Sunny Stratford

Today all four of us went off to the lovely town of Stratford Upon Avon as Keith was meeting up with his old pal, Malcolm, for a drink and a good chinwag!

We arrived in good time and parked a short walk from the Swan's Nest Hotel which sits right on the river. We left Keith and wandered over to a small tea-room for coffee and cake. The one we used to visit had changed hands and was now a steakhouse called The Lazy Cow, but the new place was nice, if a little frosty when it came to service. We sat outside with our drinks and were bombarded with wasps who took a liking to Sophie's ice-cream and Mikey's bottle of orange juice...

After our refreshments we strolled over to the marina to have a look at the boats and watched a canal boat making its way through the lock. It brought back memories of when I spent a week on a narrow boat in my late teens. I remember opening and closing all the locks - hard work!

The large area in front of the RSC (Royal Shakespeare Company) is a hive of activity and attracts large crowds of tourists. We happened upon one of the entertainers just as he was starting his show. We all thought he was very good as he juggled fire-sticks and then put a child on his shoulders to ride a unicycle. The first little girl who volunteered wasn't too keen when she found out what he was planning so a little boy went forward from the crowd...

She swiftly asked to be put down when she found out he was going to ride the bike!

Another child volunteers and looks like he enjoyed it!

 His last trick was to ride a ten foot high unicycle and juggle fire-sticks at the same time! He asked people in the crowd to help him onto the bike and then to throw the fire-sticks to him. One woman kept missing...I'm glad he didn't ask me!

When the show was over we put some money into his hat (I wonder how much these entertainers make?) and then walked over to the RSC to see what plays were coming up. Sophie had mentioned she wanted to see a Shakespeare play but to be honest there was nothing that we fancied.

We walked into the town and made our usual trip into WH Smith where Sophie picked out two new books. We managed to persuade Mikey to have one as well as it was buy two, get one free! The town was very busy but a great shop caught our eye - "Old Guys Rule" - so we went in and treated Keith to a new tee-shirt. We were going to save it for his Birthday but we couldn't resist giving it to him later!

We back-tracked and called into the RSC again to use their facilities and then, after a short argument about where to have lunch, decided on Costa Coffee...I wonder why!

We just had time to meander about by the river before it was time to go and collect Keith. He was a bit merry but had been drinking weaker beer than he normally does so he was still coherent and able to walk normally. We met Malcolm's wife, Joan, and her grandchildren and then it was time to head for home.

Rather than go across country, we retraced our steps to the A45 and then carried on along this road to the M45 which was empty as usual. Keith and I decided to call into the Royal Oak for a drink as we'd ordered a Chinese take-away. The place was heaving and was very noisy! What is it about our local pubs at the moment?

Back home we enjoyed our meal and then Keith disappeared upstairs to "watch" football...I think the last two pints tipped him over the edge as I knew that he would be asleep within minutes!

The end of another week!

We had a hectic start to Friday as Keith and I went to Booker first thing, which meant that we didn't get to work until past 9am so it was a frantic rush to put all the shopping away, unlock and do the tills! Luckily things calmed down a bit after that and although we were busier than yesterday, we were still on the quiet side, customer-wise.

In the evening Keith and I walked up to the pub for a drink but as the bar was so busy and noisy, we sat in the back room, all alone. I didn't mind, as I really wasn't in the mood for all the noise and we were able to have a good chat!

It was home to a Tesco Finest meal and very good it was, too!

Even more laziness!

I managed to get a lot done at work today and went home a bit early, intending to go for a walk with Keith. I'd even decided to go a different way this evening in an effort to vary the views!

However, when I arrived home, Keith was engrossed in the Womens' cricket so I lounged about on our bed with him and fell asleep! Both of us decided to leave the walk for tonight so we had a very indulgent evening playing cards in the conservatory with a couple of drinks, followed by a delicious home-made chicken pie. I was really hoping for a good storm to clear the air but although the clouds built up and it became very sultry, nothing happened.

I know I will make up for my sloth and did I feel guilty? No, I did not!

