15th February 2012 Some rugby friends and I recently joined Frank Johnson in Manchester to celebrate his upcoming wedding (stag do). Having played, coached, toured, and socialised with Frank for over a decade (despite him hailing from Lancashire), I couldn’t possibly refuse his invitation, especially when Jeremy and Robin swore blind they’d only go if… Continue Reading

22nd January 2012 It’s been a full three weeks since I last put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). A dangerous delay, the longer I leave it, the more my memory becomes like Swiss cheese: full of holes. Still, here’s what has managed to cling on. Sue managed to work a day at Church… Continue Reading

2nd January 2012 On 14th December, while Nan was at her hair appointment. I travelled to Sheffield to collect Sarah.  After a pleasant lunch in Whiston, we returned to Thurcroft to load Nan’s belongings into the car, before hitting the M1 south to Leicestershire. The following week was bitterly cold. Even with the central heating on… Continue Reading

18th December 2011 As expected, Jamie received official notice that his contract at Disney would end on 7th January. The warehouse had been strangely quiet for months, a far cry from last year’s frantic pace. The much-discussed recession was making its presence felt, tightening purse strings across the country. Even the roads seemed to confirm… Continue Reading

11th December 2011 After a decidedly nippy week, our central heating boiler finally spluttered back into action on Friday. Sue and I had been bundled up like Arctic explorers, sleeping under hot water bottles and thermals. In my quest to trim energy bills, I replaced one of the outdoor security lights with a more efficient… Continue Reading

  6th November 2011 Sadly, Murphy passed away in tragic circumstances. She had been Charlotte’s cat for twelve years, loved by all the family, all the more so since, a few years back, she tangled with a car and lost a hind leg. From then on, she became our cheerful little tripod, hopping about with… Continue Reading

21st November 2011 This week, we said goodbye to our next-door neighbour, Peter Miles. Sue and I joined his close relatives for the cremation service at Kettering Crematorium on Wednesday, twelve mourners in total. Unknown to the family, there was a minor crisis before the service even began. As I took my seat in the… Continue Reading

13th November 2011 As the title suggests, the evenings are turning decidedly nippy. Winter is limbering up in the wings, ready to make its grand entrance. The wood burner is now crackling away most nights, but it’s not yet cold enough for the central heating; gas prices being what they are, we’d rather put on… Continue Reading

6th November 2011 Charlotte, with her usual flair for family gatherings, organised a picnic at Stanwick Lakes. The weather forecast was hardly promising; rain in the morning had us considering snorkels, but by the time we set off, the drizzle had stopped, and Jamie had arrived. Sarah, freshly returned from university, travelled with us to… Continue Reading

26th October 2011 A lucky France beat Wales in the Rugby World Cup, and the following weekend promptly lost to New Zealand in a tight match. Meanwhile, my week was every bit as dramatic, if somewhat less dignified. We had two days of torrential rain, during which the Turks failed to turn up for work,… Continue Reading