Visit to Lewis & Family

Tash woke up in a terrible state this morning — a proper hangover. At least an hour spent either being sick downstairs or lying on the sofa trying to recover. I wasn’t exactly bursting with energy myself — heavy head, low battery — but nowhere near as rough as she was, thankfully.

We had to get moving though as Zoe was due at 9.30am, which she was, and then we set off for Crewe. Tash slept (or attempted to) most of the journey and, mercifully, wasn’t sick again. By the time we arrived just before midday she’d rallied enough to pass as “normal”.

The drive up was relentless — constant rain the entire way. Hard enough in decent conditions, let alone with a fuzzy head.

Frankie, as ever, was brilliant. He has this lovely way of quietly observing everything with a little sideways smirk, like he’s taking it all in and judging us gently. He got plenty of attention of course.

I helped Lewis in the garden removing an old satellite dish — more physical effort than I’d ideally have chosen given the circumstances, but satisfying to get it sorted. Lewis and Emily then headed off to Mowgli Street Food for a meal together — a rare and well-earned bit of time without Frankie.

The rain eased slightly so we walked into Holmes Chapel and had a look around the Artisan Market. It wasn’t especially impressive, but it got us some fresh air. Picked up a few cookies and bits for later and stopped at a café we’ve been to before. I’d been craving a bacon sandwich all morning and finally got one — absolutely hit the spot. Tash managed to eat too, which felt like progress.

Back at the house we watched more of the Winter Olympics, which has been surprisingly gripping. GB picked up two gold medals today — Mixed Snowboard Cross and Mixed Skeleton — genuinely exciting and history-making stuff.

Lewis and Emily returned later, relaxed and happy after their meal. Pizza in the evening, Olympics on in the background, easy family time. After the Mixed Skeleton final we said our goodbyes and set off home.

The drive back was dry at least, but dark motorway driving when you’re tired is always a bit draining. Still, it was a good run and we were home just before 9.00pm. Zoe headed straight off, Airbnb guests arrived shortly after, and we squeezed in the final episode of Steal. Thankfully it had an intelligent ending — always a relief.

Bed by 10.30pm.

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End of Day Summary

A hangover start but a strong recovery. Wet roads, bacon sandwiches, garden jobs, family time and Olympic golds. Exhausting but worthwhile — another full chapter in what’s been an absolutely relentless weekend.

Valentine’s Day - Pasta Making Course in London

Up early and we both took Bess out for a walk. I “pretended” I’d forgotten my phone and popped back inside… in reality to get the flowers, chocolates and bottle of bubbly I’d bought for Tash. Subtle.

The walk was good — we’re doing well keeping the routine going, which feels positive.

Back home, Tash was really pleased with her bits and gave me a card too. Then it was time to get ready for the day.

Charlotte and Miles arrived bang on time, with Miles driving as we headed into London. Quick stop at Beaconsfield Services where we used some of Jack’s Greggs voucher — repayment for covering his dinner the night before. Belgian buns, obviously. Excellent.

We parked on Bayswater Road with minimal fuss, grabbed some Boris bikes and cycled over to Oxford Street. Quick stop in M&S, then a very brisk march to John Lewis. I didn’t want to be late and apparently my determined pace caused some amusement — they’re not used to me striding out like that.

We weren’t late, but we were the last to arrive out of about 20 people for the Jamie Oliver pasta-making class at John Lewis. A glass of fizz on arrival (and Tash had pre-ordered a bottle for later too), then the chef talked us through the plan and did a demo.

It was actually very good. I was pleasantly surprised at how simple and quick it is to make fresh pasta — and equally how straightforward the sauces can be. We each had our own ingredients and station, so no one was left watching while someone else did all the work.

Genuinely great fun. Would definitely recommend it.

We ate what we’d made, grabbed our coats, said thanks and headed upstairs to the rooftop bar. Sat in one of the igloo pods, although I wasn’t keen — the acoustics were odd and a bit disorientating. Had a beer and a glass of champagne each before deciding to head off Oxford Street and find somewhere else.

Found a pub just off the main drag and went in. Busy upstairs, so we went downstairs where there was space — only to realise it seemed to be full of Japanese guests. We suspect we accidentally gatecrashed a private party. No one moved us on though, so we stayed put and carried on chatting and drinking.

We had train tickets booked for 5.45pm, and Charl and Miles were staying overnight, but they asked us to stay longer… so we did.

More drinks followed. We got properly merry — Tash especially.

As the evening rolled on, we decided we should probably head back. Quick stop in Selfridges to try some perfumes, then onto the gay pub (Quebec something-or-other) for a final drink.

