Folks, we've booked our flights and will be arriving on 7th October. We will stay in London for 4 nights, then quite possibly Kingston Blount, Henton or Chinnor Hill for 3 nights "on the farm". After that (from 14th) we are uncommitted until we return on or around 19th.
For info' Monday I fly to Paris, Tuesday Paris to Verona, Verona Tuesday and Wednesday, fly out via Paris on Thursday back in to Singapore on Friday for a beer down the local. What are you all up to next week?
Nic
Friday, July 30, 2004
Mum
You will all be pleased to know that Mum is humming again. I have just taken her to the hairdressers, where Tracey seems to be God's gift to dear old ladies. We spent a day in the garden yesterday cutting the green hedge. The we were too tired to cook so we went down to the Cedars for lunch. We collected masses of trimmings and this morning we were up early to take it all oop the doomp. Got back about 8am and spent the next hour clearing up the front of the house, so things are looking up. Talk about one bus then two come. Steve has done a bunch of blogs (11). Lovely to get Cathy on the blog. We hope Thomas enjoyed his birthday. Our present looks very dull compared with all the others. Poor old Edmund, but just look at Gemma's teeth to see how lovely they will look. I hope this gets posted as I am having ' a bit of trouble' creating blogs Dad
Monies received and latest re Le Manoir
Your 4 X £32.50 received, Steve. Your £60 plus a further £1500 from you Pete. I can't find any emails from you, Pete,.but then Mac emails are not my forte, after the simplicity of Outlook Express. (my last email was on 26th from Nic re measles, which I have answered on the blogger) It might be a good idea if all youse ovvers pay in some to make it definite and easier for you to spread the load. For information, I have paid 30 X £30 = £900 to Le manoir. They will want to know the final number of people at least by 5th October, so if you have any friends or relatives who would want to enjoy the opportunity to eat en famille with us, then proceed. (We wondered about the Gommes, the Pullens ex Chinnor Silver Band) I don't know if Steve and Pam are interested, Jan. I think I have contacted Rachel and Kevin, but I could try again. Trouble seems to be the mid-week venue, but that is what we want. Steve has arranged to see the Host secretary (Sara) to fix details of menus etc. we will be contacting you re this. Steve says it doesn't matter what you choose, it will all be sooooper.
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Cough it up, it may be a gold watch...
Wired money to Dad's account last night to cover our part and sent a couple of emails to explain. Now it just remains for us to book flights and we'll see you in October, all!!
Pete, Jan and the girls
Pete, Jan and the girls
Fwd:Dear Dad re manoir
Begin forwarded message:
> I've paid electronically £130 being the balance on £62.50 for me G,C
> and W. It takes 4 days to clear so that should be 3rd August.
>
> If we can get everyone to cough up likewise, then it only leaves the
> drinks/wine bill on the day which is basically 3 installments..lovely.
>
> No news from Cath I presume as to yea or nay?
>
> Arranging next week to pop into Manoir and say hello to Sara Bianchi
> and see what's the latest on menu and wine etc.
> I've paid electronically £130 being the balance on £62.50 for me G,C
> and W. It takes 4 days to clear so that should be 3rd August.
>
> If we can get everyone to cough up likewise, then it only leaves the
> drinks/wine bill on the day which is basically 3 installments..lovely.
>
> No news from Cath I presume as to yea or nay?
>
> Arranging next week to pop into Manoir and say hello to Sara Bianchi
> and see what's the latest on menu and wine etc.
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Yikes...
Hello to everyone and great to hear from Barbara Rich. Just packing some books away and found TS Eliots 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats'. It has a birthday message from Julian and Barbara dated (gulp) 1986!
Anyway on with making boxes up, nearly finished the lounge!
love Gem
Anyway on with making boxes up, nearly finished the lounge!
love Gem
Birthdays
Julian once asked for birth dates. These are our nearest and dearest. You will have to put your own ages in. There are others on my list which you may be interested in.
Thomas - 4th August 1993,
Jane - 17th August,
Clive Holt 4th september 1976
Jessica - 6th September 1991,
Amy -9th September 2001,
Steve - 13th October 1954,
Nic - 27th October, 1961,
Claire - 27th November 1999,
Daniel - 8th December 2002,
Pete - 21st December, 1963,
Kate - 27th December 1995,
John (Roberts) 4th January,1956,
Ruth - 21st January,1964,
Jen-Hwei 3rd February,1964,
William - 3rd February 1980,
Julian - 24th February,1959,
Bethany - 14th March 1993,
Gemma - 23rd March 1977,
Hugh - 29th March 1927,
Edmund - 2nd May 1991,
Margaret - 11th May 1929,
Janet - 25th July, 1960,
Cathy - 26th July, 1956,
Thomas - 4th August 1993,
Jane - 17th August,
Clive Holt 4th september 1976
Jessica - 6th September 1991,
Amy -9th September 2001,
Steve - 13th October 1954,
Nic - 27th October, 1961,
Claire - 27th November 1999,
Daniel - 8th December 2002,
Pete - 21st December, 1963,
Kate - 27th December 1995,
John (Roberts) 4th January,1956,
Ruth - 21st January,1964,
Jen-Hwei 3rd February,1964,
William - 3rd February 1980,
Julian - 24th February,1959,
Bethany - 14th March 1993,
Gemma - 23rd March 1977,
Hugh - 29th March 1927,
Edmund - 2nd May 1991,
Margaret - 11th May 1929,
Janet - 25th July, 1960,
Cathy - 26th July, 1956,
Childhood? diseases
Nic asks if he has had measles.
Acording to Mum's diary Steve, Cathy and Julian had measles in 1961, Pete and Nic in 1967
Chicken Pox You have all had them
Mumps ditto, German measles (Rubella) ditto,
Nic has had Faints in 1968, 1970, and 1976, 1977
Mostly related to small acidents which caused them
(Dr says he has a low pain threshold)
Pete - appendectomy in 1973
Acording to Mum's diary Steve, Cathy and Julian had measles in 1961, Pete and Nic in 1967
Chicken Pox You have all had them
Mumps ditto, German measles (Rubella) ditto,
Nic has had Faints in 1968, 1970, and 1976, 1977
Mostly related to small acidents which caused them
(Dr says he has a low pain threshold)
Pete - appendectomy in 1973
Downloaded Cake
I had a funny moment in Marks and Spencer, as they now do individual portions of birthday cake in a tiny box (99p) so on Friday I sent 5 in cardboard tube to Nythva so everyone could have their own bit of cake see?
I was tickled by the thought of how long it would take to download real cake to Cathy and family by snail mail.
Well I thought it was funny and that's all that matters!
Come on Birthday girl!
REWARD OFFERED
THESE BISCUITS TO THE FIRST WELSH BLOGGER.....?
(via invited email address I forgot to say!)
How to get on yahoo! email from here.
In a minute, click on this which takes you to a page where you sign in. Find the <-'back' button on your pc so you can come back to this page without retyping all the time.
You'll have received a confirmation email from yahoo to John's zoom account which you can click on as well.
................
(Cathy (right) says she loves reading the blogger and is hoping to get inspired and join in the feast we're all having)
Clicking on the next underlined bit once you've read all this, will take you to the Yahoo! search engine which provides a free email service.
You can then start 'surfing the web', by typing 'merrow-smith.org' or whatever in the browser window on the yahoo search engine which is the white panel between "Searching the web" and "Search".
The email button is to the left of the Yahoo! banner at the top.
Clicking here will tell you what to do to set yahoo as your computer's home page if you want.
I was tickled by the thought of how long it would take to download real cake to Cathy and family by snail mail.
Well I thought it was funny and that's all that matters!
Come on Birthday girl!
REWARD OFFERED
THESE BISCUITS TO THE FIRST WELSH BLOGGER.....?
(via invited email address I forgot to say!)
How to get on yahoo! email from here.
In a minute, click on this which takes you to a page where you sign in. Find the <-'back' button on your pc so you can come back to this page without retyping all the time.
You'll have received a confirmation email from yahoo to John's zoom account which you can click on as well.
................
(Cathy (right) says she loves reading the blogger and is hoping to get inspired and join in the feast we're all having)
Clicking on the next underlined bit once you've read all this, will take you to the Yahoo! search engine which provides a free email service.
You can then start 'surfing the web', by typing 'merrow-smith.org' or whatever in the browser window on the yahoo search engine which is the white panel between "Searching the web" and "Search".
The email button is to the left of the Yahoo! banner at the top.
Clicking here will tell you what to do to set yahoo as your computer's home page if you want.
Monday, July 26, 2004
Portugal revisited
Gad it's hot!
Portugal and Spain are suffering from this weather that's going around and as a result our recent trip to Portugal was cut short by travelling through the night to avoid the tropical conditions. This was a last minute decision as we didn't feel like sweating it out on blow-up matresses for another night. Having not planned for the ten hours solid driving it was pretty wearing but at least it was cool going through the Sierra Nevada! There's still a little snow there folks if you have the time and the skis.
Portugal was cool and windy five days ago and I wondered if I'd taken the right clothing..but then the Sahara heat hit us and it was all I could bear to wear jockeys! We drove with the windows open for most of the night and wore as little as could be considered decent in a Spanish motorway service station. We got back at 9.40am, having lost an hour, and tried to catch up a little on sleep today.
To top this, Jan now has a conference call at 3.30am (9.30pm US Eastern time) for her Kindermusik class, so it's off to bed for us. When will she have time to look at her new sewing machine, one wonders!?
Happy birthday Cath. No card I'm afraid but we were a little lucky to get even online today. Is it still today? Actually, it's tomorrow already...except that we are an hour ahead, so it's still today for you..if you catch my drift (not the Sierra Nevada kind).
Dad, I have my bank organised by internet at last so I will forward funds to you tomorrow and maybe ask you to pass some of it on to me in Spain as I'll need something next month with no salary coming in. I'll tell you all about the political ins and outs of Iberian education when I email you. Cor, what a palava! Have only had a glance at the diary as we have only found it today. Will spend more time on it once I've organised broadband which is hard for Mac users here it seems.
Love to all
Pete
Portugal and Spain are suffering from this weather that's going around and as a result our recent trip to Portugal was cut short by travelling through the night to avoid the tropical conditions. This was a last minute decision as we didn't feel like sweating it out on blow-up matresses for another night. Having not planned for the ten hours solid driving it was pretty wearing but at least it was cool going through the Sierra Nevada! There's still a little snow there folks if you have the time and the skis.
Portugal was cool and windy five days ago and I wondered if I'd taken the right clothing..but then the Sahara heat hit us and it was all I could bear to wear jockeys! We drove with the windows open for most of the night and wore as little as could be considered decent in a Spanish motorway service station. We got back at 9.40am, having lost an hour, and tried to catch up a little on sleep today.
To top this, Jan now has a conference call at 3.30am (9.30pm US Eastern time) for her Kindermusik class, so it's off to bed for us. When will she have time to look at her new sewing machine, one wonders!?
Happy birthday Cath. No card I'm afraid but we were a little lucky to get even online today. Is it still today? Actually, it's tomorrow already...except that we are an hour ahead, so it's still today for you..if you catch my drift (not the Sierra Nevada kind).
Dad, I have my bank organised by internet at last so I will forward funds to you tomorrow and maybe ask you to pass some of it on to me in Spain as I'll need something next month with no salary coming in. I'll tell you all about the political ins and outs of Iberian education when I email you. Cor, what a palava! Have only had a glance at the diary as we have only found it today. Will spend more time on it once I've organised broadband which is hard for Mac users here it seems.
Love to all
Pete
Happy Birthday to Cathy
48 today, 48 today God bless our darling daughter. Many Happy returns, we hope you liked our little present.
11.50am and we had to visit the Dentist in Ventnor, as Mum has been persuaded to get rid of an aching tooth. I could not face her having a root canal filling, and I know she was not all that keen either. We had to wait until the injection was working and by 12.30, it was all over and we came home. I hope she gets no more trouble from it. Love to all from Mum and Dad
11.50am and we had to visit the Dentist in Ventnor, as Mum has been persuaded to get rid of an aching tooth. I could not face her having a root canal filling, and I know she was not all that keen either. We had to wait until the injection was working and by 12.30, it was all over and we came home. I hope she gets no more trouble from it. Love to all from Mum and Dad
Sunday, July 25, 2004
Dear Da..
..Loved reading your 'thangs', fascinatin' your writing about your early life, ain't it great to see things published!!!! Keep 'em coming |I am enjoying your writing very much, lts of love j
Happy Birthday, dear Janet.
Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday, Dear Janet, Happy Birthday to you. We hope you will have a lovely day and that Pete and the girls will spoil you (I was going to say Spoil you to Death), but we'll stick to spoil you. With lots of love from Hugh and Margaret.
We had a lovely day yesterday. I said to Margy lets go for a walk. We walked down our foot/cycle path right to the end, cossed the Newport road, down to the Island harbour, where we had a rest, a cup of coffee and a bacon sandwich and walked right along the river into Newport and spent an hour being serenaded in the Quay Arts Centre by the beautifal sounds of classic guitar. After that it was a simple matter to stagger to the bus stop and get off the bus stop adjoining our house. She didn't need any sleeping tablets last night! Today we are going into Ryde, to a BBQ at a friends house and we hope the weather keeps fine.
We had a lovely day yesterday. I said to Margy lets go for a walk. We walked down our foot/cycle path right to the end, cossed the Newport road, down to the Island harbour, where we had a rest, a cup of coffee and a bacon sandwich and walked right along the river into Newport and spent an hour being serenaded in the Quay Arts Centre by the beautifal sounds of classic guitar. After that it was a simple matter to stagger to the bus stop and get off the bus stop adjoining our house. She didn't need any sleeping tablets last night! Today we are going into Ryde, to a BBQ at a friends house and we hope the weather keeps fine.
Friday, July 23, 2004
Edinburgh.
My old godfather's daughter Joan, was married to a Major in the Scots Greys and when he retired from active duty he had the job of custodian at Edinburgh Castle. Sadly he died some years ago. Their name is Haynes and Bill finished up as a Major. Joan, his widow, is in her late 80's but I have known her all my life as her dad, Cyril Tutton, George Cross, was at Parkhurst Prison on the staff at the same time as my dad, and was his best friend. Hence he was my godfather. He followed us to Brixton Prison and again to Wakefield, where he retired as Chief Officer. After Bill's death Joan, of course, had to move out of the Castle and now she lives near Dalkeith. We still hear from her every Christmas, always the first card and usually with a picture of the Charge of the Scots Greys, at Balaclava. Cyril or my Uncle Tut as I called him, received his Empire Gallantry Medal, from George V in about 1925. This medal was awarded to civilians for bravery, (his was for getting a mad prisoner off the roof in Parkhurst amid a hail of roof slates), and was changed to the George Cross by King Goerge IV. Every year the G.C's and V.C's (the Military equivalent) were invited to Buckingham Palace in honour of their bravery and Cyril and his wife Kit, were never more proud to accept the invitation. Hugh
Our wonderful overseas holidays
Having transferred some of my old holiday stories on to DAD'S DIARY (Hodder and Stoughton £38.50) I have re-read the holidays to Singapore in 2000 and to Botswana in 2001 and i was very impressed. I commend them to my children and also to Hugh's story in the second part of my father's life from 1932 until I met your Mum in 1952. You may learn things about me and also of Jen and Nic's home and of Jan and Pete's former homes in Orapa and the Algarve. Wotjafink. Dad
Thursday, July 22, 2004
hello barbara, and other news
hi barbara, sorry we never met when i was in edinburgh doing glyndebourne...obviously i've heard loads about you! anyway do hope we will meet. my best friend lives in edinburgh with her little baby. she is principal viola in sco and we did the whole 80's/90's therapy journey together(plus travelling in nepal, india and morocco)....unfortunately my love of great food and wine and her love of mung beans meant our paths split somewhat but she married a bit of a foodie in the end so maybe there's still hope! do hope you will visit us when our house is presentable (6 weeks ago, but in reality perhaps by christmas???) i would love to meet you properly!
meanwhile i am back home for 3 days before going off again, time enough, just, to readjust to the rhythm, give j some moral support (hopefully) , learn how to do the kittens' droplets and reappreciate our life ....am not looking forward to 3 mnths away.....
ruthxxxxx
meanwhile i am back home for 3 days before going off again, time enough, just, to readjust to the rhythm, give j some moral support (hopefully) , learn how to do the kittens' droplets and reappreciate our life ....am not looking forward to 3 mnths away.....
ruthxxxxx
Excel
Right! I've found it - thanks. Now I have to see if I can work it, as I am now the Ryde Lions Treasurer and the previous treasurer said it's easy. Love to all Dad
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Excel
Dad it is part of Office you should have it already on your computer look under Applications Microsoft Office... J
StarOffice
Thanks, Jen - I will look into it. Nice to speak to you all ?? the other day. Give our love to Grandmother, next time you see her. Love Hugh
To excel or not...
There is an equivalent software of excel. It's produced by Sun microsystems and it's called 'StarOffice'. The link to it is http://wwws.sun.com/software/star/staroffice/ It's very similar to excel, and for basic usage, there's practically no difference.
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
Spread sheets
Does anyone know if there is an equivalent to Excel and if so how to get on to it? Dad
Gmail
If you want never to have to erase emails (so you can remember them all for ever), you need a giga byte of email memory which costs!
If you want it for nuffink, Bloggers are being offered it from the Blogger Dashboard.
Gmail!
It's run by google.
If you want it for nuffink, Bloggers are being offered it from the Blogger Dashboard.
Gmail!
It's run by google.
 Ambre's photo Originally uploaded by ezappy. |
Monday, July 19, 2004
Reply
Yes, I do remember the walk through a misty Oxford and the walk along the river. Also your visit to us in Frejus, the trip from St Raphael across the bay to St Tropez. That was in 1985, My mother was in hospital, having just suffered a stroke and I was in constant telephone contact with my sister. Sadly my mother died in October without ever recovering. What a lot water has passed under the bridge since then, but life goes on. Eh? Hugh.
Barbara Rich
Yes, welcome to Barbara. Do you remember meals out with us? L'Ortolan, Le Manoir Hastings and Pegasus Bridge at Benenville and dinner in Le Havre where you had to pay £94 because you were the only one with money on a credit card. Also our five day trip in Normandy and you were the only fluent French speaker - croque madames in Alencon - flies at Au p'tit Quin Quin somewhere near Mont St. Michel, (a lovely French restaurant but next to a farm.) Even meals in London at L'Escargeot. I am always thinking of food. Nice to hear from you. Love Hugh and Margaret
Sunday, July 18, 2004
Updates...
..re: Lance pretty obvious now he's crushed them all innit. French are having a field day as usually it is like Scotland hosting the world cup!! (sorry you Scots), but to have a frenchman in the yellow jersey, another in the red dotted 'King of the Mountains jersey and several stage wins under their belt - well forget Armstrong, it's the small hero's who count innit.
Went up to Dieu le Fit in the Drome last night for Patrick's (husband of Gary's wife's sister Sophie) 40th Birthday and didn't get home till 3.00am, the kittens were pretty down on me! Gary and Sylvie send love to all, Max unfortunately has the measles but it seems to have coincided with him suddenly speaking french - wish I was three!!
Welcome to Barbara Rich - You all remember her hein? I have some nice photies of our holiday Mum and Dad in Normandy - Rouen etc. Juno, Sword!! and several rather nice restaurants as I remember, I still have that little (first painting) of the cabinet on me wall Barbara!
For those who have not yet ventured, Dad's Diary (see link right) is the latest best seller from the pen of your favourite author Patrick Hugh Merrow-Smith.
lots of love to all, j
Went up to Dieu le Fit in the Drome last night for Patrick's (husband of Gary's wife's sister Sophie) 40th Birthday and didn't get home till 3.00am, the kittens were pretty down on me! Gary and Sylvie send love to all, Max unfortunately has the measles but it seems to have coincided with him suddenly speaking french - wish I was three!!
Welcome to Barbara Rich - You all remember her hein? I have some nice photies of our holiday Mum and Dad in Normandy - Rouen etc. Juno, Sword!! and several rather nice restaurants as I remember, I still have that little (first painting) of the cabinet on me wall Barbara!
For those who have not yet ventured, Dad's Diary (see link right) is the latest best seller from the pen of your favourite author Patrick Hugh Merrow-Smith.
lots of love to all, j
Saturday, July 17, 2004
Shakespeare goes into a pub for a pint..
Four More for the Manoir!
Cheque received today from (the other Barbara's sister) Val Colton-Steele, for four, including husband Neil, (golf playing microsoft doctor) Georgina (nick name 'Spikey Spice') and Jamie (oy you nutter)!
Val retired from running 'Dial-a-Flight' to be a Mum after getting her business degree at Greenwich Uni.
Neil has a web business Izis which is a windows debugging outfit.
Gem's Auntie Mandy and Uncle John are coming too. Mandy is a casting director and is expecting a baby in December, and John's directed a short movie which is on at the Curzon in Shaftesbury Avenue on Tuesday evening with that bloke off 'Bird's of a feather' Peter Polycarpou.....any questions?
from mateus palace
hi everyone, just tried to catchup on the blog from the count´s palace in mateus portugal (you are right, that´s where they make that terribe rose that made me sick all over my o level mths paper) but there was so much i don´t dare take up their office space! anyway just a few words from here where we are playing concerts and travelling every day round hair raising bends with mad drivers on mobile phones seeing forest fires and where i am trying to cope with being on tour with two rather unpleasant french pouty women. one who says everything is p´tit this and p´tit that while she pouts and the other is a diva whose thick lips and bottom protrude poutily but who unfortunately has not learned her cantatas so we spend most of the time waiting for her to find her note. last night in the concert there were loads of bugs (a green one crawled the length of my arm while i was playing my vivaldi sonata) and she stopped singing in the middle to tell them to leave her alone in very insulting bug language. i don´t think i like french women all that much! i miss my kitties and my hubbie and am only home for three days before i go off again. worra life. love to all, ruthxxx
Friday, July 16, 2004
Amazin'ly...Far Out!
Using Flickr,
we can now email in images from
camera phones.
This is one of the video display screens like they used at Glastonbury etc.
Actually this is Red Hot Chilly Peppers in Hyde Park.
Here's what you do, sign in on 'merrow-smith.org',
go to 'Post news'
then go to 'settings',
then go to 'email'.
You're invited to add a middle bit to your blogger email name,
then you email to that. so I'd email to 'ezappy.middlebit@blogger.com'
and hey presto it's on the blogger.
It took about 12 hours to come through but I reckon that's down to phone provider having problems with band width.
On the broad band it was minutes.
It's broadcasting for the masses, and it's pretty 'Thunderbirds are go'/'Tomorrow's world' brilliant.
we can now email in images from
camera phones.
This is one of the video display screens like they used at Glastonbury etc.
Actually this is Red Hot Chilly Peppers in Hyde Park.
Here's what you do, sign in on 'merrow-smith.org',
go to 'Post news'
then go to 'settings',
then go to 'email'.
You're invited to add a middle bit to your blogger email name,
then you email to that. so I'd email to 'ezappy.middlebit@blogger.com'
and hey presto it's on the blogger.
It took about 12 hours to come through but I reckon that's down to phone provider having problems with band width.
On the broad band it was minutes.
It's broadcasting for the masses, and it's pretty 'Thunderbirds are go'/'Tomorrow's world' brilliant.
Hugh & Sally Gomme
Sally has loads of room she says.
I didn't mention about the do.
It'd probably be easier if we asked them and the Pullens etc if they'd like to join us non?
Welcome Will
All Hail to the Ale
Three cheers for the beer!
Gem did her guide book stuff in Paris and found us an undisturbed and original pre-liberation restaurant in Montmatre.
ain't they gorgeous!
Three cheers for the beer!
Gem did her guide book stuff in Paris and found us an undisturbed and original pre-liberation restaurant in Montmatre.
ain't they gorgeous!
Flickr
This is a test post from 
, a fancy photo sharing thing.
There's a new procedure for uploading photos.
Stick with it it is possible.
Go to Blogger help for starters.love Steve
, a fancy photo sharing thing.
There's a new procedure for uploading photos.
Stick with it it is possible.
Go to Blogger help for starters.love Steve
Accommodation
Round our way
Self Catering 5 star in Oxford
out of town
Lambert Arms has been done up.. chalets out the back.
Spread Eagle at Thame
Nics old stomping ground at Stokenchurch
They're (their/there?) all here!
Self Catering 5 star in Oxford
out of town
Lambert Arms has been done up.. chalets out the back.
Spread Eagle at Thame
Nics old stomping ground at Stokenchurch
They're (their/there?) all here!
