12th October 2017

On the 26th of August, we invited Paul and Louise, Jim and Brigitte, and Sean for a BBQ and to watch the Women’s Rugby World Cup Final. I unveiled the quarter-pounder beef burgers I had made earlier in the day, and satisfyingly, they seemed to go down rather well. Unfortunately, our girls were outclassed on the pitch and lost to New Zealand. Oddly, it was the men of the party who watched the game on TV with customary beers at hand, while the ladies preferred to sit in the garden and chat. With the match lost, we relocated to the beer house in town to toast a brave and valiant effort by our girls against the ‘dark side’.

Early in September, Charlotte and her family had a five-day holiday in France. The 2nd of September was Charlotte’s birthday, the 3rd was their wedding anniversary, and the 4th was Suraj’s birthday, very convenient! The weather was reasonable, and they managed to explore some of the area they were staying in, sampling the cuisine at every opportunity. Bread and ice cream seemed very popular with them and made frequent appearances in many of their Facebook photos.

It has become my daily routine to take Mia for long walks through the Leicestershire countryside, stopping off at various hostelries and restaurants for refreshments. Occasionally, we would be accompanied by Jim and his dogs, Harby and Showby. The two dogs get on well with Mia, are very obedient, and are a good influence on her. Late each evening, we take a final walk in Welland Park and meet up with other doggy friends to play ball until the light fails us. While Sarah and Lee were having fun seeing the sights of South Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand on their honeymoon, I am sure Mia was equally enjoying herself, sniffing her way around the lamp posts of Market Harborough and discovering many new spots to linger and savour the scents from thankfully, unknown sources!

On the 9th of September, Sue, Charlotte, and I went to see an ABBA tribute band at the Three Swans in Harborough. Paul, Louise, and Sean also attended, though they were seated on different tables. The concert was, as expected, great fun and thoroughly enjoyable. The excellent three-course meal served before the performance added to the enjoyment of the night. Sean’s wife had passed away a few years ago, and it was pleasing to see that he hit it off well with one of the women diners at his table. Such is the power of ABBA.

On the 15th, I collected Sarah and Lee from Heathrow. They were very tired after their flight from Thailand and were eager to see Mia again. They didn’t stay long at Willow Bank before heading home to Braunstone. A couple of days later, I followed with my petrol mower to tackle the jungle of a lawn that had grown while they were away.

Later in the week, Sue and I went to see a Genesis tribute band at the Lighthouse Theatre in Kettering. We were joined by Jim, Brigitte, Paul, and Louise. It was another enjoyable evening, though the journey back to Harborough was quite tricky through a very thick fog, making driving quite treacherous.

Sometimes, eBay can be a great way to grab a bargain, but you do have to be careful and read all the details about the items. While browsing Local eBay listings for a pick-up-only deal, I spotted a quantity of picture-framing wood for sale. I placed a bid and won the auction for just £7. The details said the lot was in excess of 3000m, which I initially thought was a typo and maybe should have been 3000mm, just the right size for a few holiday paintings I was planning to frame. The lot was available just half a mile away.

However, when I went to collect the wood, I discovered it wasn’t a typo after all! My little Fiesta simply couldn’t carry that much wood. Fortunately, Jamie had a friend with a vehicle that could manage it. So, over the weekend, after seven trips, we finally got all the wood delivered to my garage. I’ve since relocated much of it to my woodpile behind the garden shed. This winter, we’ll be warm! It’s a shame, though, as it’s mostly quality Italian picture-framing wood, very elegant but not quite in the quantity I had planned for.

On the 21st, Uncle Stanley was scheduled for a much-needed cataract operation. I rang him the day before to make sure everything was organised, and he seemed prepared. However, I knew he was very nervous about the procedure and disliked hospitals, so I wasn’t too surprised when, a few days later, I learned he had changed his mind just before entering the operating theatre. There had been a half-hour delay, and I guess his nerves got the better of him. It’s a shame, but at 96, he’s earned the right to make his own decisions. I do wish I had been there to reassure him, and perhaps he would have gone ahead with it, but we’ll never know.

We had flights booked to visit Joan and Phil in Italy on the 23rd, but, rather annoyingly, I received an email informing me that our flight, just three days away, had been cancelled due to “timetabling issues” and pilot holidays. (Translation: someone forgot to buy a diary.) Fortunately, I always check my emails first thing in the morning, so I was able to act before most others had rubbed the sleep from their eyes. I immediately contacted Ryanair, secured a full refund, and even lodged a claim for the difference in price plus compensation, though I’m not holding my breath on that one. Miraculously, the refund landed in my bank account within 24 hours, which, for Ryanair, is nothing short of a modern-day miracle. Having confirmed with Joan and Phil that new dates would work, I rebooked us for the following week.

