We were at home this year for Christmas. The weather is atrocious around the UK (although dry here) – rain, rain and more rain – and some have been flooded-out. Denis and Bev are due down later and Lee is staying with us until after Boxing Day. Even though we’ve got over our jet-lag, we …
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Category:Family
Bev’s here
FRIDAY Bev joined us for the weekend. It was nibbles and wine on Friday night in preparation for her marathon shopping expedition with Lee, Jane and Ann on Saturday – I’m acting as just the taxi service! 🙂 SATURDAY Up with the lark and down to the station for 7.30am (!!!) as the girls headed …
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2012: Happy Birthday – to me
Another year older today Thanks everyone for your generous thoughts, comments and gifts. Cards Ann Angela Antoinette Bev Carey and Clive Carol Chris and Pete David and Val Denis Ian H and Sharon Ian McL and Ann Jo and Janet Lee Margaret S Mum Nick and Celina Margaret and Alan Neil, Debbie, Alfie and Frankie …
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“Ahoy there!”
We drove down the Roger, Jane and Oliver’s last night in preparation for our trip to see the newly restored Cutty Sark at Greenwich today. After breakfast on Saturday, we took the short drive to Harlow Town station and that took us to Stratford Station where we jumped on the DLR to Cutty Sark. The …
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The Last Day of Summer?
Cor, what a(nother) scorcher! Surely today, with temperatures hitting 30 degrees, this must have been the last day of the really good weather. A busy and important day ahead. We set off early – around 8.30 – Lee stayed behind as her back was playing-up, and dropped into Neil and Debbie’s first for a catch-up. …
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Holiday – Day 5: Free Day
As it’s a free day today, there was no need for workday-type reveilles at silly-o’clock – so we lied-in until 7.30. The weather has changed. It’s a lot greyer today – not quite fifty shades, but nowhere near as warm as the type of weather we’ve enjoyed so far. By 8.30 we were ready for …
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Holiday – Day 4: Cruise on the Mosel and Wine Tasting
The best way to describe today would be ‘lazy’. In short, we’re going to jump on a boat, sail for a few hours down the Mosel and then spend the next hour or so, getting pissed, sampling the fine wines of the region courtesy of a local vineyard. Finally, we’ll stagger onto a train taking …
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Holiday – Day 3: Exploring Triere
Triere is calling us – so we called a taxi! Peter, our holiday co-ordinator, had enthusiastically suggested that we walk from the hotel to the station, quoting ‘only fifteen minutes’. Given that the taxi took ten when we arrived, his estimation felt a little on the optimistic side – and we had to think of …
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Holiday – Day 2: Exploring Cochem
So, here are in the rather lovely Mosel Region of the Rhineland. We’re staying at the Brixiade Hotel, part of the Moselstern Hotels group. Its sister hotel, The Triton, is just 10 metres away and we have the option to share some of their facilities too. We went to bed last night shattered! it …
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Holiday – Day 1: Travel day to Germany
It’s Sunday, so why are we up at 4am? Well, our holiday to Germany with Lee and Denis by train started badly with us realising a few days ago that there wasn’t a train a train out of Kettering, that would get us to St Pancras International by the required check-in time of 7am. Plan …
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Almost a Full House!
Getting the family together is always a logistical challenge – and this weekend we managed to fill the house with most of the Gambles clan. Bev arrived on Friday night around 7.30, and whilst we gossiped, we devoured one of Ann’s cheese-boards (and a rather tasty 2011 Sauvignon Blanc from Mr Sainsbury ‘Coolwater Blue’ from …
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What a Tart!
Denis and Bev came for lunch today. Ann had prepared a full lamb roast and Bev did us proud by baking a variation on a Bakewell Tart with lemon curd instead of jam – the yummiest dessert I’ve had a in a long while. Cheers Bev!! After stuffing ourselves, Lee and I rescued the kitchen, …
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Mum’s Progress
We are now experts in form filling and completion! Completed ‘Application for Higher Level of Attendance Allowance’ form (29 pages) – check Completed ‘Application to Register a Lasting Power of Attorney – Property and Financial’ form (14 pages) – check Completed ‘Application to Register a Lasting Power of Attorney – Health and Welfare’ form (14 …
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Mum’s Progress – Two Steps Forward…
Writing about Mum’s condition is good therapy for me – bear with me! I’m not normally indecisive – especially with really important stuff, but Mum’s condition has got me scratching my head. Physically she is in about as best condition as anyone would expect for an 85 year old. With her three stents and her …
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Mum’s Progress
Thanks everyone, for asking about Mum – this seemed the most effective way to let you all know the latest news. Mum was a little tearful when we first arrived, but we were soon having a thorough heart-to-heart conversation confirming the exact state of her health. The stents are fine and so is the pacemaker …
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The Bionic Woman
Heard from the hospital today – they’ve fitted Mum with a heart-pacemaker to accompany the three stents she had fitted a couple of months ago. Hopefully, she’ll be discharged in a day-or-so, then I think I’ll enter her for the London Marathon next year!! Phew! That was all a bit ‘touch-and-go’ for a moment there! …
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Keep Taking the Tablets (Please!)
