Last night I began reading The Folio Society’s ‘The Best of the Raconteurs’.

Today’s advent calendar picture is of a display in the window of a shop that I cannot remember.  Again taken in December 1963 it was probably in Regent Street.  The cabinet containing the various vitreous containers, in which the glass madonna is more or less centrally placed, was bordered with holly which I removed for composition’s sake.

This morning further work was undertaken by Knight Enterprises on cards, four of which were for family December birthdays.  This afternoon I walked beneath dismal drizzle down to the postbox and back.

For several days now, Jackie’s passage along Upper Drive has been impeded by heaps of garden refuse.  I rather hoped that someone else would move it.  Alas, in this I was disappointed, so I tackled it on my return from sending off the cards.  Someone had driven a heavy enough truck to have gouged the grass and tipped its contents mostly onto the tarmac.  I had intended to kick all the rubbish into touch, but the branches of trees, the cuttings from aged rose stems, the massy holly and ivy, were so enmeshed that this was not possible.  I had to use my hands to extract from the piles and throw into the forest greenery that tended to be rather prickly.  It will no doubt, in its own good time, merge with its surroundings.  On the other hand, if we have another severe winter, the animals will see to it.  The last dump of detritus on this spot was more builder’s junk, and was removed by the Council services within a couple of days.  The New Forest is, we have discovered, not immune from flytipping.

Later this evening Mo and John dropped in and collected my obsolete iMac, and a huge bag of DVDs to play on it, to take to Sigoules for me when they go back to France next week.  It was good to see them.

Dinner this evening was Jackie’s juicy and spicy chicken jalfrezi, her savoury rice which defies labelling, and brilliant cauliflower bhaji.  I don’t have a thousand words, so the photo must paint the picture.  I finished the Cliente Rojo.