Then it was time to part ways. I was more or less half-carrying Tash by this point.

We reached Marylebone at 10.10pm… and had missed our train by five minutes. Next one wasn’t until 11.05pm, and Tash was absolutely not prepared to wait that long. There was a train to Bicester North sooner, so we jumped on that and thankfully Jack agreed to pick us up.

Tash slept the whole way. I listened to music and sobered up slightly.

Jack got us home, we had some toast, and then straight to bed.

Such a fantastic day. Absolutely loved it.

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End of Day Summary

A brilliant Valentine’s — thoughtful start, hands-on pasta fun, London wandering, too many drinks, mild chaos, and a late scramble home. Laughter, spontaneity and proper shared memories. One to remember. ❤️

Pre-Valentines Day meal with Tash, Jack & Mum

Busy day at work again — it has been like that all week — but it was Friday, so that definitely helped the mood.

We’d organised to take Mum and Jack out for a meal in the evening, so once we’d finished up we walked down to The Trout for a Valentine’s meal. Tash and I had a voucher from Christmas, so that covered most of it, which was handy. Didn’t go mad on drinks either — kept it sensible — so all in all it didn’t cost much at all.

I had a burger, which probably wasn’t the most refined choice, but it was good. The rest of the food generally was really nice, and it was just a lovely, relaxed evening together.

We walked back afterwards and put the Winter Olympics on. Mum stayed to watch the men’s Skeleton — Matt Weston was competing and he was favourite going into it. It was properly tense but brilliant to watch, and thankfully he won. First individual gold for Team GB at these Games, and a big moment. Really exciting stuff.

That finished around 9.00pm, Mum headed off home, and we watched another episode of Steal — getting close to the end now.

All good, but not a late one as we’ve got an early start tomorrow.

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End of Day Summary

A solid Friday — busy workday followed by good food, good company, and a bit of sporting drama. Relaxed, enjoyable, and nicely rounded off without overdoing it.

Quiz Night at the White Hart

Up and out at 6.50am with Tash and Bess for the now-regular long walk down to South Parade in Summertown. We did it in 1 hour 7 minutes, which seems to be our benchmark. It’s actually quite satisfying knowing the distance, steps and time so we can judge future walks properly. Feels structured rather than random wandering.

Work was fairly standard but busy — that seems to be the theme lately. No dramas, just plenty to get through.

Finished on time and got ourselves sorted before walking down to John and Pauline’s for dinner. Will was there too, and it was a lovely start to the evening. Pauline produced a chicken and chorizo stew followed by Guinness cupcakes for pudding — she really is an excellent cook. A couple of beers eased us nicely into the evening.

At 7.30pm we wandered up to The White Hart for their monthly quiz night. We’ve decided we’re going to try and make this a regular thing — although we spectacularly failed in January by completely forgetting about it.

Good turnout, busy atmosphere, lots of neighbours there. The quiz itself was tough. Some rounds suited us, others absolutely didn’t — the anagrams were a disaster. Still, we finished 5th out of 9, which felt respectable enough. Only just missed out on £10 for 4th place, so there’s definitely room for improvement.

A few more beers along the way, then home.

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End of Day Summary

A productive, sociable Monday. Early steps, solid workday, great food and a competitive quiz night. A really enjoyable start to the week — and nice to feel part of the local crowd.

Tree cutting & Tash having brunch with the girls

A bit of a heavy head this morning, but we were both pleasantly surprised that we weren’t feeling too rough.

Up and organised, and keen to get some steps in, we headed back to Wytham Woods Hill. Unfortunately, we hit the usual problem — the road on the Wytham stretch was flooded again and completely impassable on foot. No dramatic Indiana Jones-style crossing attempted; we turned around and headed home to get on with jobs instead.

Tash had arranged with Sharron and Kerry to take Zoe out for brunch, so Zoe and Shaz came by before heading into town. While they were out, I got stuck into converting old videos into digital format. Slow progress, but genuinely lovely seeing the kids back in their primary school days. It does make you wonder where the years have gone.

After that, I tackled the tree in the front garden. Sadly, it’s properly dead. Chainsaw out, job on. I managed to get it down to about a six-inch stump, but the roots are absolutely solid — no chance of digging that out by hand. I gave it a go, but it’s not happening. We’ll either enlist Merlin or consider something more dramatic… controlled burning perhaps.

Ticked off a few other bits and then we headed to Yarnton Garden Centre for a wander. Picked up a dahlia bulb to plant in March — hopefully that’ll bring a bit of colour later in the year.

Back home and Jack arrived, having driven down from Manchester after a week up there. Good to see him and have a proper catch-up over dinner before he headed off to see Jodie. All seems well on that front, which is reassuring.

