King of Sutton (for one day)

Happy Birthday Grandad!

We're back from our lovely break near Tintagel. Yesterday we were in Padstow and we had a round of 'Krazy Golf' where the lovely man who ran it called us 'youngsters' in his fantastic cornish accent - we liked him. Then we toasted your birthday with a brew from the local St Austell brewery & a meat pasty (we didn't fancy the chocolate & banana one after the pint!)
Rocky Valley meets the Atlantic
Gem at the bottom of Rocky Valley
Home for the week Trout Beck Cottage & our little hire car
View from Padstow to Rock
The Atlantic - view after 10 mins hike from our cottage

And hello Nic!

Right and Ready

Dad received his "in-mate" number today, already for Sunday, see you there. Love Nic

Lion Dance

Hi everyone, we are trying out the uploading of videos so we can bring to you lots of hellos, happy birthdays and other grand events, so keep on watching this post.

Love Nic

Happy Birthday Dad

Dear Dad,

just read your post while at school. What a lovely surprise for you and mum - I hope you all had a great time together yesterday evening and saw the birthday in with a glass of bubbly. Happy birthday Dad - It would have been fun to have enjoyed the evening with you but what with the end of term upon us, it's all hands to the pump here.

Actually, we really will be needing pumps soon to clear the streets of all the water that has fallen in the last 72 hours. It has been raining pretty much continuously since it started on Monday afternoon, with heavy down-pours mixed in with light showers. No 'gota fria' as yet but but it's pretty heavy as I write, nonetheless. The roads are awash with stones brought down from the mountains. And to think that Jan and I were out walking in the mountains only last Sunday, too. That was a very pleasant afternoon. Funny how things can change all of a sudden, like.

Well, Dad, enjoy your special day. I guess you are off to the hotel later, or is that tomorrow? It should be quite a laugh to be back in your old house again on Sunday! Have a lovely time - I'm sure it will be a fantastic do - and pass my love on to mum. Happy birthday once again and all my love,

Peter.

Thank you all for your Birthday Cards

Steve said last night "I want to come over tonight with Dad's present if that is OK. Of course it was OK and 20 minutes later someone came in the back door and Mum said "Its Nick" as indeed it was looking great and smiling all over his face at the surprise he had given us. Steve had just collected him from the Airport and they had come straight here, meaning to surprise us, which indeed they did. Reminds me in a way of the lesson we had in Church last week - the story of the Prodigal son, but of course the first part is quite different. We have no fat calf to prepare, but of course he will be joining us all on Sunday. Made my day!!
By the way, I had eighteen 80th birthday cards and only two were the same. Quelle surprise!

Happy birthday all you March hares...

First there was Beth, then Gemma and next it will be Dad. 'Happy birthday'(s) to you three wonderful people. I hope, Gemma, that you didn't get what Beth got...two Siberian dwarves and a cage to put them in.

Did anyone ever tell me that hamsters sleep in the daytime and wake up at night? Yes, I thought they did....so one wonders why we gave in on this one. Well, now it is revenge time... so here is my most recent contemplation for keeping the house quiet at night...

claiming back bank charges... I'm doing it!

when banks charge £30 for going over your overdraft limit, they are acting illegally as they are only allowed to charge what it costs them for what amounts to sending an automated letter. This can be as little as £1 or £4.50 at the most.
Click the Video about how to claim back bank over-charging.

Happy Birthday Gemma

I hope you're having a lovely time. all our love Cathy John Edmund Thomas and Kate.xxxxx

Gemma's 30th

Gemma 30th
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

Princess of Fitzrovia

Gem's party restaurant in Charlotte Street was just round the corner from our old 70's stomping ground in Tottenham Court Road. It's a tad different now. We couldn't find the Mom and Pop canteen from that time when her mother and I used to save up 50p for a proper dinner of steak and kidney pie or liver and bacon with mashed or boiled potatoes and peas or carrots. Apple and custard was 12p I think.
Tesco is still in Goodge Street, where if money was short we'd get through to pay day by living on muesli for a few days.

Although somehow we managed to run a Ford Zephyr mk 2 Abbot Farnham Estate so it can't have all been bad.

Party

Thank you

Thank you Grandma & Grandma for the lovely blog I saw yesterday at breakfast as well as the card & gift. I had such a nice day yesterday with bubbly for breakfast, then a lovely lunch at Elena's L'Etoile just off Goodge Street. I been very fortunate & spoilt with birthday cake,chocs presents & two gorgeous flower arrangements, lots of vouchers to spend clothes shopping, perfume & Dad gave me vouchers for the Eurostar - I think we will go to Paris soon but once the weather has warmed up! Thanks to all the special people who sent me a good wishes, cards and presents. Clive & I are off work next week and we going down to a little barn cottage near Tintagel, Cornwall for a few days but will back for the big birthday party. Now I'm off to watch my present from Clive 'Casino Royale'.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO GEMMA

When you wake up in the morning, Gemma, you will have reached the first 30 years of your life and can look forward to the next 50 to catch me up!!
We remember the day we first saw you, when you were just a little tot of six months old and we loved you from then, so enjoy your day and wherever you have your lunch, whether in London or Paris we hope you and Clive will have a fantastic day.

