Salop Days...

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Well, we're tooling up for our fortnight's sojourn to Shropshire next month - which month starts tomorrow! We haven't actually bothered going abroad since the Covid pandemic hit and went, partly because of the extra hassle that post-pandemic travel entailed, and partly because we've always also holidayed in the UK in tandem with our travels outside of the UK. All we've done is increase the number of domestic stays away from home instead, which these days means a stay or two in Shropshire and likewise in our backyard destination of Pen Lleyn, where Jane is headed to hook up with her sister for a few days next week, whilst I mind the ranch here.

Pictured is one of my latest acquisitions, a travel-ready tournament-sized chess set and flexible board, which comes in a fairly compact little case: I hope to tempt number one son into a game or two, as he is joining us with his husband for some of the holiday. Also, we have ordered a new badminton set as the garden at Lower Down is level enough to play a game that has been a family staple for a very long - fifty-plus years - time. There's also jigsaws, Monopoly cards [no idea how that will pan out] and of course books and music; along with good, home-cooked food, beer, wine, &etc. You get the picture. A change of scenery and a change of season to boot. There you go. Keep you posted...

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