I missed my promised post on Sunday but i didn't get back from the south coast until late so for that I apologize.

I hadn't been down to see my Mum for about six weeks so it was time to give the meadow she calls a a lawn a good going over with a rusty blade.

My journey down was uneventful if a little late in starting. My lovely daughter had asked me to collect some things together and deliver them to her at her Mothers house (which is kind of on the way). However the object she desired she already had or did not own so I spent a valuable hour when i should have been using the last remnants of daylight running the gauntlet of the M1, looking for items that were not in my house. AS the adult the house I should of course have known that but I am not in the habit of inventorying the house very often.

I made the mistake of drinking a second coffee just outside Oxford. I didn't really need it I just fancied it. When i got to my Mum's house i was too awake to sleep so I suffered a bad night.

Saturday was the annual Village fete. I avoided it this year. Well the bird of prey group weren't there or the amateur dog display team. Both groups produced animals that either didn't behave (the dogs) of made a break for freedom (hawks). This year it was a strong man competition. Not funny enough for my taste.

Instead i chose to spend my time searching for a new mobile. But I came away empty handed there as well. I really want an iPhone4 but i don't want the contract just yet until I have paid off some debts. So i just want a cheap little 3G smart phone to keep me interested in the short to medium term. Unfortunately the phone i wanted didn't seem to be on sale in town so I gave up.

I Made my way home past the local independent baker it is called Soothills. Perhaps not the best name for a food shop but is is a long established place. It does pretty amazing bread of all types, fantastic cakes and authentic Cornish Pasty's.

But what draws me back time and time again is the Lardy Cake. It is a sweet cake/bread thing that is covered in a crust of solid golden syrup. the dough is wrapped up in the fat and mixed with sultanas and before baking covered in golden syrup. The finished article is round and flat and coated in a toffee apple like crust. Beautiful! and absolutely blindin' with a cup of tea. I have rarely come across this confectionery anywhere else. Just doesn't seem popular but oh boy. They don't know what they are missing.

I arrived back at the house just in time to catch the end of qually for the British Grand Prix. In fact all I was doing was putting off mowing the lawn. Well it's a big lawn and a noisy lawn mower. I have in the past listened to my ipod whilst mowing. However my ipod is now officially missing presumed dead!

So I got started on the lawn. The mower kicked over first time today. However the new spark plug is a subtly different size and the cap doesn't fit so well. Whenever I tangled with bushes they pulled the cap off and the mower died. Still, I got through the mowing eventually. I don't think the mower runs as well as it did but considering I set the spark gap by giving a sharp tap with a hammer until it looked about right, I suppose it is not surprising.