15th July 2017
We’ve had a very dry June, with only one day of worthwhile rain to give the garden and allotments a much-needed soak. Rainwater, rather than that from the tap, always seems to give the vegetables a boost. There have been a few very hot days, and on those occasions, Charlotte brought the boys over after school to make the most of the swimming pool. Of course, after a hard day at the allotments, I take the opportunity to cool off by hoovering out the debris that inevitably finds its way under the cover. Both the vegetables and fruit appear to be about a month ahead of normal. The broad beans have been picked and replaced with kale and shallots, cucumbers are abundant in the greenhouse, and we’ve been picking and enjoying raspberries, gooseberries, and currants for the past month!
A couple of days after returning from Peru, Sue and I travelled up to Braunstone to meet the in-laws. Sarah and Lee had organised a BBQ to ‘break the ice’, and it was very successful. I found Diane and Ian quite amiable; Ian and I share a love of all sports, and he’s also quite knowledgeable about rugby, so finding common ground was easy. Sue and I have made a couple of new friends.
On the 16th, Charlotte arrived at Willow Bank early, and with Sue, we drove to Caergwrle after first collecting Sarah on the way. It was Nan’s birthday, and it had become a tradition for us to have a picnic in the castle grounds and check on her memorial seat. As usual, the weather was splendid, with sunshine and warmth. We checked on the honeysuckle that was planted when we scattered Nan’s ashes (still thriving) and planted a few Lilies of the Valley (Nan’s favourite spring flower) around the ruin to bloom next year. Afterwards, we visited Aunty Doreen and Aunty Josie (Nan’s sisters). We stayed at the Wynnstay Arms Hotel in Wrexham for a couple of nights and enjoyed two lovely meals while we were there: a Chinese and an Indian, quintessentially English!
On the second day, we visited Llangollen, with the aim of showing our girls the hotel where Sue and I first met, at a college ball in the seventies. Afterwards, we drove on up to World’s End, one of the favourite places of my childhood and later college life. The girls were suitably impressed, but we had to forgo the walk I had planned as the day turned out to be the hottest so far of the year. Undeterred, we spent the rest of the day in the town, paddling in the river, exploring the train station, eating ice creams, and sitting in a beer garden by the river, enjoying some refreshments. It was a lovely day.
On the 22nd, I gathered with a few friends to perform table duties at a Ladies’ Charity Lunch at Marston Trussell Hall. The previous day had been excruciatingly hot, and I had not been looking forward to wearing my DJ. Luckily, the day turned out to be just pleasantly warm, with an occasional refreshing breeze to keep the workers cool. A good time was had by all, and as usual, the food was first class, which we were later fortunate to enjoy after our duties had been completed.
The following Saturday, Suraj, Jamie, and I drove to a go-karting track near Nottingham to meet up with Lee and three of his friends. It had been arranged as part of his Stag Night, which he was to continue later that evening in Birmingham. An endurance race had been booked, which entailed 10 minutes of practice followed by a 50-minute race. Afterwards, I could see why it was called an endurance race. I found it very draining on both the senses and the body. Disappointingly, I came in a close third, with Jamie taking first place and Suraj second. But, there’s always next time!
On the 26th, I travelled to the pretty village of Somersby to meet up with John. I had planned what turned out to be a very scenic walk around the Leicestershire countryside before enjoying a splendid lunch at the Stilton Cheese Inn. After much consideration and discussion during the ramble, we optimistically managed to turn around the Lions’ 1st Test loss, and it remains to be seen whether we’ve found the solution to the present global threat of terrorism.
Sue and I have managed to see quite a few excellent films at the Odeon Silver Screen, often stopping in Braybrook to see Roger on the way home. On one occasion, we attended a Wednesday evening Comedy Club in Harborough. It had been arranged to give some comedians a chance to practise their routines before next month’s Edinburgh Fringe. However, if what we saw was a gauge of the quality of humour, I don’t think I’ll be travelling north any time soon. Earlier that day, Sue had met Sarah near Syston for a fitting for her wedding dress. The BIG day is getting close now!
