Berlin Road Trip

Day 5 - Wednesday 31 July

Keith and I awoke early and put Sophie in our room so she could have a bit of a lie-in. The workmen were busy building so we had a cup of coffee and watched Berlin wake up. Keith made a lovely breakfast of boiled eggs and toast and then we woke Sophie up with the promise of buying her something to eat at one of the numerous food stalls in the Underground, all of which serve a variety of different cuisines.

Our first stop today was the East Side Gallery where, for the first time, we could go behind the wall. Technically now, we would have been in West Berlin. The graffiti was widespread...

Yaam was the beach bar just around the corner from here

We wandered down to the river and saw a Beach bar called Yaam on the right but we didn't venture in.  Keith has been intent on finding the second best beach bar in the world here in Berlin but after seeing this place he decided it might be a good idea to leave it! They are widespread but I have to admit that a lot of them look a bit scruffy!

We had a stroll down the remnants of the wall looking at all the art and the scribbled messages from all over the world and then returned to the Ostbahnhof to take the underground to the Stasi Museum.

We'd visited the headquarters of the Stasi some years back but things had improved a great deal with lots more exhibits and English translations. The offices hadn't changed at all so there was lots of brown about - brown carpets and brown furniture - so it was a bit like stepping back to the 70s! We had a good look at the exhibitions but all three of us were flagging by now and when we sat down to watch a video I nearly fell asleep!

We made the decision to get the train back to Alexanderplatz and then go to Friedrichstrasse as there were lots of riverside restaurants nearby. However, we somehow ended up on a train to the Brandenburg Gate so we had a quick look (loads of tourists about) and walked the short distance to the river.

We found a lovely cafe right on the Spree and sat with a beer and a delicious lunch, watching the many tour boats go by. Behind us was the Reichstag and the Government buildings and there were several television companies based nearby including RTL.

Rather than get the train back to the hotel we walked back along the river which was lovely. By now it was very warm but there were still a few ominous looking clouds about. We passed Museum Island and the Berliner Dom and had an ice-cream overlooking the river.

We mused about eating at one of the nearby restaurants tonight, but Keith's foot was playing up so we decided to eat at the hotel, much to Sophie's dismay. Before getting ready we had a snooze and I started the task of packing and trying to streamline all our luggage a bit!

After a couple of drinks in the hotel bar we decided to eat at nearby Shazan, an Indian restaurant based in our hotel twin across the road. We had a chance to sit outside but chose a table inside, which was a bit of a mistake as it became increasingly hot as the evening wore on! It was refreshing to have a bit of a change for dinner and I chose king prawns for my main course as an alternative to all the meat we'd been eating! The food was good but it did feel a bit strange eating an Indian meal in Berlin!

After our meal Keith bought two small bottles of sparkling wine from the machine in the lobby, rather than go back to the bar, and we returned to the room for an early night before the long journey home tomorrow!

Berlin Road Trip

Day 4 - Tuesday 30 July

Well, we all had a much better night's sleep as the room was a lot cooler but I woke up looking like I'd gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson! My eyes were very puffy indeed and I can only hope that it's because of the heat!

We had breakfast in our room again and then went off to the Berliner Dom which is, in my opinion anyway, the most beautiful church in the world. We paid 14 euros to have a look around (we'd visited before) and I lit two candles at the altar.

Downstairs, the crypt is wonderfully eerie with lots and lots of sarcophagi of dead kings and queens of Germany and Berlin. The most heartbreaking ones are of the babies and little children who did not survive very long, including one, behind an iron gate, of a nameless baby that was born and died on the same day. The crypt, with its white walls, marble floors and rows of ornate coffins, is one of my favourite places in Berlin, especially as one sarcophagus has split open, reminding me of something out of Dracula!

We called in for a quick coffee and ice-cream before taking a boat trip along the river for an hour. We've done this before and it was a very pleasant way of passing an hour as the weather was so lovely. From the river we walked up to Alexanderplatz and went into the Galeria department store. I'd promised Sophie some Mac lipstick to replace one she'd lost, but I ended up buying her two as she'd been so good while we were away in the North-east the other weekend.

Lunch was currywurst in a nearby cafe and then we went back into the Galeria to buy some beer, wine and chocolates. Keith found the beer he enjoyed yesterday while I treated myself to two bottles of German red Dornfelder.

Back at the hotel we found that our room still had not been cleaned! Keith and I left Sophie while we walked to a nearby supermarket to buy some eggs and milk for breakfast in the room. On the way we were caught in the most violent thunderstorm so we had to shelter until it passed. Of course, we hadn't thought to bring our new umbrellas with us! A German man kept talking to us but as neither of us understood a word of what he was saying, it was a bit embarrassing! He must have thought we were very rude!

In the small Netto supermarket we bought milk, bread and butter and some goodies but the one thing we went in for, the eggs, were nowhere to be seen. In the end I had to ask a member of staff in my very bad German where they were!

