Scouting for pubs

I've just realised that my blog title of yesterday makes no sense, as it mentions palm trees but I forgot to say anything about them! On the banks of the river yesterday was a beach for children to play and a volleyball pitch. It also looked like a whole load of palm trees had been brought in to add "atmosphere" as they weren't planted directly into the ground, but placed into huge pots that lined the river. It did look lovely, I must admit but I'm not sure that they would survive the tough Geordie winter!

Anyway, on Sunday morning we had a bit of a lie-in before having a delicious breakfast. I love having a full English cooked for me and it didn't disappoint. I started with muesli and fruit, followed by eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, mushrooms and baked beans. Like yesterday, it meant that I wouldn't need anything else to eat until dinner! With lashings of coffee and orange juice it certainly set us up for the day.

We had arranged to meet Keith's brother, Val, at 10.30am at the Washington services on the A1 but had half an hour to kill before we had to leave so we read the Sunday papers in the sunny lounge. A lovely, relaxed start to the day!

We parked on the north bound side and walked over to meet him as he was coming down from Newcastle. He had some things for the children and seemed very disappointed that they weren't with us. After a good chat he drove us back to our car and gave us a Pierrot doll for Sophie, some of his daughter's costume jewellery and his old Army jacket for Mikey, along with a toy racing car, still in its box. These filled up the boot of the car but it was a lovely thought of him, although I'm not sure Sophie will appreciate the doll...

After saying goodbye we drove to the coast and had a quick look at Marsden Rock. There were steep steps down to the beach so we ventured half way down and admired the views of the rock and the coast.

I suggested we drive to Whitburn but this part of the coast isn't the loveliest so we drove on through Sunderland and decided to find a pub for tonight. The hotel did have a carvery but the prices of the drinks were horrendous - £4.10 for Keith's bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale last night, and £4.95 for a medium glass of wine for me. I used the AA pub guide app on my phone which gave the Manor House Inn near Consett.  Jeeves gave us directions and it took us about 40 minutes to get there (we ended up in Northumberland) - worth it if the pub was a good one, serving real ale and delicious food!

Unfortunately we didn't think the drive was worthwhile. The views are stunning as it's high up on the A68, but the welcome was a little cold and the five advertised cask ales were reduced to just two, neither of which Keith was particularly fond of. The menu was standard roast fare and the lounge was not very comfortable at all. We had one drink and made the long journey back to Durham before having one last try in Sedgefield, where Tony Blair had taken George Bush and his wife for lunch in the Dun Cow. We thought that if it was good enough for the President of the United States then it would be good enough for us!

Unfortunately none of the three pubs in the village looked any good so we decided to return to the hotel and then try in Durham later in the evening before having dinner in the hotel. By now I'd had enough of driving and my diesel levels were very low - we'd driven almost 600 miles since Friday!

The hotel was a good deal quieter than the previous day and we spent a very relaxing couple of hours wallowing in the bath and having a snooze. I used the AA pub guide again and it directed us to the Victoria pub in Durham city centre. I managed to find a parking space on the street but we discovered that the pub didn't open until 7pm. Resigning ourselves to wandering about the city, Keith crossed the road to use a cashpoint and noticed a blackboard advertising the Court Inn. We decided to investigate and were thrilled with what we found - a lovely, welcoming pub serving great food and a good choice of beers! How lucky was that!

Durham

We were sitting at the bar when a man came in wearing a red sweatshirt with the words "Beerhunter" emblazoned on the front. I noticed "Malt Shovel" and "Northampton" on the sleeve and nudged Keith to tell him. He seemed a real character (well, anyone wearing a cowboy hat has to be) and when he was given his pint he fished out a notebook from his back pocket and made a note of what he was drinking. We know The Malt Shovel in Northampton well as it's one of the real pubs in the town specialising in good beer.

Keith said he was going to go over and ask him if he knew a man that always drinks in the Malt Shovel, but I told him not to...he looked the sort that would tag onto us for the rest of the evening! With Keith's third pint he ignored my advice and went over to the man to have a chat and although he said he didn't really know him he was surprised to learn that Keith lived in Northampton and knew the pub well.

We went into the dining room for our meal - the most delicious fish and chips I've ever had - and the man came over just before we were served our meal. He did remember, he said and then went on to tell us his name was Jim and for his 60th Birthday, the Malt Shovel had named a beer after him. Keith disappeared to the loo and I was beginning to think that Jim was going to join us for the evening! However, I think he took the hint and left but it was amazing to think that he knew our regular haunts (he's a big fan of Olde England) and had lived in Kingsthorpe all his life.

So, all of our beer-hunting had ended very well, and ironically, right on our doorstep! On the way back to the car we called into The Victoria for Keith to have one pint and what a real pub that was! Just a small bar, stuffed with Victoriana and just doing drinks, no food. There was a crowd of friendly locals and a lovely atmosphere but it was definitely more of Keith's type of pub than mine!

Back at the hotel we sat at the bar with a couple of glasses of wine and chatted to the barman. We were also treated to the evening's entertainment of a man trying to chat up a lone woman who just seemed to want a quiet drink!