On the 7th of July, Mia came to stay. She was dropped off by Sarah and picked up by Lee three days later. They were having a few days at a Spa Hotel in Sheffield to celebrate Ian and Diane’s wedding anniversary, which also coincided with Diane’s birthday. On Saturday, I treated Mia to a very long and hot walk to the Langton Beer Festival, accompanied by Jim Hankers and his two collies. And, before that, I had enjoyed a thoroughly tense and dramatic draw between the Lions and the All Blacks in the 3rd Test while enjoying breakfast at the Angel Hotel.
On the 11th, I went for another walk with John, this time to Langham, to have one of the Wheatsheaf’s famous and substantial burgers. It was an excellent ramble, but annoyingly, on return, we discovered the pub doesn’t open at lunchtime anymore, and when we crossed the road to the Noel Arms, we were greeted by a notice on the door stating, “Due to technical difficulties, we will be closed today.” Desperately resorting to Plan ‘C,’ we drove the short distance to Whissendine. We had passed the pub a couple of hours earlier on our walk and knew it was open. However, on arrival, it too had a notice pinned to the door saying, “Due to kitchen refurbishment, there is no food today, open this evening.”
Hugely disappointed and resigned to our fate, I drove home to a tin of soup.
Yesterday (14th), along with the Rothwells, Sarah and Lee came for a family BBQ. Later in the evening, Lucas and Ellis tried on their page-boy outfits. They looked proper little gentlemen and seemed very proud to be wearing their wedding gear.
We also discovered that Sarah and Lee have bought a second home. They’ve splashed out and bought themselves a yacht. It is currently moored on Rutland Water and goes by the name of ‘Annie’. It sleeps two and probably four at a pinch, making it ideal for weekends and learning to sail. ‘Dad’ has been volunteered to teach them to be mariners, and I am looking forward to the adventure.
Jamie has officially launched his own Limited Company. His Binary Destroyer business has been performing very well, and he has decided to formalise everything. He is now a Director. To celebrate, tomorrow he will be heading to Tenerife for a week with one of his friends.
Not to be outdone, Sue and I have booked flights to visit Phil and Joan in Italy. We will be going in September after Sarah and Lee return from their honeymoon in the Far East, and we’ve returned Mia to their tender care.
Busy as ever, Lee and Sarah recently camped with workmates at the Melton Mowbray Sausage and Cider Festival. By all accounts, the weather, company, food, and refreshments were all excellent.
Charlotte’s gardening business is also thriving, and she is kept very busy, often struggling to fit in all her clients. Sue frequently steps in to look after the boys when Charlotte tries to catch up on work lost due to rainy days.
The Rothwells have new lodgers. Charlotte and the boys have hatched a clutch of eggs, adding to their already ravenous flock.
Ashton moved in with Jamie at the end of June. It has meant that she has a long commute to work and is therefore now looking for a job closer to Harborough.
We’ve had new fencing installed. My next-door neighbour mentioned that the fence between us was rotten and wobbly, in the hope that I would replace it. To their surprise, I pointed out that the fence in question was actually theirs, oops! They quickly arranged to replace it with 6ft panels, which the builders put up in no time. To maintain good relations, I also replaced the 5ft panels on my side of the border with 6ft panels. However, coming from Yorkshire, to save money, I did it myself, and it took me exactly a week (amongst other tasks). However, I now have six perfectly good 5ft panels that I have no use for, but at least I still have a good relationship with my neighbours, even though we can no longer see them in their garden.
This week, my cousin Jeff Vaughan passed away. He had been battling cancer for the last few years, and things recently took a turn for the worse. I have fond memories of playing with Jeff during frequent family summer holidays to Caergwrle. I first learnt to ride a bike when he lent me his. And, when at college, I was caught in a tricky situation in Wrexham with some local thugs. I mentioned I was Jeff’s cousin, and they instantly backed off. I’ll be attending the funeral.
Ellis lost his first tooth this week, marking a significant milestone! No doubt more to come.
After Lee’s Stag Night celebration, Sarah is on her Hen Night tonight! Yeeeeeee Ha!
Palmer Family 
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