It was still raining on the way back to the hotel but at least the maid was in our room and changing the beds. At last!

We spent a very relaxing couple of hours lounging about our freshly cleaned room. I lay down on the bed and covered my eyes with teabags (from our cups of tea) and my eyes did look a bit better afterwards. As soon as I get home I'm going to book a beauty treatment with Virgin!

I'd suggested eating at the hotel tonight as they have tables set out by the canal, but I was overruled. We did have a few drinks in the bar though and got into lively conversation with a woman from Hannover who loves Berlin as much as I do. She was looking for an apartment to rent and was a bit of a Bohemian type. She said she'd been to University in Berlin in the 70s when it was a wild place...I'm sure it was! We also chatted with a man from Toronto who was doing a European tour so that was great. We always seem to meet interesting people in the hotel bar!

Dinner tonight was at Reinhard's with the most hilarious waiter we've ever had in Berlin. He was very camp (think of a character in 'Allo, 'Allo) and we were looked after very well. Sophie chose a potato and sausage soup again while Keith and I shared a salad, then Sophie had a Berlin meatball, Keith went for spare ribs and I had a trio of meats. I think that when I get home I'm going to go vegetarian for a little while to combat all this carnivorous food!

We waddled back to the hotel to find the German woman and the Canadian man still in residence! I enjoyed a glass of sparkling water (I'd had three cocktails and two glasses of wine during the evening so enough was enough!) while Sophie had a non-alcoholic cocktail and Keith indulged in a glass of Bushmills.

Our room was still pretty cool so another good night's sleep was anticipated!

It was another long day!

Berlin Road Trip

Day 3 - Monday 29 July

We awoke (after a bad night's sleep) to grey skies and wet streets but none of us heard thunder in the night so we must have just had a shower. Mikey called me and sent me a text last night and I think he's missing us a lot. It made me feel horrible knowing he was missing us, but it might do him some good and make him appreciate life with us!

We were awake very early as our windows were open and the building work opposite started at just after 7am. Keith and I moved my car from the street opposite the hotel to an underground car park a short distance up the road. I have no intention of driving around Berlin any more so it felt great to leave her all cosy and warm, especially if we have hailstorms like the ones we've seen on German TV!

After breakfast of cereals in our room we went to the nearby train station to buy our rail tickets for the day and headed off to Alexanderplatz. We wanted to take Sophie to see the Soviet War Memorial in Treptower Park and as usual, we'd forgotten how to get there! We made exactly the same mistake as last time, heading off to the Ostbahnhof rather than taking the U5 line from Alexanderplatz. However, we found our way eventually despite the heat and humidity and walked the short distance to the park along the river where lots of tour boats were moored.

It started to rain when we walked towards the memorial so we didn't stay for long. Keith and I had seen it all before and Sophie took lots of photos but didn't seem interested in reading any of the information signs. We strolled back to the river and treated our daughter to a crepe filled with bananas and nutella. It was raining quite heavily now and was definitely cooler!

Back at the station we decided to ride the S-Bahn all the way to Pankow and then get our local U2 line to Potsdamer Platz where we would have some lunch and then do a bit of shopping. We went to the House of 100 beers and chose the half chicken which was delicious and very filling. Keith tried a new beer that he loved...

Only 7.9%!!!

By now the drizzle had turned to torrential rain so we were very glad we'd decided to stop and have lunch! We ran into the shopping centre where Sophie made a beeline for H&M. I chatted to Mum on the phone and then we headed up to an electrical store on the top floor to see if they had any fans for sale. However, like the UK, there were none to be had, only some very expensive air-conditioning units for about 400 euros!

Feeling a bit weary now we took the train back to our local underground and while Sophie returned to the room, Keith and I strolled along the canal to a small bar for a drink. The sun had come out and we sat with a couple of beers soaking up the much drier warmth and listening to two British men on the next table chatting about their lives as international DJs...Hmmm!

Back in the room we discovered that our beds hadn't been made and the small pile of damp towels we'd left on the floor to be changed were still there... Keith and I marched down to Reception to find out why the room hadn't been serviced to be told the apartment was only cleaned every other day! This was perhaps our seventh or eighth visit to this hotel and we'd never experienced this before, and we'd had several types of rooms over the years.

I also asked if they had any fans but we were told there were none available. A member of the housekeeping staff did come and change our towels but we were not very happy at all. I think this may be our last visit to this hotel, to be honest, as the service levels seem to be dropping every time we visit. It used to be fabulous with loads of toiletries in the bathroom but everything seems to be cut back now, which is a shame.

We sweated it out in the room until 6pm and then went for a quick drink in the bar. Even Chrizz, the barman, seemed very lacklustre, leaving another girl to mix my cocktail (Campari, Elderflower syrup and Prosecco). Outside it didn't seem quite so hot but the sky was looking very ominous! We had a drink in Otello bar and then decided to walk over to Alexanderplatz to have dinner in the TV Tower.

