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.