27th December 2007Christmas Eve:Everyone arrived safely at Willow Bank, and the presents were all piled under the tree, clearly not hidden well enough, as some people (naming no names) couldn’t resist a cheeky prod or shake. Next year, we really must stash them out of sight until the big day. The weather was grim enough… Continue Reading

24th December 2007 Monday found the rest of the family mysteriously occupied in various corners of the house, study, dining room, and bedrooms, all engaged in their top-secret missions. There was the tell-tale rustle of wrapping paper, the unmistakable zip of Sellotape, and the furtive scribble of tags. I, on the other hand, had bought,… Continue Reading

16th December 2007 Big news on the family front: Philippa and Paul managed to snag tickets to the Led Zeppelin reunion concert this week, and not just any tickets. Oh no, they ended up right at the front, rubbing shoulders with the stage (and probably a few ageing rockers). Not only did they bag VIP… Continue Reading

9th December 2007  Monday night saw Sarah and me off to De Montfort Hall in Leicester for the ‘Chairman’s Concert’. Our school choir performed, and once again, they were brilliant. It’s just a shame they can’t see or hear themselves in action; if they could, they’d realise just how good they are. Sue, still nobly… Continue Reading

2nd December 2007Another thoroughly unremarkable week, livened only by the weather doing its best impression of a hormonal teenager, sunny one moment, sulking the next. Friday saw Sarah and me teaming up for the School Christmas Fayre, where we manned the Christmas hamper stall with all the charm and persuasion of market traders. Miraculously, we… Continue Reading