There is so much building work going on in Berlin at the moment and the area around the Nikolai Quarter and Alexanderplatz was full of cranes and lorries. They are extending part of the U5 underground line which won't be finished until 2019 so this whole area is a real eyesore. There were crowds of people waiting to buy tickets at the TV Tower so we decided to head back to the Nikolai Quarter and have dinner at one of the many restaurants there.

We found a busy little place which specialised in German cooking and had a lovely meal (well, Soph and I did, Keith wasn't too happy with his!). We started with a shared salad for Keith and I while Sophie went for potato and sausage soup. Sophie then had pork schnitzel, I had strips of turkey served on rice with a Bearnaise sauce and Keith went for roast pork which he did not enjoy at all. His came with a potato dumpling - one was more than enough!

 

Keith's roast pork and potato dumpling

During the dinner the rain started to come down very heavily, sending some people who were eating without any cover fleeing for the inside of the restaurant. We waited a little while to leave but there were no signs of it letting up so we had to make a dash for it. Luckily, a nearby shop was selling umbrellas, so we bought two and sloshed our way back to the hotel in relative dryness!

We had one last drink before bed and I really hoped for a much better night's sleep!

It's been a long day!

Berlin Road Trip

Day 2 - Sunday 27 July  Five countries in one day

We were up early and queuing for the ferry by 6.45am. It was still pleasantly cool which made a change from the heat we've been experiencing over the last couple of days!

By 7.15am we were boarded and queuing for breakfast, along with every other passenger on board! However, the wait was worth it because the full English was delicious and plentiful - in fact it kept us going all day! After eating our fill we wandered about and did a bit of shopping before taking up residence on some seats next to the large windows which gave us a lovely view as we came into Calais. There were a big crowd of German students congregated there as well so although it was a bit noisy and rowdy, there was a great atmosphere.

After what seemed like a very short crossing we were back in the car and waiting for the off. I was a bit nervous about the journey but we had Gladys who proved to be invaluable. We sped through France and then spent a fair amount of time in Belgium before crossing into the Netherlands. Here, although we were only in the country for a very short time, we managed to spend over 50 euros when we filled up with diesel.

The weather was pleasantly warm and sunny and the temperature wasn't too high at all! Before long we had entered our fifth country of the day and the gentle relaxed pace on the motorway changed to a very high speed journey indeed. On certain sections of the German Autobahn there are no speed limits and the drivers turn into crazed idiots. I have never, in all my years of driving abroad and in the US, seen speed like it to be honest. To venture out into the outside lane to overtake was like entering the lions den as, despite the road behind me being clear, a car would suddenly loom up wanting me to get out of the way. And I'm not talking about big Audis, Mercedes or BMWs, either. Just normal family cars would zoom past at well over 100 miles an hour and I shuddered to think what would happen if someone pulled out without realising they were there.

It meant that super concentration was needed with both of us looking over our shoulder to make sure there was nothing coming up fast. I have to admit to succumbing to this urgency as well as at one point I realised I was doing 100mph myself, in the slow lane! And I wasn't gaining on anyone either!

It was with a huge sense of relief that we finally made it to Berlin and the relative calm of the autobahn around the city. Gladys directed us to our hotel without a single problem and I was extremely relieved when we parked my little car in a street opposite the hotel.

To our amazement the temperature was 35c and our room on the 7th floor was uncomfortably hot. There didn't seem to be any air-conditioning and unpacking and getting ready to go out was a sweaty, sticky experience.

We walked the short distance to the Nikolai Quarter and had dinner at Reinhard's. It was much quieter than I'd imagined with not one person sitting inside the restaurant at all. We had a lovely dinner but the heat was unbearable and even the waiters looked hot and bothered!

Berlin Road Trip

Day 1 - Saturday 26 July

We were all up early this morning and at 9am Keith took my not-so-little boy down to Gibraltar Barracks to set off on his Army Camp adventure. I do hope he'll be OK...He's never been away for a whole week before, not even on a school trip, so I'm sure he'll be in my thoughts all the time while we're away.

I finished packing, hoovered again and showered and then it was time for the off. We just about managed to get all our luggage into the Audi and it certainly felt heavy to drive!

Unfortunately we had a bad journey down to Dartford. There were several hold-ups on the M1 and then we found out that two junctions had been closed on the M25, sending all the traffic bound for Gatwick around our side of the motorway!

Jams on the M25

I'm just so glad that we weren't catching a flight from Gatwick today!

We arrived in Dover at around 2pm, dumped the cases in our room at the Premier Inn  and took a stroll along the promenade. There was some sort of Regatta going on and the weather was stunning. It was lovely to stop and gaze out over the sea and see the ferries coming and going.

