A hot summer's day

The temperature was 20° before we left home and was set to rise as the day progressed. Maggie and Dave came over about 9.30am and we set off for Awre, a village alongside the river Severn. We had found a walk of just 3½ miles which took us along the banks of the Severn starting and finishing in the car park of the Red Hart at Awre. I had booked a table at the Red Hart for 2pm as we planned to go on to Newent to see Mum and Dad after lunch.

We arrived in Awre following a slight mix up on Severn bridge crossings at 11am and, after a quick coffee, began our walk. The tide was low as we started, with large areas of sand banks visible. An hour or so into the walk Dave called to us to look at the river and there it was. Our first Severn Bore. A tidal surge of probably around ½ metre was making its way up the Severn and the change it made to the river was quite dramatic. Suddenly it became a full and fast flowing river, of interest to birds and jet skiers alike.

We arrived back at the Red Hart around 1.15pm, in time to sit and enjoy a cold drink in the garden prior to lunch. The food was outstanding. From the Sunday roast to the mushroom stroganoff it was one of the best meals we've enjoyed in a long time.

Around 3.30pm we said goodbye to Maggie and Dave who were off into the Forest of Dean for a short walk, and set off for Newent. Mum and Dad were fine and, after a short stay with them, we went into the town to the church where there was a flower show actually inside the church. We met Barbara, who wasn't having a good day, down by the lake, back to Mum and Dad's for a cuppa and then set off for home.

Home by 7pm and the temperature was 31° - sat out in the garden. Perfect end to a very pleasant weekend.

Epernay via Antwerp

We're back..... arrived home Friday night after a fortnight in France looking like a couple of rusty wallnuts. The weather was superb if a little damp at the outset.

Although warm it was showery initially and in fact we had a terrific downpour one night combined with a hefty helping of thunder and lightening.

Following an overnight stay in Dunkerque we set off for Antwerp where Wendy's father is buried. He was killed in the November as she was born in December just at the end of the second world war.

The picture above is a monument to the fallen of World War II and stands at the entrance to the immacutaley kept Schoonselhof War Graves Cemetery at Hoboken, a suburb of Antwerp.

From Antwerp we headed south intending to stay somewhere in the Ardenne but we fetched up in Epernay. 20 km south of Rheims, Epernay is the capital town of Champagne. Simply beautiful countryside with chalky stone hillsides lined with mile after mile of grapevines.



Our site in Epernay was alongside the river Marne which rises north of Dijon and flows into the Seine just outside Paris. Painted by Pissaro, Cezanne and many others it is a beautiful soft green colour. We stayed there the two weeks and had a wonderful time walking and exploring the vines of France.

A cafetiere clear day

Well, what a brilliant day. It started well with fresh English strawberry's for breakfast followed by the usual lightly scrambled egg on brown toast and freshly ground coffee. We were off to see Wendy's father in Trowbridge and it was a perfect summers day. We made good time although the traffic was quite heavy. Lunch at The Poplars was up to its usual standard and Wendy and I shared a wonderful high calorie pudding. We took Dad back and stayed an hour or so with him.

When we left for home we decided to stop off in the Shires shopping mall in Trowbridge as we wanted a couple of things for our forthcoming holiday not least an up to date atlas of Europe. Well, what I did find, to my absolute amazement, was a new glass for my cafetiere which I broke recently. We found it in Knee's, a department store that was going when we lived in Trowbridge some 40 years ago. Then success with a couple of new shirts, all in all a good day.

Off to France

Shush...... don't tell anyone, but I am doing this blog from work. It's a relatively quiet time here and ennui is setting in like rheumatism. It's mid week already and my thoughts are on the coming weekend. On Saturday we are up to Trowbridge to lunch out with Dad. Always a pleasant excursion, Wendy and I met and married in Trowbridge. We frequent a lovely restaurant with fine food but it does take up most of the day and nothing else gets done.

Sunday is Intergroup and starts at 2pm. I am picking Midge up on the way so will have to leave home by1pm, which means an early lunch at around 12 noon which, following a late leisurely breakfast means I won't get much done around the house. Another weekend gone and the last one before we start our holiday.