We carried on pottering and getting organised for the week ahead, squeezed in another walk, then settled down to finish Season Two of The Night Manager. Good entertainment, and clearly set up nicely for a third series.

Bed by about 9.30pm — tired after a full few days, but a productive one.

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End of Day Summary

A steady reset day. Exercise (almost), jobs done, memories revisited, tree dismantled, and family caught up with. Productive, reflective, and nicely rounded off with an early night.

Zoe's Birthday celebrations

No golf this morning — no surprise there, it’s been absolutely pouring with rain.

I woke around 7.15am. Not a bad sleep all things considered, especially given it was on the sofa with barely a blanket. The room was warm though, so it was perfectly manageable. Had some breakfast and coffee and watched the news before the rest of the house stirred.

By about 8.00am Tash and the kids emerged. Got them sorted with breakfast and we played a bit of Uno. Ivy was brilliant with them — naturally patient and helpful. She’ll make a cracking babysitter one day.

Jess arrived bang on time at 8.45am to take over with the kids. I took Ivy to her swimming lesson, dropped her off, then headed back home.

Pottered around sorting bits in the house before heading out for a long walk. “Long” is relative at the moment — just over an hour — but it’s consistent and that’s what matters. I’ll build it up again soon. Time under the belt is the key.

Back home in relentless rain, so outdoor plans were off the table. I decided to tackle the tech instead. Tried reconnecting the VHS recorder — complete failure. Moved onto the DVD player and, after a lot of swearing and cable swapping, finally got it working. Small victory.

Tash had taken Zoe out for a birthday coffee and catch-up, so I settled in with the Six Nations. Italy beating Ireland was a surprise, and England thrashed Wales — which made for entertaining viewing.

Then it was into hosting mode. Mum arrived at 5.00pm, followed by Charlotte, then Miles, plus Zoe and Niamh. Tash had cooked a curry and we all settled in around the table. What followed was one of those unexpectedly brilliant evenings — loads of chat, plenty of drinks, and a lot of laughter. Everyone got a bit tipsy and it just flowed. Properly good fun.

We brought out birthday cake for Zoe and an early one for Miles (his is Monday). Charlotte was driving, so she took Zoe and Niamh with her when they left — but not until about 11.00pm, so it certainly wasn’t an early finish.

Cleared up, watched a bit of Match of the Day, and then finally into bed.

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End of Day Summary

Rainy, cosy, and unexpectedly brilliant. From sofa sleep and tech battles to family curry, cake and proper laughter. One of those simple but genuinely memorable evenings.

Golf at the Oxfordshire and celebrating Charlotte & Miles Engagement

Up bright and early this morning. Got a few bits sorted, then loaded the van and headed over to The Oxfordshire Golf Club for the game we’d originally organised for New Year’s Eve but had to cancel because of the fog.

In the sunshine it looked absolutely superb — a proper championship course, which makes sense given the professionals who’ve played there over the years. It really is a great setting.

It was me, Wayne, Julio and Jon Hawkins. Jon was late, but he’s going through a tough break-up at the moment, so completely understandable — when things aren’t going well personally, punctuality probably isn’t top priority.

Jon and I paired up against Wayne and Julio. Off we went. I really enjoyed the course — quite open in places but still challenging. I was especially pleased with my driving; it was consistent for a change. My follow-up shots gradually settled too, which made a big difference. It’s not an easy course by any stretch, but we held our own.

Jon and I were ahead most of the way through, though Wayne and Julio mounted a decent comeback towards the end. It came down to the 17th where I halved the hole with Wayne, which secured the win for us.

£5 richer… briefly.

They’ve got a brilliant halfway-house refreshment hut there — very smart set-up — and Wayne had already bought the bacon rolls, so my winnings went straight back to him. Easy come, easy go.

I had to head straight home rather than stopping for a drink, as we were hosting the Phelans to celebrate Charlotte and Miles’ engagement. When I arrived, people were already there. Tash had sorted a roast dinner and everything was in full swing.

It was really lovely having everyone round. Good conversation, lots of catching up, and a couple of bottles of champagne opened to mark the occasion. Even Jack and Jodie were there, which made it feel properly complete.

A relaxed afternoon and early evening. Terry does tire more easily these days, but he’s looking in good shape, which is great news for everyone — and it’s brilliant that he and Ru are planning a trip to India later this month.

Once everyone left, we tidied up, watched a bit of TV and then headed to bed.

A really good weekend overall — made longer by Friday night’s antics, which turned into a later one than most people would tolerate!