Our home for tonight

We went to a shopping centre that we'd visited some years back and Keith treated himself to a new pair of sandals...what is it about buying shoes when we're away?! We also, to our amazement, saw a seal in the marina! Of course, by time I'd reached for my phone to take a picture it had disappeared under water!

We took a leisurely stroll back to the hotel, watching a P&O Ferry manoeuvre its way into the port, and then Keith and I had a quick drink in the hotel bar, overlooking the sea. It was very warm and pleasant sitting there and I think most people that were around were destined for the continent tomorrow.

After showers and fresh clothes we drove to the village of St Margaret at Cliffe and down a steep winding road to the sea where we had a drink at The Coastguard pub. As we were waiting to be served a man rushed in to say that a young girl was getting into difficulties in a boat out at sea. We sat outside and watched the coastguard arrive and perform a rescue! We dread to think what would have happened if the people watching had done nothing!

From The Coastguard we drove back into the village and had two drinks at The Red Lion, which was empty when we arrived. It was a sweet little pub so it was a real shame that there was nobody in. A couple of people did venture in after us, including a man wearing a heavy wool coat and sporting a long white beard!

He was wearing a woolly coat as the mother of all thunderstorms was raging outside! The rain was torrential (the road had turned into a river) and when we decided to leave the blue sky had turned black. The drive back to Dover was not a pleasant one! Even with the windscreen wipers on full blast, the rain was so heavy I could barely see. Of course, our parking space at the front of the hotel had gone so we parked at the back and ran full pelt into the dry!

After a pleasant meal and a few more drinks it was definitely time for bed!

Bunking off!

Luckily we ended the week on a quiet note as the warm and sunny weather returned and we were very quiet at work. I managed to slope off early to go home and pack our own clothes for the forthcoming Berlin Road Trip and to clean the car inside and hoover the house.

It was uncomfortably hot and I was more than ready to go out for a drink with Keith in the evening! We went to The Queen's Arms in Orlingbury again but I felt warm and yukky for the whole time we were there so it wasn't the most pleasant of evenings.

Sophie was at yet another party so at 11pm all of us went to fetch her from a house in Overstone. As it was dark and the street was very badly lit, we couldn't find the house so it was a stroke of luck that she was sitting on a bench with some of her friends waiting for us!

Tomorrow can't come soon enough!

Things get a little fraught...

We were busier today as the morning was damp and grey. By the afternoon, though, the sun had come out and it was uncomfortably hot again. I'd swapped cars with Keith this morning and had forgotten to bring my office key so when I returned from having my eyebrows shaped at the Virgin beauty salon I couldn't get into the office as Mum and Dad had gone home for the day.

Sophie threw a wobbler as her bag was in the office so I said I'd go home, get the keys and come back. Grrr! At home, Keith volunteered to drive back while I started packing Mikey's things for Army Camp...wonderful!

To say things became a little fraught is an understatement! Mikey insisted that he didn't need a suitcase but there was no way he was going to get all his stuff into the rucksack he'd borrowed. His boots and sleeping bag took up most of the room! Keith arrived back home and started freaking out about what we'd done and then became very stressed when Mikey said he didn't need a suitcase, even though it blatantly stated on his kit list that he had to have one!

To calm things down, I suggested we call on Mikey's commanding officer who lives a couple of doors away. He was happy to help and said that a suitcase was definitely needed! He needed enough clothes and his full uniform to last the whole week so we returned home, finished packing and then went and had a well-deserved drink in the garden! Phew...thank goodness that's over!

Sweating it out!

Today has been another scorcher of a day, with the temperature in my office becoming very uncomfortable by mid-afternoon.

Keith finally sorted the tyres out on the Audi but was amazed to find that if he booked and paid for them online they were £60 cheaper than if we went down to the Kwik-Fit centre in Northampton! How do they work that one out?

Sophie and I went to the gym after work and while I worked a lot harder than I did on Monday, my daughter barely did half an hour of exercise! I was hoping for a lovely cool swim after my workout but the swimming lessons were still on! Bah!

Back at home it was bliss to relax in the garden with Keith and have a long cool drink. It was certainlly cooler and the forecast for the next few days is showers and sunshine. Let's hope the temperatures abate a little!

Pennies from Heaven!

We were woken in the night by bright flashes of lightening and accompanying thunder which sounded very close!

The thunderstorms lasted for most of the morning which meant we were busy at work! It was gratefully received! What a difference the weather makes to our business.

In the evening I went out for a meal with Lynda, Sue from over the road and Laura. Unfortunately Laura had a bit of a bump in her car on the way over to us which held us up slightly, but the Old Bakehouse in Rothwell kindly held our table for us. We opted to sit outside in the courtyard and although the sky looked a bit stormy, the rain didn't materialise.

