Photos of our day out with the kids

Day out with the grandchildren

Last week Jenny and I took Noah, Anna and Libby out for the day. First we went to Glastonbury where we visited the excellent Museum of Rural Life. Amongst many other things the children sat on the Victorian "lavatory for three" and made appropriate noises. Then, after climbing a mulberry tree to eat the ripe berries, we walked up Glastonbury Tor and had our photo taken at the top. Next we had a picnic in the Museum grounds before going on to scramble over the tanks and other strange items at Wells Reclamation where we bought one or two nicnacs. Finally we explored the magnificent Wells Cathedral and finished with an ice cream in the refectory. On the way home we played "animal, vegetable or mineral" but Libby fell asleep - we were all a bit tired after our fun day out together.

Great weekend

Jenny and I recently enjoyed a long weekend with two good friends at the Bodelwyddan Castle Hotel in North Wales. The hotel provided fine food, good service, generous and comfortable accommodation, excellent live music and entertainment and a host of leisure activities in the grounds and fitness centre. Although we have known Elaine and Graham for 45 years we had not seen them for about 8 years so there was a lot to talk about. In between talking and laughing we managed to visit the castle museum, play croquet and miniature golf, take part in the general knowledge quiz and "name that tune" competition, visit the nearby "marble church", Colwyn Bay and Conway, with its ancient castle. The weather was fine, if a little chilly at times, and we really enjoyed the weekend.

Seeing is Believing

"Seeing is Believing" (registered charity number 1100559) is a collaboration between the International Association for the Prevention of Blindness and Standard Chartered Bank. Our younger son, Ben, works at the head office of Standard Chartered Bank in London and is very involved in the bank's fund raising for Seeing is Believing. The photo shows him and some of his work colleagues recently raising sponsorship money by running a strenuous course round the streets of London - he's the one third from the left, the guy second from the left is blind and is being guided by the others. Many of the people whose sight is saved by the charity live in Africa and Ben's work sometimes takes him there. Just today he returned from a business trip which took him to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

Busy Weekend

The weekend before last we went to stay with Ben, Claire, Thomas and Sophie at their home in Bedfordshire. Saturday was a very busy day. In the morning we watched Thomas play football with his school team, then the school team played a match against their fathers, including Ben, which the fathers won - surprise, surprise. It rained hard throughout the morning and both players and spectators got very wet. In the afternoon we watched Sophie dancing and singing in her dance club's summer show and in the evening we watched Clare doing both ballet and tap dancing in the adults' dance class show. Both of them danced beautifully and the shows were very professional. Unfortunately photography was not allowed so no photos this time - even of the football (too wet).

Back in England

At 8.30am on 1 July, Olly, Sally, Noah, Anna and Libby pushed trolleys holding their 10 huge suitcases out of the arrivals area at Heathrow Airport. They were smiling, despite a 24 hour journey which had involved a two hour ferry ride to Freetown Airport, a long flight to Brussels (via Banjul in the Gambia) and another flight from Brussels to Heathrow. Waiting for them in the arrivals area were Jenny and I, Ben, Claire, Thomas and Sophie and Wendy (Sally's mum) and Dave (Sally's stepfather). Two hours later we were all back at Pippin Cottage where a weekend of celebrations and feasting began. Photos show Olly and family coming through the arrivals area, a group photo of most of us (Olly and family towards the right, Thomas, Sophie and Dave towards the left) and some of us having breakfast the next morning. Olly and family are staying with us at Pippin Cottage until they find a place of their own in Dorset and the children will be going to school in Sherborne. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they make the difficult transition from the poverty of West Africa to the relative affluence of the UK.

Only a few more hours

In 11 hours time Olly, Sally, Noah, Anna and Libby will be landing a Heathrow Airport after a long journey from Freetown, Sierra Leone via Banjul (Gambia) and Brussels, Belgium. We will be there to meet them, along with Ben, Claire, Thomas and Sophie and Wendy and Dave (Sally's Mum and stepfather). Then we will all drive in convoy to Pippin Cottage for a weekend of re-union and celebration. Claire, Thomas and Sophie have not seen Olly and his family for five years so there will be much to talk about. Jenny has been cooking for weeks and the larder and deep freeze are full of lovely meals. We've made the landing into a small bedroom for Noah (see photos) and a local craftsman has built a big wardrobe in the bedroom where Anna and Sophie will sleep - Jenny has wanted another wardrobe for some time and the return of the family was a good reason for finally having one. It was only finished a week ago since when I've given it three coats of paint, as the photos show.