When the day came, we spent the night at the Days Inn near the long-stay car park, and then flew out from Stansted the following morning. Our early flight, against all odds, actually left on time. We were allocated separate middle seats, which sounded dreadful, but in a stroke of good fortune, both of us ended up with empty seats on either side. Ryanair had, of course, tried its hardest to convince us to pay extra to choose our seats, but I’d stubbornly resisted. In the end, although we were at opposite ends of the plane, it worked out beautifully, with plenty of space to stretch out and sleep. Still, one couldn’t help but feel that splitting couples is a deliberate little ploy designed to prise a few extra pounds from passengers’ wallets.

At Ancona airport, Joan and Phil were waiting for us on a gloriously sunny day. After an hour-and-a-half drive, we arrived at Santa Vittoria. Joan reported that the summer had been brutally hot, with temperatures soaring into the forties, forcing them indoors for much of the season and taking a toll on the garden. Even so, they’d managed to keep the house beautifully adorned with pots bursting with flowers.

As ever, Joan proved a marvellous cook, while Phil revealed his speciality: pasta with tomato sauce (executed with admirable enthusiasm). We ate splendidly, and by the end of each meal, I found myself edging my belt out another notch.

Since it was Sue’s first visit, Joan and Phil took us on morning tours of the beautiful medieval hilltop towns I’d last explored years ago with Roger. Sue was particularly taken with the local markets, though despite a thorough hunt, she was disappointed not to find a Christmas decoration for our tree as a memento of the trip.

We were fortunate with the weather, so in the afternoons, I took Sue on several walks into the valley and up to the town of Santa Vittoria. Unfortunately, during one particular walk, we were chased by a couple of small dogs. They suddenly ran out of a house and, in the chaos, Sue got a nip on the back of her leg before the owner came out to collect them. There was no apology from the owner, which was rather annoying.

Many of the buildings in Marche had been affected by the earthquakes last spring, with some being condemned or supported while awaiting repair. Thankfully, Phil and Joan’s house, located just below the hilltop town of Santa Vittoria, suffered very little damage compared to the properties higher up the hill, which had been hit much harder.

We had a couple of excellent evening meals up in the town with Phil and Joan, enjoying the local atmosphere and delicious food. On one of the days, we had lunch down by the lake, where we met one of their friends. He was an American with Italian roots who had been living locally for around 16 years. He certainly didn’t look his age, which made the conversation even more interesting as we got to know him better. It was a lovely, relaxed setting by the lake, and we enjoyed the time spent with good food and great company.

We spent our evenings eating, chatting, and enjoying Phil’s extensive music collection (which I now have on a hard drive). Thank you, Phil.

Sadly, after a week, we rose at the crack of a spectacular dawn and, after being driven back to a foggy Ancona, bid farewell to Joan and Phil. We’ll see them again during their Christmas visit to the UK. On a positive note, we slept very well in Italy, and since returning, we’ve ordered a new mattress, and I suspect blackout curtains will soon be making an appearance!

Since returning from Italy, Jamie and I have booked a mini road trip to Mallorca in November. Ryanair, in a rare show of goodwill, apologised for cancelling our flights and sent us each an £80 flight voucher. Naturally, Sue and I wasted no time in putting them towards a trip to Thessaloniki in Greece next March. Thank you, Ryanair, you do keep life interesting.

On the 10th of October, I had my scheduled abdominal aortic screening at the newly opened St Luke’s Hospital. As expected, the scan was all clear, a small relief, though I never doubted it.

Mia has been under the weather these past few weeks. A trip to the vet, along with tablets and injections, seemed to perk her up for a while, but sadly, she’s regressed again in recent days.

The Rothwells are jetting off to Thailand for a couple of weeks over half-term.

Sarah has a girls’ trip to Ibiza lined up for June, and in January, she and Lee are braving Berlin. (Pack scarves, lots of them.)

Ashton is currently enjoying some sunshine in Mallorca with her family.

Lucas is in Year 6 and preparing to move schools next year. He has been touring local options, though the process seems to be giving Charlotte a few sleepless nights. Only time will tell where he ends up.

Since returning from their travels, Sarah and Lee have spent a day on their yacht, gutting the interior, cleaning and sorting through various nautical odds and ends. They’re keen to get her back in the water, but the season isn’t exactly on their side.

Sue’s sister and her husband, Paul, have wrapped up their time in the USA and relocated to Canada. They plan to visit Aunt Gwendain in Deep River, Ontario, before returning to the UK in November.

Meanwhile, back at my allotment, the white grapes have all been picked. It’s been a bumper crop this year, which sounds wonderful until you realise it took three full days to strip them from the stalks. Very, very, very boring work. The juice is now happily glooping away in assorted containers across the kitchen.

In a huge surprise, Ryanair has compensated me with 500 euros for our cancelled flight. Well done, Ryanair, I might even forgive you. Yes, I’ll fly with you again (though I’ll keep checking my emails first thing in the morning, just in case).