2nd August 2014

July had been nothing short of glorious. It was shorts and T-shirts every day, with the pool finally justifying its existence (about time too). After my last entry, I vowed not to let the family blog go more than a couple of weeks without an update, but keeping track of who did what, where, and when is becoming a serious challenge for my increasingly foggy brain.

Of course, without the usual fortnightly downpours to drive me indoors and back to the keyboard, I’ve once again let things slide and broken my promise. Still, it’s raining now,  which is perfect timing for both this blog and my memory to be rescued.

The month began, quite literally, on the 1st of July with a picnic and ice cream at East Carlton Park. Nan, Charlotte, and Ellis joined Sue and me, and it was a lovely outing. Ellis was in his element on the swings and the sandpit, while the rest of us were content just to watch him enjoying himself.

Later that afternoon, Charlotte and I took a stroll around the grand but decidedly deserted house in the park. The sign clearly stated “Strictly No Entry,” but after reading so many Burglar Bill books over the years, a simple gate wasn’t about to put us off.

Peering through the windows, we caught a glimpse of how impressive the house must have been in its prime, even an indoor swimming pool, though it now looked a little forlorn. Our little adventure was cut short, however, when Charlotte had to dash off to collect Lucas from school.

A few days later, Sue and I enjoyed a pleasant walk from Gumley to Laughton and back. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we passed by Martin Johnson’s house, though there was no sign of him. Afterwards, we had a meal at The Bell, and were so impressed with the new management and their menu that we returned a couple of days later with Nan for lunch.

The following day was a special treat for Nan. I drove her to Farndon Fields School for the end-of-year concert and tea. By all accounts, she had a lovely time and left with a big bunch of flowers, formerly a table decoration, but Nan has a particular knack for making the most of these things.

That morning, I’d happened to cycle past the school on my usual early route. I don’t normally take that way, but curiosity got the better of me; I wanted to see if anything had changed. As I passed the car park, Nigel, the caretaker, was strimming the verges and spotted me. I stopped for a chat, and he kindly offered me a guided tour around the outside of the building.

As we made our way round, I spotted Mr Blewitt teaching his class. I seized the opportunity to pop in for a quick chat and liven things up a bit, just to make sure the standard of education was still up to scratch.

While we were walking, I also noticed the old swivelable, wall-mounted bike racks I’d donated years ago, now stacked by the kitchens. When Nigel told me they were destined for the skip, I couldn’t resist rescuing a couple. They now live in the back garden, where they’re doing a fine job supporting our bikes, very handy indeed.

The next evening, Sue and I headed to Les Olives in Northampton to celebrate Jim Hankers’ birthday, though, to be honest, I’m not entirely sure which one it was. Brigitte had invited us along as a surprise for Jim. The tapas were delicious, and the flamenco music and dancing were lively and great fun. The amount of wine ordered, however, was, shall we say, ambitious.

As I was driving, it fell to Sue and Jim to deal with it, and, predictably, this had some rather noticeable consequences the following morning. Sue found the day something of a challenge, but, ever the stoic, she had made a partial recovery by evening.

Instead of our usual Friday night curry, we opted for a BBQ, our first of many sunny Friday barbecues this summer. That is, until last night, when the rain returned… and so did the curry!

Charlotte arrived early with the boys, and I spent a while playing in the pool with them before drying off and lighting the charcoal in readiness for the rest of the family to arrive.

I spent most of that week either at the allotments, in the garden, or out on my bike. Sue and I made a good start on harvesting the fruit, plums, currants (black, red, and white), gooseberries, strawberries, and raspberries. It’s been a bumper year, although the blackbirds managed to snaffle the blueberries and cherries before we had a chance.

I’ve also begun digging up the potatoes and storing them in sacks. The carrots, fennel, beetroot, beans, and onions are all clamouring for attention, but so far, we’ve managed to keep on top of things.

The only real disappointment has been the pears, those pesky late frosts put paid to them before they even got going.

On the 12th, we went to see the highly acclaimed A Late Quartet at the Harborough Theatre. The place was packed, and I must confess that Sue enjoyed the film far more than I did.

The following afternoon, I took the boys, Charlotte, Sarah, and Nan to see Scooby-Doo at De Montfort Hall. It was good fun, and, as expected, the boys were the most enthusiastic of the bunch; they absolutely loved it.