We wish we could be with you but we are looking forward to seeing you in just over a week's time (in Prison!!), on my big day..

Meanwhile we will be enjoying the hospitality of Grandma's cousin Josie, in Eynsham, on Saturday, as she and husband Graham, will be celebrating 40 years of Married life.

Love to you from both Grandma and me,
your loving Grandad.

budget

gooogling for the new price of LPG (up 2p/ltr)..

Value

It's unwise to pay too much, but it's unwise to pay too little.
When you pay too much you lose a little, that is all.

When you pay too little, you lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing you bought it to do.

The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot, it can't be done.

If you deal with the lowest bidder, it's well to add something for the risk you run.
And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better.

John Ruskin 1819-1900...... ahhh hah!

Thanks Gem

Patrick Merrow-Smith
to janemerrowsmith, Steve More options 8:45 am (1 minute ago)
We hope to see you all by about 1pm on sunday. Margaret and I will be
staying at the hotel for two nights so we should be there to welcome
everybody. Guests will be choosing and buying their own food - first
drinks will be on me.
Although it will be my birthday, no gifts thank you.
Hugh

Grandad

Can you email Jane & Joan back to let them know what time and arrangements etc for 1st April.

lv Gem

Oxford Murders

We also saw Elija Wood walking past the Radcliffe Camera on the South Today evening edition, but BBC did not have any shots of him. Little guy, Eh? lovely eyes.

Around the world in 80 tunes..

I've had a day's holiday today for San José (Spanish fathers' day) and enjoyed doing some housework and listening to my latest discovery, calabash music, which is a great way of finding obscure artists from around the world. Great! Try looking up the likes of Miriam Makeba and listen to the 1 min tracks you get to sample her music.

The Oxford Murders

Walking to work this morning we came across film trucks and security staff camped out behind the Radcliffe Camera & Broad Street. Walking down Broad Street we were asked to wait while the scene was shot. The actress ran across Broad Street from the Sheldonian and into Blackwell's bookshop. Director shouted cut and we were able to walk though. I saw a piece of paper in the windscreen of the camera truck which read 'Oxford Murders Crew'. Probably something for ITV like Midsomer Murders we thought. This evening walking back home we turned the corner at the end of Broad Street and under Hertford Bridge (Bridge of Sighs) another film crew and a flower stall. Again we had to wait till they finished the scene. After cut the actors all crouched under umbrellas to shelter from yet another hailstorm (its been bright sunshine mixed with scattered snow showers today). We walked past the huddle and I felt Clive nudge me. I looked in the direction he was looking and there was a tanned John Hurt having his hair combed! They stated shooting again while we were walking off the under the bridge so you never know. If you see two damp dark figures in black coats ... The Oxford Murders also stars Elijah 'Frodo' Wood and others...

Fishing for Girls (off BBC2)

Play Video«








..what can be done after learning to hold one's breath for 6 minutes. This is freestyle diving champ Tanya Streeter! wow!

Happy Mother's Day

card card click click

No fire only bell....

Girlie Invitation

Manon is bored, and thus she cordially invites Bethany (HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LOVELY NIECE) and Jessica for a week at les Couguieux when their friends Arabella and Flora will be here. Probably around the 20th July, tbc.

Ruth and Julian would also be delighted to spend a summer fun packed week with four giggly teenage girls. Oscar will have to cope.

Fire Sculpture

click








Broad Street Luminox
"Oxford is a place where windows open on to other worlds, and Luminox will be one of them: it will show us a world of fire and time and magic. Nothing quite like it has ever opened up in Oxford before, and I can't wait to see it." Philip Pullman

Happy Birthday!

Many Happy Birthday Returns to Cousin Bethany & Auntie Mandy for yesterday & my friend Cara who is 30 today, (Cara and her Mother Janet joined us at Le Manoir for Dad's 50th). Cara is on holiday this week in Andorra and went parascending today, the daredevil!

For some reason Blogger won't let me upload pictures but tonight in Oxford there was amazing fire display in Broad Street (luminox). Going back tomorrow with camera so will sort out some pics tomorrow night...

lv G

Beth's Birthday (NewLink)

Happy 14th Birthday Bethany

kissy kissy from Uncle Steve
Beth. HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM G&G in Kings Sutton

Beth.. looks like your hotmail account is no more so every one gets to see soppy card!!

Happy Birthday Beth !!!!!!!

We've looked out for you in 'Benidorm' but so far we've drawn a blank and now I don't know which programs we have seen! We are subject to the variabilities of BBC 2Wales etc and so there may still be a chance!

HAVE A LOVELY BIRTHDAY ALL OUR LOVE FROM LLANDDEWI BREFI.XXXXXXXX

Love to you all in Bedoin

Steve, I have sent an email to you. Tell Julian we love his paintings. Must go now before the sun goes away. LOL Dad

A room with my view...

Hey, I have that view on my mantlepiece!