Wimping out!

The gym didn't do it for me tonight. I did all my weights and managed around 15 minutes on the cross trainer but it was very hot and I was longing to go down to the pool for a swim. So we did!

I will be pleased when this warm and sultry weather gives way to a cooler Autumn. There is no way we can complain about this summer - it seems as if every day has been warm and sunny and I think going back to grey skies and rain will come as a shock.

After our session at the gym we went home and I made the children's favourite meal - meatballs in a tomato sauce with pasta and garlic doughballs. After my laziness at the gym I felt a bit like a doughball myself!

Blundering about!

After a busy day at work Keith and I went for another walk over the fields...we must be suckers for punishment! My hubby suggested we go a different route which led us through long grass and over uneven ground that really took its tolls on our knees and ankles! Never again! From now on we'll stick to the well-worn pathway!

The end of the summer holidays is now in sight and I can't believe that the time has passed so quickly (I say this every year, though!). It just reminds me that we haven't sorted Mikey out with any new uniform yet...as usual I always leave things until the last minute!

Last Bank Holiday...

This morning Keith and I went for a long walk before it got too hot. We were out for almost two hours and enjoyed the sun and the lovely views. There were several hills on the walk so we certainly worked up a sweat! It was great to get home and have a long, hot shower!

The rest of the day was spent doing odd chores and pottering about enjoying the sunshine. As this is the last Bank Holiday before Christmas I tried to make the most of it. Sophie and I headed off to the gym in the evening for a quick swim and a laze in the jacuzzi - there was no way I was going to do a full workout!

Sunny-ish Sunday

Our neighbours, Gill and Tim, came home early this morning after what they called a nightmare journey through France, with queues at all the tolls and at the Eurotunnel. They were very happy with how we looked after Haggis the gecko and I'm just mightily relieved I don't have to chase crickets around their bathroom any more (we lost three in total!).

After a coffee with Mum and Dad, Sophie and I went off to the gym for a swim and a spell in the spa before having lovely hot showers and lunch in the cafe. The grey weather had given way to warm sunny weather while we were swimming, although there was still a great deal of cloud about.

We went home and after a frustrating hour looking at my family tree I managed to persuade Sophie to go for a walk with me over the fields (she's blackmailed me into buying her a mocha coffee cooler and a MacFlurry).

It was warm and sunny and we did a good time, powering up the hill really quickly. Back home I relaxed in the garden with the Sunday newspapers and a V&T while Keith barbecued. I'm thinking this is maybe the last one of the summer as the really hot temperatures have given way to cooler evenings. I don't think we can complain about this summer, though!

A little retail therapy!

Sophie wasn't at work today so it was a great opportunity to go shopping in Market Harborough, something we haven't done for ages.

The forecast for the Bank Holiday weekend was supposed to have been hot and sunny but we woke to grey skies and then a heavy downpour of rain. It was lovely to laze around for a couple of hours without having to worry about getting Sophie up so she could be ready for work.

We drove over to Market Harborough at around 1pm and made for Cafe Nero first for lunch. From there Sophie headed for New Look where she managed to spend £50 in about ten minutes! The shop was full of winter clothing...but miraculously I haven't seen any signs of Christmas yet! Give it a week or so!

It was great to wander around the shops and the threatened dark clouds held off so we didn't get drenched as I thought we would. On the way home we took the single track road through Harrington and Draughton and just as we were about to turn back onto the main road a convoy of combine harvesters and tractors turned onto the road we'd been on...I would not have been happy to have met them on the narrow track!

Sophie and I spent the early evening watching a documentary film about a missing boy in the US turning up in Spain (called The Imposter) which was an hour and a half of my life I will never get back! Dinner was roast pork as the rain clouds were still around - we'll leave the barbecue until tomorrow!

Thank goodness it's Friday!

Another week has flown by and as the sun was shining and it was hot, we were quiet - such a change from yesterday!

