Marbella Trip - Day 4 - Hike and Homeward Bound

Last day today — and what a brilliant few days it’s been.

We got up, finished off the remaining healthy breakfast food we had in the apartment, packed everything up and managed to leave by the 10.00am checkout deadline. We still had a little time to spare, so sat by the pool for about 45 minutes before setting off for Caminito del Rey, the gorge walk we’d booked tickets for around 90 minutes away.

I was already conscious of the time, whereas Jack wanted to stop for coffee and toilet breaks along the way. I kept pushing us onwards and, to be fair, it was probably just as well because otherwise we’d have been properly late.

We parked at the finish car park after what felt like an eternity stuck behind a coach on the winding mountain roads. From the roadside we got our first glimpse of the walk itself — narrow pathways clinging to the side of the gorge. It looked both spectacular and slightly intimidating at the same time. Instantly knew this was going to be good.

We caught the shuttle bus to the entrance and had to abandon our usual British politeness slightly to make sure we squeezed onto it. Even then we initially went the wrong way trying to find the entrance path and had to ask for directions from staff and guides. Thankfully, although Jack was technically late for the guided tour meeting point, nobody seemed bothered and he was allowed to rejoin us anyway.

We’d booked guided tickets but decided not to stick with the group and instead walked the route ourselves, which I think was definitely the right call. The guided groups were large and moving slowly and, if I’m honest, most of the information was probably the sort of thing you can read online afterwards anyway.

The walk itself was absolutely spectacular. Truly stunning. At points the water below us was over 100 metres down and the cliffs towered another 300–400 metres above our heads. Everywhere you looked there was another incredible view. We stopped constantly for photos because every bend in the path seemed to reveal something new.

We overtook most of the guided groups as we went and never once felt rushed or like we were missing out. There was one bridge crossing that was particularly exposed and windy which added a bit of excitement, and towards the end we even spotted rock climbers scaling the cliffs which looked absolutely terrifying.

What was pleasantly surprising at the end was that the little food and souvenir huts there — like Christmas market cabins — were actually very reasonably priced rather than the usual tourist rip-off. We grabbed some food and a beer and sat relaxing for a while. The whole walk had taken around two and a half hours in total, which was shorter than expected and nowhere near as physically demanding as we’d imagined. It was more of a scenic stroll than a serious hike, albeit one with some unbelievable scenery.

After that Jack drove us onwards to the mountain town of Mijas. On the way we accidentally went through another tiny village with absurdly narrow roads that caused a fair bit of stress, but Mijas itself was just as tight in places. Still, Jack handled it all well and eventually managed to get us parked.

The town itself was lovely. Whitewashed buildings everywhere, narrow streets, loads of restaurants and little leather and souvenir shops. Tash bought a couple of bags and Jack successfully haggled for a black leather belt. I behaved myself and bought nothing.

We found a pizzeria for dinner and I somehow ended up having a banana split afterwards which felt fully justified after all the walking. Around 8.00pm we headed back towards the airport and dropped the hire car off after filling it with petrol. Amazingly, considering how much driving we’d done, it only cost about £25 to refill — and Jack insisted on paying for that too.

The hire car company were excellent actually — no issues at all and I’d happily use them again. The airport process was equally painless and before long we were sat in the lounge having coffees waiting for the flight.

Unfortunately we then discovered we were on pretty much the last flight leaving the airport that night and it got delayed by around an hour. Frustrating because we already knew we’d be getting home incredibly late anyway. Nothing to do other than scroll social media, listen to music and carry on with my audiobook — Rogue Heroes — which is proving every bit as good as the TV series based on it.

Eventually boarded, managed to get some sleep on the flight and then flew through customs once back in the UK. The courtesy parking people were brilliant and had the car waiting for us despite it being around 3.00am. Naturally, Jack announced he was starving again, so we stopped at McDonald’s where he demolished three Chicken Mayo burgers before I drove us the rest of the way home.

We finally got into bed around 4.15am — with work only a few hours away.