The food was delicious and was Greek/Mediterranean with lots of feta cheese, olives and sun-dried tomatoes on the menu. We all shared a platter of different starters to begin with (calamari, flat bread, olives, stuffed peppers, etc) then Laura and Sue opted for the feta cheese and spinach pie, while Lynda and I went for more chickeny dishes which were beautifully cooked and presented. Three of us shared a bottle of Shiraz but we had no room left for dessert, so maybe next time!

Return of the heat

Today I have been mostly very grumpy. As the day wore on, it grew hotter and hotter which didn't help matters!

I went to the gym after work but even that failed to work its magic today. Driving there the temperature was showing 33c so I hoped that the air-conditioning was on but I could barely feel any coolness as I cycled away with the sweat running off me. Other people looked hot as well, so after doing my weights and ten minutes on the bike I called it a day and went home to shower.

On the way home, very briefly, the temperature went up to 34.5c, the highest I've ever seen in this country. We have thunderstorms forecast for tonight and they couldn't come soon enough!

I received a bit of a shock when I arrived home to see that Gill and Tim's house had a "Sold" sign on it...so, we're going to have new neighbours. Some weeks ago, it looked like they'd taken the house off the market but now it appears they have gone with another agent. Hmmm...it would have been nice to have been told that they'd put it up for sale again so we could have prepared ourselves for this!

This just made me even grumpier so the only thing to do was to sit in the garden with a vodka and tonic and relax!

Another lazy Sunday

Today has been another cloudy cool day, perfect for doing some research on my family tree in between taking Sophie to work and picking her up.

We did manage to squeeze in a swim later in the day (well, I swam, Sophie talked) before going home and sitting in the garden with a drink as the clouds had given way to warm sunshine. My children are officially on school holidays now, even though a lot of other kids still have two days to go. I can hardly believe that the summer holidays are here already - it only seems like a few weeks since the start of the year! Before we know it, the dreaded "C" word will rear its ugly head!

Having a smashing time!

We awoke this morning to very dull, grey skies and a significant drop in temperature, thank goodness! It felt lovely to be a bit cooler!

Keith phoned National Tyres again this morning, to be told that the van had still broken down so he told them to forget the tyres. We were both very annoyed as we'd wasted our time with them. Luckily Kwik-Fit were able to order them for us so we'll pop down there on Monday or Tuesday and get them fitted.

On the way back from taking Sophie to work I noticed a long crack in my windscreen...wonderful. As soon as I got home I called my insurance company who put me in touch with Auto Windscreens but they weren't able to come out until the 1st August! As we're driving to Berlin next weekend, that could be a bit of a problem!

As you can imagine I was totally fed up by now, and I had to resort to calling another company who could replace the windscreen for me on Tuesday at a cost of £250. With the tyres at £220 this is going to be an expensive week! However, we need to get the new tyres for the long trip to Berlin and I wouldn't want to risk driving all that way with a cracked windscreen so I have no other choice.

I spent the next couple of hours cleaning the house downstairs (and managed to smash a glass I'd found in Mikey's room) and then I went to the gym to try and work off some of my annoyance. I did a good workout followed by a swim and a blissful 20 minutes in the spa which did go some way to make me feel better.

Sophie and Abi were off to a party in the evening so they got ready at our house and after Keith had barbecued dinner, I took them to their friend's house in Weston Favell. Within just five minutes of getting home Sophie had texted me to ask her to pick them up...my annoyance returned in full force!

Tyred out!

Today has been hot and busy, but not in a good way!

As soon as Polly was in at work, Keith and I went down to National Tyres in Northampton to drop my car off as we'd ordered two new front tyres to be fitted. We have had great difficulty finding somewhere that can get them in for us as, for some reason, they're not easy to find!

Once we dropped the car off, we popped to the bank and then went to Booker to do the big weekly shop. It was hot and uncomfortable loading and unloading the car in the almost 30c heat! I will be mightily glad when this heatwave is over!

While we were at Booker the tyre place called me to say that the tyres hadn't been delivered as the van had broken down...great. What a wasted journey! Keith and I drove back down, picked up my car (the temperature was showing 32c) and went back to work. Sophie had called to say that she was going to her friend Abi's house after school so Keith suggested I abandon the gym tonight and go out for a drink with him instead...it didn't take much persuading for me to agree!

We went to the Queen's Arms at Orlingbury and the pub was empty - in fact at first we thought it was closed! However, it was lovely to relax in the quiet surroundings and chat to the Landlord and Rob Price who we use for all our car repairs. We seem to be preoccupied with the cars at the moment!

A constant source of worry!

Yesterday we took Mikey for an X-ray on his chest as he has a cough again. Combined with the loss of weight, I'm worried, I have to say. The doctor did say that a sudden growth spurt can mean he will lose weight and I do remember Sophie being a bit chubby and then slimming down at about the same age. Anyway, he seems healthy enough and full of energy so maybe I'm just being an over-anxious mum.

Today was another hot one but I did manage to wash my car when I got home from work. Not exactly heart pumping exercise but it will have to do!

Phew!

