Hangovers each and night at Clare and Greg's

Woke up with a serious hangover — no surprises there! Tash was throwing up and feeling properly rough, and I suspect I was still drunk rather than just hungover, considering I didn’t stop drinking until about 4.30am. I did switch to a non-alcoholic lager and a Coke right at the very end in the faint hope of sobering up a bit and saving myself for Saturday morning. Might’ve worked… just about.

We didn’t actually get out of bed until after 10.00am, and even then it was only because Oscar came round to look at the plumbing. He wasn’t here long, though, so we headed straight back to bed trying to sleep it off — finally surfacing again around midday. I genuinely can’t remember the last time I had a morning like that!

Eventually dragged ourselves up and drove over to Sue’s. Tash pretty much slept the whole way and then collapsed on her sofa when we got there, while Nathan was laughing at the state of us. We cracked on with tidying up Sue’s garage, which was a good job well done, and then headed back home — straight into bed again for another couple of hours to recharge. Definitely needed it as we had an evening out planned and were both running on fumes.

The extra rest worked wonders, and by the time we got up and ready we were in better shape. Unsurprisingly, Tash volunteered to drive — she couldn’t even look at alcohol — and we made our way over to Clare and Greg’s. We were running a little late and everyone else was already there when we arrived, about 10 of us in total, most of whom we’d met before when we went to Royal Ascot with them.

Started with drinks and nibbles before moving into the dining room for a really lovely Greek-style meal — proper good food. Spent most of the evening chatting with Miles and we both agreed we need to finally sort out a game of golf soon.

It turned into a really relaxed, civil evening — plenty of chat and laughs, and by this point you’d never have known we’d been out the night before. Everyone seemed to call it a night around 10.30pm, all standing up at once, so we said our thanks and goodbyes and headed home. Straight back to bed when we got in — no complaints there!

Hosting BBQ Night

A normal day at work, though definitely getting busier now as people are coming back from their holidays and the schools will soon be starting again.

We were hosting tonight — Tash had invited Cathy and Anna over, along with their partners, Steve and John. The plan was a BBQ, but of course, it was absolutely pouring down with rain for most of the afternoon. I was out there in the wet trying to get everything sorted, but luckily the rain eventually eased off, and we managed to spend the whole evening outside as planned.

Everyone arrived around 6:00pm and the atmosphere was lovely — plenty of drinks, chatting, and laughter. I get on really well with Steve, but I haven’t spent much time around John before. What became very noticeable, though, was just how much he takes over conversations. He has a habit of sharing his wisdom and opinions at full volume and pretty much bulldozing through whatever anyone else is saying.

It did get a bit irritating at times, especially when I was trying to chat with Steve in the bar about music and a few other things, but eventually, we just rolled with it and didn’t let it spoil the night.

I was on BBQ duty, and I think I did a decent job — the food went down well, everyone seemed happy, and the evening flowed along nicely. Before we knew it, it was 10:30pm, and people started heading off.

Once everyone had gone, Tash and I curled up on the outside sofa, listened to music, and had a few more drinks together. After tidying up a bit, Tash headed to bed — but I… didn’t!

I stayed out in the bar, playing music — switching between vinyl and my phone — and just carried on drinking into the early hours. No laptop, no work, just music and a good buzz. Ended up staying up until around 5:30am, finally dragging myself upstairs and collapsing into bed at about 6:00am.

A very good night — one of those evenings where everything just flowed. I’ll definitely pay for it tomorrow, but it was worth it.

Scotland Trip – Day 5 / Bank Holiday Monday

Didn’t sleep brilliantly — calves still aching and my mind was overactive. Annoying, but I know I’ll catch up soon enough. Got up, cleaned out the van, and got everything sorted. The weather was decent, which made things a bit easier.

Showered, shaved, and got myself looking smart for our lunch in Manchester. We hit the road around 10:00am and had a fairly straightforward drive down, though it was noticeably busier than Scotland — such a contrast.

Parked up in Spinningfields, grabbed a coffee, and sat in the sun near The Ivy before heading to 20 Stories for lunch. This was a Christmas voucher from Jodie, and it absolutely didn’t disappoint. Three-course set menu with plenty of choice — the food was fantastic. The weather was glorious too, so we had a couple of drinks and soaked up the atmosphere.

It got busier as the afternoon went on, but it was still relaxed and enjoyable. After finishing our meal, we sat out in the open area to enjoy the last of our drinks, took a few more photos, then headed back to the car.

The drive home wasn’t quite so smooth — traffic was heavy and we were redirected away from the M6, which took us through Holmes Chapel. Bit of a shame, as Lewis and Emily had already left for Centre Parcs with her family; would’ve been nice to pop in otherwise. Eventually re-joined the M6 and just accepted the sheer volume of traffic. Makes you realise how crowded England feels compared to the Highlands!