We have both taken Friday 23rd off in order to get down to Dover to catch the ferry to France at 6pm. We have had problems with our new car, a Renault Laguna which, we thought, would pull the caravan nicely. Following our weekend in Dartmouth a couple of weeks ago we realise that the Renault will not be powerful enough to tow a fully laden caravan for two weeks and so we have had to resurrect the Volvo. Le Volvo towed well a couple of years ago when we went to Brittany with Marian and Ian. Main grouch is that it doesn't have air conditioning and hopefully, it will be hot hot hot.... that's what we're going for!

Sunday morning

Thank God I'm not earning my living writing blogs. I haven't been here for some time now, however....

It's Sunday morning 11th June and we've just had breakfast. Usual stuff, boring in its familiarity but enjoyable nevertheless.

We're later than normal having been out playing cards with the usual crowd (excluding Midge who was in London staying with her brother) last night. Geoffrey seemed much improved but still looks thin. The DVD I made of our weekend in Darmouth didn't work on their DVD player so Maggie and Dave took it to see if it works on theirs.

I've just had a text from Beccie saying they are 50 miles from Dover and that the M25 was a breeze. Also they have used 1 litre of oil, but it should be ok now for them as it's only about 60 miles south once they get off the ferry.

We are off to Newent this afternoon to see Mum and Dad. Mum is still in respite so we will take Dad in to see her.

12 noon and just rang Newent to speak to Dad and confirm time of arrival this afternoon only to find Mum answering the phone. Sounded very confused but got the basic facts right. She has been home a couple of days now, had a row with Dad and he's gone off! Quickly rang Barbara and Ian answered saying she was scouring Newent looking for Dad who was threatening to do something drastic!

Rang back ten minutes later to find Barbara back home, with Dad. She sounded dreadful and shouldn't have to put up with this anymore. Hopefully, from what she said, Dad now realises he can't cope with Mum on his own. She needs permanent care now and perhaps so does he. It's going to be another difficult meeting this afternoon I can see.

Geoffrey's bowel

Well, it's some time since my last post although little has happend in between, except to Geoffrey that is. He has had his colon removed and is now home after spending 10 days in hospital. Happily all went well and he begins his period of convalescence now.

My arrival at Site 3

Well, who would believe things can change so dramatically in such a short period of time. The last time I wrote I had little to do at work, spent most of my time on the pc improving my web authoring skills, or my Excel skills, reading books and newspapers and generally doing very little work, because there wasn't any work to do.

They (my employers) decided to shut down the site where I worked, hardly surprising I suppose, and I went to Site 3 just as the coldest November for 40 years took hold. My greatest difficulty was to hold my panic in check. Outwardly I managed it but inside I was panicking for Britain.

I made mistake after mistake. These errors were simply pointed out to me with no apparent personal criticism or judgment for which I was grateful. I beat myself up in my head several times each day and cursed my higher power for the little help he appeared to be.

That was just over a month ago now and I've settled in quite well. Still making the odd mistake. Generally it's that I don't take time to look at what I'm doing. I did a really big one, something similar to what I've recently heard on the radio described as "Fat Finger Syndrome" That is supposedly where you hit the wrong button on the keyboard which is exactly what I did. Big trouble! Once again, my work colleagues simply got on with it and sorted it out whilst I slid around the office on my belly like the snake I felt I was.

Saturday morning ramblings

Firstly, I'm going to have to think up a more appropriate title than first posting, second posting etc., Well, it's Saturday morning and I've just had breakfast. Scrambled egg on brown toast and fresh coffee. In about an hours time I am off to Bristol where I am running a prison sponsors meeting in Clifton.

It's just after 8pm and I've been home since 5. The meeting went really well, at least I felt it did. The two guys from the board, well, one actually a board member, the other an ex Region plo, were a fount of information as far as prisons were concerned and we all benefited from their experiences. A good attendance although you could have predicted those who would be there and those who wouldn't. Clare was brilliant as usual and a great help. I had one lapse of self worth when Robert suggested, strongly, that I ring the governor named in the letter and I realised I should have, ages ago and hadn't, but I shook that off and was fine.

Off to Saunton Sands

well, it's Thursday afternoon and it's been incredibly quiet here. I'm off to Saunton Sands tomorrow for the annual luncheon of the C.T.B.A., a trade charity of which I am a member and I'm being driven down by Phil.