5th June 2011 I took Nan home to Thurcroft on Sunday night, ending a visit that had been dominated by a relentless, icy wind, the sort that makes you wonder if you’ve accidentally moved to the North Sea coast. It had blown in the day she arrived and only gave up once I’d returned her… Continue Reading

29th May 2011 It’s been a blustery week, with the sort of wind that makes you feel like you’ve walked into a giant hairdryer. Only one day of rain tried (and failed) to rescue the parched, brown lawns. Monday’s drama came courtesy of Jamie’s fire alarm, again. At 7 pm, the phone rang in full… Continue Reading

    23rd May 2011 Monday marked Sarah’s 18th birthday. The day before, she and Charlotte had been to Eden Hall for a pampering spa day, returning refreshed, relaxed, and looking suspiciously clean. That evening, the whole family gathered for a Chinese birthday banquet at home, complete with the usual over-ordering and “I’ll just have… Continue Reading

15th May 2011 The weather has taken a turn for the worse. Despite last week’s overly optimistic forecast, it has been chillier and damper than predicted, though, unlike the Spanish, we haven’t had an earthquake yet. Sue spent Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday afternoons in school. I offered to help by giving a science lesson on… Continue Reading

8th May 2011 Monday began with Lee attempting a surprise visit to Sarah. Unfortunately, as is so often the case with unannounced appearances, she was out, in this case, at Charlotte’s. Lee dutifully diverted there, whisked her out for a meal, and left later that evening. On Tuesday, Jamie returned from a two-week holiday. At… Continue Reading

2nd May 2011 For Lucas’s birthday, we bought him an electric car and kept it at Willow Bank, so he could whizz safely around the patio and garden without the risk of encountering heavy traffic on the M1. On Tuesday, I ferried it to Rothwell so he could use it there instead of waiting for… Continue Reading

25th April 2011 Monday began with a bleary-eyed 4 am run to East Midlands Airport to drop Jamie and Harley at Departures. I returned to Willow Bank for some desperately needed sleep, only to be woken later by Jamie’s call announcing they’d arrived safely. Miraculously, Ryanair had overlooked Harley’s 7 kg of excess baggage, possibly… Continue Reading

17th April 2011 It’s one of life’s ironies that when the warm weather finally arrives, bringing our gardens and allotments into glorious bloom, it also summons clouds of small, irritating insects determined to ruin our rare British summery moments. This year, however, the pests have been rather larger and far more unpleasant. On Wednesday, Charlotte… Continue Reading

10th April 2011 Monday kicked off with a trip to Glenfield Hospital for a barium scan, essentially an opportunity for medical machinery to have a good nose around my insides and check that nothing untoward was happening. The original appointment had clashed with Sarah’s interview in Sheffield, so I’d rescheduled. On arrival, I fed £3… Continue Reading

2nd April 2011 Friday Family Curry Night usually sees the whole clan gathered round the table, though ever since his move, Jamie’s appearances have been rarer than a polite driver on the M25. He’s never been a fan of curries, so he tends to pop in for a quick hello before heading off to eat… Continue Reading