I took in a lot of Nan's old photos and documents to work so we made use of being quiet to have a good look (I posted a couple of photographs onto Facebook of me in the 80s/90s!) and a bit of a reminisce. At one point Polly and Maureen came into the office to have a look and there was a great atmosphere as we laughed at the pictures of how we used to look.

After work Sophie and I went off to the gym but it was very hot so after sweating it out on the crosstrainer for a mere ten minutes we went down to the pool for a swim and a dip in the jacuzzi.

Back home we fed the gecko (just one more night to do!) and marvelled at how quickly the school holidays have gone by. There's really just a week and a half left and then the children are back. It reminds me we need to sort Mikey out with new uniform!

Escaping!

Today we had showers of rain first thing which meant we would be busy at work. Luckily Sophie was in to help out and when Keith brought her in, I went over to the bank with him and into Tesco to get dinner. It was a nice chance to escape for an hour and we popped down to see how the new place was faring. As predicted there were cars parked along the side of the road and I wondered how they would cope with their first rainy day.

The rain stopped by the afternoon so after work Keith and I escaped again for a walk over the fields. It was great to get out and see the very subtle chmages in the landscape now that Autumn is almost here. We did the walk in reverse and I really felt I deserved my glass of vodka and tonic when I got home!

Spying!

Mum and Dad took today off and Keith came into work with me to open up. At 10am we drove over to the new Indoor Play area to see how busy they were! There was a queue to get in but that's only to be expected as it was their first official day of opening.

The rest of today was pretty busy, running about gettting things for work and catching up with things I hadn't done yesterday (not much, to be honest!). It was a beautiful, warm and sunny day and we still had customers in, which was great!

After work it was off to the gym and I had a very good workout, although Sophie moaned a bit! We had a swim and a loll in the jacuzzi and very relaxing it was too! The sessions certainly make me relax and the stress of the day just slipped away!

Going AWOL

Keith woke me up this morning later than I'd have liked ( I was dreaming we were in a fish and chip restaurant) but there was no way I could have just jumped in the shower straight away...I needed coffee! I went downstairs and Keith said, "Do you have to go to work today?"

Well, actually, no I didn't as it was a gorgeous day, I was pretty much up to date with all I needed to do and there was no real reason why I should have to go in. I called my parents and said I could do with the day off and that was that!

I cooked us all a big breakfast and then tackled the downstairs of the house as I hadn't done any in-depth cleaning for ages. By 1pm I was finished so Keith suggested we go for a walk over the fields, something we haven't done for a while. It was hot but we had a great walk and I picked a big bunch of purply hedgerow flowers to put in a vase at home.

After a soak in the bath I drove over to the Co-op in Brixworth to get some nibbles for the evening as Sue was coming over for a glass of wine and a chat.We had a great couple of hours chatting and nibbling on stuffed peppers and olives over a glass of very good Vouvray.

After Sue had gone we ate the rest of the food I'd bought and watched the bats flying over the conservatory. The sky was the most beautiful indigo blue and it was lovely to know that the bats were still around. We all went to pick Mikey up from Army Cadets and then, as a treat, we drove over to Mawsley to get some very indulgent ice-cream to round off a wonderful day!

Easing into the week...

Today has been a good start to the week as we weren't busy and it was nice to ease ourselves into another five working days. I'll admit I'm ticking the days off until the kids go back to school and everything goes back to normal!

Sophie and I went to the gym in the evening but it didn't do it for me tonight...I did twelve minutes on the cross trainer, followed by ten minutes on the bike and then we went off to the pool for a quick swim. It was heaven to soak into the jacuzzi and really relax. I closed my eyes and let myself drift off to bliss!

On the way back to the changing rooms I had a long chat with Liam about his holiday in France and how he'd enjoyed the wine-tasting. I told him that before the kids came along we used to do that...ah! Those were the days!

Lizards all round!

Today I have been mostly eating and drinking in cafes and restaurants!