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End of Day Summary

Sport, family, champagne and celebration. A satisfying win on a championship course followed by marking a huge milestone for Charlotte and Miles. A full, happy weekend — the kind that leaves you tired but content.

Meeting up with Lewis, Emily and Frankie near Birmingham

Obviously woke up with a bit of a hangover this morning. What a surprise…

It wasn’t too bad though. Got a few bits sorted around the house before Mum arrived. We jumped in the car, picked up Theo, Ralph and Olivia, and then headed up to Birmingham to meet Lewis, Emily and Frankie. I took full advantage of the journey and slept the whole way — an excellent decision.

The original plan had been to meet at a soft play centre, but Lewis arrived about 30 minutes before us and declared it awful. So plans changed and we regrouped at a garden centre that also had a soft play area attached.

The garden centre was actually really good. They had a big sale on and loads of Christmas gifts and decorations still available — the sheer number of gonks on display was unbelievable.

We met up with Lewis and family and settled in for a relaxed afternoon with coffee and sandwiches while the kids burned off energy in soft play. Frankie absolutely loved it. He’s growing up fast — his face has slimmed down a bit so he looks less like a baby and more like a little boy now. He’s stronger too, holding his head up with no trouble at all. He’s lovely.

A really nice couple of hours all round.

As we were leaving, Mum secretly bought me an amazing gonk in the sale — £7.50! Absolute bargain. I’m very pleased with it… although I probably won’t mention it to Tash just yet.

I drove home this time and, unsurprisingly, everyone slept — except Mum, who chatted away happily the whole journey.

Dropped everyone off, got home, and settled down for the evening. We finished the Churchill at War series, which was genuinely enjoyable.

Very tired by the end of it all, so an early night felt well deserved.

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End of Day Summary

A gentle, family-focused day with just the right balance of chaos and calm. Good laughs, growing grandchildren, bargain gonks and a steady recovery from the night before. Simple, wholesome, and quietly satisfying.

Celebrating Simon's Birthday and a VERY late night

 Had a decent day at work and in the evening we went down to Summertown to meet with Simon Shepherd for this birthday meal - we were planning to walk so as to get the steps up but was such miserable weather and raining we gave up ourside the Village Hall and caught the bus instead.

It was the same crowd as last year - Tash and I, Simon of course, his housemate Jeff, and Stuart and Charlie - who were in good spirits as usual.

Drank and ordered food and had a good catch up, really enjoyable evening and the food was stunning - it really was excellent. It's interesting being around such overtly gay men, their mannerisms, stories and attitude are all good fun - lots of energy, its always a good laugh in their company and this evening was no different.

Simon once again beat us to the till to pay, so we insisted that we organise a summer catch up in which we pay and he doesn't!

It wasn't a late evening and about 10.00pm taxis arrived and the guys all left but Tash and I then walked back home - the rain had stopped so it was fine.

When I got in I wasn't ready for bed, so I got my headphones on and sat on my phone - Tash went to bed!

I watched loads of videos and music - just on and on, had quite a dance in the library too! I also kept going outside and working my way through the few beers I had lef in the DSB - finishing the supply in the process.

I was perfectly happy in a world of my own and in no time at all it was 4.30am, I was quite drunk and obviously had things to do Saturday so thought I'd better go to bed for a few hours!

A nice evening and even better night...

Charlotte and Miles have (finally) got engaged!!

So the two of them are over in Finland on a winter break, staying in one of those igloo-style accommodations, with husky rides, snowmobiling and all the magical snowy stuff you’d expect.

We all had a feeling this might be the moment for Miles to propose, and sure enough we got an excited WhatsApp group video call — Charlotte absolutely buzzing and proudly showing off her ring. It was brilliant to see her so happy.

Thankfully all the family were on the call: Tash, Lewis, Emily, Frankie, Jack and Jodie (calling in from Tenerife). A proper family moment, even though we were all scattered around the place.

I already knew this was coming, as Miles had asked my permission during our ski trip - a quiet moment on the balcony while we were drinking chocolate orange shots, with everyone else down in the sauna. Couldn’t really ask for a better setting, to be fair.

No idea when the wedding will be. I’d assume this year might be a bit soon, but you never know - these things have a habit of moving quickly once the ring’s on the finger.

I’m absolutely chuffed to bits for them. I even caught myself starting to imagine my speech while walking the dog earlier… which probably says it all.

We’ll give them time to let everyone else know before talking about it too widely.

So very, very exciting.

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End of Day Summary

A huge, joyful family moment shared across continents. Surprise, happiness, and pride all wrapped up in one call — and the start of a new chapter for Charlotte and Miles. A day that will definitely be remembered. 💍✨

Busy day (what's new?) - Theo Birthday, Shotover, The Traitors!

