Great Day Out - Red Lion, Cropredy

Forty eight of us squashed into the small dining rooms of this pub, but the atmoshere was great as we are all good friends.
Mum looked gorgeous in that lovely pink suit and the weather was super. Mum had roast lamb and I had scrumptious beef bourguinon, both followed by lemon meringue pie. The meals were beautifully cooked and the service was great, so we had a lovely time. Tired out, we drove back home and sat in our lovely garden.
Today, our cleaner arrived, so I decided to clear up the garage, moving the drier next to the washing machine, to give more room. The roses also required tidying up and I cut of all the spent blooms.
I stayed away from the TV as I didn't want to watch Andy Murray making the usual silly mistakes, but I gather he had a good game, although I don't know who won!
I have just come in as it was beginning to get dark. Mum is watching Grumpy Old Women, and having a laugh. See you all soon. love from Dad

Thanks, Guys for all your help yesterday

To Steve and Pete, I hope your backs stood up to the strain of constructing our new garden path.
It is a great improvement. love from Mum and Dad.
Good luck with the Mongauloise Car boot sale, Steve, Clive and Gemma.
We are off to Cropredy for a quiet day out

Biggest 'Cathedral' in the world

The One-Show with Adrien Chiles and visiting Monty Python celeb star, Michael Palin, was asked if he liked Canterbury Cathedral, said to be one of the largest in he world and he then said that the largest 'Cathedral' that he had visited was a mud mosque in Mali. Every year the mud walls were repaired by the members of the Muslim congregation in the town - It was the same Mosque as shown on Ruth and Julian's photos. Dad

Excellent News!

Great news Dad well done! All those taxes and rates paid are coming back fantastic. £2 saved etc.. I'm delighted.



I'm pictured here weighing in at 13stone 3lbs fitting the sump guard to Bella's bottom. It took some fettling and I've just come in and showered but we can venture off road now without fear of knocking great lumps out of the oil sump/gearbox.
I'll call in the morning Pater as my supper has appeared!

got my blue badge

I was expecting some mail today - my BBQ vouchers through Goldfish but when I opened the packet it was my new disabled blue badge, so when I had to go for an xray today I got free parking in the Horton. Grrreat! £2 saved!

Good old Andy Murray - he seems to be winning his tennis match,

We had to go to Morrisons to get some water after xray as our mains water in Northamptonshire is suspect. Chrispo meridium or summat in the Anglian Water area, but Banbury is supplied by Thames Water so we played camels in Morrisons, and drank our fill.

Did I tell you, Steve, that we are away in Cropredy on Sunday as it is our Catenian President's big day, but we will be here on Saturday. I don't know how they are going to fit 30 odd of us in the Red Lion - it isn't very big. See you soon. Luv from Dad

How smart is your right foot?

My friend Jody emailed this internet joke/exercise to me today. Try it!

"Just try this.. It is from an orthopaedic surgeon....... This will boggle your mind and you will keep trying over and over again to see if you can outsmart your foot, but, you can't. It's pre-programmed In your brain!

1. WITHOUT anyone watching you (they will think you are NUTS......) and while sitting where you are at your desk in front of your computer, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles.

2. Now, while doing this, draw the number '6' in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction.

And there's nothing you can do about it! You and I both know how stupid it is, but before the day is done you are going to try
it again, if you've not already done so."

Photo Opportunity

Photo Opportunity
Originally uploaded by les_mongauloises

A surprise sunny day after torrential downpours last night with bright clear air, so out comes the camera for a shot of the driving team.

New Forest

Jack Harvey
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

Jack Harvey was conductor of Chinnor Silver Band and was the guy who saw something in my playing and started me gigging. He would pick me up on a Saturday night at 6.30 after Dr Who, and (I was 14), drive me with my drums in the back of his Ford Corsair at top speed with the heater on full blast to some crumbling shack of a village hall in Winslow or Great Missenden!
I'd have a Mackeson or 2 during the evening, and he would deliver me home using the full width of the road with £4 in my pocket.. Marvellous!