Keith and I went to get the newspapers this morning and had a quick coffee in "Coffee at No.9", the first time we'd ever been in there. We'd planned on going out for the day to South Wales but Mikey was extremely reluctant to go so we decided to give it a miss and take the kids out for a meal in the evening instead.We enjoyed our drink at Coffee at No.9 and it'll be nice to go back one Sunday morning with the children for breakfast.

Sophie and I went for a swim and had lunch at the gym...well, she did, I had a coffee and a protein bar which filled me up for the rest of the afternoon! We took Mum to Beckworth Emporium and had a cup of tea and then mooched about looking at the plants but I wasn't really in the mood to get anything until my summer bedding has finished. I'd like to fill the conservatory with plants for the winter to make it a bit more colourful in there so I may go back and use the voucher that Mum and Dad bought us for our Wedding Anniversary.

We drove to Milton Keynes in the evening to Las Iguanas restaurant in the busy Hub. Keith and Mikey had never been before but they both enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. We started with Tapas - nachos with chicken, quesadillas and meatballs, which were deliciously spicy. Keith and I both had slow cooked lamb with a beetroot and leaf salad served with potatoes while the children went for chicken fajitas. They both managed a dessert while I enjoyed a creamy latte. The waiter was very attentive (and good-looking so Sophie enjoyed the evening!) so all in all we had a great time!

Reaching the roof!

You can't really see, but my sunflower is now over eight feet tall and will soon be too big for the conservatory! I think it's just about to flower so I will post more photographs then. All I seem to do at the moment is feed and water things!

Today has been a very lazy day which has not been a bad thing. I did some research on my family tree and after picking Sophie up from work she treated me to a cafe latte in Costa Coffee. Keith and I went to the pub for a drink at 6pm which was busy as Ian was holding a "West Country weekend" with beers and ciders from Devon and Cornwall. He had two bouncy castles in the pub garden which looked a bit dodgy, especially as it started to rain and blow a gale! I'm glad I wasn't in charge of them!

"Hell hole"!

Today has not been very enjoyable. We awoke to rain and grey skies so I just knew it was going to be busy. Sophie and Abi were off to London for the day so I couldn't even rely on my daughter coming into work to help out!

As predicted, we were frantic and I spent most of my time clearing tables, washing up and wading through rubbish left behind by our lovely customers. I do wonder how the new place is going to react to this when they open next week. They have put a line in their Rules of Play asking customers to pick up or wipe up spilled food and drink...they are in for a shock!

To top things off we had a toddler throw herself onto the floor in a tantrum and hit her head, causing her to lose consciousness so I had to call an ambulance. Luckily she came around and was fine but it's always a worry when something like this happens. We also had an irate man on the phone threatening us as he'd left his car in our car park for over three weeks without telling us what he was going to do with it, so we had to have it removed to the Police pound. We'd given him seven days to remove it, which he'd ignored, and I found it pretty strange that he discovered it missing the very day it had been taken away! He phoned and swore down the phone at us and threatened to come down and cause a load of bother, so that was nice! The things we have to put up with! Our Receptionist accurately described the place today as a "hell-hole" and as she's normally quite laid back, I knew it had got to her too!

It was a huge relief to finally get home and put my sore feet up! How I'd imagined I'd be going to the gym I do not know!

Anniversary celebrations!

Today Keith and I celebrated 21 years of marriage - incredible! It certainly doesn't feel that long! I had planned to have today off work but the weather was a bit damp and we didn't have that many staff in so I went in and did my duty.

Half way through the morning I took Sophie to school to pick up her AS Level exam results. She did well in Business and Photography but she has decided to drop Spanish next year as her grade wasn't brilliant. She was OK about the results (and she did a lot better than some in her year) but I don't think she was totally thrilled. I told her she'd done a lot better than me and both Keith and I are very proud of her. This time next year will be the real deal!

We did have a lovely evening, though, and we all went off to the Chinese restaurant in Billing for dinner. It was busy but we weren't in a hurry and we had a delicious meal to celebrate our Wedding Anniversary!

A sociable day

I had my whole family in with me at work today and when Mum and Dad popped in during the afternoon it was very crowded indeed! Sophie wasn't needed to work so she came with us to the bank and Booker and it was great having her company.

