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2008 - June 29th - Sunday

JH finished the housewifery preparations for the arrival of her guests, and also nipped down to the Co-op to get the rest of the essential perishable supplies.   Mobile communications (MC) were maintained with Kathy - and on the behalf of her Chauffeur, Ralph - who, as would be expected, just simply got on with driving to Hippo Haven (HH) without anxiety and hassle.  During the afternoon JH received an MC to the effect that they had stopped for a meal and a break sometime about 3.00pm [Had they called in to the garden party?] but expected to arrive about 6.00pm at HH; at about 6.00pm JH received another MC to say that they were by then the other side of Exeter, and hoped to arrive in about +/- 2 hours.  However, the Skinners arrived at HH at just after 7.00pm whilst JH was listening to the Archers and cooking her tea (so they must have been much closer to Exeter than JH thought: JH had nipped out and mowed her lawn thinking she had more time)! 



 

JH’s amenable guests left her to get on with her tea and radio listening whilst they installed their luggage in ‘camping’ fashion in the bedroom: The Skinners declined the offer of Leander Club (with a pink hippo logo) bath towels, saying that they were very used to being as independent as possible wherever they ‘touched base’ and did not require the use of drawers, wardrobes, or being ‘danced attendance on’ (JH); furthermore, there was no need for JH to move Jumbo Hippo from off the top of her traveller’s chest, as they could easily draw the curtains round him {Not that Jumbo Hippo had anywhere else to sit in any case:- being so large, he would cause an obstruction anywhere else in HH}.  Kathy asked JH for a tin of beans so that she could prepare baked beans on toast for their tea; JH picked some raspberries whilst Ralph washed up their own, and JH’s tea things; however, although Kathy ate a few raspberries, Ralph does not particularly like fresh fruit – apparently ‘five a day’ portions of fresh fruit and veg is not his motto [and this pundit’s motto could be considered as rather overstating the case and should really simply say ‘eat a balanced diet’].

2008 - June 30th - Monday

JH did not set her alarm {or her burglar alarm for that matter} and woke up at +/- 9.00am – by which time her quiet guests were already up (having gone to bed earlier than JH of course): Kathy had got up at about 7.00am {and received the Daily Mail which JH had ordered specially}, and Ralph was already downstairs getting his own breakfast.  The weather was delightful, and JH insisted that the Skinners view the garden at HH together, so that she did not have to do the guided tour twice.  And, of course, she wished to enlist Ralph’s help with undoing the filter casing on her trough fountain so she could clean it, and also spray her peeling hippo (PH) with some paint to cover up PH’s very un-hippo like ‘raw hide’ – in view of Ralph ‘having the knowledge’ about spraying die-cast models.

It was apparent to JH that she was not expected to ‘slave over a hot stove’ on behalf of her guests, so she suggested that the inspection of hippos could be extended in the direction of Tamar View Nurseries in order to look at their superb hippo fountain, and eat lunch in their restaurant whilst there.  Kathy had forgotten to bring her Senior Citizen’s National Bus Pass, but Ralph had brought his; in any event, JH was pleased to be chauffeured over to Tamar View Nurseries on this occasion, as she knew pedestrian access to the bus stop on the way back was hazardous on the busy A388.

Ralph drove us back over the Tamar Bridge, and down to a corner of steep cul-de-sacs in St Judes, where Jenny Hipsey and her fiancé, Rob, had bought a house in Clayton Close: although Ralph had been given directions on the phone (or was it Kathy), and Granddad Bill had not found said house easy to find - what with one-way street systems, and a railway being in the way – Ralph negotiated as expertly as ever to a tiny enclave of Plymouth unknown to JH.  Jenny's and Rob’s house was on several floors, ie, split-level sort of, due to the steep slope; at the rear was a courtyard in which were already a number of tubs, and grow bags, etc containing thriving plants; JH offered the couple one of her old trough sinks (correction: called a butler’s sink – especially if large, as used to be found in the butler’s pantry) which had already been offered to the Skinners, but which they declined: Jenny would be in touch re their decision {subsequently, after the offer was declined a second time, JH gave the large sink to Vicky and Alistair, where it is still awaiting ‘placement’ and planting1}.

Kathy had to sit in the shade – which was difficult to find in this sun-trap – and even Ralph began to wilt.  After a most pleasant chat in the sunshine over a cup of tea (or was it squash or beer) and during which Kathy read Jenny’s and Rob’s fortune insomuch as she felt sure that they would have lots of babies, Kathy asked our Chauffeur to drop her back at HH so that she could go to bed, and the Chauffeur and JH could run a few essential errands – like getting a can of the appropriate paint and filler to spruce-up peeling hippo. 

JH had publicised the fact that she had a Taxibus Service which ran past her gate but, unfortunately, between 3.30pm and 4.00pm said Taxibus does not adhere to its scheduled route so, after waiting for about 20 minutes outside JH’s gate, Ralph and JH walked to St B Square to catch a bus – only to be passed by a Taxibus going in the wrong direction.  As JH was leaving HH, Kathy handed an apple to JH with the instructions to offer said apple to Ralph whilst on the bus - as Ralph does enjoy and apple when he ‘remembers’ to eat some fruit!  We reached Halfords in the City Centre in time to be told that the particular product, which the Manufacturers of peeling hippo had recommended should be sprayed on yearly(!), was only stocked at their large store at Marsh Mills.  As Ralph and JH did not have the time, or the inclination, to go to an out-of-town Business Park, we were directed to the Model Shop in Royal Parade, where Ralph – with his prior knowledge of paint-spraying models - was able to pick out a can of something – actually three cans of bright blue spray: the young man serving us thought it was quite reasonable, and decidedly entertaining - to have a bright blue hippo in one’s garden!  

Peeling hippo turned blue – using all three cans of paint – that evening, whilst Kathy cooked sausage sandwiches for our tea: JH was surprised to find Kathy struggling to spread butter on her sausage sandwich (having not found low-fat spread in JH’s fridge, or perhaps not looked for it, although there was some): Ralph would of course want butter on his sausage sandwiches.  JH observed that the sandwiches which Ralph made of an evening at Chez Skinner were, indeed, all part of a balanced diet, as they were made with low-fat spread, and contained a generous helping of salad together with the protein content.

1The sink fell into two bits - frost had already badly cracked it - but eventually it was given to Alistair's father who repaired it and planted flowers in it.

 
 
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