He was a revelation to the band when he arrived and we won our first contest at Abingdon, by playing popular modern tunes we knew, not the old stuff from the First World War.

His wife Joan bred poodles. Jack was ex Guards for all his 5'4" and a lovely trumpet player, who had a way with 'Honeysuckle Rose' that I can still hear when I think about it.

I think the Merrows missed out on the first New Forest camp, but were there in force for the 1970 reprise, when Don Gomme thought we ought to have a campfire, and we found some old trees to burn, and out came Jean Smith's windup gramaphone with the 'Laughing Policeman'.

70 Lower Icknield Way

70 Lower Icknield Way
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

Who's this lot then?

Gloria's been digging out the colour slides!

Mum and Dad at Jean and Henry's
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

at no 70 Lower Icknield Way, Dad, Jim Pegram and Titch Smith,
Jean Smith, Mum, Doris Pegram and Tony Pullen's Mum

900 postcards - how wonderful

Congratulations to our wonderful son on reaching this apparently impossible figure of 900 postcards. We are so proud of you!
You bring back to us the memories of your house and lifestyle. Congratulations also to your posting staff.
Without you, our dear Ruth - where would he be? Dad & Mum

Morning folks !

After watching Steve do marvels in our garden, building us a new shed and dismantling the old one, we felt quite tired and decided to have a day off!
Mum's podiatrist, after the last treatment on her funny feet, recommended that she tries a new brand of shoe which gives her toes more freedom. They are called Sandpiper, so we went to the local shop in Banbury and she was helped by the most attentive 'salesman' we have ever met. She was able to buy some shoes which suited her and she is very happy. Trouble is, we cannot move for shoes.
I had seen adverts for some lovely garden parasols in Aldi and we went to the shop (just round the corner from the Sandpiper) and spent our weekly H/k on a new variety (to us) of goodies AND bought a super 'wind-up' garden umbrella.
I then thought we had better have lunch and we went to Cropredy (a very pretty little village) and went into the Red Lion (every Oxfordshire village has one) where Mum had her favourite moules mariniere and I had a simple jacket potato with almost a tin full of tuna/creme. Washed down with a pint of Hooky - luvly.
A drive home through the Oxon/Northants countryside on a lovely sunny day - marvellous!
Learned this morning of the passing of one of my screen 'greats' - dancer Cyd Charisse. So sad - she was so elegant.
Love to y'all Dad and Mum

Jump Jet for sale!

At the bottom of our Mongauloises blog
is an ad for a REAL SEA HARRIER

No engine but get yours now! LOL :-)

Atlantis Rally 2009?

Could this be the next 'must have' item?

it's a Sundowner

it's a Sundowner
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

in a sunny niche.

Happy Fathers Day

It looks like it's going to be a nice day. And I'm sorry not to be with you. But I'm hoping I can get you out here petty soon.
I'm afraid there's was nothing in the post from me. I'm running around like a blue*****fly finishing off some sewing jobs I should have done weeks ago and getting myself together for the catering in a field and living in a tent for a week.
We have 5 little girls sleeping in a tent in the garden, so last night was abit late with campfire and marshmallows and idilic weather, but it rained in the night, so at least I know the tent doesn't leak.
It's Hump Sunday on radio 4 today, Humphery Littleton tribute day.Comedy in the morning and Jaz in the afternoon.
Lots and lots of love from a very thankful daughter, love Cathy.

Stickers!

painted lady 1
Originally uploaded by les_mongauloises

New stickers arrived from our charities, together with a letter saying how grateful and pleased they are with our fund raising progress so a big thank you to all our family and friends.

Rather than spending out on sign-writing.. a big fat felt pen does the trick. and we are starting to get looks now!