After work Soph and I went off to the gym and she actually worked quite hard, which was good. I had to get home early, though, to feed the gecko and have a quick bite to eat before I picked Mum up to go to another evening of Mediumship at the Spiritualist Church in Northampton.

Sophie came with us this time, which surprised me! We also met my friend Lynda and two of her friends in the car park so there was quite a crowd of us. I have to say, though, that the evening was very disappointing again. The medium (a woman) was very animated, with a loud booming voice which I found off-putting. Again, there was too much vague information and generalisation so Mum and I are wondering whether it's worth going again next month. One of Lynda's friends was "contacted" by her mother but afterwards, when we chatted about the evening, she said that her mother had died 38 years ago and actually (in her words) hated her! I was shocked and she said she wasn't convinced at all.

When we returned to the car it was dark already - Autumn is definitely on its way!

The beginning of the end...

This morning, driving to work, there was a definite nip in the air, making me turn off the air conditoning in the car! I always think that August is the start of Autumn (or the beginning of the end of Summer!) and the nights are certainly drawing in now, with it being dark at 9.30pm. If I sound a bit gleeful, it's because I really don't like this time of the year, if I'm brutally honest.

The summer holidays are always a stressful time for us at work as we have around six weeks of noise and mess (I know..I know I should be grateful) and everybody seems to be away on holiday so there's always excuses as to why things can't be done. I heave a huge sigh of relief when the kids go back in September and things return to normal!

I love the period September to the beginning of November, when the nights draw in, it's lovely and cool (or cold) and you can get all cosy at home and light fires. I know some people will think I'm mad, but there you are!

After a busy day at work it was great to get home and sit in the conservatory with Keith and play a game of cards for the first time in ages. We then had a barbecue but it certainly wasn't sitting out in the garden weather. Autumn here we come!

Happy Mondays!

Monday morning got off to a bit of a stressful start when we discovered that none of our staff were prepared to come in and work...and we had a large lunchtime party! Luckily, my poor daughter came in even though she'd asked for the day off so we were saved, although I did have to operate the till in the kitchen which is always a bit difficult!

The day definitely improved and after work Sophie and I went off to the gym for a much needed workout. It was our first time for two weeks so we took it a bit easy and then had a swim and a dip in the jacuzzi...perfect!

We shot home after our session as I had to feed the gecko. This is proving to be a bit tricky! Not the actual feeding but getting the pesky crickets into a container so I can coat them with the protein powder! They tend to jump all over the place and we lost one on Saturday night! However, tonight I held a big plastic jug under the two containers in case I lost any, but everything was fine.

We had a very pleasant evening watching A Place in the Sun- Home or Away, USA and it featured a couple from Northampton who were looking to re-locate to Sarasota in Florida. They were thinking of spending £650,000 on a family home and Sophie and I were green with envy at what Jasmine Harman showed them on the gorgeous Gulf Coast and they decided on one for over £800,000! However, when we googled the couple after the show we discovered they're still in the UK! So much for moving!

At around 10.30pm Sophie, Mikey and I went off for a walk around the estate to see if we could see the meteor shower but although we saw lots of stars we didn't see anything at all!

Summer Sunday

This morning I awoke very late, which is unusual for me as recently I haven't been able to lie in bed past about 7am. I was dreaming I was just about to embark on a flight to Australia when Keith shook my leg to say my phone had been making funny noises! I'm glad it was 9am and not 6am!

The afternoon was spent at Mum and Dad's house celebrating Dad's 70th Birthday. It was lovely to sit in the sun with a glass of sparkling wine and munch on some lovely food. Dad was very happy with his presents and it was a great afternoon. We even walked there and back so I didn't have to worry about having a drink and driving!

Birthday shopping

Mikey's face was back to normal this morning so we think he may have been allergic to the horses he was stroking, although he's never been like that before. Strange!