Overall though, this was a genuinely brilliant mini-break. I honestly don’t mind working remotely whilst everyone else is relaxing by the pool or sleeping in the sun. The alternative would probably be not going at all because I don’t really want to burn through annual leave on shorter trips like this. Being able to work during the day and still properly enjoy the evenings and weekends feels like the perfect compromise. It’s the same with Menorca, Cornwall or wherever else we might end up next. Remote working really does make me appreciate both my job and the flexibility it gives me.

Spending the time with Jack was another huge part of what made it so good. He can definitely be opinionated and a bit of a know-it-all at times, but he backs himself and usually knows what he’s talking about. Tash challenges him far more than I do — sometimes I just switch off and let them debate it out between themselves! But it’s obvious he genuinely enjoys spending time with us and he was incredibly generous throughout the trip, constantly insisting on paying for things when we were more than happy to cover them ourselves. That was really appreciated.

What a fantastic break it’s been. I’d happily go back tomorrow and do exactly the same all over again.

End of Day Summary:
An absolutely perfect final day. Caminito del Rey completely lived up to expectations and Mijas was a lovely unexpected bonus before heading home. The whole trip struck a brilliant balance between relaxation, activity, work and quality family time. One of those breaks that leaves you tired when you return — but very, very glad you went.

Marbella Trip - Day 3

Took the morning easy with a nice breakfast before driving over to Estepona, where Tash had arranged bike hire. We managed to find somewhere free to park and then walked down to the rental place. No issues at all getting the bikes sorted — just simple street bikes, exactly what we wanted — and then off we went.

The plan was straightforward: cycle along the seafront promenade and just enjoy the scenery. It was busy enough with pedestrians and other cyclists, so there was a fair bit of dodging and weaving going on, but it was all good fun. We couldn’t stay directly on the beachfront the whole time as parts of the route diverted inland onto normal roads and streets, but that actually made it more interesting because we got to see a bit more of the town itself.

I’ve been genuinely impressed with everything around here. The houses, apartments, cleanliness and overall feel of the place have all been far classier than I expected. I can completely understand now why Jack likes it here so much.

We cycled past some incredible-looking hotels and beach clubs and eventually reached areas we’d already visited earlier in the week. In the end, we’d cycled pretty much non-stop for a couple of hours and covered around 19 miles before deciding we’d earned a rest. We got close to the Old Town, which had been our original target, but found a really decent restaurant beforehand and agreed we’d done enough for the day. Locked the bikes up and settled in for some well-earned food and drinks.

After lunch, we slowly made our way back. The bike hire place shut at 6.00pm so we had plenty of time and took things at a much more relaxed pace. We even stopped on the beach for half an hour to chill out. Naturally, Jack immediately gravitated towards the public gym equipment whilst Tash and I relaxed. Soon enough, another few people joined in, and it started turning into some sort of unofficial competition, so we decided it was probably time to move on!

Things then got slightly chaotic when we took a wrong turn during one of the inland sections and somehow ended up trying to navigate across a very narrow flyover. It was technically possible to cycle across it, but definitely not ideal, and Tash was less than impressed with my navigation skills. Jack and I found the whole thing hilarious — Tash very much did not.

Then, with only about half an hour of the ride remaining, Tash suddenly realised one of her Converse trainers had fallen out of the bike basket somewhere along the route. Jack immediately volunteered to go back and search for it whilst we waited. About fifteen minutes later we spotted him cycling back towards us triumphantly holding the missing trainer in the air. Apparently he’d missed it on the way out but spotted it tucked into a bush whilst returning empty-handed. That definitely improved Tash’s mood!

We made it back without any further dramas, returned the bikes and then rewarded ourselves with ice creams from the shop next door before sitting by the beach soaking up the last of the afternoon sun. I grabbed a couple of tins of lager from the supermarket for later as we’d run out of wine back at the apartment.

Once home, we got showered and sorted, and I spent a bit of time relaxing on the balcony listening to music whilst sharing the beers with Tash. Very nice indeed.

For the evening, we headed back to Puerto Banús and specifically to a restaurant on the harbour front called Picasso’s. Tash and Jack both absolutely love it there and insisted it was where we had to eat. Apparently, you can’t book and just have to queue, which didn’t particularly appeal to me, but thankfully, we arrived early enough that the wait was only around ten minutes.