Once again thankyou to everyone for supporting this hair-brained expedition. We are getting very excited now as we set off in just over a month's time.
Gem found some Gauloise beer and I've just had a chilled bottle for breakfast, to numb the stiffness of yesterday's exploits.LOL :)

Home of inventions

Everyone needs a shed the place where everything was invented .. Radio
microwave ovens

A clip from 'Gavin & Stacey' -BBC3

Hi Grandad, this has made me laugh this week (which isn't hard!). The look on Uncle Bryn's face when his choice of music is criticised! Hope you like too.

love Gem xx

Camel Trophy

Camel Trophy
Originally uploaded by les_mongauloises

I had a little smile to the driver of this bad boy as it came steaming past all kitted up with roof rack jerrycans spare tyres and spot lights. Like a great big grown up Bella really!

Photos..

Nice to see your collection of photos at last from the get together at Forty Green, Steve. As for me, I have a set of the most dismal photos I've ever taken for that day...people chewing, people with funny expressions and people looking miserable or frightened!! The camera doesn't usually lie but on this occasion I think it did! The question now is what to do with them. Are they worthy of the bin or a fleet street editor?

Race for Life, University Parks, Oxford

I was very active this morning. I joined 2,000 other women for the annual 'Race for Life' in aid of Cancer Research (this is Katherine and Rosie from work). It's a 5K walk/run round the lovely University Pks here in Oxford. All week the weather forecast was today for rain & cloud but typical British fashion the sun shone and its around 24 degrees! After that headed to the pub for cool lager to celebrate then we walked home. Well its all about balance isn't it!

If I'd known that there was a 5K walk/run for the boys tomorrow ( The Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research) I would have signed Clive up too. Maybe next year...

Wilkos shed

Well done - I have ordered it Look forward to receiving it in 2-7 days. Thought you may be interested in the e,mail from Reg. Dad

Friday 6th June 1944

The Longest Day -- D-DAY. Nearly every town in Normandy has a street named Rue de six June, or similar. We must not forget!!

Beach Hut type of thing

(oo you are awful Dad re Peter's blog!)


This looks like the sort of thing I'm thinking of from WILKO'S and I'm happy to erect it for you. I'm thinking of having it on Alex's side looking in towards the old shed on the paved area so you can put away your chairs and umbrella without lugging them down the steps in bad weather.

It would take a box or 2 of junk from the garage, and we could deck it out inside so that you can have your garden tools tidied away all nice.

With Bella's roofrack, I can dump the old rotten shed and where it was have a terraced area with nice wall growing plants as a focal point where it gets the afternoon sun. You are well on the way with the wall flowers growing out of your beautiful Northamptonshire stone walled niche. I think your little statue would look good over there too basking in the warm sunshine instead of being blown about at the top of the garden.

Later when we are ready, with a little bit of suitable old style paving you could have a long table there for entertaining with one of the new gas barbeques nearby which actually reliably cooks the food, and has a lid and a temperature gauge to avert Mum's sensible fear of raw chicken and burnt sausages.

http://www.johnlewis.com/230450975/Product.aspx

Aha, we're back...

After some time and a little tinkering with the electronics (not to mention some new bits for the Powerbook), we are back. Didn't realise there were so many different kinds of screw in the world!

I will investigate getting back up on Skype and giving everyone a ring later but as a first communication this will probably be brief. Jan is off work sick at the moment so needs extra tender care and soon I need to go fish Beth and Amy out of the pool too. Jess finished a big block of exams today (but missed off the back page of her science exam....doooh!) and has submerged herself in playing piano to calm her jangled nerves. What with that and the sunshine, I think it is time to wander round to the poolside. Who would have thought the sun would shine after what we had yesterday!

Love to all

Pete

Lemon Fairy Cakes

G&G

Glad you enjoyed them, I think the recipe needs adjusting slightly as I think they should be lighter. How about coffee icing next time?

lv G

Mid Summer madness

Sorry Dad,
Somehow I didn't realise which weekend you where taking about. And I won't be here I will be doing my cooking in a tent gig, the week ending 21st June and won't be back untill Sunday night. So that rather spoils the plan.