I drove over to Waitrose in Rushden in the afternoon to get cards and a present for my Dad's birthday tomorrow. I really like this branch and spent a pleasant half hour browsing and looking at all the sumptuous foods on offer. I treated my Dad to a small bottle of Talisker from the children (he wanted money from me, to go towards a new battery charger...don't ask!), bought myself a bottle of South African Chenin Blanc and some pate and crusty bread for lunch.

Sophie called me to say that her face felt itchy and red as well so I'm wondering what's going on. We haven't changed washing powders or anything but her symptoms may be due to a bit of stress as her exam results are out next Thursday - our wedding anniversary!

After I picked my daughter up from work I treated her to a Creamy Cooler in Costa Coffee and then Keith and I popped to the pub for an hour (the other one!). I suppose we're lucky that we do have two decent pubs nearby but the Royal Oak is definitely our favourite!

After a delicious dinner of beef casserole we caught up on some great programmes we'd recorded - Southcliffe which started last weekend and was very good indeed, and Top of the Lake which has been showing on BBC2 on Saturday nights. Normally Saturday nights are full of what I call "Trash TV" but for once the BBC has come up trumps with this slightly weird thriller set in New Zealand!

A good end to a busy week!

Today has been one of the those days when I would much rather have been sitting on a beach somewhere, preferably reading a good book and sipping something cold and alcoholic.

I arrived at work just as it started to pour with rain, which was great as yesterday I'd decided to take out the umbrella that was in my bag. I sat and waited for a couple of minutes but it just got worse so I was forced to drive back around the building and park nearer to the top entrance. The new Nursery were in getting ready for their Ofsted visit so the place was looking lovely. It'll be great to have children back in there again after so long.

I hurriedly sorted out the tills and then Mum and Dad arrived with the Booker shopping which needed three trips to put it all away. Just as we finished that and sat down thankfully with a cup of coffee, the Friday frozen food order arrived...

With the early rain we were very busy and the noise level increased all day. We spent much of the time clearing tables and washing up and I had a brief but angry argument with my daughter who didn't seem to realise the importance of such menial chores...teenagers!

Just before 4pm the phone rang and it was Keith to say that Mikey had been to the village with some friends but had called him to say that his face had come out in a rash and his eyes were all bloodshot. I went home straight away to find him propped up on the sofa and looking a bit poorly, although Keith said his face had gone down a bit and his eyes weren't so red. We think it may have been an allergic reaction or hayfever so Keith had given him some antihistamine tablets which seemed to have worked very quickly.

I managed to persuade Keith to go out with me in the evening, rather than his mate Dave, so we walked up to the pub in the village and spent a very pleasant couple of hours chatting and having a lovely drink (I had a few glasses of a delicious Chenin Blanc again). The pub was very busy with locals, some of whom we knew, so it was a great way to end what had been a bit of a stressful day!

Gecko-sitting!

Friends of ours are going on holiday soon and they've asked me to look after their Gecko...! I went around tonight to learn how to feed it and make sure it survives while they are away! They feed on live crickets which is a bit alarming but I'm sure I'll manage. I stroked the little creature and it felt very rough and bumpy but I won't be cuddling it again, once is enough!

After my Gecko adventure, I went out for a meal with some friends to the Brampton Halt pub. Everyone was sitting outside enjoying the warm evening air, but we decided to have our meal inside as there were some threatening storm clouds on the horizon and I didn't fancy having to run for cover if the heavens opened.

We had a lovely meal and a great chat about all things womanly. All of us are approaching a very dodgy time of life and it was good to swap horror stories and have a giggle. We enjoyed nachos with chicken to start, along with a baked camembert cheese and crusty bread. I chose fish and chips for a main course which was cooked beautifully. As Keith had given me a lift I was able to enjoy a glass or two of a delicious South African Chenin Blanc. We were almost the last to leave - definitely the sign of a good night!

Summer fun!

Mum and Dad took today off and I had the whole of my family in with me at work. Sophie wasn't needed as we had another girl in and Mikey went off with some of his friends to roam around the village.

