Jan 26th

Normal 0 false false false st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} Monday started out bright and fair, which was good news as we were planning a trip to do some shopping. By the time we had got togged up it was a bit late for breakfast so we decided to postpone until we found something later. A simple walk up the tow path, over the bridge and there, just outside the Navigation Pub is a bus stop for Towcester, the number 86 & 87. They seem to do a circuit from Northampton and back again calling at a variety of villages on the way. We caught the 10.39. Return fare was �2 each which seemed a good deal so off we went, armed with two Hessian bags and my rucksack.   20 minutes or so later we arrived in Towcester centre and very nice it is too. A local cash machine was very handy and before we headed for the shops, we came across the Towcester Tea Room on the main street, advertising good coffee and all sorts of food stuffs and as we hadn�t eaten, decided to call in. Nice folks, excellent service and good fare and almost an hour had passed! This place seems to be the centre for fund raising in Towcester as they had copies on the walls of all the cheques they had raised in the last 3 years or so, mainly for Alzheimer�s disease. When we added it all up there was over �14,000 raised from donations here, a most impressive sum..   As we were planning to get the 14.04 bus back and it was now 12.30 we thought we�d better get on with what we�d come for so off we went to both Waitrose (for special things) and Somerfields for the rest. The bus back was on time and uneventful and it dropped us back on the canal bridge; perfect.   The highlight of today was our evening trip to a local folk club, held at a pub opposite Towcester Race course, called The Folly. It has only just got going and tonight was just its 2nd session. Our friend Malcolm Hysom (plays Bodhran) son of our good friends Jim & Jean Hysom from Caldecote lives not far away and kindly picked us up at 7.30pm at the canal bridge and we arrived in good time. All together, about a dozen turned up and we had a most enjoyable evening. Isn�t it good, when you visit other folk clubs that much of your material is completely new again! Anyway, everyone enjoyed the tunes and songs on offer and I�m sure it has a bright future; certainly the landlady was most happy to have some music in the place and we all know that without landlord/lady�s support, you�re on a hiding to nothing! We wish them good luck for the future and who knows, if we�re passing by again�..