Measuring up for my robes

Another day indoors today - and much colder than yesterday.  Spent the morning in the study preparing to go away to Cornwall.  Updated my blog and dealt with some important correspondence including sending out invoice reminders for Complex.  This afternoon, Sara measured me up for my ecclesiastical robes - cassock and surplice - and I sent the order in to the ecclesiastical tailors, who are based in Newcastle upon Tyne, by email.  I await their acknowledgement.  I have ordered the better quality cassock which will be warmer for wearing in our colder churches.  Sara would like me to look like Bishop Brennan from the Father Ted series.  Received the mark for my latest essay on Dominican spirituality which I had found quite a difficult topic to write about.  Consequently it had been a shorter essay than most.  A got a very respectable 61% which was quite a surprise - 21% above a pass mark and equivalent to a 2:1 degree mark.  Now for my essay on preaching.  Went to bed quite early tonight to read up on the early conflicts between Church and Roman Empire - the current topic for my History of the Church module.  Looking forward to a couple of days away in Cornwall before a frantic weekend ahead!

Under new mangement - 0-0 Draw

Still snowed in this morning with Thom off school but Mary's school was open and she went in to Salisbury on the bus - rather annoyed, I think, that Thom's school was closed.  Sara had her hair cut and then went to the doctors' surgery for a flu jab which, unfortunately, affected her for much of the rest of the day.  Thom and I worked hard at shovelling ice and snow in the drive and after much hard work managed to get both cars out of the drive and on to the main road.  My tutorial at Sarum College is cancelled for tonight and it has been agreed that we will do a double session , with dinner, at the college next Monday.  This meant that Thom and I could now go to the Southampton v. Everton game tonight.  I worked in the study this afternoon although felt quite tired as I didn't sleep much last night and had had quite a busy day on Sunday with quite a lot of walking.  We left for Southampton at just after 5 p.m. and arrived at the car park near the Central Bridge at around 6.15 p.m.  We had a fish supper at the chippie in St. Mary's Street where we met up with Andy, John and Ewan and walked with them to the stadium. The protests expected didn't really materialise and it was good to see the fans get behind the team and new manager.  There were to occasional cries of "There's only one Nigel Adkins" but by and large the banter was amiable.  Saints played well tonight - especially in the first half - and a 0-0 draw (the first no score draw for two years for the Saints) was a good result.  I expected us to lose so to gain a point from this encounter was good.  Saints now lie 4 points clear of the drop zone.  Really heavy traffic coming home tonight and we encountered freezing fog around Romsey with temperatures as low as -8.5 Celsius.  That is cold.  Arrived back home at 11.30 p.m. with Sara in bed.

Still snowed in

We remain well and truly snowed in today and Sara and I walked the mile across the fields to church where she was due to lead the Junior Church and I was giving the first (Old Testament) reading.  There were about 30 in church this morning which wasn't a bad number considering that it would be so difficult for all the usual member of the congregation to get up the hill to the church.  We stayed and chatted over coffee and, calling in to the shop for some orange juice, milk and squash, arrived back home at about 11.30 a.m.  I went for a walk this afternoon delivering a letter and cheque to Morning Star.  A nice crisp mile-walk which I enjoyed.  Tried to clear some of the snow off the drive but it is so impacted it seems that it will be impossible to get the cars out for the moment.  I was hoping to get to the Saints v Everton game tomorrow but it is looking an unlikely prospect.  Phoned Mum who seemed very cheerful and who is driving again.  I am sure that this emblem of freedom has done much to cheer her up.  Went to the Lion's Head tonight with Richard and James.  We discussed a good number of things including the sacking of Nigel Adkins.  Linda's uncle in Australia has been a vixtim of the bushfires which are raging there at the moment. What a tragedy.  It seems that he was driving away from the flames and was overtaken by them.  

Snowed In!

