After a lovely day yesterday we determined to have another great one today! Your Christmas lunch turned out to be about 1800 due to my daughter working until late. This gave us time to go and call on my Mother in Law who was too poorly to come over to us. We took  the presents and some of the 'side dishes' for her to cook at home. My Mum was picked up and we sat and watched the Queen's speech. For once they hadn't trailed most of it before hand. The meal was fantastic as always. I suppose it takes a few years to perfect everything but Helen has now had 28 years to get it exactly right to please everybody. I'm glad we didn't prepare everything too early otherwise we would have had enough food for six rather than four. It was the least number round our table in those 28 years.

I did well fro presents. There was a photo book about the Birmingham Canal Navigation, now and then. I love the BCN as there is so much history concentrated in such a small area and a great variety of scenery and sights too. There was also a book about foraging, what where and how, that will come in very useful next year. We managed to give a lot of jams, jellies and spirits we have made over the year as presents. I like the idea of making fruit cheeses and leathers (you'll have to Google it). We didn't get any Christmas cards with a narrow boat or barge on them though.

It was brilliant sunshine round her today so we went for a stroll by the Humber. It wasn't as busy as I thought it may have been. The low sun gives everything a special light too. The area in the first photograph below is of an area that has been opened up inside the flood bank so as to take some of the surplus water in tidal surges and flood periods. It is a great spot for birds and there were very many Golden Plovers on the mud flats. They occasionally took to the air and the glinting of their flanks was beautiful. The area has many starlings too and when they all swarm and wheel in the air. I think these are called murmurations!

Looking inland across Paull Holme Strays from the river bank. The area is open to the river at flood and spring tides. There are some dancing shadows too!

This is the Holderness Cape Canaveral with the rocket launching facility in the distance.

(Actually they are the leading lights at Throngumbald Clough. The red one to the left is the high light and the white one just to the right of it is the low light. Their bearing when in line marked the the course to steer from Hull to Halton Middle. I seem to remember the low light was on rails so when the channel changed, as it frequently does, the low light could be moved to bring the proper bearing into line again. They are't used now). Hopefully made you all look twice though. The slight rise at the right of the picture is the Napoleonic Fort Paull. The cloud is just arriving that indicates the front that is bring the next depression across the country. I hope you are all battened down for the gales that are to pass over us tonight. 

Hang on tight everybody.