Palm trees? In Newcastle?

Keith and I were undecided about what to do today - it really depended on the weather! We awoke to blue skies and sunshine so we decided to head for Newcastle and take a walk along the Quayside. Keith wanted to cross the Millennium Bridge so after a delicious cooked breakfast (I am NOT skimping on my first meal of the day!), we drove to Newcastle along the A167, which was the old A1, running from London to Edinburgh.

We managed to park above the river and we were soon down on the Quayside admiring the views over to the Tyne Bridge and the Swingbridge.

The new bridge with the Sage building in the background

The Tyne Bridge

The building reminds me of a witchety grub!

Luckily, although breezy, the weather was fine and dry so we had an amble over the bridge and watched some foolish people flying through the air from the Baltic building by zipwire over the river...mad!

Once over the river, and into Gateshead, we visited The Baltic which, formerly a flour mill, is now a gallery of contemporary art. Entry was free (Keith did put a donation in the box) and we went up to the 5th floor to see the stunning views over Newcastle and the river Tyne.

Below us, on the fourth floor, was an exhibition by Fabrice Hyber which I just thought was completely bizarre. No doubt some people would be able to see some deep significance to the exhibits but I just thought they were weird. We went downstairs to have a good look and were mystified by the scribblings on the walls, the huge man made out of fruit and vegetables, the arrangement of sponges, coins, salt and chillies and cabins which, when opened, emitted strange noises (thunder, lightening or wind). Hmmm...There was a collection of pristine white fridge freezers with their doors open and lines of white sheets hanging from washing lines...To be honest, the best thing for me was the view of the sky above!

None the wiser we trooped down to the ground floor to an exhibition by Heather Phillipson which consisted of a speedboat surrounded by bottles of mineral water and a yellow Peugeot with a video playing on its windscreen...

Having had enough of culture we wandered back over the Millennium Bridge just before it was tilted so that taller boats could pass through. This happens every few hours and is spectacular to see.

We'd decided to take a boat trip along the river at 1.30pm so we had a walk into the centre, up to the Bigg Market which is a hotspot for bars and clubs. I dread to think what it's like on  Friday and Saturday nights! We popped into a pub Keith used to go to, The Crown Posada, which was wonderful. It's a tiny place (blink and you'd miss it) but it had atmosphere in abundance. It's a very narrow bar with beautiful stained glass windows, old lamps, prints of how Newcastle used to look and lots of dark wood. There was a very old record player playing vinyl (The Rolling Stones, The Beatles) and a sign saying they served Pease Pudding and ham sandwiches! Keith was in heaven!

We had a pint and a half of Black Gate beer from the Hadrian Border brewery and very good it was too! Lovely and dark with a delicious malty flavour. It was great to sit and rest for half an hour as the walk up from the river was very steep and the sun had come out making us feel a bit warm! We saw lots of stag parties roaming the streets...I had no desire to come back in the evening!

We had a fast walk back to the river and took an hour's boat trip, squeezed in opposite a couple who looked like they'd just sucked on a load of lemons. The recorded commentary was interesting, touching upon Newcastle's famous past as the ship-building capital of the world.

Back on dry land we returned to the car and then drove to Durham to visit a pub called The Duke of Wellington to see whether it passed muster for our meal tonight. It was very pleasant, so after a quick drink we went to check into the Ramside Hall Hotel, our home for the next two nights.

The hotel is set in large grounds with a golf course attached. The building looks like an old castle and was once the home of the Pemberton family.

The comfortable lounge

We had a gorgeous room with a huge bed (bigger than our super-king at home) a beautiful bathroom with enormous bath and two chairs to sit in and relax. There were lots of weddings taking place and we could see the guests arriving from our window.

After unpacking we had a snooze and then we both had a deep, hot bath (not together, although it was big enough!) and went off to The Duke Of Wellington. We'd booked a table which was a good thing as the pub was very busy with most tables occupied. I had a glass of very low alcohol Barefoot Moscato and ordered from the specials menu - pea and mint soup followed by chargrilled salmon served with a white wine sauce, potatoes and veggies.Keith chose whitebait and fish and chips but when he returned from the bar to order, he said that they'd run out of salmon... Not wanting the other sinful dishes I reluctantly went for the chicken and mushroom risotto.

The meal was lovely but I didn't really enjoy my main course. I decided that on Sunday evening I would have a meal I fancied as there was no point in eating something I wouldn't really enjoy (my excuse anyway!).

We finished our evening in the lounge bar of the hotel and it was very busy with wedding guests all having a great time. We could hear the disco music faintly from our room but the bed was so comfortable that nothing kept us awake!

A weekend away (without the children!).

This morning Keith and I set off for the North-East of England for a weekend away...without the children! Mum and Dad had bought us a voucher for a hotel so we'd chosen the Ramside Hall Hotel near Durham for two nights, but we'd decided to travel up on the Friday and stay in a Premier Inn near Bishop Auckland.

