For Tricia, July kicked off with a visit to Market Harborough. She met up with Yvonne for lunch, and some shopping – and bought herself a fab red dress for Katie and Simon’s wedding, complete with shoes and fascinator. Trish was pleased with that, it was a quick result, and when she tried the dress on in the shop she got plenty of nice comments in the shop. After her afternoon with Yvonne she went on to spend the evening with Deb and Carlos, and enjoyed an evening of ‘wine tasting’… well, that is what it is called these days then! It was a good little break for Tricia, and helped her rest up before a busy weekend. On Friday the 4th it was sports day for Ellie… she did well, winning both the 200m and the discus. That evening Tricia and me went up to the church for the next event in the Schorne 700 event series – this was a visit of the choir from St Georges Chapel. It was a lovely service, but I would have liked to have heard a little more from the choir themselves, they were very good. No disrespect to our usual organist, but the organist from St George’s certainly made the organ sing :-).

On Saturday the 5th, Tricia has her kind of day… she prepared and delivered food for a party in the village (Siobhan), had a meeting with the people she was doing a wedding for, and also went to Ellesborough to meet with some visiting Guides from Australia. Then in the evening Tricia and me went to a 50th birthday party for Dom, Jonathan, and Gordon. It wasn’t a really late night as on the Sunday, Tricia and Rob did the final Schorne walk she had planned, walking from Mursley to North Marston. She had a couple extra this time to make numbers up, and Ellie, Jess and Sara met up with them half way. In the evening we had the closing Schorne event, with a celebration service at North Marston.

Tuesday the 8th, Tricia had a ‘girly’ evening with the usual crew. Thursday the 10th Nikki came home, I went off to pick her up from Stansted… the traffic on the way there was bad, an accident on the M11 causing a lot of delays, which then meant we had to avoid the motorway coming back… all in all it was close to a full 5 hours of driving. Which made my right foot, which has been having problems, sore. I went into the office Friday morning feeling tired, and in need of a break. I had 3 days of the following week booked off, and so decided to take the other 2 off so as to have a full weeks break. I drove home at lunchtime, worked from home in the afternoon, then in the evening Tricia and I went to see Singin’ in the Rain at MK theatre. Now I admit to being somewhat underwhelmed at the idea of seeing this beforehand, but have to say I really enjoyed it… it was a good show. Particularly the rain sequence when the ‘rain’ was kicked out at the audience :-).

The Saturday was a steaming hot day… Nikki was off to Bath for testing, whilst Tricia, me and her Mum and Dad were off to Bibury for her Gt Uncle Reg’s 90th party. Thank goodness for the air conditioning in the car. On the way we diverted into Buckingham to pick up Tricia’s new glasses. It was a nice event, a lovely location and good to catch up with Tricia’s side of the family. Back home in the evening, Tricia and Rob were packing ahead of their trip to walk the West Highland Way. On Sunday morning I dropped them over at MK railway station and saw them off. I then hung around for the shops to open, and bought myself a new suit, bag, jeans, t-shirt and formal shirts… A Sunday afternoon lunch with Nikki and Ellie was followed by sitting and watching the World Cup Final in the evening with Nikki… cheering on Germany, mainly because, as Nikki puts it, half her family is now German. And they were playing Argentina anyway. Germany duly won a close encounter.

An early start on the Monday (14th) to get Ellie to Waddesdon – she was off on her French trip, and very excited about it as well. I then came home, packed a few items and went off to Hay on Wye for a few days of book hunting. I arrived in Hay mid afternoon on the Monday, and immediately started in the book shops… finding a few I liked, checking out the prices, comparing them between shops etc. I checked into the B&B which was clean and ok, before going into town and having a meal at the Blue Boar. Being a Monday evening it was fairly quiet, I had steak and chips and a beer (Timothy Taylor’s) and was well looked after by the lady working the bar. Back in the B&B I read a little and watched one of the episodes of ‘The Bletchley Circle’ on the ipad before lights out. Breakfast was ok. I was then out for a full day of looking at books. I was pretty pleased with my purchases… my favourite bookshop is ‘Richard Booth’s’, you can browse the books, sit and look at them, and there is a cafe as well… which I had afternoon tea in… and then walked out of without paying. I remembered and walked back and paid, much to the surprise og the staff who hadn’t even noticed I had not paid…. In the evening I went back to the Blue Boar. Different staff working and a different experience. The food was good, but service shoddy. On Wednesday morning, after a little mooch around Hay I started driving home. I got back late afternoon, shared a stir fry with Nikki and then went into Waddesdon school for prize giving. In the absence of the chair of governors I had to sit on the main table and also deliver a prayer. In the meantime I was getting updates from Scotland where progress seemed to be good.