Up around 8.00am and got a few things sorted before Tash and I headed over to Bicester for Theo’s 5th birthday party at the trampoline park.

The usual Bicester family crowd were there with the kids, along with some of Theo’s school friends. I joined in and, while it was hard work, it was really good fun. Nice to properly get involved rather than just stand on the sidelines.

When it finished, we took Tiff’s kids back to Sue’s. Tash caught up with her and found out more about what’s going on with Tiffany and the problems with her fella… not a good situation at all.

After that we came home, grabbed something to eat, and then met my mum up at Shotover for a walk and a catch-up. She did well getting round but was clearly in a bit of pain, so she’s going to get in touch with the doctors — sounds like it could be a hip replacement issue again. Fingers crossed it’s nothing too serious.

It was a really nice catch-up and we’ll do it properly later in the week. From there we went to Wayne and Kerry’s, as they’d had my office heaters since before New Year when their boiler broke down — terrible timing. Their boiler still isn’t replaced, but things are stable again, so we got the heaters back and I can finally work in the office again. Tash was getting fed up with me being under her feet in the house… fair enough!

It was good to see them and we had a cup of tea and a decent chat. So much going on with everyone at the moment.

Eventually we headed home, where Charl and Miles were already there and had made a start on cooking a chicken korma. Lots more chatting and catching up, and Lewis and Frankie joined us on a video call too, which was lovely. Frankie’s growing fast and seems much more comfortable on his belly now — we’ll definitely have to go up and see him properly soon.

Dinner was good, plenty of gossip and laughter, and we had the fire on which made it all feel very cosy. They didn’t stay too late as we were knackered and they’re off to Finland tomorrow, so we wished them luck, tidied up, and settled down.

We were desperate to watch The Traitors, and over the course of the next few hours managed to get through the final four episodes, including the final. It was brilliant entertainment — really enjoyable — and the ending was great. Very pleased for the two Traitors, Stephen and Rachel. Such an interesting concept and well played.

That was that. We stayed up far too late… especially with work in the morning.

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End of Day Summary

A full, sociable day packed with family, friends, and movement — from trampolining chaos to quiet walks and long chats. Good connection all round, a cosy evening at home, and a late-night Traitors binge that pushed bedtime well past sensible. Exhausted, but content.

Cruise Day 8 – Barbados and Homeward Bound

That was a tough night’s sleep to be honest — very windy, wavy and noisy. I did manage some sleep in the end and we were up and about around 7.30am. Finished getting sorted, left our travel bags at the Squid & Anchor and met Nik and Gaz for breakfast. I didn’t eat much; I’ve honestly had enough of food now.

We did a few final bits to get ourselves ready for departure later in the day and then headed outside to grab a taxi. First stop was Rihanna’s childhood home, then Kensington Oval cricket ground, which was good to see, and then on to Carlisle Bay where we were dropped at Savvy on the Beach.

We walked along and signed up for a boat trip to swim with turtles and snorkel — bit of a con really. It didn’t last anywhere near as long as promised and we didn’t see much at all. Definitely no turtles. A few fish, the shipwreck, and that was about it. Some scuba divers emerged from the wreck which was interesting at least.

Back on shore we went to Savvy for some food and a couple of beers. What was really strange was how familiar it all felt — and for good reason. We were in the exact same spot as last year! We could even see the Ramada hotel we stayed at. That was a weird but nice little moment.

Taxi picked us up on time and took us back to the ship. We managed to shower and freshen up and then went to the pool bar to relax and snooze while killing time until 5.30pm. Had a snack and watched all the new arrivals coming onboard — excited and very white. I’ll admit, I felt a bit resentful. We were the ones leaving and I just wanted to be out of there. Their enthusiasm was too much to handle at that point!

Also, seven days was enough for me. I was tired. Eating and especially drinking all the time can be hard work — that sounds like a joke, but it genuinely isn’t. I think doing two weeks, even with a different itinerary, would start to feel a bit much. Seven days was perfect.

We collected our bags, got on the coach and headed to the airport with no issues. The lounge was outrageously expensive, so we didn’t bother with anything. Boarded the plane, settled in for the eight-hour flight. Tash took sleeping pills and lucked out with spare seats so she could lie across them. I made myself as comfortable as I could across mine and hers, watched The Long Walk, and then slept.

Arrived at Heathrow around 10.00am. Bags came through — slight panic as Gaz’s didn’t appear until the very last one. Got the taxi back to Bicester and I slept the whole way. £155. Mad money.

