Ice Skating in Warwick

Another brilliant weekend – such good fun

Woke up nice and early and got cracking with a proper fry-up for breakfast. Made loads, which turned out to be a good call because Tash had invited people round and they all tucked in too.

John & Pauline came over, then Liam and Georgia turned up with their dog Woody. Must admit, he was a bit of a nightmare and I’m slightly worried about how he’ll be on Christmas Day when they come over. I’m sure we’ll work something out — hopefully we can calm him down somehow.

It was really nice having everyone round though, and little Frankie got passed around from pillar to post. He didn’t complain at all — such a lovely little lad.

After breakfast they all headed off and we started getting sorted to go to Warwick Castle for skating. Before leaving, Jeny popped in briefly with a couple of cuddly toys for Frankie — she’s so kind and thoughtful.

Dropped Bess off at Sue’s and made our way to Warwick — nice easy drive as it’s so close. Found a decent parking spot and met Wayne & Kerry and the girls in Wetherspoons. Slowly everyone else arrived. Niamh even brought her new boyfriend, Sidney, who seems a very nice lad.

We had some food and drinks and then walked over to the ice rink, set in the castle grounds with the castle itself overlooking us — brilliant setting.

Unfortunately the rain had ruined the rink, and they hadn’t re-iced it. There was a good inch of water across the whole thing — absolutely not ideal.

Didn’t stop us though. We still got on and had fun, and as usual I was zooming around, happy as Larry… until for the first time in many, many years I lost my balance and went over! And of course it had to be on the bit completely full of water — absolutely soaked. Didn’t hurt anything except my pride.

Carried on skating anyway until our time was up. Everyone had a good laugh at my expense. We hung around outside for a while afterwards, chatting with a pint, then said our goodbyes and went our separate ways home.

Lewis, Emily, Frankie and Jack all headed back up north.

Picked Bess up from Sue’s and stayed a little while — I had a very large gin and tonic — then home, where we watched more Mr Mercedes. I had four more beers, so ended up a bit tipsy but not too bad. Bed not too late.

Such a lovely weekend — so good to have Lewis, Emily and Frankie here. I hope they enjoyed it too and that it hasn’t put them off coming again.

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✅ End of Day Summary

A proper feel-good Sunday — family, friends, food, dogs, babies, skating chaos and a soaking on the ice. Lots of laughter, a big G&T, a few beers and a warm, contented finish to a brilliant weekend.

Rats

It’s been an interesting (and not in a good way) last few days. We’d been coming downstairs to food being eaten, wires chewed through, and general chaos, and assumed it was a mouse — until this morning proved otherwise.

To be honest, when I first saw the state of the bananas, half eaten and shredded, I did wonder if it was something bigger than a mouse…

We bought traps and set them out, but nothing happened. Last night after seeing Tucks, I even set my alarm for 5.30am so I could check the traps before the Airbnb guests were up. Came down at 3.00am — nothing. Alarm went, checked again — still nothing.

I went into the library to move one of the traps when I suddenly caught movement behind me. Turned around and saw this huge rat scurrying down a hole near the unused chimney. It was big. So that was the culprit. Put the trap right by his hole and went back to bed, let Tash know — she was not happy.

In the morning he still hadn’t bitten, so we made a plan. Later today I filled the hole with expanding foam, hoping it’s the only entry point. Before sealing it I threw a load of poison chunks down there. I’m worried it’s not the only hole and he’ll find another way in — or that there’s more than one rat. Not a pleasant thought.

Bought another box of poison and refilled the one by the back door. The last thing we want is rats in the house. There was even evidence of it in the bathroom cupboard, which is worrying — no idea how it got there.

Let’s see if this does the trick. I’m not convinced, but we’ll find out soon enough.

Reflection:
Today was more stressful than anything else — and the not knowing makes it worse. Fingers crossed the measures we’ve taken actually work.

Wicked for Good - Cinema night

Normal day’s work — nothing much to report. I got dinner on the go earlier than usual because we were heading out in the evening.

Once Tash was home and ready, we made our way over to the Vue at the Kassam, meeting up with Mum and Charlotte to watch the second Wicked film (Wicked for Good). There were only about ten people in the whole screening, and even the car park was practically empty — I don’t think I’ve ever seen it that quiet before. Feels a bit of a sad state of affairs for the place.

We really enjoyed the first Wicked film, and this one was just as good. Really well put together, beautifully performed, and just very, very enjoyable overall. All of us loved it. Made me think we should make the effort to go to the cinema more often — especially when it’s only about £6.50 a ticket.