Thursday I went to the library at Bracknell. I wanted to access the microfiche copies of Bracknell News and see if I could copy some for putting into a photo book with old 8 Lem News, but it was a frustrating morning and I didn’t really get anything achieved. Nikki had gone to Bath for a couple of days work on the track. Ellie came home late Friday evening after a week in Paris, she had had a great time but was very tired.

On the Saturday Tricia and Robbie conquered Ben Nevis. They had a guide to take them up with a couple of others, but found it all straight forward anyway. They had a great time in the snow at the top! Sunday evening I picked them up at MK.

Whilst Tricia was away, her brother David became a dad again, when Manda had a baby girl. Isabelle Faith Thompson was born at 08:46 on the 18th July, weighing 8lb 9oz. Mum and baby both well.

Then on Monday morning Tricia was off again. This time on a ‘retreat’ with the church. Ellie had a couple of days at school, before finishing at lunchtime on the Wednesay for her school summer holiday. She had an excellent end of year report, and did well in her end of year exams. However, she was certainly ready for a break. Nikki flew back on the Tuesday… I dropped her at Stansted. An easier trip this time. An admissions meeting on the Tuesday morning, then a presentation to the outgoing Chair of Governors on the Wednesday concluded my Governor duties for the school year. We also managed to get a visit in to see baby Isabelle.

On the final weekend in July, Tricia provided catering for a wedding on the Saturday, then on the Sunday (the 27th), Deb and Carlos came for lunch. I cooked a traditional roast beef lunch we all sat in the garden to eat. Ellie did the pudding with her lime cheesecake. A hot day, with good company.

Ellie enjoyed her visit to Lörrach, but all too soon found herself back at school. However at the end of the first week back she was going to see ‘One Direction’ in concert with her friend Lucy. Very excited at going :-)… That was on the Friday night. On the Saturday Ellie and I were performing in a set of four small plays about John Schorne around the village. It was going to be a late night for Ellie at the concert, then she would ahve to be up to act… and remember her lines. Before that though, I had to get Nikki and Kevin to the airport. Kevin went down with a sickness bug in the week so he wasn’t too well, but fortunately recovered to go back ok.

Ellie loved the concert. And then on Saturday we awoke, to do these 4 plays outside and it was pouring with rain…and I was still struggling to master some of the trickier lines I had to say, which were written on olde english, or quoting from the bible. However, about 2 hours before we were due to start, the sky’s cleared and the sun shone, and we had a beuatiful afternoon. The plays were well received, and Ellie as Pity, and me as John Schorne managed to remember all our lines. Here we are…

And Ellie at One Direction…

The next event in the ‘Schorne 700’ was the flower festival at the church, on Saturday 14th. I was on door duty for an hour… the church was magnificent, a truly wonderful display. I stayed for a cup of tea and a bit of cake when my duty was done. Tricia had supplied some of the cake and also a stall in the church. The World Cup was kicking off, and so that evening Ellie, Tricia and myself went to Bob and Caroles, and watched the opening game against Italy with about 20 other people. It was a fun evening. England played quite well, but lost. A bit like watching West Ham really (actually that was how it used to be watching West Ham, these days we are just cloggers who hoof the ball, and lose and look bad losing). We looked good going forward, we should have had 2 or 3 goals, but defensively we sloppy and got mugged for the first Italian goal. Oh well. Sunday morning after we were up at the church doing family prayers. I did consider a word with the big man about the football but figured he may have more important things on his mind. Sunday was of course Father’s Day, and so cards and pressies were given. Which was nice :-). Here we have some pix of the flower festival, and Pat and me keeping guard 🙂

On the Monday Tricia turned 49… is my wife really that old ? I thought I married a younger woman. As she entered her 50th year, Tricia started making lists of all the things she is going to do for being 50. With luck we may get them all done by the time she is 60 :-). A cake and pressies were give in time honoured tradition. Tricia was busy, she had been producing a vast quantity of items for the local coffee man who was off doing business at the music festivals. Tricia was also hosting a food festival as part of the Schorne 700 event on Saturday the 21st. Robbie and I helped set up at the village hall, Ellie helped on Tricia’s stall, but it wasn’t a very good turnout, and Tricia was a bit disappointed. On the Sunday she was doing a pilgimage walk with Robbie and a local expert on walks… not a good turn out for this either. Tricia and Rob enjoyed that walk but felt a little let down by some who said they would come along… and didn’t. Disappointment was the by word for the week when England lost to Uruguay. Didn’t play that badly, just weren’t good enough. As always at this time of year, there was Mark’s birthday, and Deb’s, and wedding anniversary’s for Steve and Justine and Les & Les.

Here we have a few pix of the garden, Tricia with her cake, and Ellie having set fire to it.