Parking, however, was another story entirely. Jack squeezed the car into a ridiculously tight parallel parking space using a technique that made absolutely no sense to me whatsoever. I eventually got out of the car because my comments clearly weren’t helping his concentration, but to be fair to him, he nailed it in the end.

Inside the restaurant the atmosphere was brilliant. Near us was a group of older blokes who looked like they’d come straight from the golf course and were absolutely hammered. Nearby there was also a large Austrian group who kept making speeches and singing towards a hen party that had arrived. The whole place felt slightly surreal but in a really entertaining way.

The food itself was excellent, although the portions were absurdly big. I had chicken steak in breadcrumbs which came with what turned out to be an enormous portion of tomato spaghetti rather than chips. There was absolutely no chance I could finish it all, which felt wasteful because it was genuinely very good. Tash and I shared another lovely bottle of wine and even Jack joined in with a glass again.

We stayed there quite a while just enjoying the atmosphere, but there was definitely no room for dessert. By the time we left we were all ridiculously full and surprisingly tired as well. It was actually quite refreshing that none of us felt the need to carry on somewhere else afterwards.

Back at the apartment we did some tidying and packing ready for travelling home tomorrow and then headed off to bed.

End of Day Summary:
A really active but relaxed day. The bike ride along the coast was probably one of the highlights of the holiday and Puerto Banús delivered another fun evening without things turning into a late one. Felt very content by the end of it all — tired, full and properly enjoying the last part of the trip.

Marbella Trip - Day 2

Much better night’s sleep last night and I was up and about around 7.00am — although technically that was 6.00am UK time. Got sorted and then the three of us headed over to Cancelada, the beach and bar area that Tash and Jack had visited yesterday. We had a quick walk along the beach and the coastal trail first. It wasn’t quite as hot as yesterday though, there was a stronger breeze coming through which made it feel noticeably cooler.

We found the coffee place they’d been to and settled in there with drinks and snacks. Jack and I both got our laptops out and worked there for the next three hours until midday. The laptop batteries held up well because neither of us really wanted to ask about using plugs or electricity — especially as I already felt like we’d stayed longer than most people probably would — but it wasn’t busy at all so I don’t think we were causing any issues.

After that we wandered down to the beach and met up with Tash and relaxed there for half an hour before heading back to the apartment. I needed to recharge my laptop and carry on working, so spent another hour inside before heading back down to the pool area to finish the afternoon from there. It’s honestly so good being able to work remotely like this without it affecting the actual job at all. Finished bang on time and then that was it — laptop shut and officially on holiday.

We got ourselves sorted for the evening and headed out to a town called Benahavís because Jack wanted to revisit a restaurant there that he’d been to before and absolutely loved. Looking at Google Maps beforehand, it didn’t seem like there was much there at all, but that turned out to be completely wrong. The place was packed with bars and restaurants everywhere — genuinely spoilt for choice.

We were planning to wander around first but the main guy at the restaurant warned us that it would get very busy later and suggested we sat outside straight away if we wanted a table. I initially thought he might just be saying it for effect, but he was absolutely right — the place filled up very quickly. Clearly very popular.

Food-wise we decided to share two entrecôte steaks between the three of us, along with a few other dishes, and it turned out to be exactly the right decision. Everything was excellent and we cleaned every plate. The wine was lovely as well. Jack insisted on paying for dinner, which was really generous of him and something he did a few times during the trip. We covered the wine instead seeing as he’s not really interested in alcohol — fair enough!

After dinner we drove towards Puerto Banús and ended up at La Petite Maison in Puente Romano after a short walk along the promenade. Mainly because we were desperate for the toilet if I’m honest. The place was a real eye-opener — incredibly glamorous, full of beautiful people in expensive clothes drinking outrageously expensive drinks. We only had one drink each there but it was great just soaking it all in.

We then wandered through what we thought was the hotel next door, but it turned out to be far more than that. It felt like walking through botanical gardens — lush plants everywhere and the noise from frogs (we think!) was absolutely deafening. There were bars and restaurants hidden all through the complex and the whole place just felt incredibly cool.

In the end we settled on a much simpler bar for one last drink. Even Jack joined in and had a glass of red wine with us. It was one of those really enjoyable evenings where you’re just relaxed, chatting, people watching and genuinely enjoying each other’s company. Eventually though we decided not to push on anywhere else, found the car and headed back to the apartment.