I didn't feel as tired as I thought I would after my late night taxiing, but the weather was not as I'd hoped for our journey up! It was grey, misty and very rainy - not like summer at all! Keith drove all the way and we were drawing up outside The Bay Horse pub in Heighington just before 1pm. We'd planned to have lunch at the pub as Keith wanted to go out in the evening to some of his old haunts to see if he could meet up with some of his ex-drinking pals.

The rain was still falling out of the greyest sky and the pub was quiet with only a few tables occupied. I decided to be very good so I chose the cod wrapped in bacon, served with a white wine sauce, new potatoes and vegetables. Keith went for Sweet and Sour chicken with rice, which the waitress said was a large portion. She wasn't wrong!

After lunch we drove from Bishop Auckland to Keith's hometown of Ferryhill so I would know the way when I dropped him off in the evening and then we checked into the Premier Inn. We've stayed here before, with the children, so we knew where it was and as always, it didn't disappoint.

By now the weather had cleared up a bit so I left Keith lounging in the room watching the tennis while I popped over to a nearby retail park to get some essentials that I'd forgotten. I had a lovely time and bought myself two pairs of new shoes (a pair of light walking boots and some sandals) plus some goodies in M&S to make our stay even more comfortable. I'd forgotten just how friendly the people are in this part of the world. Everyone I spoke to seemed genuinely pleased to serve me and the man on the till in M&S joked about how near Christmas was...thanks for that!

Back at the hotel I had a snooze and then at 6pm I drove Keith over to Ferryhill, about 20 minutes away. He was a bit apprehensive as the Working Men's Club he used to go to had a security system fitted and he hadn't got a membership card any more. However, I waited until he'd gone inside the building and then, thankfully, returned to the hotel. I say thankfully, as there were some real sights going into the club...the less said about that the better!

Back at the hotel I had a lovely hot bath and watched Andy Murray play tennis. It was a thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours! All too soon it was time to head back and pick up my husband and on the way I enjoyed the gorgeous evening and the stunning views - this really is a beautiful part of the country.

Keith wasn't as inebriated as I expected and he'd had a great night catching up with some old friends so he was in a very good mood. We headed back to the Premier Inn and went into the pub attached for a drink and some supper. I was able to have a lovely glass of wine now my taxi duties were over and I ordered a chicken salad as I was feeling a bit peckish - lunch was a long time ago!

Prom again

Sophie had her Year 13 Prom tonight so I picked her and Abi up from school and took them home to get ready at our house. I'd planned on going for a walk but the weather was terrible with torrential rain so I decided to stay at home instead!

The girls didn't get to the party until almost 9pm and stayed until 12.45am so it was a late night for all of us and I think that the girls had had a few vodkas...they were quite subdued in the car going home but they'd had a great time and both of them looked gorgeous!

Dieting blues...

I've started a diet with Weight Watchers as the pounds are not coming off enough! Despite all the exercise I do, the scales are not showing any weight loss even though I've dropped a dress size or two and I certainly feel fitter.

So, I've signed up with WW online and I have to keep track of all the food I eat throughout the day. I think I now know why I find it hard to lose weight as my portion sizes are probably too big! I weighed out some muesli for breakfast and could only have 45g, which is not a lot! Normally I would have had twice or even three times the amount!! Hmmm!

I worked hard in the gym after work and then had a very modest dinner, which meant that when I went to bed I was still hungry - not a good feeling! I think I'm going to have to be more inventive with what I eat!

Cats Rule OK!

Tonight, after dinner and before going to pick Mikey up from Army Cadets, Sophie and I walked Monty. Archie was nowhere to be seen (probably off hunting) so it was just the three of us. As we walked around the estate we came across Graham cutting his lawn watched by his beautiful dog, Dennis. Dennis eyed Monty with interest but the cat took no notice until Dennis finally approached him. Monty then arched his back and started growling and hissing at him.

Now, Dennis is a big dog (like a black retriever) but Monty showed no fear at all. Dennis wasn't sure what to do...he kept looking at Graham for reassurance then tore off around the green wanting to play! Monty just seemed to do a cat version of shrugging his shoulders and wandered off, tail held high!

It did remind me of the time Max sneaked up on him when he was asleep in the conservatory and Max ran off with his tail between his legs! Cats certainly rule around here!

Frustration!

Today I managed very cleverly to get out of doing the cleaning by arranging lots of interviews! Well, we do need to fill the post!

It's amazing, though, that people go to all the trouble of applying for a job, replying to emails or phone calls and then don't bother to turn up. I wasted an hour this morning waiting for a lady to come along at midday and she didn't show up. It meant that I'd hung about when I could have been over at the bank and doing other jobs...grrr!

We did have two women attend and they were lovely so all frustration was forgotten. It was great getting to know new people and finding out a bit about them.

I did do some work in the afternoon as I helped Keith and Ian remove some flaky paint off our hand-rail and then I swept up after them. My lack of activity today meant that I was raring to go in the gym and I did a very good workout followed by a ten minute swim. When I eventually submerged myself into the foamy warm waters of the jacuzzi I felt like I'd earned the relaxation!

No power, no water!

I awoke this morning to a power cut and our burglar alarm going off (and being very loud!). It was 9.30am which amazed me as I haven't slept so late for ages. My lack of sleep last week must be to blame!