The next Tuesday, Nan, Sue, Charlotte, and Ellis went out for lunch at The Cherry Tree. Normally, on Tuesdays, Nan treats Charlotte and Ellis to a meal, often at Farndon Fields farm shop, but this time we sat in the beer garden, which gave Ellis the perfect opportunity to burn off some energy on the adventure equipment. It made for a lovely, relaxed afternoon.

On the 16th, I met up with John Lee in Langham for a walk. It was another scorcher, but we got an early start, so we didn’t suffer too much in the heat. By the time the afternoon furnace kicked in, we were safely ensconced in The Wheatsheaf. What a treat! The food was fabulous and beautifully presented. We’ve already agreed to plan another trek nearby and pay a return visit.

That Saturday, Sue and I met up with Jim and Brigitte at Joules for a BBQ and a Simon and Garfunkel evening. Fortunately, we had pre-booked our tickets, and I managed to add Jim and Brigitte to the list, otherwise, they’d have been sorely disappointed. The place was packed when we arrived, and many people without tickets were turned away. It just goes to show how enduringly popular their music is, especially on a warm summer evening with the added draw of a BBQ. It turned out to be a brilliant night—great music and even better company!

On Sunday, Charlotte brought Lucas over to Harborough, although Ellis had to stay at home with Suraj, having been a bit awkward about getting dressed that morning. Our plan was to visit the Model Aero Club near Gumley, something Sue had spotted on a previous walk. A quick check on Google revealed they were holding a Warbirds Day, so we thought it might be worth a look. And it absolutely was!

We stayed for nearly three hours, watching a variety of model aircraft zooming across the sky. Some of the operators were incredibly skilled, making their not-so-small planes perform all sorts of aerial stunts. Towards the end, the jets came out, and they were astonishingly fast, a real spectacle!

The following Wednesday, Sue and I hopped on our bikes and cycled along the Brampton Valley Way for a picnic. We made it as far as Arthingworth Road before stopping to eat, it was a scorching hot day. On the return journey, we took a well-earned break at Waterloo Lakes for an ice cream and a glass of cider. I’ll let you guess who had which!

Afterwards, we detoured via the newly refurbished Harborough Library and Museum. I’d visited the previous week and had been quite impressed. A fair bit of money has clearly been spent on the renovation, and I have to say, they’ve done a really good job this time.

It was our wedding anniversary on the 24th, and to celebrate, we booked an overnight stay at the Orchard De Vere Hotel in Nottingham. On the way there, we stopped off at the Attenborough Nature Reserve, which lies alongside the River Trent. After a look around the Information and Study Centre, we set off on a delightful four-mile walk through the reserve. We were surrounded by wildlife, all seemingly unbothered by our presence. The landscaped scenery was absolutely stunning, and we both agreed it’s a place well worth visiting again.

We checked into the hotel at 2 pm and, after a quick look around the facilities, set off on a walk to nearby Wollaton Hall. The grounds are vast, with herds of tame deer roaming freely, which only adds to the charm of the place. It was a lovely way to stretch our legs after the journey and enjoy the tranquillity of the surroundings.

We wandered through the house itself, admiring the exhibits collected by former owners from various parts of the Far East. We spent time reading the many information boards detailing the rich history of the place. It was fascinating to learn about the house’s past and the unique treasures it contained, all set against the magnificent backdrop of the estate.

That evening, after a delightful three-course à la carte meal in the hotel restaurant, we enjoyed a romantic stroll around Nottingham University’s Boating Lake. The numerous lights reflected off the still water, creating a peaceful and picturesque scene,  the perfect way to end a wonderful day.

 

The following morning, after breakfast, we discussed our plans for the day. Surprisingly, Sue opted for a six-mile walk around East Midlands Airport, following the Art and Nature Trail. We parked at the Nags Head in Castle Donington, near the Aero Park, laced up our boots, and set off. It was another hot day, but fortunately, part of the trail was shaded by trees. As you might expect, the route was mostly flat, and while we could often hear the hum of aircraft, we didn’t see many until the latter part of the walk. Along the way, we encountered a series of artworks donated by various Midlands artistic organisations. Some pieces were better than others, but overall it was an interesting and unique experience. When we returned to the car, a refreshing drink at the Nags Head was very much appreciated!

Back in Harborough, as it was Friday and we were feeling a little worn out, we popped pizzas in the oven for a quick and easy family dinner. Sometimes, you just need to keep things simple.