Got home and unpacked everything before a quick turnaround. Mum was happy with Bess and decided to keep her another night — a definite win! We rounded off the evening with a couple of drinks, cheese and biscuits, and a game of crib outside. Perfect way to finish.

What a brilliant few days — Scotland and the Highlands really left a mark. Already looking forward to going back before too long.

This trip also means we’ve pretty much covered the length and breadth of Britain this year — Cornwall to Scotland, Wales to Southwold, and plenty in between. The van’s done us proud!

Scotland Trip – Day 3 – The Climb Up Ben Nevis

Woke up fairly early and, typically, the weather had taken a turn for the worse — low cloud cover, rain, and generally gloomy skies. Not exactly the ideal conditions for tackling Ben Nevis, but there we were.

Had breakfast, packed up our gear, and drove the 8 miles into Fort William to find parking. Arrived around 9.30am, but the visitor centre car park was absolutely rammed — no chance of getting in. Luckily, just 100 metres down the road, we found a farmer’s field offering cheaper parking. Perfect result!

Waterproofs on, bags packed, and before starting the climb we popped into the visitor centre for a quick look around and grabbed a souvenir fridge magnet. Then we were off.

The trail was busy, which wasn’t surprising as it was the Bank Holiday — people everywhere, from all over the world, all sorts of nationalities and backgrounds. It was actually really interesting to see.

Thankfully, the rain eased off quite quickly, and before long we were too hot and started shedding layers as we continued the climb. But wow… it was hard work. I really struggled right from the start. Tash was much better, but she stuck with me, matching my super-slow pace — the exact same “Kilimanjaro pace” I adopted back then. I just couldn’t go any quicker, and I know exactly why: zero training. My fault entirely.

We stopped loads of times, not to eat, just to rest and catch our breath. The mountain felt relentless — the path just kept going, disappearing steeply into the clouds above us. And with the low visibility up there, it felt endless. This was our third peak in our “three peaks” adventures, and once again the weather had stitched us up. I’ll be honest — I was fed up and doing a fair bit of moaning and groaning on the way up.

After a 4.5-hour slog, we finally reached the summit. There was a 30-minute wait just to take the classic summit photo — completely pointless but, of course, we queued and got it anyway. Then it was time to start the long descent.

The journey down took about 3 hours, partly because the weather finally improved a little. The clouds parted here and there, and for the first time we got glimpses of the stunning views we’d been missing — absolutely breathtaking. It was a bittersweet reminder of “what could have been” if the weather had been kinder.

Once at the bottom, we headed straight to the Inn at the Foot of Ben Nevis for a well-earned drink — went down a treat. Then we drove back to the campsite, absolutely shattered but happy to be done.

Tash sorted dinner, we both cracked open a drink, and we just sat outside overlooking the loch as the sun slowly set. The aches were kicking in, but it was peaceful, calm, and a really lovely evening to unwind after such a big day.

A good day overall — glad I did it, proud to have ticked off Ben Nevis, but once again my lack of preparation left me struggling and, honestly, a little embarrassed. 

When will I EVER learn?!

Scotland Trip – Day 2

The alarm went off at 5:50am after a pretty rough night’s sleep, so getting going was a bit of a struggle. Finally managed to get up around 6:20am, skipped breakfast and coffee, packed up, dropped some money in the honesty box, and hit the road again.

Stopped at Loch Lomond around 8:00am, which was absolutely stunning. We parked right by the water and worked from the van with the most beautiful view imaginable. Had a lovely FaceTime chat with Jack and Jodie, who are still out in Sri Lanka. Great to catch up — they’re having an amazing time and seem so happy together.

By lunchtime, we were back on the move, making our way to the next campsite. The drive around Loch Lomond and into the Highlands was just breathtaking — towering, rugged mountains, crystal-clear water, and huge sweeping views. A few times we both said it felt like we were in Canada. I really wanted to stop more often, but we were on a bit of a schedule to get back online for work. At least we’ll be coming home the same way, so we can make up for it then.

Arrived at the campsite, which was right on the water’s edge overlooking Loch Linnhe — we’d paid a little extra for the front-row spot, and it was absolutely worth it. Got everything set up quickly and jumped back online for a couple of hours. The MiFi worked brilliantly — lightning-fast speeds, both of us working without a single issue.

Wrapped up work on time — no way I was doing any overtime tonight — and Tash made a great spag bol for dinner. Afterwards, we headed out for a short walk to a nearby waterfall, taking in the amazing views across the Loch in the evening sunshine.

