Sandwiches II

Memories of spending many New Years in Suffolk in a big old house with family, with friends & with dogs. Many dogs. 

The North Sea was about forty strides away from our rented cosy home. Everyone was always happy to be there regardless of any troubles or worries that they might have been dealing with in their lives. It was just good to be together.

Did I mention that there was no central heating. There was just an open fire in the main front room. Was it 1921?

In the bedrooms, there were electric blankets & hot water bottles. No wonder then that we all gathered in the kitchen, morning, noon & night for warmth & food & companionship. 

Photo © Anne-Marie Minhall

Here's how most Suffolk days got underway ..

Early morning (really early, like the sun was barely awake)

My father, MM with GB, the other alpha male, was in charge of taking the dogs out for the first walk of the day on the beach & to collect driftwood for the home fires to come

Papers & milk are bought by the lads

They return home

No one else is up yet

The fire gets lit (MM)

The dogs are fed & watered (GB)

Warmth of the fire brings the two wives down (GM & SB)

Father sets to work on breakfast for the twelve of us  

Bacon aroma draws teenagers from their icy bedrooms

Big, crusty, buttery, bacon laden, brown sauce sandwiches

Someone requested mayonnaise (Weirdo)

T H E N 

Around the kitchen table. Wiping breakfast plates with fingers

Grown ups are chatting about the plans for the day ahead. Their noise sounds like that of loud crows

Grumpy, slightly tired, younger folk just want to sleep some more

Debates about whose turn it is to wash the pots

Debates about shower & bath rotas

T H E N

Father utters: "That's my work done for the day." 

He rests in an armchair by the stoked fire with the newspaper & a mug of tea. 

Barney, our spaniel, rests his head on Dad's feet

AMM.