We had no power at all and Mum and Dad called to see if we were having a power cut as they had no electricity either. They also said they had no water but ours seemed fine, if a little slow.

I was desperate for a coffee, so we drove to the garage to get the newspapers and I filled up with diesel before making myself a latte with their Costa Coffee machine. When we arrived home the power was back on but the water was getting slower and slower. Before long we had none at all!

We'd planned to go to Milton Keynes as Sophie has a Prom night on Thursday and although not as important as last year's affair, she still wanted to get a dress and hadn't, as yet, had any success. She said there was no way she could go without having a shower or washing her hair and we were on the point of cancelling when I suggested we call in at the gym on the way and use their facilities. Mum, who was coming with us, said she would wait in the cafe so we packed our bags full of our toiletries and off we went!

We both had a lovely hot shower and washed our hair and then did our make-up. I even cleaned my teeth there but we felt much better afterwards and ready for some serious shopping!

After lunch at Caffe Italia we hit the shops and Sophie became grumpier and grumpier as she tried on loads of dresses. I found a lovely swimsuit in M&S and she called me to say that she'd tried on a beautiful dress in River Island so there was relief all round! I treated her to a pair of ear-rings and then we thankfully headed home where I poured myself a glass of my silky smooth French red and finally relaxed...and said a silent prayer that our water supply was restored!

Walking in a green tunnel

Today has flown by, as most weekends do!

I went for a lovely walk in the afternoon and was astounded at how much the vegetation has grown over the last week or so. Walking over the fields the grass was very long and at times it felt like being in a green tunnel! I charged up the hill feeling great and did the walk itself in under an hour. Keith met me with a sandwich and a cup of tea which was just what I needed!

After I picked Sophie up from work, we headed off to Costa Coffee for a drink (I stuck to sparkling water as all the cakes now have the amount of calories next to them!). A sobering moment came when a very large lady was taken ill and a paramedic called. She was eventually taken away in an ambulance but it did make me think about my own fitness and how glad I am that I've started going back to the gym. I now just need to lose some more weight!

After our drink we wandered over to Boots and I treated myself to some pampering products and then it was home to relax before a very hot curry for dinner. As there was absolutely nothing on TV and we couldn't agree on anything to watch (I did see Sideways earlier with a glass of red wine) we took the cats for a late walk. They love being with us despite Mikey spending most of the time chasing them!

Summer Solstice

Typically, the longest day of the year (or the shortest night, whichever way you look at it) dawned dull and grey. I really didn't want to get up this morning and I had a hard time being at work as well!

We are facing a lot of interviews next week as Laura who works on Reception for us is leaving in mid-July. We really need to get someone responsible and reliable but I hate interviewing as it's a process I don't trust. I always think people are false at interview so the plan is to ask promising ones back and then maybe get them to come in for an hour at the weekend to work with Polly and see how they get on.

We had the first interview this afternoon, only the woman didn't bother to turn up or even phone me to say she couldn't make it. What a good start!

After work, to try and get rid of my bad mood, Sophie and I went to the gym for the first time this week. Sophie didn't feel like working out so she went downstairs to the spa while I did work hard! I spent 15 minutes on the crosstrainer at quite a good speed, 15 minutes on the bike while watching Pointless and then 10 minutes on the treadmill at the incline on 8% (I also did my weights) so I felt very pleased with myself afterwards (and maybe looked a bit red-faced!).

I knew Sophie was waiting for me so rather than have a shower at the gym we headed home and I had one there. It was bliss to sit down afterwards and watch Neighbours!

Soaking up some culture...

After work today Keith and I met Sophie at school to go and see an art exhibition featuring the photos that she'd taken for her last exam. The weather had been dull all day and driving home from work I could see rain clouds gathering, and of course, the heavens opened when we were driving to her school. It lashed it down so hard that the windscreen wipers could hardly cope and we got a bit of a soaking when we ran from the car into the school.

It was a very informal exhibition but we were impressed with the artwork and the photos on display from Years 12 and 13. There was some real talent there.

We didn't stay long and splashed our way back home, ordering a take-away from the Chinese van in the village before going for a drink at the pub (we dropped Sophie off at home first). One of the local cricket matches had been cancelled because of the weather so there were free sandwiches on the bar...yum!

Ye olde ale...

Today I was back at work and feeling a wee bit better!

The weather today has been very sultry and I kept hoping for a good thunderstorm to clear the air. Apparently, today is supposed to be the hottest of the summer so far although the temperature in my car registered at 24 degrees, which I don't think is excessive!

To combat the heat, Keith and I went to The Olde England pub in the evening to sample the beers in the cellar. The downstairs bar wasn't open when we first went in so we ordered our drinks from the hatch and sat upstairs. I wasn't keen on the half pint I was drinking (called Deception) so Keith finished it off for me - it was too bitter a bitter for me, if you know what I mean!

The cellar bar eventually opened at around 6.45pm and it was a lot cooler downstairs! There were about 6 ciders on offer and another 6 beers, all on handpump. I chose Hedonism (very good) while Keith went for the strongest - IPA Imperial - at 5.7%. I had drunk just half of my half pint when Keith ordered me another half of Tea Kettle stout which was easily my favourite of the night.