Another good day overall, but a genuinely brilliant evening.

End of Day Summary:
A really balanced day — productive work-wise but still relaxed enough to feel like we were properly away. Benahavís was a great surprise and the evening around Puente Romano was probably the highlight of the trip so far. Lovely atmosphere all night and just really nice spending quality time together.

Marbella Trip - Day 1

Didn’t have the best night’s sleep, so I was pretty tired when it was time to get up around 7.30am. Got logged in and started work – still fairly quiet thankfully, which was pleasing.

Tash and Jack got themselves sorted and headed into town, went down to the beach for a dip in the sea and a coffee while I stayed back at the apartment. Absolutely fine by me – no hard feelings at all.

Instead, I worked out on the veranda in full sunshine. It got seriously hot out there and I could feel myself cooking a bit, but with temperatures around 25 degrees it wasn’t exactly unexpected. I loved it.

They came back a couple of hours later with fresh fruit and supplies, so we sat out having watermelon, water and scrambled eggs on toast – all very healthy. We’re definitely treating this as a spa/fitness sort of break.

At lunchtime we went for a walk. We’re a bit isolated here in terms of shops or beaches, so it was mainly wandering the nearby roads and admiring the golf courses, which looked absolutely superb. That definitely made me envious. After about an hour we headed back.

The WiFi here is excellent, so instead of staying indoors I relocated to the pool area while Tash relaxed. I sat on a sun lounger in the shade working away. Plenty of people around and Jack was in and out of the pool, doing handstands and messing about before heading off to the gym.

The afternoon flew by and I made sure I finished on time because if I’m here, I want to properly enjoy the evenings and make the most of it.

We got ready and drove out intending to stop first at Puerto Banús, but parking was impossible so we carried on to Marbella Old Town instead. Parked up easily there and wandered down towards the sea where we found a beach bar and sat in the late sun with drinks, just relaxing. Exactly the sort of thing we came for – the reward for working hard.

After that we strolled into the Old Town and got pleasantly lost in the little streets before finding a fantastic tapas bar. Had some tapas, beer and wine and it was excellent. We’d timed it perfectly too because as we stood there loads of people started arriving – clearly a very popular spot.

We carried on wandering afterwards and eventually found somewhere in the town square for dinner. Ironically we ended up in a pizza place but neither of us had pizza – chicken and steak instead, both really good.

From there, we drove the short distance back to Puerto Banús and, this time, found parking straight away. It really is the land of Instagram poses and showing off – supercars everywhere, enormous yachts in the harbour and people parading around trying very hard to be noticed.

We walked all over the place looking for somewhere we liked. One bar looked perfect until we discovered it was cash only, so we abandoned that and ended up in an Irish bar instead, which suited me just fine. Sat people-watching with drinks for a while before one last wander around and then Jack drove us back home. What a great idea it was to add him as the Additional Driver (*Spoiler alert, I didn't get to drive at all, all trip!)

I genuinely don’t mind working while away like this. Of course I’d rather not have to, but if it means getting a taste of the weather, slowing down a bit and enjoying evenings like this then it’s well worth it. It also forces me to stay focused during the day so I can properly switch off later.

I really need to do more trips like this. Doesn’t even have to be abroad – Cornwall last year proved that.

End of Day Summary:
A really balanced day – work, sunshine, healthy living and a fantastic evening exploring Marbella. Relaxed, enjoyable and exactly the sort of lifestyle we need more of.

Marbella Trip - Travel

Aware that I had to travel in the middle of the day, I was up early and working at my desk by 6.55am. Delayed all my emails until 8.00am, though – people must wonder what’s going on when they suddenly receive multiple messages all at once!

I felt like I’d been working for ages and was really on top of things, then checked the clock and it was only 9.02am…

Work was busy enough, although still quieter than usual because of half-term. That won’t last long, though – it’ll soon liven up again.

Got everything packed and sorted, and then at 1.15pm, Tash, Jack and I headed off to Luton Airport, with Tash driving so I could keep working on the way. Everything went very smoothly – courtesy car drop-off, security and through to the pub in no time at all.