Thursday, July 15, 2004
Dad's Diary
Julian has set me up with a Link for Dad's Diary. I hope to transfer various items to this link from time to time
Welcome, dialch y fawr and other Welsh words
Lovely photos of Steve's car, of Katy and John with Superman. Get those fingers going folks. See you on the blog Cathy. For Steve, ~ I have sent £900 to Le Manoir (30x30) on my Goldfish card. To everyone else except Nic, all contributions gratefully received (I have £730 towards it!!) To Juian we are looking forward to seeing the Bolshoi. Start me off with a link and I will put some of my old one on and add to it chronologically. To Nic and Jen, there are not many leaves on Chinnor Hill at this time of the year. Where are Bobby and Ivy going for the Conference, Aberystwyth or Cardiff. To Pete et al enjoy your riding in Protugla; A toute les autres, bonsoir, bora da, adios, tara, pip pip. Love from Dad
Welcome to the Bolg (welsh for Blogger?)
Lookee here!.. them Roberts's and Merrows's are comin out of them thar Hills!
MY DAD
(Hello Hello Hello Everyone!...)
that's--- JOHN ROBERTS wrote:
> To: "steve merrow-smith"
> Subject: Re: How & How to
> Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 12:28:41 +0100
>
> Hi Steve
>
> Well. Managed to get the Blog site up and read all
> about it.
> How now to add a Bolg. ???
>
> May have already done so, but I think I have set up
> a Bolg site for Cath
( NOPE )
> called CathyMS, password Edmund, onto which she has
> posted a tone. Check it
> out.
> John
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "steve merrow-smith"
> To: "JOHN ROBERTS"
> Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2004 7:28 AM
> Subject: Re: How
> >
> > Hello
> > Blimey he thought!!!
> >
> > ok so type in
> >
> > http://merrow-smith.org
> >
> > there's no www or anything.
> >
> > Hopefully you'll get another invite in a minute
> which
> > you should bookmark.
> > love to you and yours
Who's That?
MY DAD
(Hello Hello Hello Everyone!...)
that's--- JOHN ROBERTS
> To: "steve merrow-smith"
> Subject: Re: How & How to
> Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 12:28:41 +0100
>
> Hi Steve
>
> Well. Managed to get the Blog site up and read all
> about it.
> How now to add a Bolg. ???
>
> May have already done so, but I think I have set up
> a Bolg site for Cath
( NOPE )
> called CathyMS, password Edmund, onto which she has
> posted a tone. Check it
> out.
> John
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "steve merrow-smith"
> To: "JOHN ROBERTS"
> Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2004 7:28 AM
> Subject: Re: How
> >
> > Hello
> > Blimey he thought!!!
> >
> > ok so type in
> >
> > http://merrow-smith.org
> >
> > there's no www or anything.
> >
> > Hopefully you'll get another invite in a minute
> which
> > you should bookmark.
> > love to you and yours
Who's That?
Cats on tour..
These little beauties have successfully auditioned for the Bolshoi and start there world tour in December...
Sorry to hear of your disastrous weekend Mum and Da.. all sounded very unpleasant.. (in Harry Enfield voice) what you need is an ensuite with resident masseur and Dentist! I will also need somewhere to stay probably for a night though the Gomme residence sounds nicer than the Travelodge! Do you want to put up your older diaries Dad or new ones 'cos think he new ones should go on here, otherwise attach them all to an email and I will stick them up (eventually - still no hot water!).
Tour de France should get very interesting tomorrow when the boys climb up to La Mongie in the Pyrenees worth glueing youself to the telly for the afternoon with a nice cuppa or a few beers.. will it be Armstrong, Ullrich or Tyler Hamilton... very very exciting!
Don't suppose there will be another bus for ages now.
lots of love J
ps.Jen we have now cancelled our subscription to the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. That'll learn 'em
Sorry to hear of your disastrous weekend Mum and Da.. all sounded very unpleasant.. (in Harry Enfield voice) what you need is an ensuite with resident masseur and Dentist! I will also need somewhere to stay probably for a night though the Gomme residence sounds nicer than the Travelodge! Do you want to put up your older diaries Dad or new ones 'cos think he new ones should go on here, otherwise attach them all to an email and I will stick them up (eventually - still no hot water!).
Tour de France should get very interesting tomorrow when the boys climb up to La Mongie in the Pyrenees worth glueing youself to the telly for the afternoon with a nice cuppa or a few beers.. will it be Armstrong, Ullrich or Tyler Hamilton... very very exciting!
Don't suppose there will be another bus for ages now.
lots of love J
ps.Jen we have now cancelled our subscription to the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. That'll learn 'em
What a lot of reading.
Dear Julian, This must be your best thing - the blogger. Thank you so much for putting us all in touch.
Now, you guys, what about a group booking at the Travelodge. We could all extend our party and see each other for a little longer. I am sure there would be no age restrictions there, Jen. Check on the website. Another thing I have in my fertile mind is to email the Chinnor Parish Pump and ask for any of our friends in Chinnor, 1) to join us at the Manoir if they feel so inclined - people like John and Myra, or Kathy and Bill Marshall etc., etc. or 2) to get invitations for a one night stay on the 13th. for people like Nic and family or Cathy and family from people who know us(Hopefully Pete and family may be staying with Stan and Judy). 3) when we met Sally Gomme the other weekend she said that she has plenty of room in her house (The Pound House adjoining the War Memorial Gardens in High Street). Things are hotting up and we will soon have to make some real decisions. I am sending off the initial deposit to Le Manoir this weekend and that will take care of what we have in the bank. Contributions are welcome (Nic has paid his deposit) so dust off your cheque books and gimme, gimme, gimme. Mum, thankfully is feeling a lot better, and her face is almost back to normal. Now she wants some sun and she wants to put on some weight. I am trying to get her interested in FOOD again. Love to all Dad and Mum
Now, you guys, what about a group booking at the Travelodge. We could all extend our party and see each other for a little longer. I am sure there would be no age restrictions there, Jen. Check on the website. Another thing I have in my fertile mind is to email the Chinnor Parish Pump and ask for any of our friends in Chinnor, 1) to join us at the Manoir if they feel so inclined - people like John and Myra, or Kathy and Bill Marshall etc., etc. or 2) to get invitations for a one night stay on the 13th. for people like Nic and family or Cathy and family from people who know us(Hopefully Pete and family may be staying with Stan and Judy). 3) when we met Sally Gomme the other weekend she said that she has plenty of room in her house (The Pound House adjoining the War Memorial Gardens in High Street). Things are hotting up and we will soon have to make some real decisions. I am sending off the initial deposit to Le Manoir this weekend and that will take care of what we have in the bank. Contributions are welcome (Nic has paid his deposit) so dust off your cheque books and gimme, gimme, gimme. Mum, thankfully is feeling a lot better, and her face is almost back to normal. Now she wants some sun and she wants to put on some weight. I am trying to get her interested in FOOD again. Love to all Dad and Mum
Guccis, pair of Pradas and a packet of Paracetamol :)
Hope you're feeling better Margaret.....and that the pain and swelling has gone down. Sounds like a weekend that you'd rather forget!
Thanks Steve for the link to the other B&B in Kingston Blount....looks wonderful but the first paragraph last line states "Adult orientated because of restful nature of our accommodation, so no children under 10"!!! ....which is pretty much what we're find stated in most, thankfully not all, of the B & Bs around Oxford. They're quite child-friendly aren't they :) NOT TO WORRY....I shall prevail, one has several places in mind though one might have to settle for the Pradas and LVs instead of the Guccis :)
Life's pretty hectic at the moment.....I've just had a paper rejected by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.....(*scream* *rant* *rave* *curse*) so I'm having to settle for a lower Impact Factor journal. Anyway, apart from that, Claire and I have just realised that she has English and Mandarin spelling tests every week! horrors....we've been trying out various studying methods....Nic contributes as well even though he informs me that he couldn't read or write till he was 8! Daniel's learning how to jump.......he's a right tearaway and can't stop touching everything!
As Nic mentioned, we'll hope to book our tickets at least by the end of this month and to finalise our itinerary soon. My mum and dad will be going to Wales in August for a conference. Grandmother Peck is staying with them for a while, she was in hospital for a couple of weeks due to her L2-5 vertebrae compressing upon themselves...osteoporosis related. She's pretty much immobile and her mind's not so sharp anymore. We just do our best to make her comfortable, talk to her (shout rather as she's quite deaf) and just be around. The kids go over quite often, I think she likes seeing all the great grandchildren around.
Ok....the rain's stop, the sun shineth and I must go and resubmit my paper to ....the International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology! Fingers crossed!
Thanks Steve for the link to the other B&B in Kingston Blount....looks wonderful but the first paragraph last line states "Adult orientated because of restful nature of our accommodation, so no children under 10"!!! ....which is pretty much what we're find stated in most, thankfully not all, of the B & Bs around Oxford. They're quite child-friendly aren't they :) NOT TO WORRY....I shall prevail, one has several places in mind though one might have to settle for the Pradas and LVs instead of the Guccis :)
Life's pretty hectic at the moment.....I've just had a paper rejected by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.....(*scream* *rant* *rave* *curse*) so I'm having to settle for a lower Impact Factor journal. Anyway, apart from that, Claire and I have just realised that she has English and Mandarin spelling tests every week! horrors....we've been trying out various studying methods....Nic contributes as well even though he informs me that he couldn't read or write till he was 8! Daniel's learning how to jump.......he's a right tearaway and can't stop touching everything!
As Nic mentioned, we'll hope to book our tickets at least by the end of this month and to finalise our itinerary soon. My mum and dad will be going to Wales in August for a conference. Grandmother Peck is staying with them for a while, she was in hospital for a couple of weeks due to her L2-5 vertebrae compressing upon themselves...osteoporosis related. She's pretty much immobile and her mind's not so sharp anymore. We just do our best to make her comfortable, talk to her (shout rather as she's quite deaf) and just be around. The kids go over quite often, I think she likes seeing all the great grandchildren around.
Ok....the rain's stop, the sun shineth and I must go and resubmit my paper to ....the International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology! Fingers crossed!
Travelodge location details: Oxford Wheatley
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ezappy has requested that you receive directions to Oxford Wheatley.
To make a reservation, simply call +44 8700 850 950 between 7.00am and 10.00pm, 7 days a week or book online through our website.
Click here to book online Looksee?
Thank you
The Travelodge team
At Travelodge, we value your privacy. We will not record your details without express consent. Click here http://www.travelodge.co.uk/privacy_policy/welcome.html to read more about our privacy policy.
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Love to mum and get well soon
What a saga, Pop. I do hope the abcess thing is past and that mum can back to some sense of normality. Sorry for posting my previous blog with no reference to all mum’s troubles and your stirling work. I’d already sent it before I read all the news because there were a few long posts to read and I decided to read them offline later. To me, it sounds like you need something stronger than brandy in the house. An abscess is one thing but cramp too. My heart bled reading your account. It ‘s so unfair when things like this happen on top of one another. I’ll phone before we set off for Portugal to see how you both are.
Congrats on the move Gemma and Clive. I didn’t manage to see that page yet Steve but am happier now about trying to get a place here. Still, four and a half thousand does seem a bit of a bargain!
On the culture front our town is in the throws of its annual Alfaz International Film Festival which is big on the European scene I’m told. We had the Bolshoi ballet through recently too, but we passed on that one. Loads of swans dying on lakes and stuff. Prefer living animals.
The lion at Whipsnade is the loudest one I have ever heard (because you can get close, I suppose). The one at Zimbabwe’s Chipengali roared from time to time but it is not in the same class. Mind you, they have a world famous peeing leopard that quirts at you as you go past. As for scares though, the lion in Ecuador’s Quito Zoo was ‘best’. As I walked past his cage he sprang for me and attached himself to the fence about 8 feet tall and 3 feet from my nose. I got lion spit on my face and human secretions everywhere else! Come to think of it, he was pretty loud too, but I was a long way away in about 10 seconds and couldn’t hear him anymore!!
While I’m on memory lane, do Nic and Julian remember that attack of cramp I had on the bridge at Port Meadow when I was about 10. I think Nic still thinks I was faking it! Since then I’ve been a victim regularly, the ‘funniest’ (viewed only retrospectively, I might add) being when Jan and I were both hit by a vomitting and trotting bug in the middle of the night. Add cramp to that, in mid-winter, when you’re sleeping on the floor downstairs because Jess has got the only bedroom (upstairs, where the toilet also can be found!!), with Jan being pregnant and never having had cramp before. Bowls and buckets everywhere!!! Ah, happy days. Poor mum, I can’t sympathise enough.
We love you and are thinking of you darling, praying all will come good in the next few days.
Pete, Jan and the girls.
