Due to being irritated by the technology of blood sugar sensors all morning (I’m diabetic – and the devices take some getting used to), it took me a while, but I eventually got a bit of a grip on myself and moved from my chair, tidied myself up, and gave Soot the (approaching 21 year old) cat a lunchtime bowl top up. The sensor then decided to work, Mum put a bobbly hat on, and at 1.30pm – it was 6°C, the car moved for our planned outing, and the Google Maps robot started talking out of my phone.

‘Tikka and Talka’ was a restaurant advertised by a riverside hotel; passing a Turkish Kitchen place made Mum wonder if they sold baklava (which she gets very excited over); and a black spaniel of some sort had a jumper on and was vigorously yanking his or her owner along, another spaniel had a 4 legged blue jumper on (making me wonder how hard it is to get your dog into a onesie), a poodle had a waterproof jumper/coat on, and a cat and dog (who were hopefully good friends) were being transported around in an interesting vehicle; and we parked by A World Of Ceramic Tiles.

This market was by a Fossato restaurant; and on it – an Arabic Syrian food stall had hibiscus juice, safiha, kibbeh, date bread, and baklava among its contents (and Mum couldn’t restrain herself from buying some baklava).

A Labradoodle sort of dog had a red British Legion poppy on his or her coat; the market manager came over and said to me ‘who ya working for?’ – so I got out my info card and explained myself; and a Travel Spirit stall had a woman (who used to live somewhere in Africa that I forgot) at it – with items made from telephone wire…

…beaded animals, soapstone animals, Zulu grass items…

…dog collars, and soapstone dishes, and the lady told us – following Mum saying she loved warthogs – that the Swahili word for warthog is nguruwe.

Merino yarn socks of all sizes were for sale, with woolly teddy bears, the woman at the stall was knitting while sat there and mentioned the Victorian way of making socks with a shuttle sewing machine (invented in 1850); and a little Chihuahua close by was getting excited.

A man at a Simply Canine stall said stuff about a community pig, and a dog chewing pigs trotters (causing Mum to mention eating them when living on a pig farm), the man told us about a film called 50 First Dates (I later looked it up – it was done in 2004), and my notepad was enquired about – so I explained myself again . Another tiny Chihuahua had a very pretty pink knitted jumper on…

…a free piece of falafel was offered to us at an Arabic Syrian food stall; and a woman at a stall selling felted stuff had never heard of felting with pet fur – which I mentioned and recommended (as I have felted masses of Soot’s fur – via a felting cushion and a felting needle)…

Then a Fossato lounge and a Turkish barber were passed on the way back to the car – and I was shivering when we made it.

Once home, the cheese was unwrapped and stuffed under my nose, I gave the cat a cuddle and he squeaked; and at supper time, food was consumed watching a program on the Achuar Tribe and their way of life in the Peruvian Amazon being tried by Bruce Parry (and I thought he was incredibly brave for venturing in to this tribe – as it involved taking a plant drug of some sort, repeatedly vomiting, drinking lots and lots of water, and then flopping in a hammock and having visions).