Had some food and I carried on working there too. Gate call came at 4.30pm which was basically my signal to stop working – perfect timing really.

The plane took off on time and I sat listening to music and podcasts while typing away on my diary. I was slightly worried about the hire car situation because it wasn’t actually at the airport and the office shut at 10.00pm, while we were due to land at 9.00pm. Felt a bit tight timing-wise.

Thankfully, the flight was excellent. We even had an extra seat as it wasn’t full, and we seemed to make up time in the air. Once landed, we got through security quickly and were soon onto the shuttle bus. We were comfortably ahead of schedule in the end and got picked up with another couple before being taken to the hire place.

Everything there went smoothly, too. Added Jack as an additional driver, and he took over responsibility for the next hour while we drove to the accommodation.

We’d planned to stop for food, but instead ended up at a supermarket getting immediate provisions. Nearly £8 for two burgers though – they’d better be incredible!

Carried on to the resort, collected the keys and found the apartment with no issues at all.

And actually, we’ve done really well with it. Jack has a room to himself and the apartment is huge. Very happy with that.

We unpacked and sorted ourselves out – Jack cooking while I got the WiFi connected. Thankfully that all worked perfectly too, so working remotely shouldn’t be a problem.

That was about it, really. Everyone was pretty tired from travelling so we headed to bed, although I then wasted another hour mindlessly scrolling on my phone for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

Still, all sorted now and hopefully a really nice few days ahead.

End of Day Summary:
A smooth and stress-free travel day with everything falling into place nicely – flights, car hire and accommodation all worked out well. Excited now to properly enjoy the break ahead.

Very Early Start to the Day - 5.15am Morning Walk!

Was awake at 4.45am so thought, “Sod it!” and got up. Left the house by 5.15am and headed off walking into town. I’m really enjoying a podcast at the minute called The Rest is History which, as the name suggests, goes over historical events, and I spent most of the walk listening to episodes about the Romans and Hannibal of Carthage fighting. Really interesting and a genuinely rewarding listen.

I did a loop down to St Giles and came back through Summertown, grabbing a coffee from Costa on the way. Did plenty of zig-zagging about and by the end of it I’d walked 7.75 miles in about 2.5 hours, so a very good start to the day. Got home and logged on for work by 7.45am feeling quite pleased with myself.

Work itself was busy enough, mainly because Microsoft had released something that completely buggered up SharePoint permissions for us. Fun and games as always.

Got packed and sorted for Marbella tomorrow as well. Need to work Thursday and Friday whilst we’re out there, but then we’ll have the weekend properly which should be really nice.

Walked Bess later on, so even more steps added to the total, then after dinner we demolished our final Easter egg — a really good one from Charl. We settled down and watched Silent Witness whilst Jack was out at football.

Early night in the end. Felt tired after such a long day, but productive and satisfying all the same.

End of Day Summary:
A long but productive day from start to finish. Lots of walking, plenty achieved with work and getting ready for Marbella, and a nice quiet evening to round things off. Feeling tired, but in a good way.

Jack’s 25th Birthday

So he’s 25 today! We genuinely can’t believe it – our youngest is all grown up.

It was a nice, relaxed start to the day. Got a few bits sorted around the house, but Jack headed off to the gym before opening any presents, so I cracked on with some work while Tash did her thing.

We’d arranged to meet Charlotte at Blenheim for lunch, so drove over to Woodstock, parked up and walked to her offices. Had a coffee in the main shop area and just relaxed for a bit. It’s always nice seeing how many people know Charl there – constant hellos and chats, which is lovely.

We then went for a walk around the lake, chatting away, and just as we finished the rain started – perfect timing really for her hour-long lunch break.

Stopped off to get petrol for the van on the way back – £1.89 a litre… ridiculous. All the disruption with Iran and Israel pushing prices up again – very frustrating.

Back home and into work for the afternoon, finishing on time and then getting the dining room sorted for everyone coming over. Tash had made a curry, and Mum, Sue, Miles, Charlotte and Jodie all arrived at various points.

Drinks and nibbles (again!) followed by present opening – Jack did very well this year, thoroughly spoilt. Dinner was great, and although I wasn’t planning to, I ended up having a few drinks as well.