A strange day today.  Saturdays normally follow the same or a similar pattern each week but because of the heavy snow we are marooned in the village at the moment and therefore our normal activities have been suspended - no cheerleading training and no college today.  No football either as Saints are hosting Everton on Monday evening.  looking at the amount of snow around at the moment I think there is little prospect of Thom and me going to that game.  I walked to the village shop this morning across the old field and it took me about half an hour instead of the usual ten minutes. The pathway at the back of the village hall is very slippery and so I skirted Brown's Copse on the field side.  The shop was heaving with customers many of whom had been let down by their Tesco delivery.  This afternoon we watch the football results unfold and at the end of the day Southampton remain six above the bottom due to defeats and draws by those clubs around us.  The fuss over Adkins' sacking continues with the pundits remaining bemused by the whole affair.  Tonight we stayed in by a warm fire and watched another two of Agatha Christie's Poirot stories.

The Predictable and Unpredictable

Woke up to a massive fall of snow (as predicted) this morning and poor Thom and Sara had to trudge around the village on Thom's paper round with deep snow drifts underfoot and heavy snow falling.  All schools are closed today and so both Thom and Mary will be staying at home today.  I also received an email this morning confirming that my Sarum College day tomorrow has been called off and will happen on a future Saturday.  Well, living in Winterslow, that is a relief as there is no way we could drive out of the village as things are this morning.  Just before midday today I received a tweet suggesting that something terrible and very unpredictable had happened at St. Mary's this morning - Nigel Adkins had been replaced by a young unknown Argentinian, Mauricio Pochettino - I can't even remember his name let alone pronounce it! - who does not seem to have much of a successful managerial career so far as I can see.  Absolutely shocked today and feeling really ashamed at being a supporter and season ticket holder for a club which treats such a great manager as Nigel Adkins with such contempt.  He was really turning Saint's fortunes around.  It is interesting that the bookmakers have now shortened the odds for a Southampton relegation. I felt in a state of shock for the rest of the afternoon.  I went for a walk up to St. John's, up Witt Road and across the fields back home to clear my mind of this incredible event.  I used the opportunity to take some photographs of a wintry Winterslow.  This afternoon I walked with Maggie D to Mike's for a meeting of the Winterslow PCC's Standing Committee.  The meeting began at 3.30 p.m. and didn't finish until nearly 6.00 pm.  This evening we all watched an Agathe Christie Poirot movie - Hickory, Dickory, Dock and a couple of episodes of Father Ted.  Definitely a day for staying in.  I shall be at homer again all day tomorrow with college being postponed. 

Weather Alert

Snow is expected at some time within the next 24 hours and there are major warnings today making our part of the country a "red alert" area.  I had no need to leave the village today and so stayed at home.  A relatively quiet day today although this afternoon I had to undertake some emergency work for a client by way of reviewing an employment document which needs to be finalised tomorrow morning.  tonight we had a House Group of six - which is always a convenient number - and discussed gay marriage and homosexuality and the the church's approach to this.  This arose out of Steve Chalke's controversial article in Christianity magazine and his radio interview on UCB Radio. As I went to bed this evening there is no evidence to suggest that bad weather is on the way - indeed, it seems to be warmer than it has been for some days now.