Congrats on the move Gemma and Clive. I didn’t manage to see that page yet Steve but am happier now about trying to get a place here. Still, four and a half thousand does seem a bit of a bargain!
On the culture front our town is in the throws of its annual Alfaz International Film Festival which is big on the European scene I’m told. We had the Bolshoi ballet through recently too, but we passed on that one. Loads of swans dying on lakes and stuff. Prefer living animals.
The lion at Whipsnade is the loudest one I have ever heard (because you can get close, I suppose). The one at Zimbabwe’s Chipengali roared from time to time but it is not in the same class. Mind you, they have a world famous peeing leopard that quirts at you as you go past. As for scares though, the lion in Ecuador’s Quito Zoo was ‘best’. As I walked past his cage he sprang for me and attached himself to the fence about 8 feet tall and 3 feet from my nose. I got lion spit on my face and human secretions everywhere else! Come to think of it, he was pretty loud too, but I was a long way away in about 10 seconds and couldn’t hear him anymore!!
While I’m on memory lane, do Nic and Julian remember that attack of cramp I had on the bridge at Port Meadow when I was about 10. I think Nic still thinks I was faking it! Since then I’ve been a victim regularly, the ‘funniest’ (viewed only retrospectively, I might add) being when Jan and I were both hit by a vomitting and trotting bug in the middle of the night. Add cramp to that, in mid-winter, when you’re sleeping on the floor downstairs because Jess has got the only bedroom (upstairs, where the toilet also can be found!!), with Jan being pregnant and never having had cramp before. Bowls and buckets everywhere!!! Ah, happy days. Poor mum, I can’t sympathise enough.
We love you and are thinking of you darling, praying all will come good in the next few days.
Pete, Jan and the girls.
London bus.org?
These blogs are like the proverbial London buses. None for ages then three all at once!!
Forget football, its Le Tour de France at the moment! Jan is now a cyclist widow (although as yet, with my legs I haven't threatened to take it up myself!). The tour has been ace this year - the most exciting since I started looking in on it in 1999. That year a horse got loose amongst the riders and accompanied them for a few miles. It got me hooked!
This year there have been loads of crashes and lots of interest up the front with the young ones trying to upset the old guard. Is Armstrong up for a sixth? Will Julian and Ruth be lining the route at some point? Hold up a few pictures and maybe you'll get some global coverage!
Publishers' agents are being typically unhelpful at present. It seems everyone is writing childrens' books and there's no space for new authors. I half expected this. Nobody even wants to see a manuscript! It may be time to up it a gear and start throwing manuscripts at agents just to get myself noticed amongst all the other wanna-be's!
Jan is now into her course for Kindermusik, leaving me to child-mind (while watching Le Tour) when she's working. I was thinking of doing a course in ELT (English Language Teaching) but it looks as if I may get financial cold feet with so much money going out over the summer and none coming in. Anyone got a job? I can do that. Gissus a job.
Actually, we're off to Portugal next week to let the gals go horseying it around the Serra de Monchique. It will be time to see some old friends and try to keep my old boss at arm's length (she wants me back, bless her). After that we'll be back here (to check on Le Tour and to do some more course?) and maybe then we'll head for France to see the Frenchies (and some of Le Tour?).
Love to Jan's folks, Stan and Judy. My how our blog readership has expanded. Good to have you on board.
If anyone ever gets to the end of The Big Tree, feel free to let me know. It's tough trying to be an author, even one who expects to be panned. It's a negative world out there!! I'm not cut out for this...I'm cracking up!!
Pete
Forget football, its Le Tour de France at the moment! Jan is now a cyclist widow (although as yet, with my legs I haven't threatened to take it up myself!). The tour has been ace this year - the most exciting since I started looking in on it in 1999. That year a horse got loose amongst the riders and accompanied them for a few miles. It got me hooked!
This year there have been loads of crashes and lots of interest up the front with the young ones trying to upset the old guard. Is Armstrong up for a sixth? Will Julian and Ruth be lining the route at some point? Hold up a few pictures and maybe you'll get some global coverage!
Publishers' agents are being typically unhelpful at present. It seems everyone is writing childrens' books and there's no space for new authors. I half expected this. Nobody even wants to see a manuscript! It may be time to up it a gear and start throwing manuscripts at agents just to get myself noticed amongst all the other wanna-be's!
Jan is now into her course for Kindermusik, leaving me to child-mind (while watching Le Tour) when she's working. I was thinking of doing a course in ELT (English Language Teaching) but it looks as if I may get financial cold feet with so much money going out over the summer and none coming in. Anyone got a job? I can do that. Gissus a job.
Actually, we're off to Portugal next week to let the gals go horseying it around the Serra de Monchique. It will be time to see some old friends and try to keep my old boss at arm's length (she wants me back, bless her). After that we'll be back here (to check on Le Tour and to do some more course?) and maybe then we'll head for France to see the Frenchies (and some of Le Tour?).
Love to Jan's folks, Stan and Judy. My how our blog readership has expanded. Good to have you on board.
If anyone ever gets to the end of The Big Tree, feel free to let me know. It's tough trying to be an author, even one who expects to be panned. It's a negative world out there!! I'm not cut out for this...I'm cracking up!!
Pete
Half Term in UK is around Nic's birthday...
What's everyone doing about accommodation in October?
There's a Travelodge at Wheatley which is cheap.
WheatleyTravelodge/ Harvester/Asda
Nic was on about kicking leaves up the hills so this might do?
B&B in Kingston Blount
There's no Gucci for miles though!
There's a Travelodge at Wheatley which is cheap.
WheatleyTravelodge/ Harvester/Asda
Nic was on about kicking leaves up the hills so this might do?
B&B in Kingston Blount
There's no Gucci for miles though!
Big Steak
Gemma, I do remember that about the steak, White Lion's a great pub. Remember Dad, The Fox at Ibstone and grumpy old Mr Fox, also more recent times Gemma the Greyhound at Albury, very close to Ivinghoe. No sign of my house on fire in Ivinghoe then?
I remember Whipsnade Zoo for seeing lots of sad looking cats in cages, but things may have changed. I also remember the Barn Owl demo, no squeeks there, absolute silence when they fly ('cept for the cunning bell on it's foot). Bird park here is spectacular as they fly the Vultures over the spectators, wing tips polishing the old crown for us of the Morgan mold.
Sorry to hear about Mum and her absess, Never on a Saturday unless of course you're in Singapore. You could've flewn out here, been fixed up and back to Ryde again before the dentist opened on Monday.
We are booking our flight next week. Wondering when the school holidays are for those in Wales and Spain so we know which side of the 13th to come over. Anyone care to advise?
Nic
I remember Whipsnade Zoo for seeing lots of sad looking cats in cages, but things may have changed. I also remember the Barn Owl demo, no squeeks there, absolute silence when they fly ('cept for the cunning bell on it's foot). Bird park here is spectacular as they fly the Vultures over the spectators, wing tips polishing the old crown for us of the Morgan mold.
Sorry to hear about Mum and her absess, Never on a Saturday unless of course you're in Singapore. You could've flewn out here, been fixed up and back to Ryde again before the dentist opened on Monday.
We are booking our flight next week. Wondering when the school holidays are for those in Wales and Spain so we know which side of the 13th to come over. Anyone care to advise?
Nic
re Will's T-Bone Steak
What an interesting time you have had Gemma and Clive. The name of the pub where we had lunch was the White Lion over the Grand Union Canal at Marsworth, just past the reservoirs. For the uninitiated Nic invited us to lunch at the White Lion about 15-16 years ago and William ordered a T-bone steak. Nic, thinking that a small boy could not manage such a large piece of meat, decided to order fish, thinking that he would finish off the T-bone steak. Consternation - Will ate the lot and poor Nic had to be satisfied with the fish. A story that has been told many times in the Do you remember series.... Love to all our granchildren from Granddad
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
Welcome to the arty farty Merrows, Gems
Nuffink like a bit o' culture. You'll be going to Glyndebourne next Grandad
Oh, the Pain!!
. Came home and M fe.lt she had a tooth ache so we turned in early.
10th The tooth ache seemed more painful and M wanted to get out into the fresh air so we went to Gurnard and sat in the car in bright sunshine, eventually visiting the café and sat on the veranda drinking coffee (ice cream for me). Went into Cowes and sat on the Parade watching the boats in the very high winds, for an hour and then came home. The toothache was getting worse and it seemed that M had an abscess. NEVER have an abscess on a Saturday as everything is shut. We phoned the dentist, but he thought it may be sinusitis, so later in the evening I phoned the Island Doctor Service, related all the events. The doctor arrived at about 11pm and gave M a penicillin anti-biotic. M’s face had swollen and the doctor was convinced it was an abscess. We went to bed, with M feeling very poorly.
11th Up three times in the night. We went to bed after the Doctor had given M the penicillin and although M was very uncomfortable, we both seemed to drift off to sleep. I suppose it was about 1am that I heard M crying out and seeing that she was not in bed found her on the floor at the foot of the bed. She had cramp and was trying to get to the loo. I struggled with her to get up and managed to get her to the bathroom. The cramp in her legs was bad and I tried to massage them, but I could see that she was going and attempted to get her to stand up off the loo and she blacked out. There was I with a dead weight and I let her down gently and went for some pillows. Eventually she came to, and we managed to get her to crawl to the bedroom and I hoisted her up on to the bed.. She was now very cold and I got her warm blankets and heated up the wheat sacks and put them all round her legs to aid the cramp. We eventually went off to sleep. 3.am, the same thing – the loo and the cramps. I managed to get her along to the bathroom, then back as far as no.2 bedroom and I slumped her on to the bed. As she had just made the bed and I did not want to disturb it I struggled to get her back to our bed and repeated as before. Same thing happened at 5am and at 7am. , so I rang the IDOC (Island Doctors) again and this time Dr. Partridge came out in the Paramedic car. He gave M an examination and said the penicillin was upsetting her so he gave me another prescription for a different type of anti biotic. He confirmed that she had a tooth abscess and her face was very swollen. We had to wait until 10am as shops do not open early on Sundays. Rather than leave M with no care, she came in the car with me and we went into Ryde, hoping that Boots was open. No such luck so we went off to Tescos. Every car parking space was occupied and it was like market day inside. I managed to get to the Pharmacy and got the anti-biotics and drove home the ‘pretty way’ as Ryde was en fete – Ryde Regatta. When we got home M took the capsule and within ten minutes, she had to rush to the loo and vomited up all she had taken. What to do now? I once more rang to IDOC and the nurse said there was an IDOC clinic at St Mary’s in Newport so she arranged for us to attend. We arrived at about 1pm in torrential rain and M saw a foreign doctor who said keep off all anti-biotics, take no food, only drink juices, lemonades etc. and try to see the dentist in the morning. We have been sitting looking at each other with the front room fire on, M frozen and me sweating until I decided to get this on to paper. Luckily M slept ok with no recurrence of last night.
12th Rang the dentist at 8.am and we had an appointment for 11.10 this morning. Arrived in Ventnor and parked on the hill opposite the dentist. Mr Hamilton (ever the silent Scot) reviewed the situation and decided to lance the now very swollen, abscess, after taking an xray. Next thing was either a root filling or an extractio, so M opted for an extraction in a couple of weeks. Gave us a prescription for some red anti-biotic pills and we had a little walk round, got some money out of HSBC and went into a café for lunch. M could only manage some tomato soup and part of a roll. I was afraid we had overstayed our parking limit so we collected the car and parked on the cliffs overlooking the sea and went for a walk. M was feeling a lot better although the swollen mouth did not improve the situation. She was still a little confused, but we managed to wash out her mouth with warm, salty water, before heading for home. We had a rest and M took her pills, then Ray rang up and I suggested he came for tea at 4pm., thinking this would divert M from worrying too much. Ray is a very loud person with some queer ideas but we were kept amused until about 10pm when I took him back to Newport, arranging to see him on the morrow at 1030. M was still a little confused and tried to take the wrong tablets, but we went to bed and when I awoke in the morning discovered that she had a disturbed night, with leg cramps and other worries. Typically afraid to wake me up to help her and suffering in silence. Here endeth...........Love from a tired Dad
While I am on, congratulations to Bethany for her first blog and to Jan for giving us all the news.
10th The tooth ache seemed more painful and M wanted to get out into the fresh air so we went to Gurnard and sat in the car in bright sunshine, eventually visiting the café and sat on the veranda drinking coffee (ice cream for me). Went into Cowes and sat on the Parade watching the boats in the very high winds, for an hour and then came home. The toothache was getting worse and it seemed that M had an abscess. NEVER have an abscess on a Saturday as everything is shut. We phoned the dentist, but he thought it may be sinusitis, so later in the evening I phoned the Island Doctor Service, related all the events. The doctor arrived at about 11pm and gave M a penicillin anti-biotic. M’s face had swollen and the doctor was convinced it was an abscess. We went to bed, with M feeling very poorly.