We enjoyed our couple of hours escape from the children and The Olde England certainly is a pub full of character (rather like the landlord!) with three different areas of seating and a very rustic air for an inn that is in the town!

I throw a sickie...

After a terrible night's sleep (my throat felt like I'd swallowed a handful of knives) I called Mum and said I was going to lie low and try and shake this cold off by doing very little, which is what I did!

I can't remember the last time I had any time off work sick so I tried not to feel too bad. But there was no way I could have cleared out the unit so I spent most of the day watching daytime TV and some much better programmes I'd recorded. The promise of a fine and sunny day turned cloudy and dull and I couldn't even summon up the energy for a walk.

I sure hope I feel better tomorrow!

Playing with fire...

Today Keith and I spent most of the morning clearing out one of our storage units and having a bonfire of lots of old paperwork. I think men love playing about with fire and Keith was no exception! We managed to get rid of a fair amount of old papers and I made a start on the unit which was stuffed full of rubbish.

By the mid afternoon I was feeling very weary and coupled with a sore throat that Mikey has given me, I called it a day and went into the office and did some paperwork. I was surprised at how tired I felt as I hadn't done that much and normally I'd go and have a work-out at the gym afterwards! However, today I gave the gym a miss (so feel guilty about that) but I had no energy whatsoever. In fact I even fell asleep on the sofa, sitting up!

I think it's an early night for me!

Father's Day

Well, Keith had a lazy day today which he thoroughly deserved! Sophie and I left him to watch the cricket while we went to the gym, which was blissfully quiet. I had a long chat with Liam about our latest find, The Olde England pub and it appears both of us are fans. I found out that there is bar downstairs in the cellar which stocks even more beers so we are definitely going to go back, hopefully with Sarah and Liam for a night out.

Sophie and I worked hard and then relaxed in the spa before going home and doing very little in the afternoon. I prepared dinner as Mum and Dad were coming to celebrate Father's Day - lots of cold meats, quiche and salad. Perfect for a summer day, although I don't think the weather knew it was supposed to be warm and sunny!

We had a lovely evening and Dad was very happy with his whisky. Keith had been dipping into his beers since the early evening so he was in a very mellow mood, just right for Father's Day!

Another busy Saturday!

I did promise myself a quiet weekend but I've been rushing around again today as it's Father's Day tomorrow and my husband miraculously morphs into a second father at this time of the year as the children always "seem" to forget!

Before I took Sophie to work I started on the household chores as I really couldn't leave cleaning the house any longer. Keith is great at doing the washing, the ironing and the cooking and he'll put the hoover around every day but a little more in-depth cleaning was definitely required today! There was a beautiful breeze blowing so I changed our bed and put all the washing out on the line, took Sophie to work and cleaned all the rooms except for the children's bedrooms (I don't go into Mikey's any more) and the bathroom (Keith can do that for me next week!).

By 3pm I'd more or less finished so I showered and then drove down to Riverside to buy a new iPod cable for Mikey as he'd broken his second one (the one we bought for him at Gatwick back in March...). It was then time to pick up Sophie and head over to Market Harborough to go and see Duncan and buy some alcoholic treats for my father and my husband. Dad was treated to a bottle of Finlaggan Islay Malt while Duncan and I picked out five ales for Keith. They all had to be non-bottle conditioned which was a bit hard as Duncan seems to be a fan of this type of beer, but Keith does not like the sediment that can sometimes make the drink a little cloudy.

We staggered out of the shop and left our purchases in the boot of my car which was handily parked right outside the shop - bonus! - and then had a well-deserved treat in Caffe Nero. Well, us girls need a little pamper, too, don't we?!

Sophie had a quick peek in New Look and then we headed to Waitrose to get some more goodies for tomorrow night's family meal. I'm a fan of Waitrose but I didn't go much on this branch which was small and dark and didn't seem to have a lot of choice. I bought some more cold meats and a bottle of wine and then we headed home for a relaxed evening. At last!

We say goodbye to Nan

I'd been dreading today, to be honest, but it went off really well.

We had a late start as the funeral wasn't until 2.45pm. There was no point making it earlier because of the travelling some of us had to do and we weren't going to risk being late or not turning up at all. We all left Northampton at 11am and had a surprisingly good journey down to Dartford. As we were quite early, we drove to the Crematorium to make sure we knew where it was and then popped to a nearby cafe for a coffee and a bite to eat.

Poor Mikey has a terrible cold at the moment so we called into a Co-op to get him some lozenges and cough medicine and then headed back to Eltham Crematorium. When we got there we saw that my parents had already arrived with my Aunt Pat (Dad's sister) and Uncle Alan.

The weather had turned absolutely beautiful which was a huge bonus as I'm sure there was rain forecast. Gradually all the family arrived and there were lots of hugs and kisses but none of us looked really sad which was a relief. I felt that the funeral should be a celebration of Nan's life, rather than a depressing event.