Said our goodbyes and thanks, jumped in Tash’s car and headed home — back to normality, sadly.

It was a great trip and I really enjoyed it. It compared well with the Iona and Norway cruise, which was a relief. That’s it for cruises for a good while now… although we’ll see what we end up getting talked into next!

End-of-day reflection:
Tired, ready to be home, but very content. Seven days was the perfect length, Barbados was a fitting send-off, and the whole trip stacked up really well against past cruises. A great experience — but definitely time for land again.

Cruise Day 7 – Guadeloupe

Heavy heads this morning — more for Tash than me to be honest. Could easily have stayed in bed, and in fact we did stay in a bit longer than agreed. Nik was ringing us from the restaurant asking where we were!

Eventually down for breakfast, which was good as usual, then off to reception for the bridge tour we’d signed up for. About 20 of us were taken up to meet Freddie the Captain and some of his crew and given a rundown of how the ship operates and how everything works behind the scenes. It was really interesting and I’m glad we did it. Lasted about an hour.

After that we disembarked and went through the usual gauntlet of tour guides and taxis before wandering into town. It’s quite built up and very obviously a French colony — that was clear wherever you looked.

There was a market on in the main square but we were all pretty knackered by this point, so decided to split up. We did a bit more walking but not much if I’m honest. Tash was really feeling it (“not a hangover!”), so we headed back to port, grabbed a bit of internet access and boarded again.

Dropped things in the room and I stayed put for a good hour enjoying the luxury of air con. Eventually found Tash and we had something to eat, then spent the afternoon doing very little — lounging around, sleeping, reading, me catching up on diary entries. Exactly what was needed.

The afternoon was nice and relaxed but the weather was overcast. It kept threatening sunshine but stayed cloudy most of the time. Sometimes that was a relief, though a full sunny day would’ve been nice. Nik and Gaz came down and sat with us for a while, then headed off earlier as they’d booked the steak restaurant for dinner.

We watched the ship leave port — always interesting — then Tash and I had one last cream tea and went back to the cabin to get sorted and pack.

We headed down to Piccadilly’s for dinner but got turned away as I was wearing a collarless t-shirt. I knew the rule, just forgot — and to be fair, I did look smart!

Dinner was nice in the end and neither of us drank. We’ve honestly had enough alcohol for now and could quite happily have gone straight to bed. Still, we enjoyed the food and then headed down to the Live Lounge where Nik and Gaz had secured a great spot. We stayed put for the rest of the evening and had waiter service the whole time.

It was noticeably busier than usual — lots of people we hadn’t seen all week were out, being as it was their last night too. It gave the place a really good atmosphere.

We did drink a bit but it was hard work — stuck to Captain Morgan’s and Coke. Rhythm & Breeze were good, as were The Collective, and then at 11.00pm all the musicians came together for the end-of-show finale. That was brilliantly done — loads of songs, lots of dancing and singing, and it went on for nearly an hour.

And then… that was it. All done.

Nik and Gaz wanted to stay out longer but we were finished, said our goodnights and headed back to the cabin to sort final bits and get into bed — not that it led to a good night’s sleep.

It was VERY windy and wavy. The ship was really rocking, with lots of creaking and noise throughout the night.

One final thing — I checked the invoice and noticed we’d been charged £43 for the bridge tour. Not happy about that at all. Tash raised it straight away but we’ll need to get that refunded in the morning.

End-of-day reflection:
A tired, slightly fuzzy day but an enjoyable one nonetheless. The bridge tour was a real highlight, the afternoon downtime was badly needed, and the final night atmosphere was spot on. Ready to leave now though — physically tired, a bit over-done, and craving solid ground again.

Cruise Day 6 – St Maarten

Awoke at 5.30am and had a look outside the window to see that we’d arrived in port, with a tug alongside getting itself sorted. That was interesting in itself, but in the background you could see the lights of Icon of the Seas. Even from over a mile away you could tell it was huge.

When we woke up properly a bit later, it was moored right next to us and, sure enough, we were completely dwarfed by it. Absolutely massive.

It was Gareth’s birthday today, and at breakfast we gave him his present — a book about Suede — which he seemed genuinely pleased with.

We then left the boat and headed out towards Bobby’s Marina. Chaos on the quay: six ships all close together, people milling around everywhere or queueing for tours and excursions. So many people — more than we’d encountered at any point so far. Anyway, we made our way through it and headed for the marina, along with quite a few others who had clearly organised their own trips like us.

We got a bit worried when we couldn’t immediately find anyone, but then the catamaran came into view and the owners of Random Winds, Jacky and Amy, came ashore, rounded us all up, got us to sign our lives away, and then we boarded. We met Captain Scott, had the safety briefing, drinks were handed out, and then we were off.