11th Up three times in the night. We went to bed after the Doctor had given M the penicillin and although M was very uncomfortable, we both seemed to drift off to sleep. I suppose it was about 1am that I heard M crying out and seeing that she was not in bed found her on the floor at the foot of the bed. She had cramp and was trying to get to the loo. I struggled with her to get up and managed to get her to the bathroom. The cramp in her legs was bad and I tried to massage them, but I could see that she was going and attempted to get her to stand up off the loo and she blacked out. There was I with a dead weight and I let her down gently and went for some pillows. Eventually she came to, and we managed to get her to crawl to the bedroom and I hoisted her up on to the bed.. She was now very cold and I got her warm blankets and heated up the wheat sacks and put them all round her legs to aid the cramp. We eventually went off to sleep. 3.am, the same thing – the loo and the cramps. I managed to get her along to the bathroom, then back as far as no.2 bedroom and I slumped her on to the bed. As she had just made the bed and I did not want to disturb it I struggled to get her back to our bed and repeated as before. Same thing happened at 5am and at 7am. , so I rang the IDOC (Island Doctors) again and this time Dr. Partridge came out in the Paramedic car. He gave M an examination and said the penicillin was upsetting her so he gave me another prescription for a different type of anti biotic. He confirmed that she had a tooth abscess and her face was very swollen. We had to wait until 10am as shops do not open early on Sundays. Rather than leave M with no care, she came in the car with me and we went into Ryde, hoping that Boots was open. No such luck so we went off to Tescos. Every car parking space was occupied and it was like market day inside. I managed to get to the Pharmacy and got the anti-biotics and drove home the ‘pretty way’ as Ryde was en fete – Ryde Regatta. When we got home M took the capsule and within ten minutes, she had to rush to the loo and vomited up all she had taken. What to do now? I once more rang to IDOC and the nurse said there was an IDOC clinic at St Mary’s in Newport so she arranged for us to attend. We arrived at about 1pm in torrential rain and M saw a foreign doctor who said keep off all anti-biotics, take no food, only drink juices, lemonades etc. and try to see the dentist in the morning. We have been sitting looking at each other with the front room fire on, M frozen and me sweating until I decided to get this on to paper. Luckily M slept ok with no recurrence of last night.
12th Rang the dentist at 8.am and we had an appointment for 11.10 this morning. Arrived in Ventnor and parked on the hill opposite the dentist. Mr Hamilton (ever the silent Scot) reviewed the situation and decided to lance the now very swollen, abscess, after taking an xray. Next thing was either a root filling or an extractio, so M opted for an extraction in a couple of weeks. Gave us a prescription for some red anti-biotic pills and we had a little walk round, got some money out of HSBC and went into a café for lunch. M could only manage some tomato soup and part of a roll. I was afraid we had overstayed our parking limit so we collected the car and parked on the cliffs overlooking the sea and went for a walk. M was feeling a lot better although the swollen mouth did not improve the situation. She was still a little confused, but we managed to wash out her mouth with warm, salty water, before heading for home. We had a rest and M took her pills, then Ray rang up and I suggested he came for tea at 4pm., thinking this would divert M from worrying too much. Ray is a very loud person with some queer ideas but we were kept amused until about 10pm when I took him back to Newport, arranging to see him on the morrow at 1030. M was still a little confused and tried to take the wrong tablets, but we went to bed and when I awoke in the morning discovered that she had a disturbed night, with leg cramps and other worries. Typically afraid to wake me up to help her and suffering in silence. Here endeth...........Love from a tired Dad
While I am on, congratulations to Bethany for her first blog and to Jan for giving us all the news.
Back to work....
Well after finding ourselves a new home ahead of schedule yippee...we decided to use our pre booked week of leave from work to better ourselves culturally. So this week Clive & I have been to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford (www.ashmol.ox.ac.uk) Plenty of fab art work-Van Gogh, Manet, Latrec, Degas and even a couple of Pissaro's along with many statures pinched from the Greeks/Romans. They was a great stature of Livia which if I remember correctly from watching 'I Claudius' was Claudius' evil Grandmother? They even have a funeral temple which was lifted block by from the sandy climes of the Sudan-the biggest stone shed I've ever seen. Then it was a short walk on to the University of Oxford's Natural History Faculty (www.oum.ac.uk) which has a huge collection of specimens captured long ago including a stuffed Dodo. Top fact of the visit was that the character of the Oxford Dodo which featured in Lewis Carrolls' novel 'Alice in Wonderland' was based on Carroll himself who had a stutter and had difficulty in pronouncing his own 'real' name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. Do-Do. His name comes from a latin translation of Charles Lutwidge=Carolus Ludovicus. Top quiz question!
The Museum was recently the vicitm of a elaborate hoax concerning the existence of dragons. In a glass specimen jar sitting on top of a wooden chest is what convincingly appears to be a sleeping baby dragon. It is approximately a foot tall, of a pale white appearance with what can cleary be seen as muscle fibre and having the skin texture of a lizard. The story goes that it was sent to the Museum by a secret benefactor and that it was discovered perfectly preserved inside an egg that itself was inside a volcanic formation. Very strange. After investigation it turns out rather disappointingly to be a clever latex creation (very X-files) and the guy who followed the story has written a book about the con.
We then moved on to the Pitt Rivers Museum (www.prm.ox.ac.uk) which as Will put it is like looking through an old wizards attic. Less Harry Potter more Saruman me thinks. Items range from japanese samurai swords with full armour (including hairy slippers), a blunderbuss (which I've only ever seen on cartoons aka Elmer Fudd) to ancient South American shrunken heads, dried sheeps/toads hearts/dried slugs, which were used by saxons to heal all sortsl. Urgh! On the less gross side there was plenty of pretty ornate jewellery collected from all over the world especially Peru and the Far East.
Later in the week we drove over to Whipsnade. The only directions Dad gave me was to drive to Ivinghoe and follow your nose and look out for the White Lion set into the hillside which proved a foolproof plan. I stopped at a set of traffic lights waiting for the light change to cross a small bridge, when looking out the window I had a flash back and realised we had stopped outside the White Lion Inn at not sure if this is correct but Marshingham/Marlingham! Sound familiar Nic?! The infamous site where a young Will ate his way through a whole T-bone steak.
Clive and I had been to London Zoo last March and had seen many adverts for their sister zoo at Whipsnade (www.whipsnade.co.uk). I'd been there years ago with G&G and Will and I think Nic was there too. So decide it was well worth a return trip. You name it we saw it. A group of adult Chimps having a fruit lunch with their new addition named Elvis. We reckoned the little fellas name comes from his dark stickey up bedhair. Other animals included the seal lions, elephants,bison, camels, penguins (smelt like cats bad breath fish and damp hair!), Rhinos, ringtailed lemurs, cheetahs, Siberian Lions as well as peacocks and muntjacs dotted around the grounds.
The best part by far was the european grey wolves. In an large enclosure populated with pine trees and long grass was a muddy mound with one solitary wolf on top keeping watch. As we were about to move on, one by one of the wolves joined the first wolf from their dens. Within seconds 12 wolves were lined up along the mound staring through us into the middle distance. Concerned that perhaps a giant drooling, snarling wolf was behind us we turned around. Looking into the trees we couldn't see anything not even a peacock or wandering deer. Turning back to look at the wolves they became nore excited jumping over each other yet their gaze was unchanged. After a minute watching this behaviour and being the only visitors to witness the behaviours we decided to wait and see what the fuss was. Another minute passed and then out of the trees came a keeper pushing a wheelbarrow full of beef. The wolves has smelt the raw meat over 2 minutes before we even saw or even heard the keepers squeaky wheel. Wow fantastic creatures.
To finish off the week, last night we went to the RSC at Stratford (www.rsc.org.uk) and saw a impressive staging of Hamlet. It helped that one of my favorite actors Toby Stephens was the lead (Maggie Smiths son & well known award winning actor in his own right) and he was a suitably sarcastic and witty Hamlet driven by his fathers purgatory revenge. We enjoyed it so much that I think we'll join the RSC membership and make it a regular treat. Good news is that I'm still young enough to get a 50% discount because I'm under 30 years!
Well only 2.5 weeks to go till the move so enough with all this fun and I'd better get packing/chucking.
love to all you Merrows out there
Gems xxx
The Museum was recently the vicitm of a elaborate hoax concerning the existence of dragons. In a glass specimen jar sitting on top of a wooden chest is what convincingly appears to be a sleeping baby dragon. It is approximately a foot tall, of a pale white appearance with what can cleary be seen as muscle fibre and having the skin texture of a lizard. The story goes that it was sent to the Museum by a secret benefactor and that it was discovered perfectly preserved inside an egg that itself was inside a volcanic formation. Very strange. After investigation it turns out rather disappointingly to be a clever latex creation (very X-files) and the guy who followed the story has written a book about the con.
We then moved on to the Pitt Rivers Museum (www.prm.ox.ac.uk) which as Will put it is like looking through an old wizards attic. Less Harry Potter more Saruman me thinks. Items range from japanese samurai swords with full armour (including hairy slippers), a blunderbuss (which I've only ever seen on cartoons aka Elmer Fudd) to ancient South American shrunken heads, dried sheeps/toads hearts/dried slugs, which were used by saxons to heal all sortsl. Urgh! On the less gross side there was plenty of pretty ornate jewellery collected from all over the world especially Peru and the Far East.
Later in the week we drove over to Whipsnade. The only directions Dad gave me was to drive to Ivinghoe and follow your nose and look out for the White Lion set into the hillside which proved a foolproof plan. I stopped at a set of traffic lights waiting for the light change to cross a small bridge, when looking out the window I had a flash back and realised we had stopped outside the White Lion Inn at not sure if this is correct but Marshingham/Marlingham! Sound familiar Nic?! The infamous site where a young Will ate his way through a whole T-bone steak.
Clive and I had been to London Zoo last March and had seen many adverts for their sister zoo at Whipsnade (www.whipsnade.co.uk). I'd been there years ago with G&G and Will and I think Nic was there too. So decide it was well worth a return trip. You name it we saw it. A group of adult Chimps having a fruit lunch with their new addition named Elvis. We reckoned the little fellas name comes from his dark stickey up bedhair. Other animals included the seal lions, elephants,bison, camels, penguins (smelt like cats bad breath fish and damp hair!), Rhinos, ringtailed lemurs, cheetahs, Siberian Lions as well as peacocks and muntjacs dotted around the grounds.
The best part by far was the european grey wolves. In an large enclosure populated with pine trees and long grass was a muddy mound with one solitary wolf on top keeping watch. As we were about to move on, one by one of the wolves joined the first wolf from their dens. Within seconds 12 wolves were lined up along the mound staring through us into the middle distance. Concerned that perhaps a giant drooling, snarling wolf was behind us we turned around. Looking into the trees we couldn't see anything not even a peacock or wandering deer. Turning back to look at the wolves they became nore excited jumping over each other yet their gaze was unchanged. After a minute watching this behaviour and being the only visitors to witness the behaviours we decided to wait and see what the fuss was. Another minute passed and then out of the trees came a keeper pushing a wheelbarrow full of beef. The wolves has smelt the raw meat over 2 minutes before we even saw or even heard the keepers squeaky wheel. Wow fantastic creatures.
To finish off the week, last night we went to the RSC at Stratford (www.rsc.org.uk) and saw a impressive staging of Hamlet. It helped that one of my favorite actors Toby Stephens was the lead (Maggie Smiths son & well known award winning actor in his own right) and he was a suitably sarcastic and witty Hamlet driven by his fathers purgatory revenge. We enjoyed it so much that I think we'll join the RSC membership and make it a regular treat. Good news is that I'm still young enough to get a 50% discount because I'm under 30 years!
Well only 2.5 weeks to go till the move so enough with all this fun and I'd better get packing/chucking.
love to all you Merrows out there
Gems xxx
Fwd: Event on 13th October
Hello
Me rotten teeth too... oh dear. root canal work last week on front left
(which I bashed on tennis courts at LWGS.)
Had to go back yesterday for emergency infection, which he then flushed
out! oh dear face all swollen and in agony.
Was due to go to see Hamlet at Stratford last night and thought I
wouldn't make it..
Fortunately the antibiotics and anti inflamatories kicked in with hours
to go before the performance...
