On 18 October, Sue and I drove north to the market town of Skipton, situated on the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, just south of the Yorkshire Dales. Its name means ‘sheep town’, but our main interest lay in its castle, which was built in 1090 as a wooden motte-and-bailey fortress by… Continue Reading

On 6th October, Sue joined the U3A New Experience group and travelled to Belton House in Rutland. She spent the day on a five-mile guided walk through the estate, followed by a lecture in the house about its history and that of the surrounding landscape. Meanwhile, I travelled to Kibworth, picking up Jim and Sean… Continue Reading

Sue returned from our Devon adventure with a nasty bug that kept her resting in bed the following day. She showed no signs of improvement overnight and, by lunchtime, she was running a temperature and had developed a hacking chest cough, which resulted in a lunchtime trip to the Walk-in Clinic in Corby. We had… Continue Reading

The 27th of August brought something we had almost forgotten how to appreciate: rain. After months of unrelenting dry weather, the heavens finally opened, and the landscape received a thorough soaking. I had been caught in it during what turned out to be an unexpectedly enjoyable morning bike ride, and by the time I returned… Continue Reading

With no rain falling in Market Harborough throughout June and July, August began in much the same vein. With none forecast for at least another week, the watering can has been in constant use on the vegetables, fruit trees and flower pots. The water comes from two barrels which, in more typical British weather, collect… Continue Reading

Jamie and the family’s Australian adventure showed no signs of slowing down, featuring impromptu flights, boat trips and encounters with the local indigenous wildlife. It seems they were determined to tick off as many unforgettable experiences as possible before heading home. On the 5th, Charlotte, Suraj and Ellis invited us over for Sunday lunch and,… Continue Reading

On a day when a heatwave was forecast to scorch its way across Europe, I carried out my annual charitable duty by waiting on tables at Marston Trussell Hall in support of a charity that helps fund a local Montessori school. The event is organised by rugby pal Jim Crawford’s wife, Kate, together with Peter… Continue Reading

Several months ago, I received a text from my GP surgery inviting me to join a clinical trial evaluating a vaccine designed to help prevent Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile or C. diff) infection in adults aged 65 and over. C. diff is a serious bowel infection that can cause severe diarrhoea, particularly in older adults… Continue Reading

The 8th of May was wonderfully sunny, albeit a little cool, perfect weather for getting out and about and enjoying some vigorous activity, which is exactly what Sue and I did. While Sue met up with our former neighbour, Viv, for a cycle ride down the disused Lamport railway line, followed by lunch at the… Continue Reading

Over the weekend of the 18th of April, Jamie and Ruth travelled to London, where he hosted a party for his BD clients while also celebrating his birthday. They stayed at The Langham, Portland Place and marked the occasion with a meal at The Dorchester. Around 20 of his clients attended the BD party, meeting… Continue Reading