Thom gets an offer from Peter Symonds

An extremely cold day today with temperatures this morning reaching -5 degrees Celsius.  Heavy ice and frost this morning.  I still attended Morning Office at All Saints were I led apart from the Intercessions.  I spent the morning working in the study and and attended a meeting of the Deanery Synod Standing and Pastoral Committee at Porton Rectory this afternoon until 4 p.m. at which point I drove into Salisbury for a meeting with a former FP manager in a hotel to discuss a possible business proposition for Complex Services over a pot of tea. Some good news today for Thom - he has been accepted by Peter Symonds College in Winchester to study history at A-Level subject to satisfactory grades at GCSE - which is well within his ability and target. Some tragic news too - a helicopter flying over the Vauxhall area of London collided with a high rise crane and crashed into the road below killing the pilot and one other.  A road I know quite well as I used to drive along it during my commute into London from Brighton back in the 80s. It is amazing that only 12 other people were injured as debris fell out of the sky onto the busy road below.   This evening I facilitated another Pub Theology session in the Lord Nelson.  There were four of us this evening and our discussions ranged from the church's attitude towards homosexuality/gay marriage/women bishops to the relevance of biblical texts in today's modern secular world.  Roger provided sausages and chips again at a very reasonable rate and the discussion kept going until nearly 11 p.m. - far longer than I had anticipated.  We have already identified a number of themes for discussion at later meeting.  All seemed anxious and looking forward to the next session.  Some further good news tonight, Southampton managed a marvellous 2-2 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge tonight after being 2-0 down at half time. A great comeback and another useful point to consolidate them in the Premier League.

A colder day

A lighter day than yesterday and a much colder one too!  The snow which was predicted did not materialise, fortunately, but the temperature has dropped considerably.  I attended the Morning Office at All Saints this morning with Nils and Andrew.  I have actually stayed in the village all day today and so, apart from the brief trip to All Saints this morning, my car has remained on the drive all day.  I filed the accounts for my three dormant Brighton companies this morning and attended to some other paperwork. Sara had proof-read my latest essay and I added a few words before sending it off to my tutor.  I had a couple of telephone calls with clients this afternoon and delivered a few letters to people in the village, enjoying the brisk cold walk up to Tytherley Road and back.  This evening I attended a Team Council meeting at the Team Office where I am present as an observer which means that I can sit and listen to the debate and not take part.  It is always interesting to observe the dynamics at these meetings.  A relatively early night tonight.  The sky is clear and the temperature continues to drop so I expect a heavy frost in the morning.

A theological day

A heavy theological day today.  After my devotions and dealing with some essential paperwork, I drove into Salisbury and spent the rest of the day at Sarum College, first of all in the library finishing off my essay on Dominican Spirituality and afterwards attend class in the evening on the topic of the Patristic Period in church history - i.e. the early ideas from such theologians as Ireneaus and Origen.  Some really heavy stuff.  Sara and I met for a light lunch in town at 1 p.m. as she had an appointment with the optician which was a pleasant break.  The time seemed to go very quickly indeed and I did finish my essay in final draft form which I sent to Sara for proof-reading.  I need to add another bibliography after which I'll send it off to my tutor who is expecting it as it is a bit overdue.  Still need to complete one further essay on preaching and then put together three portfolios once all the marking sheets are in. I ended the day relaxing by watching the TV documentary on the Archbishop's farewell to Canterbury.  A bit like a busman's holiday today!  It's going to be a busy January especially as I am going away for a couple of days with Richard to Cornwall.  I shall enjoy the break.

LOTSW strike again!

No rain this morning but it is appreciably colder.  In fact, there was a weak sun shining today.  Sara went to All Saints this morning where she was assisting at the Junior Church and I went with James and his two boys to CityChurch - James's first experience of this Charismatic church in Salisbury.  The service last an hour and a quarter with Tony Goodman preaching for a good forty minutes on the changes in character of the apostles Peter, James and Paul from when they are first encountered in the bible to their formation in Acts and beyond.  Fascinating stuff and I found it quite easy to listen to such a sermon lasting four times the length of of our average sermon in the Clarendon Team.  Members of Morning Star were there in strength and they provided the excellent coffee afterwards.  Sara provided lunch of steak and chips and I watched some of the Manchester United v. Liverpool game on the TV after which I wrote some letters and then phoned Mum whose eyes seemed to have improved and is driving again. Great news.  Sophie is selling her digital piano and I going to have a look at it tomorrow with the possibility of buying it to replace our old one which has now gone to the Lord Nelson. It takes up less space and won't go out of tune.  This evening, the Last of the Summer Wine Quiz Team struck again at the Lion's Head Pub Quiz although this time we won by a smaller margin of only 5 points. Still, all four members returned home with bottle of wine!  Snow is forecast for this coming week.  I hope to spend tomorrow at college with lectures in the evening.  Hoping I can get there and not get snowed in or out!.   

