What Ruby did today at nursery

Here's a lovely photo from Mandy & John . Today was Ruby's first sponsored event at nursery. She had to wear as many colours as possible with all the money going towards the playgroup - notice the odd socks!



gem xx

slumming it..

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Originally uploaded by ezappy.

I can usually manage my car's little foibles, but when the new exhaust pipe started blowing and my alternator failed at the same time, it was time to hold my hands up and dig out the old 'Lanny' to get me through the weekend.
Actually Thrifty car hire have these available now and the trip down to Cornwall in it was a shear delight and I'm now a fan!
This thing managed over 35 mpg (diesel) with constant 4WD and felt like a proper car, normal even on the motorway, except you can race it round a muddy field and up steep banks and all when you feel like it!
Did I try it out cross country? well you can't take 'em back without a bit of mud on them can you?

Copy of Petes e-mail

Jan and I will be driving with the family up through Spain and France in the summer, aiming to arrive at the ferry ports on the 19th July. Hopefully we may have passed by Cathy and John in the Loire or Dordogne or wherever they are going to be.

We then SpeedFerry from Boulogne to Dover at 23.55hrs (55 mins crossing) and will likely as not head north to the Oxfordshire area with the morning sun.

The girls are on camp from the 26th July to the 11th August but there are plenty of days either side. We'd like to get up north once to see our friend Margaret from Botswana who lost her husband Bob last year.

We will head back to the ferry ports on the 20th August to catch the 12.35pm SpeedFerry from Dover to Boulogne. After this wander back down to the costa to feed the cat...

Mountain view

Here's the view from last weekend's venture walking around Serella mountain pinnacles.

It's Birthday time again

Edmund on 2nd May (1991) Grandma, Mum, Margaret on 11th May (1929)
We will be at Norton Grange Classic Resort, Yarmouth Isle of Wight from 9th May until 19th for anyone who wishes to send cards etc. Edmund is at Nythfa, Llanddewi Brefi. Ceredigion SY25 2RY

We spent a very happy couple of hours with our old friends John and Myra Bell, (nearby neighbours from our house in Chinnor) at the Jersey Arms in Middleton Stoney Yesterday. We had a very nice lunch with them (John was with the Wilkinson Sword Company and they spent many years in Singapore, Myra is a Scot from Dunoon). Their two children, Andrew and Alison were friends with our children - Nic in particular is roughly the same age as Andrew. As "luck would have it", I had my laptop with me and we were able to show off our own family photos, taken at the Malmaison, which impressed them both. Next time it will be their turn to bring us up to date with their family photos.
Today Mum has an appointment with Dr. Cargill, the female partner from Brackley as Mum feels happier with someone who can understand her troubles better. She still has gut trouble, and although she has been cleared of all the Nasty options, she still has the uncomfortable diverticular worries. Love to you all. DAD

copy of a letter to June

Thank you for sending those photos – I think that about makes up the full set!

How nice to see you on the 11th and to see Lenny in her old home again – pity we didn’t see Katy ,but there’s time – I hope! It was lovely of Sue to make us all so welcome.

We are off to the Island on the 9th and will be staying at Norton Grange Warners for ten days – we will visit Auntie Peg and both Margaret’s sisters.
Tina will be 80 in July and Richard and Celia have got an OAP bungalow in Godshill,

We are also attending the 50th wedding anniversary celebrations of our old neighbours across the road fron no.92. The party is at the Shanklin Conservative club – a very swish club with plenty of room and good food (we hope).

We have also got an appointment to see our solicitors in Bembridge to bring our Wills up to date. One excuse to see the Island again.

The car ferry is £98 return. Cor!!

We have a date on Tuesday to have lunch with some old friends from Chinnor at a very nice pub in Middleton Stony – should be nice. I can’t remember the name of the pub so we will have to go over there for a drink this morning to book a table. What a drag old age is – we only passed the pub the other day!

Steve has just popped in on his way down to Padstow to do some work for an old friend, in her lovely house.
He will drop in next week on his way home

if you have ten minutes..

..to spare you should really read this story in the washington post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html?hpid=artslot

laugh, weep, totally surprising.

love Julian

Urgh big fat pig!

Want to see the cutest animal clip ever? Click here for 2 minute film of two sea otters. Warning very high 'ah' factor, and you need to watch right to the end for the best bit...

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Well done folks..

we're all delighted you made it safely up to Bewdley to see the rest of the clan with June and Rebecca. Don't forget I'm away this weekend so I'll see you next week and you can tell me all about it.

Did anyone see the amazing truffle hunter Daniel Chaume with his 250kg sow Magali truffle hunting in the Périgord the other night on Channel4?





click HERE

Auntie Lenny sends her love to you all

Mum and I went up to Bewdley on 11th April, as it was Lenny's 82 birthday. June, Rebecca and Alan were already there as Sue had invited them to stay for a couple of nights. After we arrived and all said our Hellos, Keith took the Kangoo up to Prestwood Nursing Home to collect Lenny in her wheelchair, and in just over an hour they arrived back to Barratts Close, where Sue had prepared a super spread for us all to enjoy. Lenny was naturally a bit weepy as her darling Linda was not there. Katy was also absent as she was at work. However we all managed to chat about family things and as I had taken my laptop, we were able to show her all the lovely photos you all took at the Malmaison, last week. She was so sad that she couldn't have joined us. But she agreed that we must have had a wonderful time. She was sorry to have missed her nephews and neice, and our lovely grandchildren, but sent her love to you all. She looked very well,. as the hairdresser who attends to the ladies there had made her look super, although she has put on a bit of weight, as she cannot move far on her own. It is Sue's birthday on 30th June. the day on which she receives her lump sum pension from Worcs County Council, where she has worked for many years as a teacher and she told us that she has ordered a new Audi TT Sports car, which she has planned ever since she saw one in the showrooms. Whorr.

