5th March 2011 The week was cold, miserable, and thoroughly uninspiring, the sort of weather that seeps into your bones and refuses to leave. My allotments remained off-limits except for an hour spent painting the shed with sump oil. The last fifteen minutes were done in a steady drizzle, so the roof remains untreated, awaiting… Continue Reading

27th February 2011 Busy at my allotments, I have so far managed to transplant what remained of my sorry-looking autumn-sown broad beans from four rows into one. A harsh December had reduced them to a bedraggled handful, and even they looked like they were clinging to life out of spite. I painted the garden shed… Continue Reading

14th February 2011 Valentine’s Day began with an unexpected twist. That evening, Lee appeared unannounced, bearing a giant card for Sarah before dashing back to Nottinghamshire after a brief visit. Earlier, I had enjoyed my first coffee of the day and was greeted with a card from Sue. Embarrassingly, I had nothing to exchange; several… Continue Reading

6th February 2011 As I wrapped up my last blog entry, Jamie and Sarah were both laid low by a particularly vicious sickness bug. That evening, when I rang the Rothwells for a natter, I found they too had fallen victim. Sue and I fully expected it to become a whole-family experience, but as the… Continue Reading

25th January 2011  Today, I finally conquered the allotments. The last section put up quite the fight, completely overrun with mint that behaves like couch grass, only more devious. Look at it the wrong way and it snaps, leaving its roots lurking underground, plotting revenge. I think I’ve dug most of it out, but I… Continue Reading

16th January 2011  At long last, life appears to be calming down. The Rothwells (Charlotte & Suraj) are now firmly ensconced, and the house is slowly being arranged to their exacting standards. Shelves have been erected, pictures are hanging proudly on the walls, and the furniture is in place, though it took three of us,… Continue Reading

31st December 2010 As the title suggests, this is the final blog of 2010, a year which has tested patience, health, bank balances, and, occasionally, sanity. Here’s where we all are presently: Me: Sat in the study, hiding, enjoying a rare moment of peace.Sue: In the kitchen, stoically tackling the washing-up.Nan: Parked comfortably in the… Continue Reading

28th November 2010 Since returning from the Azores, I don’t seem to have spent more than five minutes at home, and even then, it’s usually been to feed Millie the cat, put the kettle on, and collapse with exhaustion. Jamie is on the brink of moving into an apartment conveniently close to the railway station,… Continue Reading

7th November 2010 This entry is dedicated to our holiday in the Azores. Sue, Sarah and I had a delightfully uneventful train journey to Manchester Airport, where we were all pleasantly surprised to find our reserved seats unoccupied and our rather bulky suitcases tucked safely in the luggage racks, not what I expected, frankly. The… Continue Reading

25th October 2010 For my second refereeing outing of the season, I headed to Market Bosworth only to discover an assessor lurking in the changing room, ready to critique my every whistle. Not just one assessor, mind you, but three, all there to size up the poor refs at the club that day. With all… Continue Reading