Then we wandered down to the Corran Ferry and crossed over the water, which was fun. On the other side, we stopped at a little brewery for a quick drink — it was buzzing and had a great atmosphere. After that, we made our way back to the ferry (watching the time carefully as the last one back was at 9:20pm!) and stopped off at the Inn by the ferry for one last drink before heading back to the campsite.

Ended the night relaxing by the Loch, soaking up the peace and quiet, and mentally preparing for tomorrow’s big challenge: Ben Nevis.

Honestly, I’m nervous… I’ve done zero training. Wish me luck!

Scotland Trip – Day 1

Finished work and hit the road for Scotland – a proper road trip ahead of us! It’s a long old drive, so we decided to break it up with an overnight stop at an Aire in Gretna Green.

The journey took just over six hours, including a stop at Tebay Services – honestly, hands down the best services we’ve ever been to. Proper farm shop vibes, amazing coffee, and possibly the best sausage roll I’ve ever had. Definitely sets a new standard for motorway stops!

The drive itself was fine overall, but Birmingham traffic was an absolute nightmare – added at least an hour to our journey. Eventually, we rolled into Gretna around 10:15pm, found our spot, got the van sorted, and tried to settle in for the night.

For some reason, I had this irrational fear that we might get burgled, so I double-checked the locks… and then, of course, the van alarm went off! That didn’t help - winding the neighbours up!

To make things worse, high-speed trains thundered past nearly all night, I was freezing, and I had a string of bad dreams. 

Safe to say, sleep wasn’t great at all – not the most restful start to the trip!

Bournemouth Trip

Kids slept well, and I was up at 6:45am to get things moving. Got breakfast sorted, walked the dog, and then the troops arrived—Mum, Charlotte, Zoe, and Tiff's three kids

We loaded up two cars and set off for Bournemouth, six kids under nine between us. The drive was fine until I spotted a speed van in a layby far too late—doing 80mph at the time. Bugger. Hopefully I got away with it, but we’ll see.

The roads were busy, no surprise with the hot weather forecast. Seemed like half the country had the same idea of heading to the coast. We went to Durley Chine, our usual spot, and after two laps of the road next to the car park we somehow managed to get a space in a perfect location. Very fortunate indeed.

We set up on the beach and settled in for the day. I had my Jaws t-shirt on—the one Tucks sent over—which at least amused me, even if no one else noticed. The kids were good overall, just the odd moment of squabbling but mostly happy, running between the sand and the sea.

The day had a proper holiday feel—sun shining, gentle breeze, and the endless people-watching that a British beach day always delivers. I had a nap at one point, went for a swim, and just enjoyed the laid-back rhythm of the day. We had a decent picnic, and later we treated everyone to dinner—chicken and chips or burgers all round.

Before we knew it, it was 6:30pm and time to pack up. The festival trolley once again proved to be worth its weight in gold—makes shifting all the gear from car to beach so much easier. That is, unless you forget to take the brake off, Charlotte!

The drive back was slow—just sheer volume of traffic—but we made it to Bicester in about two and a half hours and dropped Tiff’s kids off. They’d all had a great time, which made the effort worthwhile.

Back home, we got a few bits sorted before heading to bed. It’s been a long day, and it didn’t really feel like a Sunday at all. Can’t believe I’ve got work tomorrow. Still, nice to have the kids for the day—they were good company.

Golf and busy day hosting Vic's kids

Up bright and early for a 7:30am tee-off with Holdy. On the way, I slowed down to chat with Paul Creed outside his house—he happened to be speaking with Holdy at the time, so it turned into a quick roadside catch-up.

Got to the course and was met with a nice surprise: our third player was none other than Jason Caffel. Haven’t seen him in ages, and it was brilliant to have him join us. He hasn’t played in a while, but you wouldn’t have known it—he was annoyingly good, beating both Wayne and me with ease. Most of his shots were laser-accurate while we were busy losing balls left, right… and certainly not centre!

It was a cracking match and great to catch up with Caffa. We really don’t see enough of him, so I hope this wasn’t just a one-off and he becomes a regular again.

We broke tradition and stopped at the Tandem in Kennington on the way back for a fry-up breakfast and a couple of beers. Very nice indeed. Then it was homeward bound, but not before an urgent petrol stop—the mileage counter had been run right down to zero. Bit too close for comfort, but I made it (again).

When I got home, Tash was out having brunch with Kerry, Sharon, and Zoe, so I had the place to myself. Parked myself in the garden with a beer, enjoyed the sunshine, and even nodded off for a bit.

The afternoon was productive—finally sorted the screws for the Event Shelter, so that’s one job ticked off. Tash picked up Vic’s kids and then went to visit Little Liam and Georgia, who’ve just got a new dog. A bit later, they all turned up here for food before we headed out to Bampton for Rhia’s 40th birthday party. Stayed just over an hour, enough to wish her well and for Tash to catch up with her old work colleagues—she seemed genuinely happy to see us.