Said our goodbyes afterwards and headed home, where we watched another episode of Mr Mercedes, the Netflix series we’ve just started. Really getting into it, but only just realised there are three seasons of ten episodes each — so we’re definitely in for the long haul!

Reflections:
A simple day overall, but a really nice evening out. It’s easy to forget how much I enjoy going to the cinema, especially when it’s quiet and you can properly sink into the film. And it was good spending time with Mum and Charlotte. The little routines — dinner early, a film, then an episode of a series at home — end up making a day feel surprisingly satisfying.

Xmas Tree Bought

Got the Christmas tree today. We had planned to do it yesterday with Charlotte at Blenheim, but by the time we finished everything and were heading out to Tucks, it was too late — so we ended up needing to sort it ourselves.

Tash suggested doing it during my lunchtime, which ruled out a few of the usual places, including the Tree Barn, so we headed over to Bunkers Hill just north of Kidlington. And honestly, what a great shout that turned out to be. It’s only a small place, but there was loads of choice, the staff were lovely and friendly, and because it wasn’t the weekend there were hardly any customers. Made the whole thing relaxed, easy, and actually enjoyable for once.

We were even given free drinks — coffee and hot chocolate — which was a nice touch.

After a bit of browsing we found a tree we could both agree on, and then wandered around the gardens for a bit. We do need a new bay tree, but couldn’t find one in the size we’re after this time.

Picked up the Christmas tree and headed home. Honestly, I think we’ll end up doing exactly the same next year — it was simple, stress-free, and just a much nicer experience.

Now the next job is getting it inside and ready for the weekend, when all the kids come round to decorate it!

Reflections:
A surprisingly lovely little outing for something that can so easily be stressful. Lunchtime tree-shopping could’ve been rushed, but instead it felt calm and enjoyable. Bunkers Hill was a great find, and it’s those little unexpected wins — free drinks, friendly people, no crowds — that make traditions feel worth repeating. Nice to think ahead to the weekend too; decorating the tree with everyone always brings the house to life.

Meet up with Tucks, Browns Meal and Drinking!

More jobs this morning!

First win of the day: the rat-chewed internet cable to the outside office. The wired connection had been dead for days and I’d finally bought one of those little connector boxes after watching a YouTube video, thinking I’d try to fix it myself.

While Oscar was here doing the bathroom, I had a go. Sat there patiently lining up all the tiny coloured wires, clipped them in carefully, tested it… nothing. Dead.

Back inside, fiddled again, pushed everything down a bit further, tried once more — SUCCESS! Honestly couldn’t believe it. I’d actually managed to re-wire the thing properly. Saved me getting someone out and meant the office was back in action. Felt very smug.

Next job: the drains. They’d backed up again and I vaguely remembered clearing them with pressure ages ago. Found the right plunger, gave it a go — and unbelievably, that worked as well. Quick, painless, sorted. At this point I was absolutely on a roll.

Moved on to the bar. I’ve been meaning to sort out the glasses for ages and realised I had far too many. So I was ruthless — big clear-out, lots into the bin, and the survivors went through the dishwasher so everything looks clean and tidy now.

By the time Tash got home from her morning out, we got ourselves sorted and headed into town for our 2.00pm booking at Browns with Tucks and Stephen and Sue. Browns was brilliant — food spot on, drinks flowing, great atmosphere. Just a really lovely couple of hours chatting and laughing.

As usual, Tucks grabbed the bill before anyone else had a chance. Afterwards we wandered to O’Neills because he wanted to watch the Formula 1. When that finished we moved to the Cosy Club, ordered more drinks and stayed there for the rest of the afternoon and early evening just chatting away. Eventually we wrapped up, said our goodbyes, and headed home.

The bus got us back fairly early all things considered, so we put a new series on. I was definitely drunk by this point and, in a moment of questionable judgement, opened the Bailey’s I’d bought for Christmas. Stayed up too late watching Gladiator, drinking even more.

All in all, another brilliant weekend — two in a row!

Reflections:
Funny how a day can be so satisfying just from getting things done — fixing that cable and clearing the drains made me feel surprisingly competent. And then a proper old-fashioned social afternoon with great people on top of it all. Probably overdid the drinking (opening the Bailey’s was definitely not part of the plan!), but the whole weekend felt warm, fun, and exactly what I needed.

Xmas Lights in London

Woke up with a bit of a heavy head but had breakfast and cracked on with loads of jobs that were on the list while Tash went out to spend time with her family. Got loads done — very productive morning.

I was still working through a few bits in the afternoon when Tash came back and suggested we go to London. It had been on the radar, so not totally out of the blue, but still spontaneous enough to feel fun.

