A busy week again, both at work and at home. The main focus of the week was drawn towards a ball at the school Robbie goes to. Tricia was booked to cater for the event, and as a member of the pta, I was involved in some of the organisation. Pretty much all of Thursday and Friday, Tricia was working on the catering, and cooking all day Saturday. There were 122 people at the ball and she did very well getting everything organised and completed. It was a nice occasion, the sixth formers provided all the waiting / waitressing, there was a string quartet – pupils from the school who played at the reception, and then a pianist from the sixth form, and a singer – who would only be 15 / 16  performed. She sang beautifully. We raised a good sum of money for the school, and had a good evening.

Deb and Carlos came across and joined us for the evening. It was good to catch up with them, as we haven’t seen them for a while.

Nikki came back to help Tricia. Nikki has helped Tricia with the catering a number of times, and they work well together. She came back Friday afternoon – but was a bit later coming back than expected. One of her housemates has not been pulling her weight with the washing up it seems, so they had a house meeting to sort it out. When I asked Nikki how the housemate took the conversation, she said ‘just like a stroppy teenager’ … which made me laugh out loud. Takes one to know one I said

Nikki played hockey for Bicester on Saturday morning, and they won 4-1, so another victory and they are top of the league. She then came back and worked really hard for Tricia, managing the sixth formers while they waited tables. She then helped clear everything, took a load of equipment home before coming back to pick Deb, Carlos, Tricia and myself up. She then drove back to Hatfield. She has been working in Homebase today, so she will be very tired this evening.

This morning was the harvest festival in church. Ellie did a reading, and even Robbie came to church. One of the church wardens, Clive, turned 60 today. Tricia had done him a cake, and and we all sang him happy birthday at the end of the service. Clive is one of those quiet, and reliable people that we all like to have around. His wife Pat played Edith in ‘all ‘allo last year, and together they are very good friends to us. They are coming on the cruise in a few weeks, so, more celebrations then !

Being Harvest Festival, people bought a number of items along. Most of which were locally produced. Last year I was badgered into auctioning the items off at the end of the service, and was asked to do so again today. It raised £75, which goes into the church funds.

Friday evening we had a meeting of the acting group, and it seems we are doing a panto in Feb next year, ‘Babes in the Wood’. I can’t say that I am enthralled at the idea. These last 4 years we have done farces / plays, and I have enjoyed doing those more, as it is more of a challenge. But if the group wants to do it, I have to go along with it.

This coming week I am on a course in London, with an exam at the end of it , so looks like my evenings will be spent studying….

Tricia is just about to watch Tess of the D’Urbervilles… don’t suppose anything has changed and Tess will end up getting hanged… Good cheery stuff for a Sunday evening.