We were quiet, which was hardly surprising as there was a big Play Event going on in the local park. On the way to the bank, Keith and I drove past and there were hundreds of families there enjoying the fresh air and sunshine.

I managed to leave a good bit earlier today and Keith and I pottered about in the garden and then sat and had a drink. All very civilised and relaxing!

Slogging it out!

Today has been a long day. We were all at work early to do the cleaning before we opened and I didn't leave until well past 5pm as Sophie was doing a party for us in the evening.

It was bliss to get home, sit in the garden and relax while Keith barbecued the dinner. It's been beautiful weather today with more forecast for the rest of the week so I don't think anyone can complain about this summer being a washout this year!

Decisions, decisions!

I have decided to postpone my climb of Ben Nevis next month until next year. When I compiled my Bucket List I never thought for one moment that Keith would agree to us driving to Berlin. As I did around 1500 miles I am reluctant to do another 1000 miles driving up to Fort William and back in 6 weeks time. I also don't feel as physically prepared as I should be so I'm feeling some relief that I've decided to do it next year, probably at the end of June.

I may well add another two activities to my list as I failed at riding the scary rollercoaster in Florida! They will have to be simple though!

Bored and restless!

Today has been one of the those days when I really should have had something arranged as I've felt restless and moody all day! The grey damp weather certainly didn't help either!

After popping in to see Mum for coffee I went home to help Sophie colour her hair (and I did mine too, as I resemble a badger). I spent the afternoon feeling guilty that I wasn't at the gym or out for a walk but I didn't feel like doing anything!

I brightened up in the evening as we went out for dinner at Bella Italia, to celebrate all our homecomings. The place was almost deserted and we were warned by the woman who showed us to our table that there was a problem with the service. They were even turning customers away who hadn't pre-booked a table.

We had a good meal, but the place was exceptionally quiet and we were almost the last to leave at 9.30pm. I'm not sure we will go back to this particular restaurant as the last time Keith and I were in there it was also very quiet, but I put that down to a football match going on next door at the Northampton stadium.

Today, Sophie edited some of the 500 photos she took in Berlin. Here are a few showing some scenes that I would never think of capturing. She's got a good eye!

View from our window

View over Wallstrasse (and building work!)

The road of hell! We have to cross this busy 6 lane road to get to the Nikolai quarter. Luckily there are pedestrian crossings!

Cobbled street in the Nikolai Quarter

Alexanderplatz station

Bode Museum

Family reunited!

Mikey kept in touch with me all afternoon about the time he was due to get home. I'd picked Sophie up from work and we'd gone off to do some shopping and have a Creamy Cooler at Costa Coffee when the text came through that he was just outside of Northampton.

We drove over to the Barracks to find them all back and hordes of people waiting to pick up their sons and daughters. When he eventually emerged from the throng he looked taller and thinner!

We went straight home and Mum and Dad came around for a drink to see him and us after our holiday. As you can imagine, there was a lot to say! Dad surprised me by saying that he'd been very worried about us doing the trip to Berlin and was mightily relieved that we were home safely! Ahhh!

After Mum and Dad had gone home, we barbecued and have an evening catching up with all that we'd been doing!

Post holiday chores.

There were certain things that had to be done today, no matter what! Of course, we had a suitcase full of dirty washing that needed to be sorted out and the car windscreen and bonnet were covered in 1500 miles worth of dead flies that had to be removed. I did some ironing and then swapped with Keith who loves to watch sport while he presses all our clothes.

While he was doing that I tackled the dirty car and chatted to Gill who told us that they'd bought a new house, so things look like they will be moving soon and we will definitely be getting new neighbours. My second urgent task after cleaning the car was to sort out our garden which was a shaggy mess. There were dead leaves all over the unkempt lawn, half the flowers needed dead-heading and I couldn't stand looking at it a minute longer!

Once the lawn was mowed it immediately looked better and once I picked up all the dead leaves and gave it some TLC I was very pleased! Now I'll be able to sit out and relax! The weather, which had been dull and cloudy, gave way to warm sunshine and a lovely breeze - perfect for drying our mounds of washing!