My Favourite

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Originally uploaded by meanwhilehereinfrance.

Well done Ruth
ain't they 'andsome?

the bash

Thank you everyone for a wonderful bash at the prison! I had a good laugh with Auntie June and a good cry with Gemma and with Steve, a lovely chat with nic and a heart to heart with cathy, and you all looked and are wonderful. My tichy intense family sometimes feels like a very strange beast and it is so good to feel a part of yours. Thank you for having me.

Here are a few pics on flickr....

Meanwhile we had a very arty potty melodic sojurn in Cornwall with our friends Ann and Clive, listening to my cello hero, Steven Isserlis, walking the coast path, eating pasties on the beach, and returning home with a painting of waves and a beautiful cup or two to a fine dinner cooked by our house sitters - my tutor on the Arvon writing course and family - who have fallen in love with Manon. (Oscar needed some comforting because he felt left out and Manon is pining...)

Now it's back to a bit of quiet and pasta and tv and walks. Thank God.

Happy Easter Everybody!!!

It's yet another beautiful day here in west Wales; the sun is up, the birdies riz, I wonder where the bunny is??

Private Billy flopsy in halcyon days before he lost his eye in action.

A decent picture of Nic...

and about 250 single girls on the pull!

A great big one came over to Grandad and got down on one knee and proposed marriage.. for a bet!

From all of us..

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Originally uploaded by ezappy.

I'm sure I'm speaking for all of us here in the photo who would like to thank and pay tribute to all partners and loved ones who came along to the do and especially to those not able to be there, left holding the fort at home in different parts of the world who helped to make it all happen for us.

We are very lucky and feel privileged to have such supportive family.
Thankyou one and all.

Home again, home again, jigerty jog...

Flight was pretty smooth though the undercarriage must have been pretty strained on landing. Cor, what a debacle in Luton with EasyJet. Never mind, we got off the ground by the skin of our teeth and arrived on time. Jan was there - what an angel - and I got hugs from the naughty late night stayer-uppers when I got in. Lovely. I'll post again in the morning.

Sorry, Julian and Ruth

We tried to contact you by phone but could not find (or remember) your mobile number. Yes, we did take Pete to Chinnor and afterwards to Milton Keens for him to catch the bus to Luton Airport. Are you on the way home? and will we see you again?? I've got the kettle on. We'd love to see you, even for a last farewell. l&k from mum and me. Thanks for a lovely lunch yesterday DAD

where are they?

Glad you got home Nicky. It was great to see you!

We have been sitting outside Mum and Dad's in Kings Sutton desperate for a cuppa and another hug for an hour but there is no-one here. Luckily there is a good wifi hotspot in the driveway!

What a day. We are still recovering from all the emotion!

Hopefully Mum and dad have gone to Judy's with Pete. If not they have surely been abducted by aliens.

Love to all.

Back Home

Well I arrived back home in Singapore after an effortless journey to receive those lovely hugs and cuddles you get when you've been away from the kids. Thank you all for your hospitaility especially Steve for picking me up at Heathrow, Mum and Dad for making me so welcome in their lovely home, oh and Pete for getting up with me to get the coach. For the record, we did get to see Mum and Dad on Monday morning before I left for Heathrow, partly due to the morning call coming what I'm sure was an hour earlier than i'd requested.

Thoroughly enjoyed the whole adventure, thanks, Love Nic

hewsappy

Prison do - 35
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

CLiCK EAR to see 176 photos of the day from Peter Gemma Nic and Steve

A little bit of History

Hughie's 80th

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Originally uploaded by ezappy.

Thankyou to all who came to celebrate Uncle Hugh/Grandad Merrow-Smith's 80th birthday at the Malmaison Oxford..
to beloved wife and mother of his children Margaret, and his sister June from Kent together Robert&Sandy and Rebecca&Alan, Ruth and Mark Warren and Claire.
A huge thankyou for Nic for flying in from Singapore, and to Peter coming in from Spain, to Julian&Ruth travelling up from France on the Eurostar, Cathy&John who drove down from Wales together with Edmund, Thomas and Kate.

Thankyou to Oxford locals Gemma&Clive and Will and Graham&Josie as well as yours truly for making it all such a fabulous day.

It all came together marvellously.

I've put all the photos I've got online on Google's Picassa Web AlbumHERE or if you're a Flickr or Yahoo account holder like Cathy and Dad, you can can see a slide show HERE.
In order for Flickr to be safe from hackers, and to know who's looking at our photos, sign up (for nuffink) HERE
Video- a quick once round the table (almost)