31st July 2010 At long last, Ellis has arrived! Charlotte was rushed into Lincoln Hospital late yesterday afternoon, once her contractions had become reliably punctual, every five minutes, like clockwork. Unfortunately, things didn’t go quite to plan. It turns out Ellis was facing the wrong way, described as “back-to-back,” which I believe is medical shorthand… Continue Reading

26th July 2010 As the title suggests, we’re still in baby limbo, no sign yet of young Ellis, who appears to be treating Charlotte’s womb like a long-term holiday let. The weather’s been as indecisive as Ellis himself: no recent dips in the pool to report, just rain, clouds, and enough garden moisture to keep… Continue Reading

12th July 2010 It was drizzling the last time I wrote, and, true to form, it’s drizzling again today. That said, in between the two soggy bookends, we’ve basked in glorious sunshine and sweltered in 30°C heat. For the first time since moving to Willow Bank, the pool has proved its worth. There’s nothing quite… Continue Reading

2nd July 2010 As often expected, for a British summer, the last few weeks have been peppered with drizzly showers, not that I’m complaining. It’s given me plenty of excuses to avoid the garden, abandon the washing line mid-spin cycle, and sit down to write this blog with a smug cup of coffee in hand… Continue Reading

20th June 2010 Much to my great relief, Sarah has finally completed her AS Level exams. Over the past month, she’s been diligently sifting through notes, revision guides, and colour-coded cue cards, and firmly insisted I take up a permanent seat in the study to test her. I’ve lost count of how many hours we… Continue Reading

1st June 2010 A few days before Sarah’s 17th birthday, the sun finally decided to come out from behind its thick curtain of gloom and grace us with its presence. By the time the 23rd of May rolled around, we were basking in the hottest day of the year so far, almost as if Mother… Continue Reading

13th March 2010 Why on earth did I say yes? Agreeing to officiate at Harborough RUFC’s Sevens competition sounded harmless enough at the time, a bit of light touchline flag-waving, some fresh air, a few muddy lads charging about. But when I turned up at 11.00 am on a bitterly cold Sunday morning, I quickly… Continue Reading