The funerals at the Crematorium are a bit conveyor belt, to be honest, but it was still a lovely service. My mum was a bit emotional which was only to be expected and when I stood to do my Eulogy my heart was beating really fast with nerves. Keith had told me to speak slowly and I managed to get through it with only a few tears which was a huge relief! Afterwards Keith said I did really well and my mum was very pleased with what I'd said.

After the funeral itself was over and we'd looked at all the flowers, Keith, the kids and I left first as I wanted to make sure there was someone in the Community room (where Nan lived) to welcome everyone back. The traffic was absolutely horrendous and there'd been a bad accident on the A2 so we diverted through Bexley and managed to arrive first even though I was convinced we would be last because of the congestion.

Even though there was a bit of an atmosphere (there's been a bit of a rift with my Uncle Terry's side for over 20 years) we still had a very pleasant couple of hours chatting to everyone and the ice was melted a little bit. It would be great to think we could all meet up again - I had a great conversation with Nicki, my cousin's wife, who is also doing the family tree - but I have a feeling it will just be funerals from now on. But you never know...

We left Dartford at 6pm and had a good journey home despite it being Friday night. Keith and I escaped to the pub for an hour for a drink - bliss!

A poem:

Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow;
I am the diamond glints on snow;
I am the sunlight on ripened grain;
I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning hush
I am the quick uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft star that shines at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there, I did not die.

Mary Frye 1932

An eventful night!

My second job as a taxi driver continued today when I picked up Sophie and Abi from school, took them back to work (where they stuffed their faces) and then left a little early so they could go home and get ready for their Lewis Watson gig at Leicester University.

I had foolishly said I would take them to the gig and then Keith, Mikey and I would find a pub for a couple of hours, but they told me they had to be at the venue really early to get a spot right at the front...Looking at the map I realised that it would only take about 45 minutes to get to the University so I said that rather than spend over 5 hours in a pub, I would be taxi driver and come home after I dropped them off, but only on one condition...that Keith cooked a nice meal as this week has been a bit hectic and our meals have been a bit hit and miss!

We took Gladys with us and my word, did she take us on a weird route! We ended up driving along tiny country lanes and eventually reached the A6 - I knew a much better route, to be honest, and I'm sure our SatNav has a fetish for narrow country lanes! Gladys is getting a bit temperamental lately, to be honest, as she started freaking out and shrieking "Recalculating, recalculating!" at me for no apparent reason. She got us to the University and then we spent almost as much time trying to find the venue as it was tucked away on the campus and we didn't have a clue how to find it!

Eventually, after much driving about, I dropped the girls off at a place very close (we resorted to asking a very polite student) and then I headed home. On the way I filled up with diesel (again) and bought myself a bottle of tonic water as I was definitely going to have a vodka and tonic after my somewhat stressful journey!

Keith cooked a delicious beef casserole, we watched TV until 10pm and then left for the return journey. Keith drove this time (I'd had a couple of VATs) and we were back at the University by 10.45pm. I called my daughter to tell her we were waiting and she handed her phone to Lewis Watson himself! I was a bit shocked but we had a lovely conversation (he has a gorgeous voice) and then the excitable two appeared full of the gig and what a great time they'd had. They were also full of praise for Leicester Uni which is fine with me seeing as it's so close!

The journey home was uneventful except for an emergency stop for a McDonald's as the girls were famished!

Lewis Watson

Getting spiritual...

Tuesday and Wednesday have flown by and it looks like another week is soon going to disappear! The weather continues to be horrible for this time of year and I do wonder whether we'll ever get a summer!

Today has been very busy as Keith and I needed to get Mikey kitted out with some new clothes and shoes for Nan's funeral on Friday, so after we'd picked up the children from school (including Abi who was coming to the gym with us) we went to Brantano's and picked him out a new pair of shoes that will do him for school as well. I'd dropped the girls off at the gym and went back there after sorting Mikey out, managing to do a good workout before rushing home, as this evening Mum and I went to a Demonstration of Mediumship at the Spiritualist Church in Northampton.

I had been looking to see a Medium for a while and saw that demonstrations are held on the second Tuesday of the month. We'd never been to the Spiritualist Church before and we weren't sure what to expect but we had a very warm welcome and were given a hym book as we would be singing a hymn before the evening started! I am by no means a Spiritualist but I was very interested to see what would happen and I would say that 99% of the people there were very normal indeed!

Liz Fuller was the medium and she was a lovely person. A lot of people came through and she was extremely accurate in all that she said, except for two men who she just couldn't connect anyone with. The family group behind us had their mother and their aunt appear so they were very lucky. Right at the very end she pointed to me and said that a woman had connected with her, a maternal grandmother of mine. Well, I was shocked even though I was hoping to connect with my Grandad, and although some of the details were a little vague, Mum and I hope that it was Nan as quite a few of the things she said made sense.

When I got home I told Keith what had happened but he is as sceptical as they come and refuses to believe that there is an after-life. I would love to believe it and a huge part of me is convinced that the soul carries on after death but I know that this is a very personal matter and I think that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. We will go back again, of that I'm sure, and I just hope that we have a little longer should anyone come through next time!