A Great Day out in Birmingham

Another morning of torrential rain down in Wiltshire today.  Thom and I set off for Birmingham at 9.45 a.m. by way of Swindon, Gloucester and the M5 arriving in Aston at about 1 p.m.  The weather brightened up and we left the rain behind north of Swindon.  It was significantly colder in the Midlands and we needed to wrap up well as we walked the mile from where we parked the car to Villa Park to watch Southampton take on Aston Villa.  We found a chippie at the back of Aston Manor Road Transport Museum/Witton Tram Depot (former clients of mine who have been forced to close the museum due to Birmingham City Council's insistence that they seek a commercial rent for the property - the old tram depot is still empty!) and got talking to a Saints fan.  We arrived inside the ground an hour before kick-off and watched the QPR v Spurs game on a the tV (it ended in a 0-0 draw which is good for Saints).  Villa Park is an impressive stadium and there were 32,500 in attendance today (with 3,000 Southampton fans).  Saints played well in the first half and were 0-1 up at half time thanks to a dubious penalty which awarded and converted by Rickie Lambert.  The controversy that Rodriguez had dived in the box took up much post-match discussion on radio and TV.  Saints played less well in the second half but maanged to keep a clean sheet and so Southampton returned from Birmingham with 3 points and are now 15th in the table - with Newcastle, Wigan, Aston Villa, Reading and QPR all below them. If we finish in this place at the end of the season we will be happy.  We arrived back in Winterslow at a little before 9 p.m.  A long but enjoyable day.

Bible Study with Pudding

Weather today was much brighter and a little colder with actual blue sky and sunshine for some of the day.  This morning was spent in the study mainly upgrading my LinkedIn profile and at lunchtime Sara did a three-hour stint at the Lord Nelson. I returned Richard's projector to him after its use last night for my Titanic lecture and he is now going to arrange our two-day trip to Cornwall at the end of the month.  On the subject of holidays, I paid our timeshare maintenance fee today and also requested a reservation to use the apartment in the Bahamas during the Autumn school half-term break.  I went into Andover very briefly for banking and to get some stationery this afternoon.  tonight Sara and I hosted our monthly Emmaus Scripture Supper - just four of us tonight - with Sara preparing a lovely pear and chocolate sponge pudding.  We studied a passage from Colossians tonight using the scripture sharing method learnt at college. Interesting conversation and study. Looking forward to my trip with Thom to Birmingham tomorrow to see Saints at Aston Villa.

Meetings with a Bishop

An incredibly busy day today.  After working frantically in the study this morning I walked up to the Team Office to spend an hour with the new Team Administrator going through some employment terms and conditions and as well as simply introducing myself and getting to know her a little better. This took about an hour after which time a rushed back home, got changed and then drove to East Grimstead for lunch and a meeting with the new Bishop of Ramsbury together with the clergy and Greater Deanery Chapter and members of the Standing and Pastoral Committee.  That took until about 3 p.m after which I rushed back home, picked up Sara and went with her to a further meeting (tea) with the Bishop and the Lay Pastoral Assistants.  Sara and I stayed there about an hour and had another opportunity to listen to the Bishop who is anxious to find out what is happening in the various parishes which make up the Clarendon Team and Alderbury Deanery.  After this it was another rush back home for me to change and get my material together to give an illustrated lecture on Titanic to Elias De Derham Freemasons' Lodge in Salisbury.  As the guest speaker I was given prominence on the top table afterwards and presented with a lovely floral table decoration to take home.  There were about 35 at tonight's meeting all of whom seemed to enjoy my talk and I received many compliments afterwards.  I finally arrived back home at around 10.45 p.m. having stopped for fuel and given one member a lift back to his home in Alderbury.   A long, busy but satisfying day.  Unfortunately, the work is piling up in my study!