Back home, got the kids ready for bed. I read Cat in the Hat, which wasn’t quite enough to tire Olivia out, but Tash was sleeping in Jack’s room with all of them so that was fine. I watched a bit of TV before calling it a night myself—early start tomorrow with quite a crowd heading to Bournemouth.

Lewis & Emily Baby Shower

So after we'd got back from dropping the kids off home having been at Standlake for the weekend we quickly got ourselves sorted and Mum arrived and Zoe and we set off to Manchester. Charlotte and Miles went from Nottingham and Jack and Jodie went in his car and got Nanny on the way.

Traffic was pretty bad on the M6 and it got closed sending us on a diversion - we were supposed to be there by 1.00pm to set up the Event Shelter and that, but it was actually 2.30pm we arrived - nightmare!

They'd done really well and had made a great effort to set up food and games and guessing details and giving advice for parenting etc - it was really nice and chilled. There was Emily's family there and friends from work etc, a decent crowd, I was pleased for them both, they were proud with respect to the imminent arrival and the work on the house.

The work isn't finished but it's close to being so only a few more days we reckon - things like the kitchen tops and such like. It does look really good already, they've done so well. It's going to be a good house for them.

The afternoon was really nice, spoke to a few people including Emily's parents and then slowly people made their way home. We got them to open some of the presents that had been bought as it's nice for people to see the presents they'd bought being opened and appreciated - that was nice.

Time flew by and it was soon 6.30pm so we said our goodbyes to anyone left and got back on the road - thankfully the issues we'd experienced earlier had been cleared and the run back to Oxford was smoother - still quite busy though. 

A good day, a long one and we're tired from the weekend but it has to be done and we will catch up our sleep soon enough!

One thing we thought was that even though Emily only has a month left she didn't look "big enough" to drop in 4 weeks time - we will see soon enough!

Standlake Camping Weekend & A Farewell to the Festival Tent

We set off early for the campsite at Standlake and lucked out with a fantastic pitch — right near the clubhouse and, best of all, overlooking the lake. Couldn’t have asked for a better view.

Tash and Tiff’s kids arrived soon after. It was their first time there and, before they’d even stepped fully out of the car, they were asking if they could come again! They helped me sort a few bits, but I still had a couple of hours’ work to get through. So I retreated to the clubhouse with my MiFi — love that flexibility — and got stuck in. Worked like a charm.

By the time Nik, Gaz, Danny, Vic, the kids, Paul, and Pauline rolled in, it was 4:30pm and I could finally clock off. A few drinks later, I was in full relax mode. We wandered around the lake, had our pre-cooked dinner, and ended up back in the clubhouse with more beers and even a disco to round things off.

Odd moment later on — around 8:30pm, they all suddenly said “See you tomorrow” and headed off to their caravans. Tash popped round to see them later and found them eating and drinking together. She was upset; their uncle had died and it felt like they didn’t want to spend that evening with us. I was disappointed too, but not quite as bothered as she was.

That night, the kids stayed in the van with Tash while I slept in the festival tent. Not the greatest night’s sleep — mattress wasn’t pumped up enough and it was chilly.

Up early the next day, we had breakfast before heading into Standlake with the others. The road was busy (and not ideal for walking) and it turned out to be a longer trek than expected. Found a nice pub, though, and — strangely — sat inside despite the sunny weather. It wasn’t busy, but the service was painfully slow. Thankfully, when the food eventually arrived, it was worth the wait.

Back at the campsite, we made our way to the usual spot by the lakes for swimming, inflatables, and splashing around. Stayed for quite a while before heading back for dinner and another evening in the clubhouse. The girls got a bit tipsy — the weather was too nice not to. Didn’t see much of Gaz; he popped in for one drink and then disappeared back to his tent. Live music carried on until about 10:30pm, then we had a slightly questionable “health and safety” walk around the lake in the dark.

Elwood wanted to try sleeping in the tent that night, so he joined me while the girls stayed in the van. Much better sleep this time.

We were up early again — on a deadline to get to Manchester for Lewis and Emily’s baby shower. I started packing up straight away. After breakfast, we hit the road, but not before saying goodbye to the festival tent. It had served us brilliantly over the years, but this trip was its last. Ripped and beyond repair, it had to be binned. Definitely going to replace it — it’s the perfect spare room on trips like this.

Dropped the kids at Paul’s in Bicester on the way. They were worn out but absolutely loved it and are keen to go again. Nice to see Paul too — he’s in a lovely part of town.

Got home, barely had time to breathe before we were back on the road again… but that’s for the next entry.