I start with profound apologies for the long gap in postings, a result of Mike and I taking a wonderful 10 day break in sunny Madeira. We tried to keep it a bit quiet before we left, just in case people rushed to take advantage of our absence and visit the café whilst we were away, which would have added to the workload for Jane, Philly and Hugo…or at least that’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it!
So I hope this post won’t disappoint, being very little to do with our restoration work and more to do with sharing the delights of a little R&R. In no particular order, we thought we would show you a small selection of our holiday pics. To set the scene, we left the UK at stupid-o’clock on an icy morning, and arrived in Madeira around 12 noon to this:

and later that afternoon, I withdrew to the shade as I could feel my skin telling me it was too hot, even in early February. I did warn Mike, who didn’t believe me, but I’m not sure the world is ready for the humorous shot of his legs burnt on one side only.

We did a lot of sleeping and reading, with the occasional bit of walking…

and garden visiting, naturally


and also


On a more conventional note, I offer you a lovely seascape

along with a picture of Mike at the restaurant, who marked his latest birthday whilst we were away but doesn’t appear to have suffered unduly

To show it wasn’t all beer and skittles

Anyway, enough of our holiday.
We got back late last Thursday. On Saturday, we held our second quiz night which we hope was enjoyed by all. During Friday and Saturday, Mike and I completed laying the slate chippings on the labyrinth, which is now finished, with only the access path to complete:

Hope to have more refurbishment news in the next day or so.