Meeting over Tea

A drier day today than yesterday - the water butt which was significantly down, after cleaning the car yesterday, is back up to the brim again indicating the amount of rain which fell overnight.  I went to Morning Office at All Saints with Nils and Andrew rather than attending to my devotions at home this  morning. Sara didn't have to go to Morning Star this morning.  Thom has three GCSE papers to do today but left feeling confident about them. I worked in the study this morning finalising some terms and conditions and HR policies for a client and this afternoon, Sara and I went into Salisbury to pick up a potential client and discuss, over tea in a hotel, a possible large contract for Complex Services.  If this comes off it could make a considerable difference to our lives.  I am not counting my chickens as we are in a tender process.  If nothing else, it will be a good exercise.  The catalogue and order form arrived from the ecclesiastical tailors today and I have to make some choices as to which robes to buy.  There is now some pressure to get these as the prices are going up in February.  I must get the order in before the end of this month.  A quiet night in for once.  I went to bed at the early time of 11 p.m. . Nice fresh bedding which I hope will make me sleep better than on the previous two nights.

Back to School/College

Mary returned to school today so we are getting back into the routine of a normal working week.  The weather remains warmer thsn usual for this time of year but still very wet.  I cleaned the car and Sara went into Salisbury to attend her "Ladies that Latte" meeting.  Our piano was taken away today for use at the Lord Nelson for a "Cockney Night" or some similar event.  Sara is hoping it won't return and I have agreed provided that I can replace it with a keyboard which can be used as both a piano and an organ.  I will need to do some research into such an instrument.  I visited James today to take a copy of my book on Gospel Parallels by theologian, Throckmorton, to be used at the House Group on Thursday.  We have decided to look at comparing the gospel stories up until Lent when we will, no doubt, roll out an approved Lentern course.  I also, this afternoon, prepared myself for tonight's tutorial at Blandford Forum on the "Story of the Church".  As a keen historian, I am really looking forward to this module. I am going to Blandford tonight as I could not make the session in Salisbury last night. David Bacon, who took the course tonight, was really excellent.  The weather was pretty bad driving down to Dorset with heavy rain, especially on the return journey.  The venue was reasonably easy to find - thanks to Google Maps - it was just a question of working out the one way system.  The venue, the Blandford Forum Parish Centre was well attended tonight.  There were twelve of us on the course and there was also, in an adjoining room, a large contingent of ladies engaged in "Knit and Chat".  There seemed to be more chatting than knitting going on!  I really did enjoy the session tonight and will certainly enjoy the assignments.

Brighton Rose Croix

Today was split in two.  Thom was back to school today and Sara went on his paper round with him and managed to complete it in half an hour.  Mary does not go back to school until tomorrow and so she and Sara went into Salisbury this morning, shopping.  I worked in the study until lunchtime and also made a call to the suppliers of ecclesiastical robes as I really need to get these before too long.  The cost is going up in February so I had better get the order in before the end of this month.  I then got changed into my Masonic suit and drove over to Brighton to attend a meeting of my Rose Croix chapter.  Lee, a friend from Wiltshire was being perfect tonight and I acted as Assistant Director of Ceremonies - the first time I've undertaken any office in this Christian Order.  a really lovely evening with a fine ceremony.   Lee looked magnificent in his Rose Croix regalia and I know will make a very fine Rose Croix mason. Unfortunately he couldn't stay for the dinner and I was asked to say a few words on his behalf.  He will have an opportunity to make a short speech next time.   The dinner was a little heavy this evening for me with large portions - egg mayonnaise, turkey and ham pie, lemon pancakes and coffee and mints. I took the crust off the pie, nibbled only a small amount of bread and ignored the potatoes (although they did look good!).  Best only eat if really hungry!