After about an hour we stopped just offshore near a beach. I was straight over the side from the highest point, which felt great. Tash followed, but Nikki and Gaz didn’t — in fact Gaz didn’t get in the water at all at this stop. Tash, Nik and others grabbed noodles to help them float and happily drifted around with rum punch cocktails. Good for them.

I tried snorkelling but the sand had been churned up so visibility was rubbish. Gave up on that and decided to wait for the next stop.

There wasn’t much the crew could do about the weather, so we stayed put, kept jumping in, and then had lunch which Scott cooked on the barbie — he’s Australian, of course!!

There was a nice mix of people on board, mostly American, but we didn’t hold that against them!! Chatted to a few and, as the drinks flowed, it all became more friendly and relaxed.

After a while we headed back out. Tash and Nik sat right at the front with their legs dangling over the edge. It was quite rough heading into the wind, but fun all the same.

And the drinks flowed…

The second stop was meant to offer better snorkelling. It still wasn’t great, but I swam over and saw some fish and the sunken helicopter, which was interesting enough. More interesting, though, was the Tarzan swing they’d set up. We were given a demo and I was straight up for the first go — a very different experience to just jumping in. Loads of people had a go and I must have done it about five times in the end.

Sadly, it was soon time to return to port. I was feeling a bit pissed by now, and Tash had somehow broken a woman’s expensive-looking glasses. Who the culprit was went unnoticed, but the woman was NOT happy!!

Jacky and the team thanked everyone at the end and then announced a winner of “Best Tarzan Swinger”… and said my name. I mock-bowed, but then she added that I’d won a T-shirt, which was a lovely bonus and a genuine surprise.

We headed back towards the ship, but not before Tash had her photo taken with a local policeman who was clearly amused by us (or her). We then detoured to Grumpy’s Bar to get on the internet, had a couple of drinks, and caught up with friends and family. All was well.

Back on the ship, grabbed some food and collapsed for an hour’s sleep before meeting the others downstairs at the Italian restaurant. Got a drink while waiting for the buzzer, but it wasn’t long.

Nice food as always. Some bloke nearby was complaining about something — possibly the atmosphere — all a bit odd. In response, us and a table of women created plenty of noise and took the piss. The waiters enjoyed it and started making shapes out of napkins. Puerile and childish, but still funny.

After dinner we headed back to the Live Lounge and stayed there for the rest of the night, enjoying the entertainment or watching things unfold in the casino. Gaz played roulette but didn’t end up a winner from what I could see.

Nik wasn’t feeling great, so they headed off to bed around 11.00pm. We stayed until midnight. A bloke was dancing on his own to Baggy Trousers, so I went over and joined him in solidarity. His family and friends found it highly amusing.

We eventually called it a night as Tash was struggling a bit and got emotional about her mum. Back in the room she stood out on the balcony — probably not the best idea — but it was fine. We watched the stars for a bit and then went to bed.

Another long and tiring day, but I think we made it a birthday — and a day — to remember.

Chuffed with my T-shirt.

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End of Day Summary

A full-on, boozy, sun-soaked day that mixed proper fun with a few emotional moments. From towering cruise ships and a brilliant catamaran trip to Tarzan swings, birthday celebrations, and late-night dancing, it felt chaotic, ridiculous, and memorable in exactly the right way — the kind of day you’ll still be laughing about years from now.

Cruise – Day 1 Travel Day

Alarm went off at 5.00am. Shower, shave, load the car and off we went to Nik and Gaz’s place in Bicester. They were ready and waiting and not long after we arrived, the taxi did too.

Very nice Merc — travelling in style! We chatted a bit, slept a bit, and before we knew it we were at Heathrow T3. No issues at all with check-in or bag drop, although it was immediately obvious that Tash and I are very light packers. Our bags were about 16kg and 16kg compared with 24kg and a whopping 26kg… what on earth must be in those?! Thankfully no issues or extra charges.

Breakfast and a pint, obviously, and then it was already time to board. No real delay, great seats, all good. Sitting for 8.5 hours is a bit dull and uncomfortable, but Virgin really do have it sussed. I’m typing this with about 45 minutes left and we’ve had drinks, dinner and even afternoon tea — which was excellent.

Enjoying my music as usual — I wanted to dance. It’s been nice to properly switch off and not think about much, although inevitably my mind drifted to Charlotte’s wedding and my speech. Also the realisation that I really need to get fitter so I’m presentable in the photos! God knows when it’ll be — I reckon maybe 2027 — we’ll see.