People started heading off around 8.15pm to avoid driving in the dark, and we stayed up a bit longer chatting before calling it a night once Jodie left. It’s been really nice having her involved over the weekend and today, especially with her exams and stuff going on with her mum – she carries it well, so hopefully she’s in a good place with everything.

And that’s it – another birthday done and dusted.

It goes without saying how proud we are of Jack and the person he’s becoming. He’s such a positive, enthusiastic presence – the house will feel very quiet when he eventually moves out, which is looking likely around September if he heads to London with Jodie. Not quite as far as Crewe though… small mercies!

End of Day Summary:
A relaxed but special day celebrating Jack turning 25 – family time, good food, and plenty of pride. A reminder of how quickly time flies and how lucky we are.

Normal sort of Sunday really - Golf & Chores

Up bright and early with a bit of a heavy head. I had plans to jump in the hot tub to shake it off, but time disappeared quickly and before I knew it, it was 7.15am and I was out the door for golf.

Just Robbie and me today – most of the others had played yesterday in the Central 7’s and didn’t make it through. The weather was decent enough but pretty windy, which made things tricky. We both had very mixed rounds – some good shots, some poor ones – and ended up in the mid-90s. Not where we want to be really, both aiming for sub-90, but that’s golf… always room for improvement.

Stopped to pick up some grout on the way home, and when I got back my new power tool from Amazon had arrived. Got it set up straight away and used it to remove the grout in the shower – and it was brilliant. Genuinely one of those purchases where you’re immediately glad you bought it. Cleared out the areas I needed, had to reset a couple of tiles that came loose, and then re-grouted the whole section. It’s come up really well, so fingers crossed that sorts the leak through the kitchen ceiling.

Tash then had a list of jobs for me over at Zoe’s – tried to fix the curtain pole in the kitchen but couldn’t do much as it came without the proper fixings (no wonder it was in the sale!). Did manage to sort the washing line and the solar lights though, so not a wasted trip.

Back home and finally got into the hot tub – first time using it despite it being on all weekend. Stayed in a bit longer to make the most of it, which was well needed.

We then had dinner with Jack and watched another episode of The Penguin – really enjoying it. Still no sign of Batman, which is actually a good thing – it’s working well as a darker, grounded gangster story.

Pretty tired by this point, so off to bed around 9.45pm. Another busy week ahead, but a really good (and full-on) weekend overall.

End of Day Summary:
A productive and varied day – steady golf, satisfying DIY wins, and useful jobs ticked off. Finished nicely with the hot tub and a good evening in.

Jack's Birthday Celebrations Meal - beginning with a long morning hike

I was a bit nervous about today if I’m honest – we were meeting Maysie for a hike and, knowing how fit he is, I wasn’t entirely confident about keeping up.

We were up and sorted by about 6.30am, met at McDonald’s in Benson, and then drove a few miles to The Makers Space on the way to Nettlebed. Parked up, got ourselves ready, and set off – in the rain, unfortunately, but we had the gear for it.

Straight away we were walking through rapeseed fields, unbelievably bright yellow – really striking, just a shame the weather didn’t allow for any decent photos.

Steve led the route, one he knew well, and thankfully it was a really manageable pace. It turned into a very enjoyable hike. He’s such an engaging bloke – full of stories and proper enthusiasm for life and experiences. Very inspiring really. He’s done so much, most of it pretty extreme – mountain running, Tough Mudders, that sort of thing. Sounds brilliant… but definitely outside our comfort zone!

It was great to catch up, and I was quietly pleased to be able to keep up with him. I’m sure he dialled it back a bit for us, but if that’s the sort of pace we’ll be doing on the Alps hike, then that’s reassuring. In total it was about 8.75 miles and took us around 2 hours 45 minutes.

Afterwards, we headed into the café where we’d parked – it was absolutely packed by then. Managed to squeeze onto a shared table with other walkers and cyclists, clearly a very popular spot. Said our goodbyes and agreed to sort another walk soon, maybe morning or evening.

Back home, and it was straight into Jack’s birthday celebrations.

