The start to June was a mixed one. On Saturday the 3^rd Tricia and I traveled into London to with our friends Pete and Sara, and Rachel and Alan, to have a celebratory 50^th meal with Sara. A lovely sunny day we walked across Hyde Park to the wonderful restaurant, and the we walked back through the park. It was full of people from every nationality it seemed, mixing together and enjoying themselves. It was a really nice day…. Only to wake up the next day and find that there had been a terrorist attack in the Borough Market area.

The following week gave us the general election. A minority win for the Tories, who blew an enormous lead, and a resultant agreement with the UDP to give them a majority. So on the back of a week where there was outcry against terrorism, the government was formed based on agreement with a political party with alleged terrorism links. Hmmmm.

On the Friday though, in the wake of the election, it was off to Corfe as part of the ‘Monte Carlo or Bust’ weekend. About 17 of us descended on Moreton’s House Hotel in Corfe, and lived out the Monte Carlo rally. This included a treasure hunt in the cars on the Saturday which made for an excellent day out. We all had our characters. Mine was German, so therefore Lederhosen :-). Less said the better. It was a terrific weekend, over all too soon.

In the meantime Ellie had finished her exams and was back in school on the 12^th. She was fretting over a Business Studies paper which hadn’t gone well. On the Friday it was Tricia’s birthday, and Nikki hosted us at the farm, Rob and Amy came over, Gran and Gramps, a pleasant evening. Ellie had been to Reading Uni for a visit during the day. She said it was ok, but wouldn’t be her first choice.

So, the Saturday, the 17^th brought along another birthday. My brother Mark hit 50. Tricia was doing a catering job in the morning, so when she had completed and delivered we set of for Bracknell via Tring to pick up Robbie, then the M25 which I assured everyone would be quicker. Wrong. The M25/M3 junction was closed and traffic was backed up for miles. So we were late. Very.

Sunday the 18^th, Tricia had planned a surprise picnic at Lamport, the centre of the gnome world in the UK, for Pat and Clive, and we were going to meet Deb and Carlos there. But, on route we discovered it was closed for the day. We then thought we might try Kelmarsh, but that had an event on… So, Deb suggested we just carried on to theirs and have the picnic in their back garden. Which is what we did.  The day didn’t really go to plan, but worked out ok in the end.

The following week, Ellie was due up at Leeds Uni for a visit. Tricia collected her from Tring theatre at around 10:30pm on the Tuesday evening, and then they travelled up to Leeds arriving there very late. They had an overnight room booked, and then spent the day in Leeds. Ellie loved it, and Leeds is presently top of her list. Back down south I had the last GB mtg of the year. A difficult year at the school I was glad to see it closing out.

The following Saturday Tricia and me went over to Wendy and Rob’s in Cold Ash to catch up with everything happening down there. Great BBQ, but unfortunately the heavens opened, so we sat in the end. On the Sunday, Tricia and Robbie went off ‘effigy’ hunting and seemed to have a great time looking in on various churches.

The month ended on June 30^th, as it normally does with Ellie going to the ‘Wadfest’ and raised some money for the world challenge adventure.

So May 1^st was a Monday… which meant a bank holiday and a day off.  Tricia went off and had a walk in Ashridge with Robbie and Amy and her family. Me though, it was rehearsals, and it is performance week. I was still forgetting lines on the Monday :-(… but Wednesday was first night for the Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society Murder Mystery and I made it. Two other performances were done, Friday and Saturday. My old workmate Peter came across to see it. I completed the shows without missing a line, so not bad. No performance of the Thursday as there were local elections.

What with the shows I was also in the school doing interviews for a new Assistant Head Teacher, so rather busy! Our second attempt to find one… at least we were successful this time.

The 5^th was Robbie’s 25^th Birthday. On the Sunday evening we all went for a meal at the Woolpack in Stake Mandeville to celebrate. When I say ‘all’, I mean Nikki and Matt came, as well as Amy’s family. Amy had made Robbie a ‘groot’ birthday cake :-)…. very appropriate as Rob is a Guardians of the Galaxy fan.

Monday 8^th May started with Tricia leading the new North Marston Brownie pack. Only 6 brownies to start, but it has kicked off. On the 12^th Ellie finished for ‘study’ leave ahead of her AS exams. I returned my old Mondeo, whilst still waiting for my new one. So I am ‘in between cars’ at the moment. Not such a good week for Nikki who was upset when one of her favourite chickens, who seemed to think of himself as a parrot, had to be put down. Rob came across during the week. He was speaking at the local history club, talking about common mistakes made in films around medieval armor… a subject close to his heart. He gave an excellent presentation that lasted over an hour, and then had some of his collection with him to show people. Strange to think that as a lad he was very quiet…  On the Sunday, Tricia, Ellie and me went over to Deb and Carlos’s for lunch. A pleasant afternoon.

On Saturday 20^th I was scheduled for a haircut, but I was still without a car, and Tricia was out so couldn’t use her one… so I got a bus to Buckingham. Coming back the bus only went as far as Winslow. So I decided to walk the 4 miles back. Good exercise… but boy oh boy, the heavens opened. I got an absolute soaking.

Monday 22^nd was ‘new car day’. Whooohoooo. The updated Mondeo model has far more buttons, which have taken an age to work out. It even has lane tracking, which neither Tricia or myself are a fan of, so that is switched off. My Ipod classic won’t connect either :-).

Thursday 25^th it was off to the eye hospital with my Dad, and brother Mark for support. A long, long day… he was one of the last to get operated on, last to get released from hospital, and so we were caught in the rush hour traffic. Having left home at 4:30 am I didn’t get back till around 8:30pm. Phew. The op went well though.

And so to the end of the month, half term, and Rob and Amy went for a holiday at Disneyland Paris.