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.

Booze Bus Tour and Pub Crawl

What a day!

Up early and cracked on with a few jobs — sorting the bar, walking Bess, the usual bits — as we knew we were going to be out all day. Shame about the rain, but we weren’t going to let it spoil anything.

Charlotte and Miles arrived, and we got an Uber into town and over to the Railway Station. Perfect timing — a bus was waiting, and even better, it was the only one of the day with a live guide: Andy (The Hat). Bit of a character, but I suppose you need to be in that job. I can imagine the other guides talking about him!

Off we went on the Hop On/Hop Off Red Bus Tour, sat on the top deck under cover while the rain came down. It was just the four of us and Andy the Hat. Really enjoyable, interesting and entertaining. It lasted about 45–50 minutes — plenty — and although the information came thick and fast, we picked up lots of snippets. We got off at St Giles rather than heading back to the station. No need to hear any more.

We headed to the Cosy Club for a beer (the first of many), grabbed some food, relaxed, and planned out the rest of the day. I fancied the old, nice, traditional pubs — and everyone agreed. Then out of nowhere, Zoe turned up. She got herself a drink and some food and announced she was joining the pub crawl. A surprise, and not the last.

A couple of pints later, Cosy Club had filled up with the lunchtime crowd, and we moved on. Walked through the Christmas Market — brief, as it’s hardly Birmingham — and made our way to the Kings Arms. Found a spot, and then Chloe and Nicole Holden appeared. They were Christmas shopping and planned to stay for just one drink… you can guess how that went.

After a pint there, we moved on to the Turf Tavern, busy as ever, but we found a place outside. By complete coincidence, Joe Willoughby and his family were there. And oddly enough, we kept bumping into them for the rest of the night as we all hopped between pubs. No planning, just funny randomness.

Then, completely out of nowhere, GG and Evan turned up in the Turf garden. That’s when I messaged Wayne to say I wouldn’t be making golf in the morning — I could see exactly where the night was heading!

Those were the surprises done. Charlotte had organised the initial tour and invited the groups. Millars and Holdens couldn’t make it, but it didn’t matter — we had a good crew.

Ev was his usual loud, bold self. Got everyone singing “Happy Birthday” to me — four weeks late — and kept getting recognised from “Rate My Pub”. He’s great company and keeps everything lively.

We finished up and went to The Bear. Too busy, so we stood outside for one pint. Then on to The Wheatsheaf — I liked the look of it, but was overruled, so although we stepped inside briefly, we ended up walking straight back out and across to The Chequers. No idea how we found a table, and Chloe even bought the round, which was lovely. Still a good atmosphere, but we stuck to our plan and kept moving.

Next stop: St Aldates Tavern (The Bulldog in old money). By now we’d had a few and were happily chatting to anyone. We ended up going upstairs — empty — and for some reason decided to help put up their Christmas tree. Miles even put the star on top. Eventually they needed the space back and ushered us out.

We walked past the Old Thom but no one fancied it, so we carried on to The Blenheim — I didn’t even know it was still open. Good pub. Had a great chat with Miles, watched a bit of rugby, and enjoyed it there. People got hungry, so we went to the Wetherspoons in the Castle for more drinks and food. Eventually it was time to head home. Zoe and the girls peeled off, and the rest of us swung by Sainsbury’s for more beers before getting an Uber home. Judging by the Ring doorbell footage, it wasn’t even too late — about 10pm.

Straight into the DSB and the party continued — dancing, singing, the laptop playing up, photos and videos everywhere. And that’s about where my memory ends. Woke up around 5.30am in the bar, freezing.

Reflection:
Just an incredible day — full of surprises, great company, brilliant pubs, and exactly the kind of birthday celebration I wanted.

Lisbon Trip - Day 4

Another really good night’s sleep. We packed up and went down to breakfast around 8.00am — didn’t eat as much today, but enough to get going. Checked out, left our bags behind the desk and headed back into the city centre. The plan was to take the metro right out to the very last stop.

The metro really has been brilliant - but it’s also made us lazy because it’s so cheap and effortless. We’ve definitely walked far less than we normally would on a city break!

We found the cycle place easily enough but were about 40 minutes early, so we wandered down by the docks, looking at the two enormous cruise ships that were in. Then we grabbed a drink in the café next door until the place opened.

There were eight of us in total on the tour, and our guide, Diogo, was great - really engaging, full of energy, and just a nice bloke to spend a few hours with.