An official warning was given out today about the heat so things certainly are serious! Everyone is now fed up with not being able to sleep as the nights don't seem to be much cooler than the days!

We closed up at work at 3.30pm and I went off to the gym early. Sophie was on a school trip in Birmingham so I went alone and worked very hard again. The sweat was dripping off me, but it felt great to do some exercise!

When I got home Keith had been very naughty and had bought me a bottle of Vodka...he said that in this heat the only proper thing to do is sit in the garden with a long cold drink and just chill...I think he may be right!

In the grip of a heatwave...

The hot and sunny weather continues and shows no sign of abating for the forseeable future. This means that we are exceptionally quiet at work - a bit of a worrying time for us.

Coming home from work the temperature in my car showed 32c - much too hot for me to even contemplate a walk. I felt very sorry for Mikey when he went off to Army Cadets dressed in his full uniform. Luckily when he emerged afterwards he was just wearing his teeshirt and his heavy shirt and coat had been removed!

Hot and sticky...

Today has not been pleasant at work. We have two large heaters and each has a temperature monitor showing how hot (or how cool!) it is in the building. One of them was showing 38c this afternoon...not really the best environment for cleaning!

I was overjoyed to receive an email from St Anselm's Roman Catholic Church in Dartford this morning as yesterday I'd sent them an email enquiring about my Nan's baptism. I'd hit lucky as they were able to find a record saying she'd been baptised a Catholic a month after she was born in 1915. This is my Dad's mum, a side of the family that has been proving very tricky!

After work it was off to the gym and a very good workout - so glad Virgin have air-conditioning installed!

Some photos from sunny Sunday. Somebody enjoyed the heat!

Hmmm, not too sure what to say about this!

Lazy Sunday

I really didn't feel like moving far from home today as the forecast was for another hot one, but we woke to cloudy skies and a cool breeze. On the way home from getting the papers we called in to see Mum and Dad and had a coffee. It was quite chilly sitting out on their decking!

The coolness did not last for long, however. I lounged about for most of the morning catching up with my Family Tree research before Sophie and I went off to Beckworth Emporium again to get an Anniversary present for my parents who will celebrate 47 years together on Tuesday.

It was very warm there again and we sat quietly sweating in the restaurant along with a fair few other people. I had no inclination to wander about looking at plants, so we bought a voucher for Mum and Dad and headed home to sit in the garden. It was very natural to sit with a glass of wine and soak up the sun and talk about past holidays - well, you have to make the most of it! Sue popped around to thank me for looking after the house while she and Paul were on hols and gave me a bottle of South African Chenin Blanc which went straight into the freezer!

After a hot curry for dinner (!) we returned to the garden to look out for bats but we didn't see any. Perhaps it was the presence of Monty putting them off!

What a scorcher!

Today has been very hot indeed. Well, hot by UK standards anyway!

I took Sophie to work earlier than normal as she was supervising parties and then returned home to do some urgent housework. It wasn't much fun, though, as it was so hot and sticky upstairs! I did what needed doing before Keith and I sat in the garden for an hour to soak up some sun. I could feel the heat burning into my legs and I made sure both of us were liberally covered in sunscreen.

Mikey came to join us and I noticed how much weight he's lost just lately. It looks like he's been stretched as he's now definitely taller than Keith and has lost the bit of tummy he used to have. I dread to think how tall he's going to be - over 6ft is my opinion, and if he carries on using the weights, I think he will be a lady magnet!

I made myself go to the gym before going to pick Sophie up from work but rather than sweat it out on the equipment, I went for a lovely cooling swim. Unfortunately lots of other people had the same idea as there was five of us in the slow lane at one point! Not being keen on the human soup I went into the jacuzzi and found myself completely alone in there...that was more like it!

We barbecued in the evening and it was a great success. I'd bought a new BBQ on Friday and it performed very well, which pleased Keith. I'm afraid the diet has gone out of the window this weekend as I spotted a punnet of strawberries in the local Co-op and couldn't resist serving them with some yummy cream!

Seeking solace

This week hasn't really been the most enjoyable of weeks at work as both Maureen and Polly have been away on holiday and Mum, Dad and I have been looking after Reception until 4pm. This morning we had a bit of a crisis when a huge TNT lorry hit one of our entrance gates and bent it out of shape. Luckily we caught the whole thing on our CCTV camera as apparently the driver tried to get out of it by saying that it was like that when he drove into our car park!

At the same time I discovered that Sophie had run up a large mobile phone bill and I was not a very happy Mum, to say the least! She had been wanting to go to Birmingham with her friend but I soon put a stop to that after I checked my bank statement! She'll be working for nothing over the next few weeks to pay me back!

I was going to go to the gym after work today but it was so hot that I went home and suggested to Sophie (as a sort of reconciliation) that we pop to Market Harborough to buy Laura a bottle of champagne as she leaves tomorrow. We arrived as most of the shops were closing but after buying the wine in Tesco we went to see Duncan and Nick who managed to cheer me up no end. We had a great chat and Duncan picked me out two bottles of wine that should be perfect drinking over the hot, forthcoming weekend.