Manoir
Can I have a cheque for what we've got please so I can send to Manoir
with contract.
Menu next week so think on.
Me rotten teeth too... oh dear. root canal work last week on front left
(which I bashed on tennis courts at LWGS.)
Had to go back yesterday for emergency infection, which he then flushed
out! oh dear face all swollen and in agony.
Was due to go to see Hamlet at Stratford last night and thought I
wouldn't make it..
Fortunately the antibiotics and anti inflamatories kicked in with hours
to go before the performance...
Manoir
Can I have a cheque for what we've got please so I can send to Manoir
with contract.
Menu next week so think on.
Monday, July 12, 2004
Comment
One thing about playing cricket yourself, you always win. Mum has an abscess in her upper left 5 tooth so we are off to our dentist in Ventnor as he opens at 8am on Mondays for (late) weekend emergencies. We have had a painful weekend. More later Dad
Sunday, July 11, 2004
Memories and so on ...
Hi all
Today I'm a cricket widow - been a footie widow, would have been a tennis widow but there wasn't much coverage here, and I'm sometimes even a bull-fighting widow! At least today Pete's playing himself, not just watching the pro's. He's been out playing an away match somewhere near Alicante and I don't expect him back much before 10.00. Amy's in bed though not asleep and Jess and Beth offered to do the supper dishes (I'm not one to refuse that!) so I have some peaceful time I hope.
Enjoyed the recent messages from you all. What a time you have had mum and dad, all over the mainland just about. Sorry about the ferry though. Pete was obviously quite young when you all went on the 'band' trip but he had plenty of comments of his own on reading the various memories that Steve sparked off. I remember we used to go to Cornwall to the house of one of dad's cousins for our holidays until the summer we moved to Chinnor (Aug. 1967?), when the move itself took the place of the holiday that year. We were in Cornwall - right down near Land's End if I remember rightly - when my first tooth came out ... going back a bit, eh? That's enough of my dim and distant past.
In the not so distant past, in Botswana, we had most of our cats. As you've read from Beth's message, the girls do miss having pets but we can't have any in our present situation. Our first was a kitten who mewed outside our door asking to be adopted, and we kindly (foolishly?) obliged - we named her Rossini (yes, I know he was male) and then one of her kittens was called Tosca. That was the end of the musical connection though. And after that all the cats we had were always 'done'. Your kits look very loveable indeed Ruth and Julian, and we're still hoping to come and meet your family first hand soon.
I'm expecting a special delivery tomorrow - not what any of you might think! I've signed on (and paid - small ouch) for a training course to be a Kindermusik 'Educator' and all my material should be arriving in the morning. The package is being Fed Exed over from the US and we've been given a tracking number that we have been using to track its progress over here to us - been very exciting over the last couple of days! I went to a Kindermusik class while we were visiting a friend in Gabs and it looked very good. The courses cater for groups of children - and their mums - from birth to school age and is very physical, hands-on, movement and music kind of material. It's like running a franchise I guess, and I'll be able to do it as a private enterprise doing as little or much as I (and demand) want. The training starts on the 18th - over the e-mail mostly , with a few phone calls in between - wish me luck.
Amy joined me a paragraph ago so I'm going to stop and take her back to bed. Will post this shortly I hope.
By the way, as far as we know UK is still safe - the girls just needed to get up-to-date with inoculations that we managed to miss out on over the last little while!
Love to you all
Jan
Today I'm a cricket widow - been a footie widow, would have been a tennis widow but there wasn't much coverage here, and I'm sometimes even a bull-fighting widow! At least today Pete's playing himself, not just watching the pro's. He's been out playing an away match somewhere near Alicante and I don't expect him back much before 10.00. Amy's in bed though not asleep and Jess and Beth offered to do the supper dishes (I'm not one to refuse that!) so I have some peaceful time I hope.
Enjoyed the recent messages from you all. What a time you have had mum and dad, all over the mainland just about. Sorry about the ferry though. Pete was obviously quite young when you all went on the 'band' trip but he had plenty of comments of his own on reading the various memories that Steve sparked off. I remember we used to go to Cornwall to the house of one of dad's cousins for our holidays until the summer we moved to Chinnor (Aug. 1967?), when the move itself took the place of the holiday that year. We were in Cornwall - right down near Land's End if I remember rightly - when my first tooth came out ... going back a bit, eh? That's enough of my dim and distant past.
In the not so distant past, in Botswana, we had most of our cats. As you've read from Beth's message, the girls do miss having pets but we can't have any in our present situation. Our first was a kitten who mewed outside our door asking to be adopted, and we kindly (foolishly?) obliged - we named her Rossini (yes, I know he was male) and then one of her kittens was called Tosca. That was the end of the musical connection though. And after that all the cats we had were always 'done'. Your kits look very loveable indeed Ruth and Julian, and we're still hoping to come and meet your family first hand soon.
I'm expecting a special delivery tomorrow - not what any of you might think! I've signed on (and paid - small ouch) for a training course to be a Kindermusik 'Educator' and all my material should be arriving in the morning. The package is being Fed Exed over from the US and we've been given a tracking number that we have been using to track its progress over here to us - been very exciting over the last couple of days! I went to a Kindermusik class while we were visiting a friend in Gabs and it looked very good. The courses cater for groups of children - and their mums - from birth to school age and is very physical, hands-on, movement and music kind of material. It's like running a franchise I guess, and I'll be able to do it as a private enterprise doing as little or much as I (and demand) want. The training starts on the 18th - over the e-mail mostly , with a few phone calls in between - wish me luck.
Amy joined me a paragraph ago so I'm going to stop and take her back to bed. Will post this shortly I hope.
By the way, as far as we know UK is still safe - the girls just needed to get up-to-date with inoculations that we managed to miss out on over the last little while!
Love to you all
Jan
Saturday, July 10, 2004
Many thanks...
...Bethany and Nic for you kind comments, always much appreciated by doting (cat) parents. We were originally going to get just Oscar but he was a little runty and Manon was very confident and pretty but thank goodness we took them both. He has really blossomed (if that's not too feminine) and everyone agrees he's a real beauty (ibid). They share near identical markings however Oscar's are more subtle and he has smaller eyes and a smaller, more compact face. They are both enormous fun.
Ruth has parted for Portugal for a small 10 day tour with her 'Musica Antiqua de Provence' group, they are staying in the Chateau where Mateus Rose is produced, apparently quite a palace. I had to take her to Aix-en-Provence this morning where the band had arranged a hire car large enough for five musicians a Cello and a Theorbo which is like a ten foot long banjo crossed with a Sitah, fortunately the Harpsichordist is borrowing an instrument in portugal!
Do you guys have to get innoculated to go to England? Is it that dangerous? is Typhoid ravaging through the east end of London? Should I worry? lots of love j
Ruth has parted for Portugal for a small 10 day tour with her 'Musica Antiqua de Provence' group, they are staying in the Chateau where Mateus Rose is produced, apparently quite a palace. I had to take her to Aix-en-Provence this morning where the band had arranged a hire car large enough for five musicians a Cello and a Theorbo which is like a ten foot long banjo crossed with a Sitah, fortunately the Harpsichordist is borrowing an instrument in portugal!
Do you guys have to get innoculated to go to England? Is it that dangerous? is Typhoid ravaging through the east end of London? Should I worry? lots of love j
Hi All,
The family went to the Health Centre on Tuesday morning to see what inoculations we still needed. The paediatrician said we should go back at 6 to get the jabs! So,we went. Jess went first. She and I had to have three! After Jess went me and I,like Jess had two on one shoulder and one on the other. Then it was Amy’s turn. She was all giggly as she sat held tightly on dad’s knee. The needle went in. Then the noise came. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! She screamed for as long as it took to get the next vaccination ready. Then... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !!!!!!!!, again. After that she got two plasters on eather shoulder were the two injections had been. Dad and mum took the three of us kids to the heladoria (ice-cream shop in Spanish) and the five of us had the ice-cream we wanted. Those injections wre sore but only Amy cried. But still, it was like a living hell!!!Yesterday and today our poor shoulders are brused to the bone!!We can hardly move!! I hope yor week was a bit more relaxing than ours.
Hugs and kisses to you all, missing you loads,
Bethany xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
ps. Just seen the kittens and I think they're adorable. Pitty Dad and Mum don't quite agree to me bringing home stray cats!!
The family went to the Health Centre on Tuesday morning to see what inoculations we still needed. The paediatrician said we should go back at 6 to get the jabs! So,we went. Jess went first. She and I had to have three! After Jess went me and I,like Jess had two on one shoulder and one on the other. Then it was Amy’s turn. She was all giggly as she sat held tightly on dad’s knee. The needle went in. Then the noise came. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! She screamed for as long as it took to get the next vaccination ready. Then... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !!!!!!!!, again. After that she got two plasters on eather shoulder were the two injections had been. Dad and mum took the three of us kids to the heladoria (ice-cream shop in Spanish) and the five of us had the ice-cream we wanted. Those injections wre sore but only Amy cried. But still, it was like a living hell!!!Yesterday and today our poor shoulders are brused to the bone!!We can hardly move!! I hope yor week was a bit more relaxing than ours.
Hugs and kisses to you all, missing you loads,
Bethany xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
ps. Just seen the kittens and I think they're adorable. Pitty Dad and Mum don't quite agree to me bringing home stray cats!!
Friday, July 09, 2004
Big Responsibility
Ruth, Claire will be so jealous of the kittens. We came home the other day from school and she insisted on having a pet. We talked about the fish that have expired, the rabbit that attacked her and the terrapins we threw into the pond at the golf club. She want to have a kitten though. I asked her who would look after it when we go to grandma's and then had to explain that the cat wouldn't be able to come. As it happens, we have a family of cats living in the drain in our road. I suggested to Claire that she fetch some milk and a saucer and she was quite amazed to sit and watch them feed. The two younger cats are yearlings and the mother stood watch, they are not tame at all. So now we sort of have pets that can look after themselves when we go and sit on the beach or come to England. We will feed them again over the weekend.
The smokey kitten you have looks gorgeous.
Nic
The smokey kitten you have looks gorgeous.
Nic
Weekend in Surrey
1st Decided to spend a weekend away at one of a list of Hotels who do a free accommodation on condition that breakfast and dinner is taken in the hotel. We had received invitations from Gloria and Fay (school day friends of our children) to join them at Gloria’s house, tucked away in the woods near Farnham, to help celebrate their father’s 90th birthday and we had booked rooms at the Pride of the Valley in Churt as it was only a few miles from Appin Lodge, in The Sands, where Henry Smith lives
3rd I have promised to help at the Lions Victorian Fayre in East Cowes. M went into Newport and I went to East Cowes at 1.pm. So windy that there were not very many people there. A Samba Band was going great guns in the centre of the arena. The wind died down and we were able to sell many hot dogs and burgers. I was on the toy stall, selling tickets for a tombola. Buy the right ticket and you could have a furry owl, cat, dog or lion. We sold quite a lot and many prizes were won. However the wind returned and blew over our tent and kept blowing out our bbq so at 3.30pm we decided to pack up. I am very impressed at the number of Lion helpers we get at these functions, but then, I suppose that is the point of the whole thing.
4th Caught the 8.30pm ferry to Portsmouth after an argy bargy about the car reg number on the Wightlink Multi ticket as we were in the Audi and the Rover’s number is on the ticket. Decided to get a cheap 2-day ticket for £40 and regretted it later. We were attending the 90th birthday celebrations of an old friend from Chinnor days, Henry Smith, known by many as Titch as he was only very young when he learned to drive one of the Cement Works lorries. We drove up the A3 as far as Hindhead and took the Farnham road for a few miles to the Pride of the Valley at Churt, and booked in. What a lovely County this Surrey is and we spent an hour driving round some of the narrow lanes and charming villages with their old houses before arriving in Tilford. We had arranged to meet Steve at a pub near to Gloria’s but picked the wrong one and we waited at the Barley Mow in Tilford (enjoying the lovely village green, the river and bridge) before we had a phone call from Steve at the Barley Mow in The Sands, asking where we were. As we were on the wrong side of the B 3001 we had to try and find it. When we arrived, there was Steve waiting outside the pub which did not open until 12, but we moved on to Appin Lodge where we met Henry, Gloria and Tony with their children Sarah and Nicholas and Fay and Peter with their son Jonathon, as well as others we have met previously, before the Chinnor contingent arrived. Tony and Corrine Pullen, Mike and Sally Gomme, Tony Benham and wife (ex Penny Church), John and Jean Lambourne and my old friend Pat Whelehan, now looking much better after his stroke last year. It is nice to know that we are still highly regarded by our old friends. Caterers of the highest quality were there to cater to our every needs. Afternoon drinks of elderflower wine, fruit juices and wine punch, bottles of red and white wine were lavished on us. Sadly the weather was inclement although later in the afternoon, the sun came out to help the croquet players and later the footballers enjoy the lovely lawns. Three grandchildren of late teen and early 20’s read out their appreciations of their grandfather and almost brought us to tears; the cake was duly brought out and champagne toasts were drunk. It was a very enjoyable day. We had a lovely day, but were quite tired by the time we tuned in at the Pride.
