Himself!

It's Tony's birthday today so we've had a leisurely get up and then we were off to lunch at Betty's at Harlow Carr, courtesy of Jen and Pete, thank you guys! x

After delicious smoked haddock and leek fish cakes with poached eggs and our favourite vanilla slice and raspberry macaron, we bought some bread and teacakes from the shop and had a look around the RHS shop.  I managed to find the one remaining copy of the Liane Moriarty novel I couldn't get in Waterstones and Tony treated himself to a Wild garden handbook (from which my crazy mini meadow should hopefully benefit this year!)

Then we were off to the Blue Barn to fill up on their huge sacks of birdfood as the birds in the elder tree are going through it like no business. Another stop off at Waitrose for milk and a toothbrush then back over the moors to Bingley where Tony settled in the car for a wait whilst I took my Clanger requirements to Kay's Krafts, an Aladdin's Cave of all things crafty and a mine of information and advice.  The shop is piled high and probably a health and safety risk, but Kay knows where everything is and whilst she was burrowing through the mountains of wool, felt, buttons, material et al, I received some excellent tips from her friend who is apparently a knitted toy expert.  We shared several Clanger memories, none of us remembering what the small bouncy brown creatures were or that there were Skymoos, then moved on to the Really Wild Show and Record Breakers with the wonderful Roy Castle.

After several forays and alternative suggestions from deep within the wool towers, Kay emerged with everything on my list.  It was ominous that the knitted toy expert declared she had only knit one Clanger, never again..... I think I may feel the same and this one is already suffering the ignominy of a funny nose because I knitted the whole complicated body before I realised I had begun with garter rather than stocking stitch.

As I left, Kay said, 'It will be a Clanger with a Clanger.....'