On the 26th, Sue, Charlotte, and I joined a council-organised walk to Little Brington in Northamptonshire. It was a relatively short and pleasant stroll through the countryside surrounding Althorpe Hall. Halfway round, we stopped at St Mary the Virgin and St John’s Church in Great Brington to see the ancestral tombs of the Spencer family and enjoy a much-needed tea and biscuits. There’s some local gossip that Diana may be buried there alongside her father, rather than on the island in the lake on the grounds of Althorpe, as is widely believed. Our walk was joined by Debbie Goodband, a colleague from my days of hard graft. Afterwards, we all had the obligatory pub lunch to round off the ramble.

That evening, Sue and I went to the Harborough Theatre to watch The Grand Budapest Hotel. It was a very funny film, and I can definitely recommend it for a good laugh!

On the 29th, I finally gave in to one of Charlotte’s persistent requests. She’d been asking me to put a roof on her chicken pen for quite some time, but I hadn’t really considered it a top priority, so it kept getting pushed down the “to-do” list. At first, her plea that hens don’t like their feet in mud didn’t really motivate me, though the idea of chicken wellies was rather amusing. However, when she pointed out that hens don’t like getting sunburnt either, I could see the sense (and the potential expense of slathering them in sun cream). So, I rang Peter Cooper, and together we built a roof on the chicken pen. The task was surprisingly straightforward and finished pretty quickly, although we had to shorten the legs of the henhouse by about 30 cm to fit the new roof. In the process, I somehow managed to shorten one of my legs by accidentally cutting my shin. Fortunately, the hens showed little interest in the sight of blood, just a bit of bemusement. On the way home, I stopped off at a pub to clean up my leg and took the opportunity to recover in the lounge with some medicinal ale.

The next day, Peter and I cycled down the Brampton Valley Way again, this time all the way to Chapel Brampton. We stopped by the lake in the grounds of Brampton Halt for our sandwiches and took shelter from the sun inside the pub. On the way back, I ran into a bit of trouble when I got a puncture. I tried to inflate the tyre to continue, but when it deflated again, I swapped out the inner tube for a spare I was carrying. Later on, we came across a couple of girls fishing in a small stream running alongside the track. They were fishing for crayfish and had already caught more than 20 large ones, using bacon as bait! I’m definitely going to try that technique in the Welland soon.

While I was cycling to Chapel Brampton, Sue took the boys to Kelmarsh Hall for a Storytelling Day, which they all described as fantastic fun. The following day was Ellis’s 4th birthday. The Rothwells came over to pick up their presents, and later they all went to Mini-Mischiefs for a party with Ellis’s friends. The celebrations carried on back at Willow Bank with drinks and more fun. It was a lovely, family-filled day!

Yesterday, we had Ellis and Lucas with us for the day. In the morning, I helped Lucas make a rocket, and we had a great time getting wet and launching it. In the afternoon, we took the boys to the park and tried flying the kites they’d brought. We managed to get them up quite easily, but the wind was a bit fickle, so the kites didn’t stay airborne for long. Still, the boys picked it up quickly and had a ball.

Later that afternoon, with rain looming on the Friday, I whipped up a couple of curries. Suraj, Charlotte, and Nan arrived around 5 pm. Jamie had gone to Dungeness for the weekend with friends, and Sarah was staying up in Nottingham. Nevertheless, it was a lovely evening spent together.

This morning, Sue and I booked a cruise to the Arctic Circle to celebrate her upcoming 60th birthday, the perfect excuse for a grand adventure. Though I reckon the real reason is so I can finally say I’ve ‘chilled’ with her!

NEWS: Jamie’s been working flat out setting up the new freezer warehouse at work. He doesn’t seem fazed at all by running such a shiny new operation, perhaps he’s just impressed by the sheer number of chillers! To keep him company at home, he’s acquired a new pet gerbil (because, naturally, nothing says “I’ve got my life together” quite like a rodent in a cage). At the moment, he’s got Tansley staying with him for a month while he sorts out his living arrangements, so it’s a full house for now!

Charlotte’s swapped cars and now has a Range Rover Vogue. It’s quite plush and very roomy.

It’s really good to hear that Suraj managed to get the server issues sorted after such a stressful weekend — must be a huge weight off everyone’s minds now.

Sarah and Lee’s house-hunting sounds like such an exciting new chapter! Exploring areas like Shepshed and Loughborough sounds promising, and their weekend with Ellis and Lucas, especially the Aero Park and fireworks, must have been great fun. Skegness tomorrow will be a lovely little seaside treat for them all.

I’m so pleased to hear that Nan has made a full recovery from her fall and had a positive check-up. It’s wonderful she’s staying so active and enjoying her time at Huntingdon Gardens, making the most of the company and activities.