5th We awoke early and breakfasted and the hotel owner suggested we take a walk, not five minutes from the hotel. We walked up the road and off on a path, which led us to the top of a rocky hill, which we were later told is called The Jumps. The view over Rushmoor and Frensham was beautiful, as one could see almost to Farnham, with hardly a house in site. This inspired us to drive a couple of miles westwards to the Devil’s Punchbowl at Hindhead. We had been many years ago when Gemma and William were very small and we were visiting Steve and Barbara in Whitehill. So inspired were we at the beautiful view, that we sat on a seat for nearly an hour before returning to the National Trust restaurant for a coffee. (ice cream for me). Later, we drove to Haslemere and had a most lovely salad meal at the Age-concern restaurant, followed by fruit salad and cream, for only £4 each. People of all ages are encouraged to dine there in order to enable them to provide such a high quality meal. We continued our drive round and visited the Old Mill at Elstead for a coffee on the veranda overlooking the old millpond. Our next port of call was to the town of Farnham – a lovely old town overlooked by its red brick castle. Lots of newly developed shopping areas, particularly behind an old pub, merged well with the traditional shops. Frensham was our next point of call, although we were side tracked by visiting a large garden centre adjoining the famous Birdworld. We spent a couple of hours at Frensham Great Pool, watching children bathing on the sandy shore of the pool. Sailing boats were moored alongside the pool - Reminded me of a similar place in haut-Provence, on our way home from Frejus, but without the fields of lavender. Little did we realise that we were only about a mile or two from our hotel. We were quite tired when we sat down to dinner.
6th Next morning, as we were on the mainland, I decided that I could not return to IW without visiting my elderly sister Lenny up in Kidderminster and with my darling wife’s agreement we set off for the A34 at Newbury and sped up to Oxford, before deciding to get off the motorway at Wendlebury. We joined the A44 just past Woodstock and headed towards Worcester and the 339 to Kidder. Passing through Chipping Norton, we arrived at Moreton in Marsh searching as ever for the elusive ladies loo, only to find the biggest market I have ever seen. Rows and rows of stalls stretched for ?Miles along the road, making parking absolutely impossible. Desperation lead us to the Batsford Arboretum (where we bought some vines many years ago) where we were able to breathe again!! Up the lovely Bourton on the Hill to the pride of the Cotswolds at Broadway. After a long walk from a new car park, we were happy to have a very nice lunch at Jardines.
Back on the road again, heading for Worcester and Kidder we passed much activity on road improvements and arrived in Kidderminster in the middle of the afternoon traffic. We went to the Grange Residential home, only to be told that Lenny had gone to a Nursing Home at The Shrubbery. We got there at 4.15 and spent a couple of hours making small talk. She is very poorly after her stroke and was having her hair washed and trimmed when we arrived. Her face lit up when she saw us, as she said she has been thinking about us a lot. She is constantly in a wheelchair as she cannot walk now. We were taken upstairs to her room. She has a lovely en-suite room, beautifully appointed with very helpful staff and she is as happy there as one could wish. Time to leave as we had to face a long trip to Southampton via the M42/M 40/A34. This is the trip we have done on many occasions, but not, from memory, all the way to the ferry. We faced the journey and got on to M42 at about 7pm and were on our way before stopping at the MSA on the Newbury by-pass for a p&p. Because I hadn’t booked the ferry from Portsmouth to Fishbourne we decided to go to Lymington, where we could guarantee getting on the next ferry. When we reached Lymington, I took my ticket into the office and had to pay another £20 to turn the two-day return into the standard fare. Ugh!! It was getting dark and we caught the 10.15pm and did not get home until 11.30pm – a long day on the road, and we were soon asleep in bed.
3rd I have promised to help at the Lions Victorian Fayre in East Cowes. M went into Newport and I went to East Cowes at 1.pm. So windy that there were not very many people there. A Samba Band was going great guns in the centre of the arena. The wind died down and we were able to sell many hot dogs and burgers. I was on the toy stall, selling tickets for a tombola. Buy the right ticket and you could have a furry owl, cat, dog or lion. We sold quite a lot and many prizes were won. However the wind returned and blew over our tent and kept blowing out our bbq so at 3.30pm we decided to pack up. I am very impressed at the number of Lion helpers we get at these functions, but then, I suppose that is the point of the whole thing.
4th Caught the 8.30pm ferry to Portsmouth after an argy bargy about the car reg number on the Wightlink Multi ticket as we were in the Audi and the Rover’s number is on the ticket. Decided to get a cheap 2-day ticket for £40 and regretted it later. We were attending the 90th birthday celebrations of an old friend from Chinnor days, Henry Smith, known by many as Titch as he was only very young when he learned to drive one of the Cement Works lorries. We drove up the A3 as far as Hindhead and took the Farnham road for a few miles to the Pride of the Valley at Churt, and booked in. What a lovely County this Surrey is and we spent an hour driving round some of the narrow lanes and charming villages with their old houses before arriving in Tilford. We had arranged to meet Steve at a pub near to Gloria’s but picked the wrong one and we waited at the Barley Mow in Tilford (enjoying the lovely village green, the river and bridge) before we had a phone call from Steve at the Barley Mow in The Sands, asking where we were. As we were on the wrong side of the B 3001 we had to try and find it. When we arrived, there was Steve waiting outside the pub which did not open until 12, but we moved on to Appin Lodge where we met Henry, Gloria and Tony with their children Sarah and Nicholas and Fay and Peter with their son Jonathon, as well as others we have met previously, before the Chinnor contingent arrived. Tony and Corrine Pullen, Mike and Sally Gomme, Tony Benham and wife (ex Penny Church), John and Jean Lambourne and my old friend Pat Whelehan, now looking much better after his stroke last year. It is nice to know that we are still highly regarded by our old friends. Caterers of the highest quality were there to cater to our every needs. Afternoon drinks of elderflower wine, fruit juices and wine punch, bottles of red and white wine were lavished on us. Sadly the weather was inclement although later in the afternoon, the sun came out to help the croquet players and later the footballers enjoy the lovely lawns. Three grandchildren of late teen and early 20’s read out their appreciations of their grandfather and almost brought us to tears; the cake was duly brought out and champagne toasts were drunk. It was a very enjoyable day. We had a lovely day, but were quite tired by the time we tuned in at the Pride.
5th We awoke early and breakfasted and the hotel owner suggested we take a walk, not five minutes from the hotel. We walked up the road and off on a path, which led us to the top of a rocky hill, which we were later told is called The Jumps. The view over Rushmoor and Frensham was beautiful, as one could see almost to Farnham, with hardly a house in site. This inspired us to drive a couple of miles westwards to the Devil’s Punchbowl at Hindhead. We had been many years ago when Gemma and William were very small and we were visiting Steve and Barbara in Whitehill. So inspired were we at the beautiful view, that we sat on a seat for nearly an hour before returning to the National Trust restaurant for a coffee. (ice cream for me). Later, we drove to Haslemere and had a most lovely salad meal at the Age-concern restaurant, followed by fruit salad and cream, for only £4 each. People of all ages are encouraged to dine there in order to enable them to provide such a high quality meal. We continued our drive round and visited the Old Mill at Elstead for a coffee on the veranda overlooking the old millpond. Our next port of call was to the town of Farnham – a lovely old town overlooked by its red brick castle. Lots of newly developed shopping areas, particularly behind an old pub, merged well with the traditional shops. Frensham was our next point of call, although we were side tracked by visiting a large garden centre adjoining the famous Birdworld. We spent a couple of hours at Frensham Great Pool, watching children bathing on the sandy shore of the pool. Sailing boats were moored alongside the pool - Reminded me of a similar place in haut-Provence, on our way home from Frejus, but without the fields of lavender. Little did we realise that we were only about a mile or two from our hotel. We were quite tired when we sat down to dinner.
6th Next morning, as we were on the mainland, I decided that I could not return to IW without visiting my elderly sister Lenny up in Kidderminster and with my darling wife’s agreement we set off for the A34 at Newbury and sped up to Oxford, before deciding to get off the motorway at Wendlebury. We joined the A44 just past Woodstock and headed towards Worcester and the 339 to Kidder. Passing through Chipping Norton, we arrived at Moreton in Marsh searching as ever for the elusive ladies loo, only to find the biggest market I have ever seen. Rows and rows of stalls stretched for ?Miles along the road, making parking absolutely impossible. Desperation lead us to the Batsford Arboretum (where we bought some vines many years ago) where we were able to breathe again!! Up the lovely Bourton on the Hill to the pride of the Cotswolds at Broadway. After a long walk from a new car park, we were happy to have a very nice lunch at Jardines.
Back on the road again, heading for Worcester and Kidder we passed much activity on road improvements and arrived in Kidderminster in the middle of the afternoon traffic. We went to the Grange Residential home, only to be told that Lenny had gone to a Nursing Home at The Shrubbery. We got there at 4.15 and spent a couple of hours making small talk. She is very poorly after her stroke and was having her hair washed and trimmed when we arrived. Her face lit up when she saw us, as she said she has been thinking about us a lot. She is constantly in a wheelchair as she cannot walk now. We were taken upstairs to her room. She has a lovely en-suite room, beautifully appointed with very helpful staff and she is as happy there as one could wish. Time to leave as we had to face a long trip to Southampton via the M42/M 40/A34. This is the trip we have done on many occasions, but not, from memory, all the way to the ferry. We faced the journey and got on to M42 at about 7pm and were on our way before stopping at the MSA on the Newbury by-pass for a p&p. Because I hadn’t booked the ferry from Portsmouth to Fishbourne we decided to go to Lymington, where we could guarantee getting on the next ferry. When we reached Lymington, I took my ticket into the office and had to pay another £20 to turn the two-day return into the standard fare. Ugh!! It was getting dark and we caught the 10.15pm and did not get home until 11.30pm – a long day on the road, and we were soon asleep in bed.
Thursday, July 08, 2004
Back home again
Lovely to get back and read all your blogs. Thanks, Steve for writing about our trip to the New Forest. We had been camping up in Derbyshirfe and Yorkshire and you were in Germany with Tim, when we decided to get on down to th'old New Forest. We were camping in Castleford in the rain and three of you put the tent up while Mum and I, with pete, I think slept in the Zephyr. It was just after our camp in the New Forest that the 'Powers that be' decided not to permit camping au sauvage and allocated special areas with water stand pipes etc. Not like the old days. We had some fun camping Oh, those were the days. I am amazed at your memory recall, and it was nice to be reminded of some of the things we did. As a matter of fact, I sent Henry a birthday card with the picture of a small girl on the front, trying to blow into a massive double BB bass. Inside I related to him all the things that we have been talking about, especially the camp fires and the Laughing Policeman. Do you think you could make up a link for me, Julian, for all my diarues.
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
re. October
I have stolen Mum and Dad until the 9th (I think) of October and I will probably come back to the UK with them, so keep that in mind. You would be welcome at the new house Nic if you want to book a quick cheap flight for a couple of days.. Easyjet or BA gatwick to Marseille (mum and dad paid £75 for a return flight for them both!
Pete end July is fine hopefully we should be in the new house otherwise it will be a little cramped but fun!
I remember Steve swearing with Dad in the New Forest was he really only 15?
love j
Pete end July is fine hopefully we should be in the new house otherwise it will be a little cramped but fun!
I remember Steve swearing with Dad in the New Forest was he really only 15?
love j
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
New forest laugh
Hey, I might have only been seven but I remember the laughing policeman. In fact, I even have a copy. How sad is that? I remember parachuting from the back of the zephyr and the old ridge pole tent that must have been made by Skoda judging from the way the colour faded.
But now, thirty four years on I am wondering, was it just me that went to bed at half past nine? I remember going back to the tent in the dark because we didn't have a torch, and having to borrow the tilley lamp from the Smiths the next night. Did you lot all go back and return the lamp then and leave me to sleep alone? I thought we all went to bed at the same time in those days!