On the way home we turned off the A508 and headed home via Draughton on the beautiful little single track road that we discovered last year. The rolling fields and woods were gorgeous and certainly made me feel a lot happier!

The 5 year plan

I've really enjoyed writing my Bucket List and then carrying out the activities and it got me thinking the other day of what else I'd like to do. Over the next 5 years I want to:

Visit:

* The Scilly Isles

* The Isle of Wight

* The Isle of Man

* The Outer Hebrides

* Cape Wrath

* The Orkneys

* The Shetland Islands


Before I die I want to:

* See the Northern Lights

* Drive around the coastline of Great Britain


It's amazing that I've lived in the UK all my life and I've never been to any of the islands I've listed above, even though my children have been to Jersey and the Isle of Wight!

Communing with Spirit

The heat of the last few days has gone, to be replaced with cloudy, cooler weather. It's been a relief to be honest! I don't mind high temperatures on holiday but working in the heat is not pleasant, especially as the roof of our premises is made up of a lot of glass!

Rather than go to the gym, Sophie and I went for a walk over the fields and then I picked Mum up from home as we were off to another evening of Mediumship at the Spiritualist church. I'd been looking forward to this very much but it was disappointing in the extreme. The Medium was a man from Bristol and both Mum and I thought that he was a bit of a charlatan. There were quite a few of us in the audience (including some very young people) but everything he said was vague and with a couple of people he just couldn't give any evidence at all. Towards the end it was almost embarrassing!

On the way home I called into the Olde England to collect Keith's glasses and it was manic in there, with a crowd of Morris Men outside and inside. I was beginning to think tonight I'd entered some sort of twilight zone!

When I eventually arrived home I communed with a spirit of my own - it goes by the name of Talisker and was absolutely delicious with a bowl of chicken soup!

A proud mum!

It felt great to get home from work today and collapse onto the sofa for ten minutes! It's been another hot day and I really didn't fancy walking over the fields in 29c heat! Keith and I watched the end of the Tour de France while Mikey ironed his Army uniform...not a sight you see every day! Tonight he has an inspection so it had to be right!

I felt a bit guilty lolling about in the garden but it was lovely, I have to admit. All I needed to make it perfect was a long vodka and tonic but as both Keith and I are not drinking alcohol at the moment, I had to make do with just tonic water - Fevertree which is my favourite and very delicious!

Mikey came out of Army Cadets tonight with two certificates - one to say he'd passed Basic Training and one for the First Aid course he did...we are both very proud!

Manic Monday!

Monday has been a bit manic, to be honest, with lots of people in and out of work, and loads of things to be squeezed into one day. Mum and Dad had hired an industrial scrubber-dryer to clean the floor and Keith came in to strim all the verges in the car park which were long and scruffy. He kept having problems with the strimmer and the scrubber wasn't doing as good a job as it was supposed to...

As well as the little niggles, it was very, very hot (29c) which made us all melt. Mum and I gave the floor two coats of polish and then it was off to the gym for Soph and me, and a workout before a lovely cool swim!

At Last!!!

Today has been very enjoyable!

Keith woke this morning feeling very hungover which was hardly surprising seeing as he downed six pints of strong beer last night! He moved about very slowly this morning and discovered that he'd left his glasses at the Olde England! He then managed to leave my handbag in the Tesco trolley when we went to do some shopping! I'd taken my purse to go and get some money out of the cashpoint and he went to put the bags in the car and managed to leave my bag in the trolley! Luckily a very kind lady took it to the customer services desk!

Sophie and I managed to squeeze in a lovely cool swim before we took my Mum to Beckworth Emporium for afternoon tea. It was my treat to say thank you to her for taking the kids to school and work last weekend and we had a lovely time eating sandwiches and cake...diet? What diet?! I bought a few plants to fill in the gaps in the garden and then it was home to catch up with the tennis.

I must admit to falling asleep after Andy Murray won the first two sets and I was woken up by Sophie screaming as she'd seen Bradley Cooper and Gerard Butler sitting together in the audience! It was a good thing she did as ten minutes after I woke up, Andy Murray won!! What an achievement and I'm sure the whole of Great Britain are very proud and pleased with his win. At last!

We barbecued in the evening and then watched Skyfall again. A great end to a very good day!

Thirsty work!

Today Keith and I tackled a long overdue job - cleaning the conservatory roof. It was the perfect weather being very warm, dry and sunny and although it was hard work, we were really pleased that we'd done it afterwards. There was some sort of green algae on the white struts and it looked horrible so seeing everything lovely and white again was great.

Mikey was at a First Aid training course all day and he passed first time which was brilliant! It must have been hot for him, though, as he was dressed in his full army uniform to do it!