 

 

Epiphany

A thick fog enveloped the village this morning and Sara and Thom said that it was a real "pea-souper" at the time they went  on his paper round.  After my devotions I attended the Early Morning Eucharist service (Epiphany) at St. John's and Andrew, the curate who took the service, gave me a lift to the village shop where I bought bacon and rolls for breakfast.  Sara and the kids did not go to church and spent the day in taking down the decorations which I stored up in the loft.  Mary also made a lemon cake which was absolutely delicious. This afternoon Liverpool beat Mansfield Town in the FA Cup Third Round thanks to a clear and blatent hand-ball in the box by Suarez!  Quite a controversy about that this evening.  Richard and I met in the Lion's Head for a couple of hours this evening - the first time we've done that for quite a few weeks.  We are planning to have a couple of days away in Cornwall towards the end of the month. Sara's headache is not much better and she is constantly feeling unwell at the moment.  I think the early mornings don't suit her.  Went to bed at abot 1 a.m.

Saints thrashed by Chelsea

The weather seems much warmer now and a little drier.  The barometer is reading "Fair".  Sara is still feeling unwell with headaches  She left early to pick Mary up from her friends in north Salisbury and take her to cheerleading practice at the Godolphin School.  Thom and I left at around 12.15 p.m. to drive to Southampton to watch Saints take in Chelsea in the FA Cup.  Neither of us was expecting great things from this match and we weren't entirely surprised when Saints lost 1-5!  As with nearly every game we've played against top opposition, Saints scored first only to concede two goals towards the end of the first half. Saints played extremely well for 35 minutes or so but were pretty awful in the second half. Southampton also conceded a penalty which was expertly executed by Frank Lampard to cries of "We know what we are, Champions of Europe, we know what we are".  Still, it means that the team can now concentrate on the League without the distraction of cup ties.  This evening our niece and family came over and stayed with us for a couple of hours after which we watched an interesting programme on the life of St. Paul with David Suchet (Poirot) whom I know, from an edition of Desert Island Discs, became a Christian after reading Paul's letter to the Romans.

Comedy Genius

Another day at home today starting with Morning Office and devotions when I awoke.  My sciatica is troubling me again this morning so I had a hot bath to ease the pain in my right leg.  I worked in the office this morning writing quite a number of letters.  Thom was upstairs in his room for most of the morning and Mary was, likewise, occupied getting herself ready for an afternoon of shopping with her friend Natalie and a sleep-over with her tonight.  This afternoon was extremely quiet without Maary around.  Sara worked at the Lord Nelson this lunchtime right through until 2.45 p.m.  I worked on drafting employment documentation for the new Team Administrator this afternoon and evening and later watched another Agatha Christie "Poirot" before going to bed.  I also watched an extremely interesting interview with Billy Connolly who remains for me, a real comedy genius whose early years were marred with abuse at the hands of parents and aunts. Looking forward to tomorrow and the Saints v. Chelsea cup tie.

Coffee Meeting in Amesbury

A working day today - or so it was planned!  The weather has abated and is much warmer and drier.  According to the news on the radio this morning, last year (2012) was England's second wettest on record (2000 retaining its title as the wettest) but only by three-quarters of an inch of rainfall!  It was the third wettest in Wales but comparatively dry in Scotland and Northern Ireland!  Thom and Sara did Thom's paper round this morning and I decided to get up, have a shower and cup of tea and then attended to my devotions in the family room.  This is my new habit and I hope it will become second nature after this first month.  It is so nice to have the peace and quiet in which to read, reflect and pray. I did some Masonic work this morning and at lunchtime I drove up to Amesbury for a meeting with Lee who is going to join Rose Croix, the Christian Degree in Freemasonry.  We chatted for a couple of hours at Costa Coffee about many different things and it was good to catch up.  I then drove on to Andover to bank a couple of cheques which I had received in the post before returning home for a cup of tea and a sandwich.  Tonight I visited James and we had a meeting to discuss the programme for House Group over the coming weeks - deciding that we would look at a comparison of the four gospels starting with the story of the Nativity.

