{"id":114072,"date":"2022-03-11T16:00:12","date_gmt":"2022-03-11T16:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stories.qvcuk.com\/?p=114072"},"modified":"2022-03-14T08:07:27","modified_gmt":"2022-03-14T08:07:27","slug":"film-fun-with-the-duke-and-caitlin-and-sneaky-peeks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stories.qvcuk.com\/presenters\/debbie-flint\/debbie-flint\/film-fun-with-the-duke-and-caitlin-and-sneaky-peeks\/","title":{"rendered":"Film fun with The Duke and Caitlin! And sneaky peeks!"},"content":{"rendered":"

I spent quite a lot of time down in Devon earlier this week after a big weekend event I was organising. So having taken a last minute extra day\u2019s leave down there because I need to relax and get some repairs done to the house and roof, my lovely friend Caitlin and I decided to go to see The Duke at the cinema in Okehampton. See below for the full film review but it was great. We came out feeling very happy, it was such an uplifting movie.<\/p>\n

So we went across the road to Wetherspoons to have some supper. I hadn\u2019t seen her for awhile so we ended up staying for two hours just talking and talking. \ud83d\ude42 It\u2019s always nice to catch up with old friends.<\/p>\n\"\"\n

I\u2019d done a lot of that already on the Saturday evening when the event I organised for my local Association went off swimmingly in the picturesque Tavistock town hall. Lots of my lovely regulars turned up and we had a good catch up. My wonderful friend and mentor, Marion – who will be the president next year- , did the flowers. Debo, Susan, and Caroline, the raffle; a couple of the young lads, the door; and other officers printed out table plans et cetera, making my night a lot easier.<\/p>\n

Two excellent VIP guests did speeches and took Q & A\u2019s, and the venue was fantastic – proper Hogwarts! I took the pressure off myself by not nominating myself to do any of the speeches or thank yous officially, although I took the mic a couple of times for housekeeping announcements, and that suited me just fine! It\u2019s weird because it feels like I have to go out of one part of my brain into another part of my brain to become the person that does a speech, or introduces a guest. So, I realised after the Christmas one that I\u2019d rather stay in organiser mode when I\u2019m doing a big event like this! You learn as you go along, don\u2019t you?!<\/p>\n

Taylors of Tavistock put up with my constant last minute requests and insistence that we mustn\u2019t have even the slightest hint of spice or heat in the mild chilli option! (I can\u2019t do chilli! The other option was hot though!) The food on the night was absolutely incredible and a good time was had by all. My lovely friend Alix came as well, as did about 120 other people including lots of youngsters, so it was a mission accomplished for me and my gang. And phew, was I pleased when it was all over! I do love organising though, as regulars will know. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Anyway, happy and contented, I went home and really enjoyed my stay in my empty Devon house. I don\u2019t do it enough really, it\u2019s just a shame it\u2019s so far away. Hence putting it on the market this year. I found out that the lady who I bought it from in 2017 sadly passed away recently, as her husband had done just before I bought it. So sad for the family. What with that and everything else that\u2019s going on in the world, silly little disputes about minor things at committee meetings, like I had last week in Surrey, really pale into insignificance, right?<\/p>\n

I won\u2019t be doing another big one until November time now, giving myself a break, especially through the summer when it\u2019s my big 60th birthday. It\u2019s been a tough, stressful year so far, what with family illness et cetera, and I really need to finish my book, so I\u2019ve blocked out some time in July\/August when I will be taking myself away for an extended retreat to get stuff done as a treat for my 60th!<\/p>\n

Snippets<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pooch Riley<\/strong><\/p>\n\"\"\n

After the stress of the big event, I went and had a really relaxing Sunday including Sunday dinner at my lovely friend Sheena and Alan\u2019s, and their super old dog Riley. Thought I\u2019d mention him briefly since he was sitting in front of this lovely shot, with the wood burner and LED candles blazing so I thought I\u2019d join him. He is 14 now, and still loves lots of attention, even though he has cataracts in both eyes.<\/p>\n

I felt his pain.<\/p>\n

My left eye is very blurred now, I can see close up but not far away, and it\u2019s getting a cataract after my detached retina op last September (in case you hadn\u2019t read about it before). It\u2019s a side effect of the gas bubble used in the repair. Anyway, I have my operation for my eye on the 14th April, and my lump removal on the 22nd March for my finger and my foot. So as I approach my 60th, I won\u2019t say the words \u2018becoming a wreck\u2019, so don\u2019t you either! In fact, don\u2019t even think them! LOL.<\/p>\n

Thatch repairs<\/strong><\/p>\n\"\"\n

We had some beautifully bright sunny days, albeit absolutely freezing, and I got to grips with the damage caused by the storm – check a couple of weeks ago when I posted a picture of my friends thatched house where the ridge had completely blown off, and I realised I got away quite lightly! Although lots of things had to be done so I spent a couple of hours a day sorting out the big stuff that goes with running a house like this, and felt very satisfied by the end of it! It was nice to spend the evenings in front of my Samsung<\/strong> telly with my feet on the Revitive<\/strong>, though, I must say. Even if I had my woolly hat and throw over me because it was pretty cold and I didn\u2019t want to turn up the heating too much, given how much everything costs nowadays ! Even I\u2019ve started turning all the electric lights off everywhere and that\u2019s saying something!<\/p>\n

Dinner with Alix<\/b><\/p>\n

Got invited to supper again on Tuesday night with my lovely friend Alix and put the world to rights like we used to in the old days when we used to go to the George pub on a Tuesday lunchtime and talk politics” She made an amazing fish pie and told me how to recreate it. I might do it next week for my guests on the next retreat in Devon!<\/p>\n

New Elemis cleanser<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is what I thought of the new Elemis <\/strong>cleansing balm! The fragrance is really amazing and not overpowering at all, quite unisex and quite green! And you can do other things with it too, look…<\/p>\n