It's that newly cleaned Air-Con

Dear Nic,

It is still very cold here and yesterday I had to scrape the frost from the car windscreen.

This morning is a bit warmer? but raining. For the next three days they promise us temperatures of between 12 and 13 degrees. Now THAT is HOT here.

I love picturing you having an early morning coffee. That new machine of yours makes a good early morning cup.

There were times in your flat when the air-con was a bit cool, so why not turn it down a bit.

On Sunday, Steve called for me and we drove into Chipping Norton to have Sunday roast at the Crown & Cushion, but it was packed and there was not ONE table vacant so we picked on a reserved table and ate our meal on it before the customers arrived, as it was a Carvery roast.

Yesterday morning the phone rang to tell me that a friend of mine from Chinnor Op had died on Christmas Eve, from bowel cancer (ugh) and was being cremated so I went along, as it was in Banbury, and met a lot of my old friends on a similar mission. I suppose that will be the only times when we meet up, except for the last one!!

I went out to dinner on Monday night, but my friend Nick, from round the corner (who usually calls for me to go in his car) was flying back from Dublin. The dinner went off very well and Nick got there in time for the pre-dinner meeting. He is a lovely man and when I got up after dinner to go home, he came with me and followed me all the way home to make sure that I was OK to drive after a few glasses of wine. What a pal !

Today I went into Brackley for my 3 monthly prostate hormone injection and popped into the butchers to buy some bacon and the butcher asked me if we all enjoyed the beef, I said 'YES'.

As it clashed with my six monthly dental check up I had to postpone it until Friday, but I do not anticipate any problems.

Tomorrow I MUST try to clear up all the post that litters the floor, before my cleaner lady comes on Thursday...

Well lovely boy, once again many thanks for treating me so well during my stay with you and thank all the SNGS for being so kind to me. Love to Claire and Daniel, and of course to Jen for putting up with an old man. Thanks also for your parting gift. LOVE FROM DAD