In the evening we went out for a drink with Sarah and Liam to the Olde England. The men had a great time choosing and sampling all the different beers on offer while Sarah tried a couple of ciders. I stuck to sparkling water as I was driving and we had a lovely evening chatting about our respective kids and all the things they get up to!

Down to Dartford...for the last time?

Today Mum and I travelled down to Dartford for the scattering of Nan's ashes at the Crematorium. We didn't leave work until 11am but we had a great journey and were sitting in the car park of the Crematorium at 1.30pm. In front of us was a beautiful horse drawn hearse - I dread to think how much that would have cost!

The ceremony was very simple. We met my Uncle and went to the place in the grounds where my Grandad's and my Aunt's ashes were scattered and a man came along with the urn and placed them on the ground in the shape of a cross. It was a beautiful day, just like Nan's funeral, and although it didn't last long it was still quite moving, if a little sobering. I couldn't help thinking that it's a sad way to end up as a heap of ashes on the soil but I suppose it's a return to Nature and I know Nan is with us all the time.

After the ceremony I followed my Uncle back to Dartford and we had a cup of tea (and a naughty muffin) in the town. My Uncle is seriously considering moving to Cyprus to live and I think it's a great idea.

We left a lot earlier than we normally would so I was back at 6pm to take Keith to the pub!

Summer has arrived!

Today it grew hotter and hotter as the day went on. The forecast for the next week or so is hot and sunny weather so maybe Summer is here at last.

When I got home from work, I really didn't fancy going for a walk so I washed my dirty, dusty car and had a long chat with Gill who lives next door. We chatted about the new place opening on Riverside in August and I asked whether I could borrow her and her daughter to go down there when they open in August. My two children are now too old to play in Indoor play centres so checking out the competition is a bit difficult! They have released their party prices which are more expensive than ours so time will tell whether they have a big impact on our business.

I wandered around the garden after dinner and made the decision to spend the weekend tidying up and maybe cleaning the conservatory roof...what fun!

Dog-napping!

Tonight we happened to look out of our front window to see Max the dog walking past, completely on his own. Sarah and Liam have workmen at their house and he must have got out through an open door. I went to see him and we had a cuddle before I took him back home but only the workmen were there. Seizing the opportunity to have him at home for a little while I took him into the house, much to the disgust of the cats who started hissing and growling at him!

I texted Sarah to let her know he was with us and then we had more cuddles and tummy rubs. He's really an old dog now, bless him, but I have so many happy memories of our walks together, when he used to run about, ears flapping. I used to call him "Loopy Lugs" and his ears pricked up when I called him his old nickname!

Sarah called me to say that Liam was home so Sophie and I took him back and we had a long chat with Liam (and then Sarah who had returned home) about teenagers and how our kids have suddenly grown up so quickly!

Back to reality

I didn't mention yesterday how good the kids were over the weekend while we were away. My mum was only a couple of minutes away and we have very good neighbours, but the children refused all offers of help and when we arrived home the house was clean and tidy and all the washing and ironing had been done. Sophie is more than capable of looking after the house and her brother for the weekend so we were very pleased with how well she'd managed everything!

So, another item has been ticked off the Bucket List and I'm well on my way to achieving another - growing my sunflower!

I have three growing in the pot so I hope to get flowers from them!

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.

Saltaire and the long journey home

Keith woke me too early this morning by pulling the curtains wide apart, turning on the TV and stomping around the room. It was only just past 7am and I could really have done with another half hour!

After packing, showering and another delicious breakfast, we were on our way to Saltaire near Bradford in West Yorkshire, and another of my Bucket List wishes! I drove while Keith expertly navigated me, although in Saltaire itself we failed to spot the Parking sign and ended up doing a tour of the local hospital car park!

Saltaire wasn't at all how I imagined it and takes its name from its founder, Sir Titus Salt, and the river Aire that flows through the village. Salt made his fortune from the textile industry and was determined to escape the over-crowded and unhealthy centre of Bradford for cleaner country air.

He provided homes for his workers, a church, hospital and a school and provided the elderly with pensions 40 years before the state pension was introduced in Britain. It is a beautiful place but I had imagined it to be more open-plan for some reason and it's a living, working village, not a museum as I had thought.

The mill was closed in 1986 and now houses shops, a David Hockney art exhibition and a cafe. We had a look around the bookshop and then wandered into At Home which was very expensive indeed. Signs everywhere forbidding you from touching anything were a bit off-putting...

Perhaps they could lie on them instead?

On the ground floor was a shop selling art supplies, art books and paintings. There were fresh white lillies everywhere and a smell of incense but I did find it all a bit smug and self-important.

We started to walk around the heritage trail (the village is a World Heritage site) and I took photos of the lovely little houses but Keith soon said he was bored...  As the time was getting on I reluctantly left and we sped back home, arriving just in time to collect Sophie from school!