Glum Monday!

So yesterday I ticked off another of my Bucket List goals:

1. Visit Saltaire near Bradford - a Victorian model village built by Sir Titus Salt for his mill workers. 
2. Drive to Berlin (maybe a bit dodgy this one but I'm going to persevere).
3. Visit a UK Christmas Market.
4. Walk through Dovedale in the Peak District.
5. Make a Christmas cake.
6. Write a short story - it's about time I got back into my writing.
7. Visit Coton Manor Gardens.
8. Climb at least one of the highest mountains in the UK - either Scafell Pike, Ben Nevis or Snowdon (hmmm...got to get that treadmill at the gym on a higher incline...)
9. Visit Portmeirion in Wales.
10. Ride one of the scarier roller coasters when we visit Florida, but NOT the Hulk!
11. Visit the National Gallery.
12. Read Wuthering Heights.
13. Grow a Sunflower from seed.

Another three are in the pipeline! We've booked to drive to Berlin in July, my ascent of Ben Nevis has been arranged and Keith and I are planning to go to Saltaire at the end of June.

Today has been another grey and overcast day - very miserable and chilly for June. I wish the weather would cheer up a bit! We got a lot of things done at work and then it was off to the gym afterwards for a shorter workout than normal as I was feeling a bit weary!

The National Gallery

Today I ticked off another goal on my Bucket List - a trip to the National Gallery in London. The weather was disappointing again with heavy grey clouds and a chilly temperature, but we set off nonetheless. We had a good journey down to London, but became a bit unstuck when I found I couldn't turn left just after the V&A museum to park in Hyde Park...

I must admit I panicked a bit and carried on into Knightsbridge, and then spotted a car park behind Harrods. I didn't see any charges displayed but I was so thankful to find a parking space I didn't care...

We left the car, walked past some very posh shops indeed (Dolce & Gabana, Harvey Nichols) and found our way to Hyde Park corner, Buckingham Palace and the Mall. There were crowds of tourists everywhere and we saw one of the guards striding through the park opposite Buckingham Palace still wearing his ceremonial uniform. To be honest it was a bit creepy seeing him among the trees with his bearskin and scarlet tunic and he seemed very out of place! Is it even allowed, we wondered?

Once at Trafalgar Square we had lunch in a branch of Caffe Nero and then walked the short distance to The National Gallery. There was something Indian going on in the square as there were loads of stalls selling Indian food and we were accosted by a young woman asking if we wanted to take part in yoga! We told her we were on our way to the National Gallery so she sent us on our way with a smile! We noticed a street "statue" and Sophie went to put some money in his box - he was very good but a bit scary!

We had a great time in the Gallery and saw some beautiful paintings by Constable (The Hay Wain), Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Gainsborough, etc. There were lots of boobies on display including some frankly rude pictures which surprised us both! I enjoyed seeing some of the famous paintings close up but I do wonder what all the fuss is about with regards to Van Gogh - his Sunflowers painting was on loan to an exhibition in Amsterdam but the one of the chair was on display and I'm afraid it did nothing for me! This was the one I thought was beautiful...

I wasa drawn to her eyes and how lovely she was - the painting is Susanna at her Bath by Francesco Hayez and tells the story of Susanna, a virtuous woman who was bathing in her garden while two eldermen looked on. They threatened to report her for adultery unless she slept with them, but she protests and is finally proved innocent. I think the artist is intending for the viewer of the painting to be the men watching her as there is definitely a reproachful look in her eye!

We saw all that we wanted to see at the National Gallery, treated ourselves to a muffin and a drink, and then made our way back to the car park where I discovered that it had cost me £38 to park for just under four hours! We won't be using that car park again but my little Audi was in good company - there were some seriously posh cars in there!

It was great to get home and have a drink and a chat with Keith and tell him about our day. I love visiting London but it's just a bit expensive!

Busy, busy!

Today has been busy again, despite saying to myself I would have a quiet weekend!

Keith and I went shopping first thing this morning and while he went off with the trolley, I sat in Costa Coffee and enjoyed a Latte and some biscuits...I only annoy him by wandering off with the trolley so it was best I kept out of the way!

After I'd dropped Sophie off at work I came home and did my walk. Today has been much cooler with a lot of cloud - certainly not the wall-to-wall sunshine that was forecast! I enjoyed my walk, came home and washed the car and then picked up Sophie from work. We had a quick swim at the gym before it was closed as some little darling had been sick - I was so glad we were on the point of getting out just as it happened!

We barbecued in the evening but there was no way I was going to sit out and enjoy the evening! It was bloomin' cold so I left Keith to it while I sorted out the chicken in the oven and the new potatoes...the forecast has certainly been wrong today!

A froth of white and green...

Today has been very quiet at work. By about 2pm we had no customers in at all - it's a good job we have lots of parties booked this weekend!

I had intended going to the gym after work, but Keith persuaded me to go for a walk with him instead so we went off over the fields and enjoyed an hour's exercise. At the moment the May blossom is out and the cow parsley is everywhere so the countryside was a froth of white flowers and green foliage...beautiful.

