No Ribs for Alice, but Great Expectations

I wake before the alarm, around six o'clock, when the central heating switches on, perhaps that is what woke me, and then snuggle down into the warm bed until the house heats up. There has been a very hard frost overnight and the garden and field outside are crystal white with the hoar. Norman braves the cold and sallies forth into the garden, does his duty and then returns indoors, in confident expectation of breakfast, which I duly produce. I feel fully restored to health today and after a shower, feel full of vitality and looking forward to the day. I run the engine of the car for five minutes in order to defrost it, before we set off for Cherry, Norman's coat has been warmed on the radiator and I am wrapped up well against the cold. There is no mud today on the Westwood, as the ground is frozen rock hard, and no rabbits or squirrels in evidence either, the latter probably slipping into hibernation. At Black Mill we bump into Angela Semple, with her dog Sophie, and she walks back to the car with us, before continuing back to her own house down York Road. After dropping off Dolly and Teddy, Norman and I drive back to Beverley and park outside Saint John's, before walking to the Poppy Seed for tea with Felicity and Hahne, they are both there when we arrive and in good spirits. Felicity wearing a nice navy blue Crombie coat, but covered in dog hairs from Sam and Molly, she doesn't care, her dogs are far more important than sartorial elegance. None of the other usuals turn up, probably deterred by the cold and the icy pavements. We chat about the newly published census, and compare Beverley which is still 99.9%, white and English, to London which is less than 45%. This is still Middle Earth and the Shire, I suppose that makes us all Hobbits? Felicity wants to go to the Oxfam bookshop in Toll Gavel, so Normy and I accompany her, she buys some poetry books and also finds a beautiful sketch by Leonardo of a Madonna and child. A reproduction obviously, and then we see her back to her house. Pisces fish and chip cafe down Lairgate has a big banner outside, proclaiming it is now Harpers of Wetwang. Harpers has an excellent reputation and they are offering two meals for ten pounds on Mondays and Tuesdays, so we will give them a try next week and report back later. It is a slow walk down Greyburn Lane with Felicity, the pavements are icy and treacherous and so we have to walk in the road, pulling into the side each time a car comes along. Nevertheless we deliver her home safely and then walk back to the car and drive back to Tickton. The house is still reasonably warm when we return indoors, but I switch the central heating on as I make lunch, a simple snack of beans on toast with some dry dog food for Norman. I am eating out with Alice, before the cinema and will feed Norman his tin, before setting off. After lunch I do some admin, book the tickets for the football on Boxing Day for Clement, Louis and myself, then renew my Simone Weil books from the library and finally download a £10 discount voucher for Chiquitos. I read a little Weil and then Meditate for half an hour, and afterwards watch a robin sitting on the fence post of my garden, he leaves, to be replaced by a sparrow and then a blackbird. The late afternoon light diffusing and leaking the colours from the landscape, as I feed Norman, before letting him into the garden and then locking up and driving into Beverley to collect Alice. She changes out of her school uniform into a lovely fairisle sweater, that she bought in Oxford Street when they visited Clement last month. We decide to collect our tickets from the cinema before eating, as the film starts at five but by skipping the adverts and trailers we can stay in the restaurant an extra fifteen minutes. We have chosen Chiquitos Tex/Mex restaurant because they serve BBQ ribs, Alice's all time favourites. I order chicken fajitas, and diet cokes for us both. The waiter returns after five minutes, to warn us that the ribs have come straight out of the freezer and will take at least half an hour, as they have to defrost first before they are grilled. We told him we have a film to catch, so nothing else for it, but that Alice has to change her order. She chooses steak instead. Both meals were OK, but unexceptional and would have been £30 without the discount voucher. Not brilliant value. The film, however is excellent, but the supporting cast, Helena Bonham Carter, as Miss Haversham, Robbie Coltrane as the lawyer, Jaggers and Ralph Fiennes as Magwitch, steal every scene they are in. Alice has enjoyed herself and we agree to do an Orange Wednesday together again. The temperature on my car computer says minus two, as we drive home, Alice loves the Chrysler for its heated seats, but I turn them off after I drop her at Sarah's, as they can quickly flatten the battery. Norman is waiting patiently when I arrive home at eight, and after putting his coat on, we walk to the village, the stars obscured by freezing fog that clings to the ground and sneaks through any gap in my clothes to find exposed skin. Tomorrow I am attending Louis' Nativity play at ten, and will probably walk the dogs afterwards, as it is too much of a rush and be too cold beforehand. To bed for ten.