Well, two sheds, how do you fancy a trip to Bulgaria in the lorry? I've been looking at houses on the net for four and a half thousand Euros! Two sheds? For the price of a garden shed you could have two houses!
Ruth, we are off horse-riding from 19th July for a week and after that we are keen for France. I may be starting a TESOL course in early August so we'd only have a few days. How does that window work for you? As for the Opera we'd still love any of them...it'll probably be just me and Jan for a matinée; Debussy sounds great but for true opera you can't beat the Puccini...unless you are a Mozart fan. Let's go for the Puccini.
Well done Nick on the Greeks. I thought 'our' Portuguese team might pull it off. It's the first time I've ever seen a footy tournament through and not be able to name a single player from the winning side, even after watching the final. Perhaps Macedonia isn't for me, how ever many houses you can get for a quid!
Pete
But now, thirty four years on I am wondering, was it just me that went to bed at half past nine? I remember going back to the tent in the dark because we didn't have a torch, and having to borrow the tilley lamp from the Smiths the next night. Did you lot all go back and return the lamp then and leave me to sleep alone? I thought we all went to bed at the same time in those days!
Well, two sheds, how do you fancy a trip to Bulgaria in the lorry? I've been looking at houses on the net for four and a half thousand Euros! Two sheds? For the price of a garden shed you could have two houses!
Ruth, we are off horse-riding from 19th July for a week and after that we are keen for France. I may be starting a TESOL course in early August so we'd only have a few days. How does that window work for you? As for the Opera we'd still love any of them...it'll probably be just me and Jan for a matinée; Debussy sounds great but for true opera you can't beat the Puccini...unless you are a Mozart fan. Let's go for the Puccini.
Well done Nick on the Greeks. I thought 'our' Portuguese team might pull it off. It's the first time I've ever seen a footy tournament through and not be able to name a single player from the winning side, even after watching the final. Perhaps Macedonia isn't for me, how ever many houses you can get for a quid!
Pete
Big Win
Sorry, forgot to mention that yes, I did drawer the Greeks in the Office sweep along with Sweden who I thought might go through to the Euro final. Quietly started to believe in the Greeks when they knocked the French off their pedestal. So I'm $100 the richer and have called for a greeks only party at the office on friday afternoon to celebrate in true olympian style.
Jen, eat my shirt,
Jen, eat my shirt,
Big Laugh
I'm with you steve, I remember the wind-up gramaphone, the laughing policeman, the lemon and the fires. Recall lots of people from the band dropping in too, and yep the zephyr, you fell in love that didn't you. Need to set up a website myoldcar.com and see whether any of those oldens are still hacking it like Henry,
Pleased to see you'll be moving up, close to where Gramma and Grandpa used to live? seem to remember tackle shops and the like near by.
Don't mind if you can search out a rug rat friendly B & B in Oxford, needs to be somewhere with lots of trees as I can already see signs of Daniel kicking his way through fallen leaves when I take him for a walk.
What's the news on Cathy and October, anyone know the half term dates so we know which side of the 13th we should be spending our vacation? I know you're all into summer at the moment, but for some of us, summer is all year. Need to start to think about booking flights already.
Got the menu sorted, I'm starving!
, n I remeber
Pleased to see you'll be moving up, close to where Gramma and Grandpa used to live? seem to remember tackle shops and the like near by.
Don't mind if you can search out a rug rat friendly B & B in Oxford, needs to be somewhere with lots of trees as I can already see signs of Daniel kicking his way through fallen leaves when I take him for a walk.
What's the news on Cathy and October, anyone know the half term dates so we know which side of the 13th we should be spending our vacation? I know you're all into summer at the moment, but for some of us, summer is all year. Need to start to think about booking flights already.
Got the menu sorted, I'm starving!
, n I remeber
Monday, July 05, 2004
Memory Lane
Twas 34 years ago in 1970 that a few Chinnor bandites met up at the New Forest for 'Carry On Camping2' and we were there weren't we kids?
Hugh (Dad) got hold of a camping trailer an army surplus ridge pole tent and we all went down to 'Appy 'Ampshire in the new Zephyr6 (bestcar Ford ever made)... I was fifteen so was especially pleased that Henry and Jean Smith were there with daughters Fay and Gloria.....hep hem!
Jean and Henry had a wind up gramophone and at least one record "The Laughing Policeman" and on the 'B' side 'Alice where art though?' (Cornet Solo) accompanied by Man sucking a lemon.
Anyone? Am I making this up?
I remember going logging with Don Gomme for some camp fire-wood (ooh get you)and bringing back an entire tree.. Mike Gomme was there too and some of the Pullens, Redwoods, Pegrams flippin'eck. Who else?
Singsongs and pyrotechnics..brilliant!
There was a bit of difficulty fitting a tow-bar to the new car, the big car! but hey that's what swearing was invented for, to make things fit that never would!
We went swimming in the Solent without realising there was an oil refinery round the bay and emerged from the briney with an oily rime round our chins which needed wiping off before we were allowed back in the car.
So anyway Henry recently reached the g.o.a. of 90 and Gloria organised a do for him which Mum and Dad and I were delighted to attend. Here's the grand ol'man after we'd all sung "I'm 'Enery the Eighth I am!". That's Fay's boy Jon, then Gloria's 2 Nic and Sarah, Henry Gloria and Fay.Seated is Tony Benham(SallyB's Dad) and wife Penny(Tristram's Mum) with Mum and Dad in foreground.
Hugh (Dad) got hold of a camping trailer an army surplus ridge pole tent and we all went down to 'Appy 'Ampshire in the new Zephyr6 (bestcar Ford ever made)... I was fifteen so was especially pleased that Henry and Jean Smith were there with daughters Fay and Gloria.....hep hem!
Jean and Henry had a wind up gramophone and at least one record "The Laughing Policeman" and on the 'B' side 'Alice where art though?' (Cornet Solo) accompanied by Man sucking a lemon.
Anyone? Am I making this up?
I remember going logging with Don Gomme for some camp fire-wood (ooh get you)and bringing back an entire tree.. Mike Gomme was there too and some of the Pullens, Redwoods, Pegrams flippin'eck. Who else?
Singsongs and pyrotechnics..brilliant!
There was a bit of difficulty fitting a tow-bar to the new car, the big car! but hey that's what swearing was invented for, to make things fit that never would!
We went swimming in the Solent without realising there was an oil refinery round the bay and emerged from the briney with an oily rime round our chins which needed wiping off before we were allowed back in the car.
So anyway Henry recently reached the g.o.a. of 90 and Gloria organised a do for him which Mum and Dad and I were delighted to attend. Here's the grand ol'man after we'd all sung "I'm 'Enery the Eighth I am!". That's Fay's boy Jon, then Gloria's 2 Nic and Sarah, Henry Gloria and Fay.Seated is Tony Benham(SallyB's Dad) and wife Penny(Tristram's Mum) with Mum and Dad in foreground.
Sunday, July 04, 2004
Congrats Steve..
.. We will have to visit you all un jour ou un autre.
Football Passion died with Rooney's slipper debacle.
Now rewiring house having put in a new consumer unit and bringing it all up to 2004 spec. Still no hot water but half a shower constructed and knocked down the last of the non supporting walls.
We had a big picnic eating off a door on breeze bocks the other day with Gary, Sylvie, max and some local friends (everyone loves the house). Lifting the breeze blocks I disturbed a wasp's nest... ouch! two stings, but a remedy was on hand so no permanent damage. The culprits are now entombed ha ha.
Cats are now ecstatically trashing the place and complaining about the bathroom facilities... Thanks for your card Dad, the kits appreciated it.. they are now properly baptised.. Manon and Oscar
and they are looking forward to chewing your shoes and scratching whatever sensitive parts they can get their claws on when you come.
Dad, you managed that blog dont know what happened to the others, maybe big blogs you should type out in Word first, then you can post again if it dont work.
Lots of love J
Football Passion died with Rooney's slipper debacle.
Now rewiring house having put in a new consumer unit and bringing it all up to 2004 spec. Still no hot water but half a shower constructed and knocked down the last of the non supporting walls.
We had a big picnic eating off a door on breeze bocks the other day with Gary, Sylvie, max and some local friends (everyone loves the house). Lifting the breeze blocks I disturbed a wasp's nest... ouch! two stings, but a remedy was on hand so no permanent damage. The culprits are now entombed ha ha.
Cats are now ecstatically trashing the place and complaining about the bathroom facilities... Thanks for your card Dad, the kits appreciated it.. they are now properly baptised.. Manon and Oscar
and they are looking forward to chewing your shoes and scratching whatever sensitive parts they can get their claws on when you come.
Dad, you managed that blog dont know what happened to the others, maybe big blogs you should type out in Word first, then you can post again if it dont work.
Lots of love J
Saturday, July 03, 2004
Two Sheds and a Big Tree
We're movin' on up..
Movin' on out..
Movin' on up..
Nothin' can stop us...Yeah? oh yes!
Number 32 [Bonginkosi]
OX4 3AJ
It's just round the corner from Catherine Street, four doors up from the baker.
Which is nice!
from August 1st.
Gemma and Clive upstairs, Steve's down.
And Two Sheds!
Movin' on out..
Movin' on up..
Nothin' can stop us...Yeah? oh yes!
Number 32 [Bonginkosi]
OX4 3AJ
It's just round the corner from Catherine Street, four doors up from the baker.
Which is nice!
from August 1st.
Gemma and Clive upstairs, Steve's down.
And Two Sheds!
Friday, July 02, 2004
try again
We will be away in the Pride of the Valley Hotel in Churt near Farnham until Wednesday 7th July 01428 605799
Lost my touch
I have created two blogs, one on 30th June and a retry on 1st July. Now I cannot find any of them.
Forgot to mention that....
Nic's team in the sweepstakes is Greece!!! That lucky ****er! Both our teams played each other...sad to say. Anyway, we've (I've??!!) decided that Nic's money is my money so ...wahay....go Greece :) heh...
Sounds hot over there in Europe....we're having morning monsoon 'showers' at the moment, the whole works, thunder and lightning every morning from about 4-7am!! Quite spectacular but I don't think Dan the man appreciates it...Claire just sleeps through it. Having a very lazy week, Claire 'claims' she's ill so has been off school for the last 4 days! We've decided that she needs a 'mid-term' break anyway since she's at Kindy school practically 24/7, 365 days a year... :P
We're trying to plan our UK trip at the moment...should take us about 10 years..the way Nic and I are going on about it. Looking forward to seeing you all...till the next blog,
from the opportunistic one who bears no allegiance :)
Sounds hot over there in Europe....we're having morning monsoon 'showers' at the moment, the whole works, thunder and lightning every morning from about 4-7am!! Quite spectacular but I don't think Dan the man appreciates it...Claire just sleeps through it. Having a very lazy week, Claire 'claims' she's ill so has been off school for the last 4 days! We've decided that she needs a 'mid-term' break anyway since she's at Kindy school practically 24/7, 365 days a year... :P
We're trying to plan our UK trip at the moment...should take us about 10 years..the way Nic and I are going on about it. Looking forward to seeing you all...till the next blog,
from the opportunistic one who bears no allegiance :)
Thursday, July 01, 2004
Big Tree
At last, the re-write is posted, preceded by a synopsis that I'll probably re-write too. I hope this won't take as long!
Pete
(Alas, I see my bet for the tournament failed at the penultimate hurdle. Sorry, Jen, you lose the office sweeps. Still, this should make it easier for us all to enjoy the final. Come on Portugal, the land of flowers and honey!!)
Pete
(Alas, I see my bet for the tournament failed at the penultimate hurdle. Sorry, Jen, you lose the office sweeps. Still, this should make it easier for us all to enjoy the final. Come on Portugal, the land of flowers and honey!!)
dates
pete and jan - just a date update, in that my dad and his wife will be here 9-11 august and we will be going to the var where he has a show and i have a concert. may not change anything for you but i won't be around much.also did you decide which opera plans? i can't remember where we got to.
shutters now a delicious bue that even his highness likes (i chose it, much to his dismay!) and the facade looks great. the inside is still a bit of a workshop for the aspiring electrician!
i'm off to paris at the weekend for another audition, it seems the great and good of the french baroque scene are clamouring for my talent. i'll believe it when i see the contracts.
love to all
shutters now a delicious bue that even his highness likes (i chose it, much to his dismay!) and the facade looks great. the inside is still a bit of a workshop for the aspiring electrician!
i'm off to paris at the weekend for another audition, it seems the great and good of the french baroque scene are clamouring for my talent. i'll believe it when i see the contracts.
love to all
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