The final week of June was no less busy, Ellie was in a production of Annie at Aylesbury Waterside Thetare on the Friday and Saturday, and there was the medieval banquet at the end of the week. This was being hosted in Whitchurch church, and the food was being done by and organised by Tricia. We do like to be busy! Ellie had been rehearsing for Annie for many weeks. She was a part of the chorus. Tricia, Robbie and I saw her on Friday evening. Well done to Robbie for coming to see his sister, as musicals aren’t really his thing. Tricia met Robbie off the train in Aylesbury and we went for a ‘Nando’s’ before the show. It was a good production, and Ellie did really well. She was in the Saturday matinee performance, where Deb and Carlos, Wendy and Rob, Gran and Grampy come to see her.

For the medieval banquet, pews were removed from part of the church, tables put in, and the church decorated, Tricia cooked ‘humble pies’ to feed 90, produced medieval salads, provided breads and cheeses, and organised for the hog roast. There were medieval singers and musicians, who were excellent, and I did an after dinner speech. Ellie was a waitress. Then everything had to be put away and tidied up. It was an excellent evening, great fun, in a wonderful setting (never dined in a church before!). Come Sunday we were all shattered… common theme in these blogs.

So Tricia planned to go to Exbury Gardens with Sally on Tuesday (20th)… Could I use your car she said… of course I said. So on the Tuesday morning, Rob and I got in the Mazda and set off. As we got into Aylesbury, the oil warning light came on. Now the RX8 is oil thirsty, and my immediate reaction wa sthat Tricia hadn’t, and should have, checked the oil. However, as I was conveniently next to a BP forecourt, I rolled in, bought some oil, quickly topped it up and went on my way. Rob was dropped off at Aylesbury station, and I continued. Five minutes later, as I went down Wendover by-pass the light came on again. My heart sank… this wasn’t going to be good news. So, I rolled into Wendover, and parked up in the library car park. As I got out of the car I could see a small trail of oil where the car had come in. Clearly the oil was leaking.

Every night I put my phone on the charger. Some nights I forget to switch the plug socket on, and so the next morning I have a phone nearly out of charge. Just my luck then, that when I went to phone the AA I noticed I was nearly out of charge. Still, I managed to call them and a man was on his way. I text Tricia to let her know of the calamity, and sat and waited, and contemplated if this was the straw that broke the proverbial camels back with regard to keeping the RX8. It was starting to become expensive, new coils recently, new tyres etc.. Eventually AA man turned up. Fortunately he was familiar with the RX8, and quickly identified the ‘oil cooler pipe’ had split, I nodded sagely as if that was what I had always expected (not). The upshot was being towed to the local Mazda dealership for repair.

However, I had other ideas. Over the following few days Tricia and I talked with them about a trade in, and so on Sunday the 25th Tricia picked up a newer, but smaller Mazda 2. It is a lovely drive, and cheaper on the fuel. The RX8 was fun, but becoming expensive, it was time to move on.

The trip to pick the new car up on the Sunday was a welcome interlude for Tricia and me, having used the the long bank holiday weekend to embark on a loft clearance. We had been struggling to move around the loft due to the volume of our treasured possessions (junk) that we had accumulated up there. So, we set to with a steely determination to lighten the load… we worked hard, and I have to say on the Spring Bank Holiday Monday I was somewhat shattered from all the work. As Tricia put on her facebook, ‘Day three of the loft clearance, can see the wood for the trees, or rather cardboard boxes. Can’t believe how much stuff one family can acquire’…But, we have made a massive difference, we can walk around the loft now! And all those treasured possessions we have sent to either the charity shop or the dump… don’t think we will notice they are gone. Robbie had been in Wakefield over the weekend catching up with his old mate Jordan. On the Monday he went into the loft to clear through some of his stuff.

The final week of May was half term week, Ellie was pleased to have a break, and even more excited about travelling out to Lörrach to see Nikki for a few days. So Tuesday morning was an early start as I drove Ellie down to Gatwick. She was a little nervous about flying on her own, but I was always confident she would be fine, she is pretty sensible. I saw her off at security, and she text me when she had reached the departure gate, at which point I drove off to work. Nikki text me later to say she had met her ok at Basel airport.

On the Thursday of that week, we saw the kick off of the ‘Schorne 700’ celebrations in the village, marking the passing of John Schorne some 700 years before. A service in the local church with the bishop, was followed by fireworks at the sports field. Tricia was on duty, having provided some nibbles, and serving drinks. Then on Friday, Tricia was off with the Brownies for a pack holiday weekend, a long trip for them, off to Norfolk. In the evening I drove to Gatwick to pick up Ellie, and Nikki and Kevin who were coming over for a visit. The traffic was pants, and so evening meal was in a MacDonalds at Gatwick.

Some pictures …. Of Exbury gardens, Robbie at Airsoft… wearing his new camo gear, don’t ask about the frying pan, Freddy the dog helping Nikki in Lorrach, a selfie Ellie took of her and Tricia, and Ninja the cat protecting the house at the front door (in reality he was a nuisance getting in the way!)

And of course, the new car…