 

A lovely evening in Warminster

Well its really back to work today.  Sara was up early and took Thom around on his new temporary paper round and experienced some of the difficulties Thom and I pioneered on Monday - trying to find houses and their boxes!  I sat in the family room again this morning and read my devotionals whilst they were out on their round.  It is really good to get up when its still dark and the quietness helps me with my spiritual reflections.  A nice hot cup of tea is also welcome and this time of the day.  I attended Mid-Week Eucharist at St. John's with Andrew presiding. As I left church it was drizzling but quite refreshing as I walked back home.  Sara did not do her stint at Morning Star today as she is still feeling unwell and didn't want to cough her way through making sandwiches for the homeless.  Infections can easily lead to severe illness amongst the homeless as their resistance can be low.  This afternoon I drove over to Warminster to attend the Installation Meeting of Longleat Lodge where the installing master is a former colleague of mine at FP.  I called in at the garage at Shrewton to fill up with fuel and get some bags of kindling which, unfortunately, they had sold out of. I did manage to buy some ink cartridges for the printer in Warminster and post a couple of letters before going to my meeting.  I was also lucky to get a free car parking space near the station.  What an excellent evening!  A great ceremony and really enjoyable meal (roast beef again!) and convivial company.  I would dearly like to go to some more of their meetings but, unfortunately, they meet on the same night as my own Sarum Lodge. Never  mind, I am sure there will be other opportunities.  I will really have to write to their secretary tomorrow expressing my gratitude for a wonderful night.  It was also an amazing night for Premier League football - QPR beat Chelsea 0-1 at Stamford Bridge.  It is really hotting up at the bottom now.

New Year's Day - Saints gain a point from Arsenal

New Year's Day and I woke with hopes of a really good year ahead.  Sara and I reflected on some of the things to look forward to this year and, in particular, a busy and celebratory September - 26th September sees of Crystal Wedding Anniversary (15 years); 27th September see my 60th birthday - not such a wonderful celebration as I shall then feel definitely old! and 28th September should see me admitted and licensed as a Lay Minister by the bishop in Salisbury Cathedral.  That day will also be the sixteenth anniversary of Thom's baptism also in Salisbury Cathedral.  I started my new year's resolution by getting up early and reading my devotionals.  I shall now do this in the quiet and peace of the family room and have left my books and an candle there as a reminder and incentive.  Sara and I jointly cooked lunch today - roast beef with all the trimmings with pears in red wine sauce as a dessert - and this afternoon started watching another Agatha Christie "Poirot" which had to be curtailed so that Thom and I could get off to Southampton to watch the Saints take on Arsenal in a late afternoon kick-off which was also being televised.  We were not optimistic that we would get anything from this game especially as Arsenal had just beaten Newcastle 7-3!  The roads were quiet as we entered Southampton and we parked easily in our usual spot on Rockstone Place.   We arrived at the ground in good time and were surrounded by numerous people we had never seen before (or probably won't again) including half  dozen people in front of us one of whom (a small boy) was wearing an Arsenal shirt!  Really poor when one considers many true Saints fans couldn't get tickets. Andy said he had managed to get tickets for the Aston Villa game and so Thom and I have decided, subject to diary commitments, to try and get tickets ourselves to go to Birmingham.  Southampton played really well this evening and went into the lead in the first half only to concede an own goal just before half-time.  Southampton were the better side throughout but couldn't convert their superior play into another goal.  The final result was1-1 which is sufficient to lift them out of the bottom three (both Wigan and Reading losing and QPR playing on Wednesday). Aston Villa drew 2-2 away to Swansea which leaves them as a good target for Saints and must see game.