, Rick and Nicky.

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