Grey.

Mainly overcast today with low cloud sitting on the hills sometimes dropping down enough to fill the air with a fine drizzle.

I tried just using the phone camera but it doesn't cope well in low light levels. I contacted Nikon for an estimate of the cost but although they replied promptly they weren't able to give any estimate. Not even a minimum cost for looking and making a diagnosis, only free postage. Perhaps the camera shop in Shrewsbury will be more helpful.

I went into town today to do a final shop and forgot to get any croissants for Sunday even though I went in Lidl, Morrisons and M&S. Although the shop windows are quite festive all the side streets looked grey and miserable. In the photo above I was standing on the main shopping street, which has a wide pavement and one-way traffic, looking across to a side street.

We finally decided on smoked spare ribs for our Christmas dinner, the sort that come ready prepared with a barbecue sauce as neither of us wants to cook something elaborate as well as all the vegetables. In M&S, buying rollmop herrings for our Christmas Eve meal I happened to glance at the cost of a prepared turkey crown roast with stuffing. It said it would serve 6-8 people so make that 4-6 and the cost was just under £60. Ouch! I know their food is good but I reckon if you bought the whole meal there it would cost £200 for 4 people. I was only buying the herrings there because I couldn't find them anywhere else. To make them less acidic I've put them in the marinade from some Polish sliced gherkins that I got in Lidl.

When I got home Peter went out for a drink with a few of his fellow rowers which gave me the chance to wrap a couple of small presents for him. I reckon I have enough wrapping paper bought in previous January sales to last at least the next five years. A good thing too as the Tesco's here is smaller than in Barnstaple and doesn't seem to have as good reductions. Today they had cards at silly prices in Morrisons so I bought a couple of packs to add to the stash.