Sorry about the missing photographs on the last blog of Puig Camapana. They are there now but that post had a couple of ghost glitches which still appear to be there. I was trying to post this when the website was 'suspended' by someone!

I am a bit stiff now having walked up the mountain but at least by stuffing myself with magnesium tablets, bananas and a few timely grains of rocksalt I managed to avoid the cramps!

Term finishes on the 30th March but we'll not make the prison break as we are saving to come back in the summer. so have a good time and we'll hope to see you all then.

Pete

A Room with a View

Quick, look it's blue sky and sunshine in Oxford
In today's edition of the Independent - One of the weeks five best talks & festivals ...King's Sutton Literary Festival! This week Clive is mostly reading 'Down & Out in Paris and London' by George Orwell & I've nearly nearly finished 'In Cold Blood'. Luckily Truman Capote's nasal voice is no longer reading out to me (or was it Droopy the cartoon dog as Clive thinks).

C & I went to see James Yorkston on Thursday night round the corner at the Oxford Zodiac. It was great as it was just him & his guitar and he was on stage for 1 hr 40 mins whch is almost never heard of these days. Listen here and here He is a very funny charming man and enjoys talking with the audience (let's have another miserable song James, thats what i do). At one point he forgot the starting line to a verse so he used the lyrics from 'Ant Rap' by Adam and the Ants Marco, Merrick, Terry Lee, Gary Tibbs... & Kevin Mooney. And not forgetting... ADAM ANT! JY's support was a lovely singer & musician called Nancy Elizabeth Cunliffe We like...

Last thing, I saw this on You Tube Jack & Victor's DIY. Well it made me laugh anyway (a couple of minor swears from these naughty Glasgow pensioners).

G xx

Looks like.....

Steve, is that a poxy camera phone you're taking such fab pictures with? And Will, get some proper pucker trendy ski gear mate if your gonna ski with the Sloanies in Europe, this is not Whistler. Europe's for posers, you look way too street for the Alps!

Road2Mazan.JPG

RoadtoMaz.JPG
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

popped into Carpentras to top up with GPL

track.JPG

track.JPG
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

does anyone in Oxford recognise this mystical looking place?

I'm in Provence on my travels until in Wednesday.

Weather is bright but breezy to say the least but the wind has blown away the clouds and gloom!

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Puig Campana

Today we took the Year 11 students up Puig Campana...wheh!!

We had a great day with wonderful weather with blue skies, a gentle breeze and visibility south all the way to Torrevieja (past Alicante) and north up towards Gandia.

this weekend...

Why not polish up those writing skills by visiting
Kings Sutton Memorial Hall
which is the venue for the

Guest Authors include
Margaret Drabble (fully booked)
Salley Vickers
Emma Lee-Potter
Peter McKay (aka Ephraim Hardcastle)
Jeremy Deedes,
Garry O’Connor
Justin Cartwright
and Helen and Allan Wilcox will entertain us with “All you ever wanted to know about Shakespeare”
Booking Info
Other News..
spotted in a local chemist today.. sounds like a recipe for induced inspiration! LOL





...anyone else see this the other night?

Rollcall

at the Castle







I need to know numbers by the end of the week

Porridge booked

"Norman Stanley Patrick Hugh Merrow-Smith Fletcher, you have pleaded guilty to the charges of attaining the age of 80 years brought by this court, and it is now my duty to pass sentence. You are an habitual family man, who accepts hors d'ouevres as an occupational hazard, and presumably accepts indigestion in the same casual manner. We therefore feel constrained to commit you to the maximum term allowed for these offences — you will go to
The Brasserie Oxford Prison for five hours."
















Booked for noon on the 1st April at the Malmaison Brasserie.CLICK for Menu

There is a bar, and there are private dining rooms off the restaurant which is complete with iron staircase, low lintels and the heavy studded wooden doors of the old gaol, with a very plush and exclusive atmosphere. Tour







The Castle Mound has recently been land-scaped and there's lots to see and lots to EXPLORE for the kids and adults too.

It's had a lick of paint since this photo!

(you'd think they'd clean the loos for Lillibet!!!!)

Mr Badger

Mr Badger gor a posh badger brush for his birthday.

What super pics

Whenever I see photos of climbers/ski-ers/divers etc I often think of the poor camerman who is already up the top. photoing people climbing up towards him/her. good photo of Will (and friends). Who took the foto of the camerman? for his/her album?
Same with the Man in the Moon, what are we like from up there? I switched my lights off just in case! Great pictures, Gem

Merrowski is on the slopes

Good luck to Will who's in the Tyrol, inMayrrhofn, Austria this week snowboarding with the lads 'in-da' house.

ps He's FULLY insured!LOL

Lunar Eclipse

Photo - Matt Ohman bbc.co.uk
Did anyone see the eclipse last night? We had a great view from Oxford at about 22.30 as the sky was clear of cloud, but it was too cold to stay outside long enough to get a good pic.

Gem xx

Message to Cathy

Thanks for email re josie's ruby wedding. My email is now hewsappy at gmail dot com (replacing the at with@ and dot with. )
the IOW number has now been cancelled. sorry you are so busy love from Dad