On the late afternoon of 2nd August, Jamie and Ruth dropped Rocky, Nala, and Wilma at Willow Bank on their way to an airport hotel. They flew to Dubai early the following morning for a ten-day holiday. That evening, I joined six friends at The Bull for their special Pie Night. Sadly, the pub is due to come under new management with a change of chef at the start of September, so the menu is likely to change, and the famously huge and excellent pies may soon be a thing of the past. As usual, the camaraderie was in abundance and with much ale drunk to wash down what was a very substantial meal, we relocated to Willow Bank’s Garden Room to finish off the evening playing pool.

With miserable, damp weather affecting much of the UK, and ‘Antoni,’ the first named storm of the year, arriving on the 5th, the family viewed Jamie’s daily holiday photos from Dubai with considerable envy, especially as they were accompanied by his grumblings about the heat. In stark contrast, poor Ellis had volunteered that same day to help out at the inaugural Operation Market Harborough show, held over the weekend of the 5th and 6th at the Market Harborough Showground. Alongside an impressive display of military equipment, there was a packed schedule of singers and live music in the marquee throughout the day and evening.

Amusingly, as Charlotte and Suraj dropped Ellis off, they decided to give Harry some exercise with a walk around a very soggy Foxton Locks. Unfortunately, the loveable, but rather clumsy, hound managed to fall into one of the locks, prompting a very drenched Suraj to haul him out.

Jamie had an ulterior motive for taking Ruth to Dubai, beyond simply enjoying an exotic holiday. On Saturday the 5th, he took her out into the desert and proposed, and, of course, she accepted. He had originally intended to pop the question during their recent trip to India, in front of the Taj Mahal, but the ring wasn’t ready in time, and the deed had to be postponed.

Jamie had informed the family of his plan before their flight to the Middle East, though Ruth was completely unaware, as her comments on the family messenger thread revealed:

“No, I would have assumed it would be in September when we have the helicopter ride in Kent, if I were going to guess.”

“And definitely wasn’t dressed for it! Only had a skirt on because he said there was a BBQ after the camel ride.”

What a lovely surprise it must have been. Until they return, the family can only speculate about their wedding plans, though it will no doubt be something equally unique and memorable.