This week we said goodbye to Peter Miles, our next door neighbour. On Wednesday, Sue and I attended the cremation service at Kettering Crematorium. It was only close family and ourselves, in all it made 12 of us. Unknown to the family there was a minor incident, when on sitting down in the chapel I discovered that my glasses (which I had placed in my coat pocket with my reading) were missing. I told Sue and quietly left to check the car, as I was passing through the entrance I spotted that the undertakers were lifting the coffin out of the hearse!!!!! Luckily, Jonathan Stamp (I have played rugby with him) was in charge and I told him about my little problem. The coffin was put back in the hearse as I ran to check the car. It wasn’t there, I will have to squint I thought. However, Jonathan had spotted my misfortune and one of the pall bearers lent me his spare glasses. As  I sat in my seat, the coffin entered the Chapel and the service continued without mishap.

After the service we had been invited to an Italian restaurant in Harborough with the family. We had dropped Sue’s car off at the garage before the service to replace the exhaust which for some strange reason had started to grow a beard from the tail pipe. On the way back we called  in to pick it up. After dropping the car off at home we continued on to meet the family at the restaurant. The meal was nice and the atmosphere quite upbeat.

Earlier on in the week, Sue and I had been on one of the Council walks. It lasted about 4 hours and was a gentle ramble around Foxton and the locks. Nothing spectacular, but the day was warm and sunny and we stopped at the bottom locks pub for a drink afterwards.

The day after I travelled down to Rothwell to put up a picture wall in the playroom. It went up quickly and without incident and the results can be seen in the photo.

On Friday, after cooking a curry for ourselves and Charlotte (Suraj was installing a computer in Corby), Sue, Jim Brigitte and I went to a Comedy Night at the rugby club. There were three acts, all very rude and very funny. The club was packed and everyone seemed to have fun. They are booked for a return in April, we shall go again.

Saturday saw Sue up bright and early and busy in the kitchen. She had volunteered to make some salads for a buffet next door,  in celebration of Peter Miles’ life. The salads looked very tasty and were very popular. I had made a video from photographs of Peter that Doreen had sorted out the previous day, and after the many readings from friends and relatives it was shown. Charlotte had come and she served drinks and helped with the food. There was around 30 guests and it was fortunate that Sue had made quite a few salads to go with the meat and cheeses. I left after the buffet as I had another buffet to officiate at the Rugby Club (it was Saturday!) The food was not as good, but as I was rather stuffed didn’t mind.  After the home games, I stayed to watch the Tigers beat Ulster on Sky. Incidentally, on Tuesday Jamie came from work and told us that he had been speaking to Martin Johnson (England rugby manager) at work. He must have been doing a tour of the place. The following day Martin resigned his job. See what happens when you speak to Jamie! Harborough RUFC could do with a manager, I wonder if he is interested. Surprisingly he was in the Cherry Tree on Saturday night drowning his woes and drinking with Jonathan Stamp and Nick Allsopp, watch this space.

Sarah has a couple of exams coming up before the end of term and is busy revising. We keep in contact on Skype and phone. She sounds as if she has got a sore throat, but the everybody is sounding the same at the present. Nan has got over her throat problems, but Charlotte has a green stream gushing from her nose (according to Facebook).

Lucas has his Christmas play coming up in December and Sue and I have booked a couple of tickets to see him. He is growing up, he will be on X Factor next!.

I have been doing a little tidying up at the allotments, and also cleaning the pool as it is rather green. The cover has been taken off and I shall put it away. All the leaves haven’t fallen from the trees yet so I won’t put the winter cover on for a couple more weeks.