We were set up with e-bikes and then headed off. We covered miles, and the biggest surprise was just how fast you could get from point to point. Things that looked absolutely miles away from a viewpoint were suddenly reachable in minutes. We revisited a couple of familiar spots, but most of it was new, which made it feel worthwhile rather than just a repeat of what we’d already done.

The whole tour lasted three hours, and honestly it was the perfect way to spend our final morning - far better than trudging around the shops trying to kill time.

When we finished, we said our goodbyes and walked a short distance to a busy little square where we sat in the sunshine for a light meal. Once again, the food didn’t disappoint - if there’s one thing Lisbon absolutely nailed for us, it was the food.

After that we got the metro back to the hotel. I’d left it too late to find a toy tram for Frankie - the one thing I’d really hoped to bring back for him - and no luck anywhere. Bit of a shame.

Uber to the airport was smooth and easy, and the whole process at the airport has been completely hassle-free. Now sitting on the plane writing this and catching up on all the other diary notes - there’s going to be a lot to type up when we get home!

That was such a great weekend - we get on really well with John and Pauline, and Lisbon is a beautiful city - really enjoyed it.

Oh - and I nearly forgot the little drama at home. Mum had a bit of a scare with Bess. I’d messaged to check she was okay to keep her for the evening as we’d be back late, and she replied, “Call me!”

So I did - and long story short, Bess somehow got hold of a couple of the rat poison pellets Mum had, and ate two of them. Mum rushed her to the vet, had all the stress (and the bloody cost!) of getting them to make her sick and clear her system. Very worrying for her of course. She was clearly shaken and felt responsible, but I was fine about it, and so was Tash. I checked before we boarded and all seems well. Stupid dog - but all okay in the end.

Lisbon Trip - Day 3

Early start, heavy heads. We headed straight for the Moorish Quarter and caught the Route 28 tram because that's where it starts and there were big queues eve at 9.00am, we managed to get on though so happy with that. We didn’t manage the round trip, the driver just pulled to a stop halfway through and kicked everyone off, but it didn’t matter as we were in a good part of town now! We wandered through town, weaving through the streets and soaking it all in.

Stopped in that huge Zara where I hoped to finally find the jacket I’ve been after, but no luck. From there we carried on up to the castle, that was good being at the highpoint over looking the city. It was enjoyable exploring that and walking along the battlements. After a while we then made our way over to the Time Out Market. Far too busy, so we bailed and found a great little place for tapas instead — really good food, especially the hummus. (Funnily enough, it's exactly what Clare and Greg Barnes did so we took and sent them a photo)

Back to the main square afterwards. Tried booking the North African restaurant we’d been eyeing up, but the whole process was painful and got us nowhere. So we headed back to the hotel, grabbed a very welcome 40-minute sleep, and then went back out again.

First stop: the car park rooftop bar. This was something Tash had found and it was so random and well-hidden but a brilliant find. It's not sign-posted at all, you need to go into a multi-storey car-park and get to the top and then it's there. It was crowded but we got a seat and the sunset was amazing - really enjoyed it there.

Then after a couple of drinks we made our way back to the restaurant we were unable to book earlier — they let us in early, thankfully, and the food was excellent. Rounded it off with a brandy, which was by accident, didn't know what I was ordering - it was fine, bit of an acquired taste so not sure I'm quite a brandy drinker yet!!

My choice afterwards: a cocktail bar called Cabal. Turned out to be a brilliant pick — great atmosphere, great drinks. By then we were flagging, so we walked back to the hotel. One more drink in the bar to finish the night, and then finally, bed.

Reflections:
A long, slightly chaotic but very enjoyable day. Nothing went quite to plan, yet everything still worked out — good food, good bars, and enough wandering to feel like we really explored the place. Even with the tiredness, it all had that fun, easy holiday rhythm.

Lisbon Trip - Day 2

Big breakfast to start the day - exactly what we all needed. Timed it well as after only 10 minutes there was a huge queue to get in. I was quite in my element with the coffee machine - had loads!

We walked down to a bus stop we needed to get to and then jumped on the bus out to Belém to see the tower. Bit of a shame it was covered in scaffolding, but that’s life. We had a good wander around anyway and then walked back along the river.

Stopped at the famous pastry place (Pastéis de Belém), of course - had to be done - and then carried on to a warehouse-style food and drink spot. Really cool vibe in there and we ended up staying for some lunch.