We got sorted and then Jodie arrived, and we all headed over to Scenic Saunas in Northleach – same place we went last year for his birthday. Started with tea/coffee (and a cheeky pint for me), then Charl and Miles arrived and we had our hour in the sauna. The lady running it was lovely but incredibly chatty, so the hour absolutely flew by.

Back home again – Charl and Miles went off to his family, and I went to pick up Sue while Mum came over. We had some drinks and nibbles before heading out to The Trout for our 7.00pm booking. Really nice evening – good food, good drinks, and just a great atmosphere all round, Jack even had a glass of red wine (small) and puddings were also ordered. Stayed until about 9.30pm, then Jack drove both Mums home while Tash and I walked back.

Once home, we ended up at the dining table, having a few more drinks and mindlessly scrolling for a bit before Jack and Jodie got back. Then we all sat chatting for ages – one of those easy, wide-ranging conversations putting the world to rights. Really good.

Eventually, it crept up to midnight, and we called it a day. Hopefully Jodie’s fine – she’s in the middle of mocks so probably shouldn’t have had more than one drink, but she knows her limits and I’m sure she’ll be absolutely fine.

A long, full-on day – but a really good one from start to finish.

End of Day Summary:
A brilliant mix of challenge and celebration – a rewarding hike, great company, and a lovely birthday evening for Jack. Long day, but thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end.

Astonishing news from work

So this is super odd, we had an email come round from Jason this week advising us that we'd see something in the news about one of our previous colleagues, Dave, and what he did wasn't anything to do with EdCo and when we heard about it he was removed but it'll be in the public domain now. 

So of course that made us very curious and a quick Google Search returned results that he'd been charged with producing indecent images of children and was trying to organise a meeting with a 12 year old girl - absolutely astonishing news!

So he had category A images, which on checking with ChatGPT, said these are the worst and should be an immediate custodial sentence.

It has taken a while to sink in, it really has. It's someone we've worked with for 20+ years and it's the worst thing you can think of, murder always seems less! I felt partly vindicated that I've always called him the "C" word - seems I judged correctly.

Sentencing should be 11th May so we'll see what happens - everyone just wants him to experience prioson time, I am not convinced he'll get it - but as you can imagine it sent shockwaves around the company for those I spoke to.

Sick

Easter Monday - Lewis Hosting

Slept fairly well, although woke up a few times with an aching body and feeling cold. Flicked the diesel heater on a couple of times — it’s brilliant, makes things so much more comfortable. Didn’t properly wake up until about 8.30am.

Made porridge, which was a mistake… tasted awful without sugar or honey. Noted that down immediately for the van inventory list — lesson learned.

Got the van sorted. Tash wanted to go for a walk, but we needed to be at Lewis’s for just after 11.00am and it’s a 2hr 25min drive, so we skipped it and hit the road instead.

Traffic wasn’t great — volume and a few incidents slowed things down — so we didn’t arrive until about 12.30pm, which wasn’t ideal.

One funny moment though: sitting in traffic, a bloke tooted at me and started pointing at his t-shirt. Took me a second to realise it was the same “Evolution” design that I’ve got in the campervan window. He was absolutely buzzing about it. VW people… we’re a strange bunch.

Got to Lewis’s and Jack, Charlotte and Miles were already there. Frankie was asleep — for ages it felt like — so we had a good catch-up before he woke up and immediately became the centre of attention.

They’d cooked a roast chicken which was really good, and afterwards we went for a short walk to the park where things got oddly competitive on the outdoor gym equipment. Standard.

Back home, Tash organised an Easter egg hunt, and we also had a look at the garage conversion — now plastered and looking really smart. They should be really pleased with it. Exciting to see it coming together.

The rest of the afternoon revolved around Frankie. He’s properly on the move now — pulling himself along the floor, which surprised us all. Really cool to see, and he clearly knows he’s cracking it too.

Around 5.00pm Charlotte, Miles and Jack headed off, but we stayed a bit longer which was nice, especially as we’re back again in the morning anyway.

Then we made our way to the campsite — Welltrough Farm — the same one we stayed at when Frankie was born. Only about five miles away, so perfect: close enough to be handy, but not intruding.

Got set up, although needed to borrow a proper ramp from a friendly caravanner as the slope was too much for my blocks. His were massive — not something I’d buy — but they did the job perfectly. Definitely something to think about.