My last urgent deed of the day was to give Archie a fur-cut. He'd disappeared for a couple of days, but with psychic instinct he'd made a return today so while Sophie held him I used our hair apparatus on him (I'm no longer allowed to cut Mikey's hair) and shaved off the big tangles that had appeared on his back. He now looks a bit like he's had a bad haircut but at least he'll feel a bit better!

I can cross off another activity on my Bucket List!

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.

I suppose, technically, I can also cross off No.13 as the sunflower is now over 6ft tall, but no actual flowers yet!

Berlin Road Trip

Day 6 - Thursday 1 August

We were awake very early and before actually getting up I looked ahead to the journey and hoped fervently that I'd be tucked up in my own bed tonight! We'd agreed that Keith would drive the Autobahn sections as the speed of the traffic last Sunday really did frighten me!

We managed to get all packed up, showered and breakfasted by 7.30am and then Keith and I went to collect the car from the underground car park. After managing to squeeze all our luggage into the boot (we had less toiletries and food but more beer and wine!) we were ready for the off by 8am.

By now Berlin was in full swing and the traffic was quite heavy. We programmed Gladys although we had great difficulty finding the car ferry at Calais so we put in a random address! She gave us an arrival time of 4pm which was brilliant as our ferry was due to go at just before 7pm. We were still thinking of stopping overnight if the traffic was bad and there were hold-ups and I had the address of a Novotel in Eindhoven with me just in case. Sophie was longing for us to stop in Bruges overnight, but that was really too much of a temptation!

We set off and I did feel very nervous but within half an hour we were out of the city and filling up with diesel at a station just before we got onto the Autobahn. I said to Keith I would drive and see how I felt but to my surprise the motorways in Germany were the best part about today so I drove the whole way. Although the traffic was a lot heavier than when we drove in on Sunday, and there were loads of lorries about, it was a real pleasure to drive, with only a handful of speed merchants zooming by. I have to say I think there is a real argument for having certain sections with no limit as the traffic flowed a lot better than it does in the UK. There is none of this hanging about in the outside lane and not concentrating, as unless you are doing well over 100mph, the trick is to get out, overtake the slower vehicle quickly and then get back in. It certainly makes you concentrate more!

We had a great journey, with a lunch stop near Hannover and a fuel and ice-cream stop somewhere in the Netherlands. We had a bit of a hold-up in the very busy city of Antwerp and we went a bit wrong near Gent again (I took a wrong turning on the way out as well!) but we made it to Calais at just past 5pm. It had grown increasingly hot all day and when we pulled up in the ferry queue it was registering 37c!

Luckily we were able to board an earlier ferry which meant we were back in the UK by 6.30pm. I called Mum to say we were on our way back and texted Mikey who seemed to be having a great time which was a relief.

On the radio we heard that a part of the M25 we would travel on was closed so we decided to stop and have a meal in Kent. We used the AA Pub Guide on my phone and then put the address into Gladys and within twenty minutes we were drawing up outside the Pepper Box Inn near Maidstone. It was a beautiful little pub and was very popular with lots of people enjoying the warm weather and sitting outside in the garden. They were able to fit us in for a meal but we all felt a bit scruffy and dishevelled! Of course, nobody knew that we'd just driven all the way from Berlin!

We had a lovely meal (garlic bread and crab salad for starters, beef stroganoff, fish and chips and schnitzel (!) for mains) and then it was time to go and tackle the British roads. I actually felt quite ashamed as there were hold-ups in Dartford as they'd closed one tunnel and half the toll booths and then we had the mother of all jams through the roadworks when they closed two of the three lanes which caused chaos. It was still warm - 28c at 11pm - and the relief when we finally made it home at midnight was immense!

So, would I do it again? No doubt it's far, far easier to fly but there was a real sense of adventure about driving and we could take whatever we wanted. It's just sharpened my appetite for driving on the continent as the roads are fabulous and on the whole, the driving is far better than in the UK. If I had my way I would definitely do it again but perhaps stop en route half way!


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