We now have an even spread of heat throughout the house… after the boiler install we noticed a few of the downstairs radiators were not getting very warm. So Calor came out and balanced the heating … apparently the issue was that the pump used to be upstairs, but is now downstairs, hence the need to balance it. Anyhow all sorted and working well, it’s all paid for and hopefully will keep us warm for years to come.

It has been a difficult few weeks for Nikki. She has been seeing Kevin for two years, but he decided something wasn’t right for him, and so he broke off their relationship. Nikki was devastated, she didn’t see it coming and it hit her hard. Particularly as she was away on tour and needed to be concentrating on bobsleigh. She had just competed as a driver for the first time in a world cup race when he broke the news. A week later she found out she had won a holiday for two in St Lucia, which was a great thing to win, but of course didn’t help in another way as it reminded her she wouldn’t be going with Kevin. She is going to take Tricia, and they will go out at the end of April. She has also been having some stomach issues, getting a lot of acid reflux, and through the health insurance with British Bobsleigh, an appointment was made for her …. in Gloucester. So she was given three days off from training, and flew into Luton airport on Monday 9th. I picked her up at 9:30pm, and we drove to Gloucester, stayed in a Premier Inn overnight, and went to the hospital the next morning. She didn’t enjoy the ‘endoscopy’ at all, but it showed that there is a stomach muscle that doesn’t appear to be behaving correctly and stopping acid. So she is on some medication for the next few weeks, then she comes off and waits to see if it starts to behave itself. If not it may mean a small procedure. On the way back home, we stopped in Charlbury, the spiritual home of the Mystic Wizards… Nikki had heard me talk of the place, so of course was interested to see, and she took the opportunity to sit on the ‘Bench of Philosophy’… which in my opinion should be a world heritage site :-)… I of course took the opportunity for a bit of philosophising as well

Nikki has just arrived in Winterberg in Germany, where she will be competing in the World Champs later this week. 🙂

Last weekend Tricia and me, along with our friends Pat and Clive went down to Corfe for the weekend. We arrived and took lunch near the castle, and then Tricia and Pat met with the owner of the hotel we will be staying in June, when we have around 10 couples staying for the weekend. We then moved on to have a look at Lulworth cove, before going to the B&B, which was a rather lovely farmhouse. In the evening we had a ‘valentines’ meal in a nearby restaurant. The food was fantastic. Sunday was a glorious day, so a visit to Tyneham – this is a village that was taken over by the MoD in 1943, and the villagers were displaced, never to return… it is still within the Purbeck ranges used by the military. We walked to the coast, and then went off to see the snowdrops at Kingston Lacey, before returning to Swanage for a coastal walk, and then on for a lovely pub meal… a glorious day. We returned on Monday in the pouring rain and stopped off at a place called Shaftesbury (famous for the Hovis Hill). For Valentines Day and Birthday combined Tricia got us tickets to see one of my favourite musicians, Diana Krall, at the Royal Albert Hall in October… and then when in Shaftesbury she treated me to a new jacket, trousers, and shoes…. Blimey, spoilt :-). Some pictures from the Corfe trip…. At Tyneham Hall there was a stage, with some directors chairs, so one of each of us, Lulworth Cove, and the B&B we stayed at, the coast near Tyneham, and then loads of snowdrops.

It has just been half term week, Ellie has enjoyed the rest, although she has been working hard doing revision. Just before half term, she had to stand up and talk about China in front of her year. Ellie focused on gender issues… the young feminist within her striking out :-). Those speaking had to dress in business suits. Ellie spent some time selecting what she was wearing… a black suit with a patterned blouse. Robbie spent valentines weekend in Southampton visiting his girlfriend Jess.

Lent has started, and so this year I am giving up caffeine (no tea !!), alcohol, bread (wheat), and anything sugary such as a biscuit, or chocolate, cake etc… It is difficult! Hard to sit and watch everyone else eating fruit crumble for pudding today, and not having a sherry before lunch etc. But what is really hard is the caffeine… I think I am just getting over the aches in the legs and head that I get with caffeine withdrawl :-). Thank goodness for Redbush tea. Gym twice over thee weekend I thought might sweat it out of my system. The other interesting thing is how tired I am in the evenings without having had caffeine.

Two pics to finish…. Ellie in her business suit with her friend Lucy, and Robbie with a cat on his head.