13th July 2013 Amid the usual family business, I should clarify the title of this post lest anyone think catastrophe has struck. Rest assured, the family are fine. The real drama involves birds and our windows. For reasons best known to the avian brain (or lack thereof), our house has become a magnet for feathered… Continue Reading

28th June 2013 Harborough lays claim to a brewery just outside the picturesque village of East Langton. They produce a range of beers that, I must confess, have yet to impress me or any of my friends. Still, when the Harborough Chamber of Commerce sent an invitation for a BBQ and brewery tour, I rounded… Continue Reading

18th June 2013 On the 23rd of May, Sarah headed back to Sheffield for a university friend’s wedding. The next day, I boarded a Tigers’ supporters’ bus to Twickenham for the Aviva Premiership final against Saints. Thanks to a road accident in Northampton (Saints HQ, of all places), we were stuck in traffic for four… Continue Reading

24th May 2013 It seems winter has staged an unwelcome encore. Outside, it’s cold, windy, and raining sideways, with reports of snow up north just to really rub it in. Only last week, we were basking in a brief fling with summer warmth, the veggies in the allotment shot up in hopeful optimism, and now… Continue Reading

9th May 2013 At long last, the weather has decided to behave itself, and venturing outdoors feels less like an endurance test and more like a pleasure. I’ve been hard at work repointing the patio slabs, a job that has left a visible archaeological record of my learning curve. The early attempts scream “work in… Continue Reading

5th May 2013 Nan has recently embarked on a course of Vitamin B12 injections, required thanks to her diabetes. Because her body isn’t absorbing it properly, the only option is to send it straight into the bloodstream, six jabs in two weeks to get her going, and then one a month for life. With all… Continue Reading

16th April 2013 Way back in June 2007, my nephew, Simon Wadsworth, was the spark that lit this whole blogging lark. Fresh out of university and not yet shackled to the “sensible world of work,” he set off backpacking across the globe. His blog kept us all in the loop, allowing us to travel vicariously… Continue Reading

8th April 2013 The cold snap shows no sign of retreating, a curious mix of sunshine and wind sharp enough to cut through three layers of clothing. Tempting though it is to get outside, the glow of the wood burner makes staying put far too easy. According to the papers, this has been the coldest… Continue Reading

1st April 2013 Since returning home, Sue and I have been knocked sideways by chest colds. Between the bitterly cold weather and the daily flurries of snow, neither of us has felt much like venturing out. Charlotte and her crew came over after she’d taken Ellis to lunch at Nan’s. I’d popped in to see… Continue Reading