Got an Uber back afterwards and had a rest at the hotel, saving our energy for the evening.

The sunset plan was next: we headed up to the viewpoint — Miradouro da Senhora do Monte — and the timing was perfect. Beautiful place, great views over the city. From there, we made our way to a wine bar on the hill and enjoyed a couple more drinks before heading off to a Fado presentation. Really atmospheric and something we’re all glad we experienced.

After that we tried to find somewhere to eat… absolute mission. Everything either full, closed or just not appealing. Eventually we ducked into a tiny bar I’d spotted earlier - nothing fancy, in fact the complete opposite - great laugh in there, but it got us going again - and then, finally, we stumbled across what turned out to be the best place of the trip.

Brilliant food, loads of wine, and the owners were genuinely lovely people. We stayed far longer than planned and consumed far more than we needed, but it was totally worth it.

Eventually staggered our way back to the metro and then to the hotel. No nightcap for once — straight to bed!

Lisbon Trip - Day 1

Up at 3.00am with the alarm going off - although I think I was awake before it! Ready for the 3.30am pick-up and John drove us to Heathrow. Straight through to Wetherspoons for breakfast and, naturally, a pint. The flight was nice and easy — Tash and I slept through most of it, as everyone would fully expect.

Customs took about an hour, which honestly could have been worse. We’d already decided to avoid the taxi queues, so I ordered an Uber. Took a while because the traffic was ridiculous, but he eventually arrived and got us to the hotel. Very nice place. Checked in, left our bags, far too early for the room, and headed out walking down the hill to the city centre.

And of course, the rain started. Forecast, yes — still annoying. After about twenty minutes, fed up, we ducked into a brewery pub for food and a couple of beers. Turned out to be a cracking decision: good food, good beer, and a break from the weather.

Back out again afterwards, but it was hopeless. The rain only got worse and I just wasn’t enjoying it. I don’t normally get grouchy, but I must’ve been tired because I was definitely getting pissed off. We tried, but eventually admitted defeat and decided to get the metro back to the hotel, hoping they’d let us into the room early so we could have a snooze and try again later.

Great shout. First, we discovered how insanely cheap the metro is — genuinely brilliant and it saved us all weekend. And second, the plan worked: we got into the room early, grabbed some sleep, and felt fully refreshed for our food and wine tasting tour at 6.00pm.

Met the group in the main square — 14 of us, and our guide, Pedro. He was excellent: friendly, knowledgeable, loved what he did, and made it fun. He took us around different food and drink spots, giving us the history behind the dishes, ingredients, drinks, and a bit of Lisbon background too. The group itself was great as well — all different nationalities but everyone clicked.

Finished the evening with a rooftop bar stop where other people from the tour appeared before making our way back.

Reflections:
A long, tiring, slightly soggy start, but it absolutely picked up. Once we’d recharged and got onto the food and wine tour, the whole day turned around — great guide, great group, great food. Exactly the kind of evening that makes the early start worth it.

Fireworks at the Plough - not feeling great!

Had the fireworks at the Plough tonight, but throughout the day — and especially into the early evening — I started to feel rough. It was exactly like when I used to overdo it at football: back aching, which then somehow shifts into stomach pains. Felt like the boot camp on Monday had finally caught up with me.

Mum arrived in good time, and I had a long shower trying to sort myself out, but when I came downstairs I told Tash I really didn’t want to go. Still, I felt I had to, so we wandered up. It didn’t seem quite as crowded as normal. I got the drinks — mulled wines and a beer — but I couldn’t even finish mine. We headed over to the bonfire.

The bonfire was huge and looked a bit out of control with how strong the wind was. For a moment it looked like it might set the nearby trees alight, which would’ve been dramatic, but it didn’t. Eventually it calmed down and we waited for the fireworks.

By then I was really struggling. We found a bench and sat, but once the fireworks started the pain got too much. I made my excuses and walked home — not comfortably either. I was bent over most of the way and honestly would’ve happily taken a taxi just to get there quicker. It was horrible.

Got home and went straight to bed by about 8.00pm. Didn’t properly sleep, but dozed off once Tash got home. I apologised, but truthfully I didn’t care much — I just wanted the pain gone.

Weird how it hits me like that sometimes. I’m certain it was those leg-raise exercises from boot camp hurting my back/groin/stomach or something.

Reflection:
A night that should’ve been fun but ended up dominated by pain — frustrating more than anything, and a reminder that the old football injury still likes to make an appearance now and then.