Ellies much dreaded visit to the dentist came around on Tuesday. A special appointment had been set up where Ellie could be sedated before the removals began… 5 teeth came out. All went well, and Ellie was much relieved that it was all over and done with. Next week she is off for her first appointment to get some spacers (to keep space for other teeth to come down) and braces. The braces will be on for 2 years, but she understands that at the end of it she should have a nice set of straight teeth. Ellie went back to school today, she had some ache in her jaw but was in pretty good spirits.

The new corner sofa came today…. we have taken out the two old sofas… hoorah, they were very tired and worn. We will keep the better of the two and it will live in the conservatory. We chose a corner sofa as it makes best use of space, and we are very pleased with it. We have put my leather high back chair in the other corner… which I am pleased about as it puts me in perfect position for watching tv, and I will probably spend more time sat in that than the new sofa. Of course one new thing leads to another, it seems we need to get a new lamp, a new coffee table, oh and a new rug that the coffee table will go on….

Nikki has been selected to go to ‘Bob School’ to learn how to drive a bobsleigh. Seems she will be off to Igls in Austria at some time in the autumn to qualify as a driver. Nikki has been getting plenty of praise for her commitment, and is starting to see improvements in performance.

Tricia and Rob are off to Bicester village tomorrow. They are getting a few last minute items before they set off on their epic walk across the country following Hadrians wall. They set off on Monday 11th July. I have the week off as well, and will be on ‘Ellie duty’… I am just looking forward to a break from work. Got a number of things I want to do, but just having a week away from the office will be good.

Finally a few pictures of Alex and me from when we went to Wembley… stood alongside a statue of Englands finest ever footballer. Bobby Moore. He was my hero when young… in fact he is the reason I support West Ham.

There is lots to blog about, mainly on account of not having blogged for nearly a month. And it is a little difficult to know where to start… So, I will start with today, work backwards and see how I get on.

Today the weatherman had forecast clear skies and 28c. At 7 am this morning there was cloud and it was cool, so I was starting to think I had been diddled… but it soon changed, and became a ‘phew what a scorcher’ sort of day. I gave the back lawn an overdue cut, which with the recent rain and warmth had been growing like billio. Tricia took Ellie off to Waddesdon where she was singing with the school choir …. which went well. Here is a piccie of them all on stage. Ellie is 5th from the left in a pink (what else) top.

When Tricia and Ellie got back I took Robbie off to a cricket match he was playing in, and then when I got back Tricia, Ellie and myself went to a friends house where we had the ‘MADS Midsummer Social’ … MADS are the local acting group, and the idea is we get together and have a picnic and do a few sketches, or songs, entertaining ourselves. I did ‘policemans lot’ with Bob, and then ‘I look up to him, but down on him’ sketch with Peter. Ellie did a couple of Pam Ayres poems. One of which was about a cold… and she has had a cold this week, so it seemed appropriate.

After melting in the afternoon sun, we came back home and had tea in the garden which was looking splendid in the summer evening sun.

Robbie came back from cricket… he had got a wicket but the team had been heavily beaten. Nikki is away in Jersey this weekend at a bob competition. A dry slope had been constructed… from text it seems Nikki’s pair came 4th, but had the 2nd quickest start times. She comes home later.

Yesterday was the usual hectic Saturday. Tricia was provising some catering for a friends wedding reception, so she was busy in the morning before we both went to the reception. The wedding clashed with a food fair Tricia normally goes to, so Robbie went and manned the stall. Tricia picked him up after the wedding reception. Then in the evening Tricia and I went over to Buckingham where some old friends were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary and one of them was also 50 to add to the celebration.

On Friday evening we were at Waddesdon for an open air event, where Jools Holland and his rhythm and blues orchestra were playing…. boy did it rain. We had paid for VIP tickets which meant we got parking close to the manor house, a champagne reception on the terrace and a roped off area to picnic in… all in the rain. Then the music started, and so we stood and danced in the pouring rain. We are British and don’t let the small matter of a bit of rain put us off. The music was brilliant, lots of boogie, blues, rock and roll and even ska. Sandie Shaw was one of his guests. It was great fun… but damp.

Going back to the previous weekend, on the Sunday Ellie had her confirmation, in Winslow church, the same church Tricia and I were married in. It was a busy day, we had all gone to church in the morning where we did family prayers, then when we got home we finished preparing the house and food. Some pictures… First of all Ellie in her confirmation dress, and then with her friend Helena, who wasn’t being confirmed but came to the service to support her friend. Then the cake Tricia made, and Ellie cutting the cake. Then Ellie with the Rev Jim Goringe, who is a lovely bloke, and then Robbie sat with a family friend Pat, and finally Nikki.

On the Saturday before Tricia and I went Market Harborough to help Deb celebrate her 50th. The highlight being a trip to see an open air production of Pirates of Penzance, which was absolutely brilliant… the dance of the policeman will live with me for a long time Beforehand we had a picnic, which the weather tried to interrupt but we are hardy sorts. In the evening we had a meal in Mkt Harb. It was great to see my old friend enjoy herself.. Carlos bought her a mini for her birhday so she did well!

Of course it was a busy week of celebrations. Tricia celebrated 46, seems I have a few years to save up to match Carlos… Mark also had a birthday, Steve & Justine celebrated their wedding anniversary as well. Blimey, very busy. I had also been to Germany on business… time it seems is very much at a premium. Ellie had ‘secretly’ made Tricia some birthday cup cakes bless her…

The weekend before all this (10, 11, 12 June), Tricia and I were in Corfe for the weekend. There were 9 couples, and we living out a game of Cluedo… we had to invent some extra characters such as Lady Aqua (Tricia) as well as the traditional characters, the Rev Green (me). It was great fun…. Some pics, Tricia and I on the first night dinner, then out on Saturday – (Pa)Tricia and Pat(ricia) under a sgn (which I misse … doh) saying Patricia’s B&B… then me as the Rev Green in the pulpit.

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Well, I am running out of time…. need to get ready for work and go to bed. The week ahead… not quite so busy, but on Tuesday Ellie is having 5 teeth out, so if you have a quiet moment on Tuesday do think of her….