We drove up to Westfields and managed to park at Holland Park just after 3.00pm which meant it was free — perfect, and right next to the tube station. We walked up the road and found The Churchill Arms in Kensington, known as the most Christmassy pub in London. It was still light but already rammed, with loads of people drinking out on the pavement. Inside was just as packed.

We got a drink each and waited outside for the big Christmas lights switch-on… and waited. First it was meant to be 4.00pm, then pushed to 4.30pm, so we got a second drink. I happened to be inside when they finally switched them on but it was still pretty impressive — loads of people taking photos.

Feeling festive and now in the dark, we walked along the road towards our next planned stop: Battersea Power Station. Found a bike dock, grabbed bikes, and cycled there — 30 minutes through the streets, which was brilliant. Saw loads of sights and it didn’t feel dangerous at all. Tash followed me weaving through the traffic like a pro. The route took us through Hyde Park, Kensington, Sloane Street and Square, over the Thames, and straight to Battersea. Great fun.

The redevelopment of the Power Station is incredible. What they’ve done with the shops and housing has made the whole place look so cool. We wandered around for a bit, but shopping wasn’t really the point, so we jumped on the tube and headed into Leicester Square. It was absolutely rammed. Tried a couple of restaurants but everything was booked, so we carried on through China Town and along Regent Street. As always, the lights were impressive.

We eventually found a pub with a table for two — a miracle — and had a good meal and a proper relax. Afterwards we walked back along Regent Street and went into Hamleys. Bloody expensive! A teddy with the year on it for Frankie was £80. No chance.

Then it was tube back to Holland Park, into the car, and home. So, so easy.

Reflection:
A brilliant, full, festive-feeling day. It felt like we really made the most of it — and the best bit is that it kept feeling like a Sunday, so it’s great knowing there’s still another day off to enjoy.

Xmas Cake made and DSB Decorations put up

Normal day at work again, although I did need to take Mum to the JR for a scan because she’s been getting stomach aches. The idea was to rule out anything serious like cancer. I set myself up in the Pret inside the JR and worked there for a couple of hours, then moved the car and carried on working in Northway until it was time to collect her — the whole thing took about three hours.

Thankfully, they couldn’t find anything concerning. It was still an invasive procedure though, with a camera, and she said it was quite painful at times. But at least it’s been done and we’ve got some reassurance. I dropped her home and told her she was welcome to come over for dinner later if she felt up to it — no pressure.

She did decide to come, and later Charlotte arrived too — she was coming anyway — and got to work on the Christmas cake and the house decorations. The cake looks good, and we all made a wish while stirring it. After dinner we headed out to the bar to sort the decorations in there.

It was really good fun. I had a few beers while we were working on it, and once everything was sorted Mum and Charl headed home and Tash went to bed. But I had a bit of a “taste for it”, so I stuck some records on and carried on drinking.

It turned into a great evening — just me relaxing, listening to my old albums, sinking a few beers. Time absolutely flew; suddenly it was 2.00am, and I nodded off before eventually dragging myself to bed around 4.00am.

I’d like to say it doesn’t happen often, but it does — and I love it. I’m very fortunate to have the space and freedom to sit out there, listen to music, and enjoy a few drinks in my own company.

Reflections:
A day that started with worry but ended in warmth. Getting Mum checked was important, and the relief afterwards made the evening feel even nicer. The decorating, cake making, and music in the bar had that perfect mix of family routine and personal comfort. There’s something grounding about those quiet, late-night solo sessions — a reminder that simple pleasures are often the best ones.

The Ashes has started!

This time it’s over in Australia, so unless we fancy getting up at 2.00am to watch it live, we’re only catching whatever coverage is on from when we get up until it finishes around 10.00am. Still a decent chunk of cricket — except there’s one problem: Sky aren’t covering it. It’s on TNT Sports and I don’t have a subscription, so I’m stuck with TMS and highlights on Twitter. Not ideal at all.

The first Test was this weekend and honestly, it was a bit of a disappointment. The whole game was over in two days — incredible. Imagine saving up all that money, flying out there, and having tickets for day three. You’d be absolutely gutted.

England tried to Bazball it and it just looked naive. Both first innings were rubbish, top score only 162. Then we went again in the second innings and somehow managed to be even worse. Australia took the sting out of our attack and knocked off the runs easily, with Travis Head playing really well.

So we’re 1–0 down. Next match is 4th December — if I can sort out a VPN by then, I might get to actually watch some of it. Although after this first Test, I’m not sure it’ll be worth the effort!

Reflection:
A frustrating start to the series — mostly disappointment, with that familiar mix of hope that England will learn something and realism that they probably won’t.