Back home I had a brief period of relaxation then it was time to take Keith to the pub, come home, take the girls over to Sixfields for dinner at TGI Fridays, come back home, put the plates to warm in the oven and then go and pick Keith up again. We had fish and chips for supper before I went to pick Sophie and Abi up at around 9.45pm. I was truly thankful to get home and relax! I asked Sophie very nicely if she could resist making any arrangements for parties, sleepovers or meals out for a couple of weeks...I think my taxi driving duties are in need of a break!

I turn detective!

Sophie was back to school today as normal and moaned a bit about having to go back. It might have been a nice idea to have given the students the rest of the week off to celebrate the end of exams, but never mind! It felt very strange going back to pick her up again as I've got out of the habit over the past few weeks.

I've managed to do some form of exercise every day this week and today Keith and I went for a walk when I got in from work. The countryside was looking its beautiful best and we really enjoyed our walk through the village and over the fields. It was quite warm, the early morning gloom giving way to bright sunshine and blue skies but there was a lovely breeze to keep us cool.

We watched the last two episodes of The Killing tonight and amazingly, my prediction as to who the murdered was proved to be correct! I never ever manage to work it out so I was really chuffed with myself! We'll miss watching the Danish drama every night so I may go and treat myself to Series 2 on box set!

Busy Wednesday!

Did I say yesterday that Summer is here? This morning dawned cold, grey and drizzly!

Keith and I had various errands to do this morning and Sophie came in to work with us first thing as she had her last exam this afternoon. She was a bit worried about it (Pyschology) but when I picked her up after school she said it wasn't so bad and she was relieved it was all over. Now she is officially in her last year of school and this time next year she will be finished for good!

After work we went off to the gym, me to work hard while Sophie went and lazed in the spa. I put the incline on the treadmill up quite high and certainly felt the muscles stretch in the backs of my legs! It was heavenly to have a spell in the steam room and then a soak in the jacuzzi afterwards!

In the evening Keith and I watched more episodes of The Killing and we were almost tempted, at 10.30pm, to see the last two episodes in a bid to find out who the killer is! We decided to leave it until tomorrow though as we didn't want to watch it and feel too tired to enjoy it! Roll on tomorrow!

Summer is here!

Today has been another beautiful day and first thing saw me rushing around taking Sophie to school and then doubling back almost to Kettering to collect Keith from the garage as the Passat was due its MOT. I didn't get to work until after 9am and then at lunchtime I went out to pick up Sophie from school after her Business exam.

By 3pm we were empty at work so we closed up and all left early for the day. What a difference to last week! It's unbelievable how much the weather affects us!

Sophie and I went for a walk over the fields in the late afternoon and enjoyed the gorgeous weather and the fields of buttercups, cow parsley and May blossom. This really is a wonderful time of year!

Sweating it out!

It was back to the cleaning today and with the warm weather, I really wasn't looking forward to it!

I didn't start until the afternoon, though, but it was still hot when I cleaned all the Tots area as the sun was streaming in through the glass windows in the roof. Let's just say I became very sweaty! Not an attractive prospect as I was going straight to the gym after work!

Talking of which, I worked hard and on my own, I hasten to add, as although Sophie was there, she was with her friend Abi and only came to see me when she needed some money to spend in the cafe! Huh!

Fields of gold...

Today has been another glorious Sunday and I made sure I went out for a walk this morning to enjoy the sunshine and the beautiful blue skies. Whilst walking I decided to have a good look at the camera on my phone as I've never thought it was very good. Imagine my surprise when I realised that I'd never taken the protective plastic blue coating off the lens! I peeled it off and then took some photos of the countryside that I'm quite pleased with!

What a twit I am!! At least now I can use it more often as before everything had a bluish tinge!

Mum and I went off to BHS and Homesense in the afternoon and the shops were very quiet. Everybody must have been out sunbathing or in the parks! I resisted the temptation to buy anything although there were some lovely cushions for the garden in Homesense.

In the evening we barbecued and there were six of us - Mum came around for dinner as Dad was away in Eastbourne flying his model aeroplanes, and we had Danni, Sophie's friend around as well, so it was a very sociable evening. The children lay sprawled all over the garden and when we'd finished eating they stayed out in the garden burning logs and twigs on the barbecue while we retreated indoors to watch Case Histories..I am a huge fan of Jason Isaacs!

Sunny Saturday!

Today has been busy, but very pleasantly so!

After picking up my sleepy daughter from her friend's house and taking her home I managed to cut the grass in the back garden and the verge in front of the house. The garden is looking a lot better after its dose of rain and then sunshine!

Sophie finished work earlier than normal as we were quiet due to the gorgeous weather . Both of us fancied a swim so we went off to the gym and I swam while Sophie talked. I did do about 40 minutes so not too bad! I treated myself to a spell in the spa and then it was home to water the garden before Keith and I popped to the pub for a drink before cooking dinner. This has become a bit of a habit on a Saturday evening especially now that Summer has arrived. I would like to resurrect our "mooches" now that we can leave the children at home and pick an area to explore the pubs like we used to do!