The Weekend: Games and a Train ride (11/10/21)

Games at the The Old Bowling Green

Dad likes a game. He was part of the Derbyshire Dales Boule League, playing for the Miners standard and then the Old Bowling Green. He was captain of the team for a while. He was on the founding committee too. If any of you have played against him you know how good he was in a quiet, non competitive way. He would lull you into a false sense of security and before you know what's going on, he would have won!

I remember in France, on a trip with Darley Dale Twinning exchange to Onzain, the exchange group from Derbyshire played boule against the hosts in Onzain. All around the Derbyshire folk were loosing to their French hosts. All except My Dad and his boule partner. They were the only British team to win a game against the host teams!

Getting Dad to the The Old Bowling Green to play a game of molkky is tricky. First we have to get his shoes on.
"Dad put your shoes on"
"why are we going somewhere"
"yes to the Bowling Green to throw sticks" (molkky is like skittles where you throw a small bit of wood at skittles to win the number on the stick)
"We are throwing sticks?"
"Are we all going"
"yes get your shoes on"
"But will you have time, you have to go back home you know!" I have only just got there to spend the whole day with Dad, but he is worried that I have a long 20 mins drive to get home and it will be dark soon, its about 12.30pm
"I am here all day Dad, lots of time, get your shoes on"
"why?"
"We are going out". I am thinking we had better simplify what we are doing so he doesn't get distracted.
"How are we getting there?"
"We are walking so put your shoes on."
"Is it far?"
"No just to the Bowling Green"
"What for?"
Shoes are still not on. This can go round and round in circles for ages.

We get his shoes on, have a similar conversation getting his coat and hat on. Eventually get all get out the door and walk to the pub. All the time he is asking where are we going and why, will we have time, when am I going home, will we get to bed in time. Is it all going to work out ok?

Fortunately when we get there, he gets totally absorbed the game. He likes his bitter shandy. The staff at the The Old Bowling Green all know him, in fact sometimes it feels like everyone knows him, and he loves to say hello even if he has know recollection of who you are.

What is amazing about him playing this game, like with boule, if you point and say hit this, he does! He comes second, twice.

Sunday Lunch and a trip on the Steeple Grange Light Railway

Sunday Mum and Dad came to my house to have Sunday dinner. After dinner, Mum was very tired and we managed to convince Dad that she would be alright if we left her in my house with a hot water bottle and a blanket on the settee listening to gardeners question time. He was not sure about leaving her, he worries that she will be lonely, or might need help or whatever he is worried about, it takes a lot to convince him that we can leave Mum on her own.

The Steeple Grange Light Railway is a small walk from my house. On the way he is worried that Mum will be on her own, he really doesn't like leaving her on her own at all. The train is running, he is not sure if we are allowed to get on it, if Mum was with us he would need to get her permission several times. The people who run the Steeple Grange Light Railway are lovely, and he eventually gets on. Its a small run though the old limestone quarry to a siding and back. He is very quiet, I think because he is enjoying the view and the "train noise", its difficult to tell if he is happy because he tends to have a concerned look all the time.

Coming back home Dad gets very agitated. Mum is nearly asleep in the chair, he doesn't know what to do, Mum having her eyes shut must be a bad thing. He walks from me in the kitchen trying to make pudding and custard, to Mum in the living room, to his jigsaw in the dinning room. He needs permission from Mum for me to make the custard, for him to sit down and do a jigsaw, and to make sure that Mum is ok because she has her eyes shut and that can't be good. eventually he is happy that Mum has opened her eyes to give all the permissions, I am not sure he thinks I can make custard, but then it was lumpy because of all the interruptions I got from Dad.

Pudding with cusdard is good, we like that. Then a bit of jigsaw before they go home.

A busy weekend for all!