Birthdays

Yesterday was Paul's birthday, but as it was a Monday most restaurants were closed in the villages round here.   So no birthday lunch.  We decided to go into Kirkbymoorside, Paul had wanted a new clock for a birthday present, so we went to the old clock shop on the square.  A slightly dishevelled tiny two room shop filled with every type of clock.  Several grandfather clocks, they are such a price these days, kitchen clocks lined the wall, shelves everywhere and Lucy picking her far from delicate way through the scatter of books, paintings and old typewriters on the floor.  I had seen a pretty wooden clock in the window but Paul said it is wise not too appear too eager!  So the shopkeeper bought down two clocks, one with a terribly gruff note, the other had no hourly chime.

Then he bought out the one in the window, turn of the 19th century he said, it had the sweetest chime we had heard.  A pretty face and a silver half moon with galleons etched on it above, made of oak and much pricier than the other two, but it had won our hearts.  So we are going to pick it up in a couple of days when he has cleaned it, it is fully working.  We wandered over to the George and Dragon (they were serving meals) but it was too late for us and decided to have a meal here when we collected the clock.

The pub reminded me of the latest Phil Rickman book I had read - Secrets of Pain, I notice Jennie is just as enamoured of his books as I am.  Well this Merrily Watkins book has the central small Hereford church dedicated to George and the Dragon, which in turn inspires our villians (SAS) to the cult of the Roman Mithrais religion, all very gory.  But Rickman's books are so well researched and Hereford lying on the English/Welsh border so full of little churches that he seems inspired to write for ever on them.

In Kirkby we have a very exotic and expensive gallery Bils and Rye, will take some photos next time we are in town, where paintings run into thousands, but I like the entrepreneurship of this young couple.  If I was going in for a collection, would probably choose old delicate china teacups though.