3rd April 2008

On Wednesday, Sue and Sarah headed off to Devon for a short break to visit Philippa. The weather, for once, played nicely, and by all accounts, they had a lovely time. The only blot on the otherwise sunny landscape came during a seaside outing, where Sarah somehow managed to annihilate her mobile phone (details remain vague, likely a combination of saltwater, sand, and youthful enthusiasm). A replacement was swiftly acquired. While in a more peaceful mood, they visited a nunnery and returned bearing gifts: a pot of honey and some Trappist beer. A holy pairing, if ever there was one.

Back home, Jamie was working all week at the Joinery. However, his work-life balance leaned heavily toward ‘life’, as he disappeared straight out the door each evening to see his new girlfriend, Harriet. This meant that until Friday, I was left holding the fort. The social highlight of my solo stretch came when Peter Miles from next door popped in for a chat and gave me a tutorial on sharpening the chainsaw chain. Domestic bliss, eh?

On Friday, I swapped chainsaws for a train as I joined the Under 17s for a short rugby tour to Brussels. We travelled from Market Harborough via Eurostar, and I must say, the whole journey was far quicker and smoother than I’d expected. We stayed in a hostel called Sleepwell, an optimistic name, but as it turns out, entirely accurate.

The team played a local side in Donde-Monde and trounced them 50–0. After the match, the spectators and coaches enjoyed some post-match analysis involving a generous selection of Belgian beers. It’s said you could drink a different beer every day of the year in Belgium and never repeat one, and I’m inclined to believe it. Though the tour was short, with just the one match, it was immensely enjoyable. I’ve decided that Sue and I should return to Brussels in the autumn, possibly without 17 teenagers in tow.

I was under strict instructions to return with Belgian chocolates for Sue and Sarah, and, naturally, I delivered.

The following Wednesday, I headed north to Thurcroft (via Newark, where I dropped off a load of logs for Charlotte’s fire) to collect Nan. Before returning to Harborough, Nan and I enjoyed lunch in Thurcroft and then swung back through Newark for a quick visit with Lucas, who, in a rare turn of events, had neither a runny nose nor a suspicious cough and appeared fit as a fiddle. We had fish and chips with Charlotte and the family in Balderton, before finally making our way back home.