What was going to be a pretty straightforward Saturday: ‘Meet-up-with-Mum, Neil and Debbie-for lunch-and show-off-the-wedding-pics’ rapidly turned into a completely different day! WEDNESDAY: It all started when Mum rang and announced that she’d tripped over her shopping bag and hurt her back. FRIDAY: Mum rang to tell me that “because Doctors at her surgery don’t …
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Jubilee Holiday: Thursday
After breakfast we all decided to head into Ripon as planned. Just as we arrived, it started to rain and that’s how it stayed for most of the day. We had a quick look round the city before heading for the Cathedral – and it was worth the visit – probably the best one we’ve …
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Jubilee Holiday: Wednesday
The weather was looking as unpredictable as ever, so we played it safe and headed for the city of York by way of the park-and-ride and the Shopping Outlet. Roger navigated – and we ended up taking the slightly more (ahem!) scenic route! Eventually, we arrived and we soon parked-up at the Park-and-Ride, then grabbed …
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Jubilee Holiday: Tuesday
With the breakfast (routine running like a well oiled oily thing from oily town) over, we did separate things today. Roger, Jane and Oliver went off to ride on a steam train, whilst Ann and I slipped into castle-mode. First stop was Richmond, where the quaint town was also entertaining a fun-fair (as if the …
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Jubilee Holiday: Monday
Crikey, what is that yellow circular thing in the sky? With the sun shining, today, we’re off on the 20ish mile drive to Harrogate. Roger did the driving and we were soon there, looking for a place to park. How appropriate, the first we saw was the Jubilee multi-storey!! All parked-up we headed for the …
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Jubilee Holiday: Sunday
A long lie-in punctuated by Oliver invading our bed-space at around 7.30 – time for a sharp exit into the shower!!! The weather for the Jubilee looks atrocious, as it looks like it’s been raining all night. A quick look at the TV news, confirmed that it was just as bad in London too. We …
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Evening at Fountain’s Abbey
One of the benefits of staying at National Trust cottage is that there’s normally extra access rights to the property they’re near. So I took advantage of the opportunity and visited Fountain’s Abbey after hours. The weather wasn’t brilliant, but at least it was dry! Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not …
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Jubilee Holiday: Saturday
We all slept well. I was up first (what a surprise!), followed a nano-second later by an excited Oliver. The remote controls for the TV/DVD combo had confounded all of us adults last night, but in Oliver’s hands, the problem was solved in seconds and the DVD was entertaining us in no time! Perhaps …
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Wedding Photographs
We dropped into Nigel’s this afternoon to pick up the Wedding photographs. It’s been a long wait, but definitely worth it – thanks Nigel, they’ve brought back some very happy memories of our special day. Friends and Family: Take cover, you know what’ll be the topic of conversation next time we …
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Lincoln for Lunch/The Ritual of ‘The Garage’
We drove up to Denis’ today for lunch. Bev was sorting out the main course whilst Ann took the raw ingredients for dessert. Neither disappointed and a few hours later we felt a lot heavier and very sleepy! A great meal girls – cheers!! As is traditional this time of year, we take on The …
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Mother’s Day
We took a drive down to Mum’s today. It’s been our first opportunity to see her since she came out of hospital, and rather fitting as it was Mother’s Day too! We knew that Mum wouldn’t feel like cooking, so Ann and Lee prepared a complete meal here – a full Sunday Roast – and …
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Mum’s sorted!
After an extended stay at King College Hospital – plus a few ‘false-starts’, (where we thought a solution was on the cards, only to find that ‘others’ were able to jump the queue), Mum seems to have been sorted. Looks like they’ve done some work on Mum’s arteries and she should be discharged in the …
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Family Lunch – The George, Buckden
What a change in the weather! After worrying about the lawn drying-out over the past month or so, today began and ended with: rain, rain and more rain!For lunch, we headed over to The George at Buckden. We’d been there a few times before, so we were confident the food was going to be good. …
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Lunch with Denis and Bev
There’s cool weather, cold weather, freezing weather and TODAY! When Ann, Lee and I left for Lincoln, Ann’s car was saying it was –8C outside – it certainly felt like it and I don’t think I’ve ever felt so cold. As we drove a few miles through Weekley, the gauge plummeted to –11C. That’s right …
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