We watched season 4 of The Traitors, which has been great fun. I’d downloaded last night’s episode and we watched that before dipping into anything else onboard. No idea how it’s going to go, but it’s halfway through now and I’m loving it.

After a very good flight we landed in Barbados, got through customs easily and found the TUI rep and our coach. We were slightly unsure about the bag process but confirmed we did collect them ourselves as normal.

On the coach with all the other Marella Discovery 2 passengers, I had a brief wobble. Sitting there, it suddenly hit me that we were officially package holiday makers. Completely ridiculous, but I felt weirdly claustrophobic — like our independence had been stripped away! Absolute nonsense of course, but still. Something to get used to for the week.

Half-hour drive through Barbados and we arrived at the port. Boarding passes sorted, walked along the dock and onto the ship.

We decided to explore — Nik and Gaz hadn’t cruised before — and ended up on the top deck where there’s a pool and a couple of bars. It was clearly the liveliest spot (and proved to be all week). Drinks ordered, seats found, and we just sat taking it all in.

Had a few wanders around to get our bearings. Decent-sized ship with plenty of variety and things going on.

Eventually headed to the cabins to freshen up. Everyone’s bags had arrived… except mine. Slightly concerning if I’m honest. Had to check with reception and chase it, but thankfully it turned up right at the end of the evening. Huge relief.

Phew.

Dinner was in the restaurant called 47 — very nice.

After that we went back up to the main pool deck, more drinks and some entertainment. Exactly what you’d expect on a British TUI cruise ship — if you know what I mean from a slightly snobby point of view. That said, I’m writing this in hindsight on the last day, and it’s actually been incredibly good fun. Any snobbery from Tash and I has been firmly kept in check — and we’ve been just as bad as everyone else!

We didn’t have a particularly late night as we were all pretty shattered from a long travel day.

End-of-day reflection:
A smooth, stress-free start to the trip. Travel went well, the ship exceeded early expectations, and despite initial “package holiday” reservations, the mood quickly shifted to excitement and relaxation. Tired, slightly overwhelmed, but very ready for what the week would bring.

Diary Entries not up to date at all - disappointing!

I’ve been pretty useless at keeping my diary up to date throughout December, which is a bit disappointing now that I look back on it — especially as it’s been VERY full on and busy, with loads going on and plenty that’s worth writing about.

Which is probably exactly why I’ve fallen behind. At the end of each day or weekend I’ve felt daunted by just how much there was to capture, and the thought of sitting down and doing it properly felt like too much effort.

Anyway, I’ve got a list of points I want to get down, so rather than writing another post about how hard it’s been to keep up, I’ll just crack on and do it.

I’m going to combine events rather than stick rigidly to day-by-day recollections… here goes!

Skiing in Les Deux Alpes

Well, that was great fun indeed! I’d been looking forward to the skiing trip from the day we booked it and it really didn’t disappoint.

It was me, Tash, Jack, Charlotte and Miles this time — Lewis obviously wasn’t coming as he’s tied up with Frankie and Emily. We had the Friday (2nd Jan) off, which meant we could get on the road around 5.15am and start the road trip down to the south of France nice and early.

Flexi+ served us well as usual, and it was pretty funny that we bumped into Miles’s uncle and aunt (Pippa and Phil) and their kids. We knew they were travelling the same day, but what were the chances we’d be there at the same time?

Driving through France was a pleasure as always — the roads are so good and the toll tag worked perfectly. I drove most of the way, as per usual, but Miles took over for a couple of hours so I could get some sleep. That worked really well and helped keep me fresh for the long haul.

We did hit a snowstorm at one point which was a bit challenging, but once we got through that and further south the weather improved and we were treated to an amazing sunset. Weird weather, but very impressive.

We weren’t staying in Les Deux Alpes that night as it was too expensive, so we carried on to La Grave instead and stayed in a nice hotel there. Got sorted and headed down for dinner, which was good.

It also meant we weren’t travelling through the night and could enjoy the skiing properly from Saturday onwards, which felt like a sensible plan.

Food was decent, we played a bit of pool, had a few drinks (including some chocolate vodka), and then it was bed by about 10.30pm. A long day, but a good one.

Doing the journey during the day made perfect sense — around 14 hours door to door, which wasn’t too desperate, and sharing the driving really helped. When we plan this again, I think we’ll do something similar rather than pushing through the night and then trying to ski the next morning on little or no sleep… we’ll see!

End-of-day reflection:
A long but very well-planned travel day — sensible driving, good company, no stress, and a relaxed evening meant we were set up perfectly for the skiing to come. A great start to the trip.