Water still not working, which is annoying. Will have to get CamperKing to sort that. Electric hookup all fine though.

We then went for a long walk around the farm — really lovely setting and a great sunset to finish it off. About an hour or so, very enjoyable, although my legs were still aching if I’m honest. Felt more tiring than it probably should have done — and it was only about 7k steps.

Back at the van, wasted a bit of time on phones, then watched the last three episodes of Last One Laughing. It was alright… not sure they’ll get another series out of it, but we’ll see.

Finished around 10.30pm and turned in. Thankfully not as cold as the previous night, so no need for the heater, which made for a better sleep. Still struggling with the blankets though — never quite enough coverage, and Tash either steals them or they fall off. Another thing for the van checklist.

Been a really good couple of days — thoroughly enjoyed it.

---

End of Day Summary

A proper campervan day — small frustrations, simple pleasures, family time and fresh air. Great to see everyone, especially Frankie on the move, and a peaceful evening to round it off. A really enjoyable little break.

Easter Sunday – Helvellyn Hike

Alarm went at 4.00am, showered and shaved, then got Tash up and sorted and we were on the road by 4.35am – not bad at all, only five minutes later than planned… and a lot earlier than Tash had expected! She hadn’t quite clocked the time but it worked in her favour as she managed to sleep most of the way while I listened to my Orphan X book – number three, Hellbent – which I finally finished this week. Four hours of that on the drive was perfect.

We’d been a bit concerned about the weather with Storm Dave hitting over the weekend, but decided to go for it anyway and just be sensible.

After about 4.5 hours we arrived in Glenridding, at the base of Helvellyn in the Lake District. It was a bit rainy, so I took the chance to grab a quick 20-minute snooze. Also picked up a fridge magnet for the van from the souvenir shop, just in case it was shut later. Then we set off.

I’d downloaded a route from Komoot, which we tried to follow, but fairly quickly we went off track and ended up tackling what can only be described as a near-vertical scramble. Definitely not a standard hiking route! It was tough going for nearly an hour – steep, exposed, and not particularly enjoyable. Tash wasn’t impressed (understatement), especially with the weather closing in, but we made it to the top.

At that point we were hit with even stronger winds and hail – not ideal. But after pushing on a bit further we eventually came across a proper path with other hikers casually strolling along… which confirmed we’d taken a completely wrong route up!

From there things improved. On a proper trail, progress was much easier and the weather began to lift on and off. The views were spectacular, especially with patches of snow still on the higher ground. Striding Edge, however, looked pretty intimidating in those conditions, so when we reached the fork we made the sensible call to leave that for another day and took the safer middle path.

Even so, the final push to the summit still involved some scrambling over rocks, and this part was arguably more nerve-wracking with the drops and the wind. At the top, the wind was brutal – easily 50–60mph. I didn’t even want to get my phone out in case it disappeared! We grabbed a few quick photos as there was actually a view (rare!) and then made a swift decision to head back down.

The descent wasn’t as bad as expected, and we settled into the long hike back to the car. Stopped a couple of times for food and to take in the views, and also spotted a much more sensible route we’ll use next time. Whoever created that Komoot route needs to have a word with themselves…

All in all, it was about a 7-hour hike. Back at the car park, I persuaded Tash that a pub stop was essential – and that pint was absolutely spot on. Then we drove about 30 minutes to Keswick and treated ourselves to fish and chips, which we ate at the campsite overlooking the lake – a great little spot.

After getting set up, we went for another walk (as if we hadn’t done enough already!) and then settled into the van for the evening. Got the MiFi going and watched a few episodes of Last One Laughing. It was okay – still enjoyable, but not as strong as the first series, a bit forced in places.

By about 10.00pm we were done. A very long, tiring day – and definitely ready for bed.

End of Day Summary:
A challenging but rewarding day – tough conditions, a dodgy route choice, and some proper scrambling, but incredible views and a real sense of achievement. Finished perfectly with a pint, fish and chips, and a peaceful evening by the lake.

Mother's Day

Woke up with a bit of a heavy head this morning – thankfully nothing too serious. It was Mother’s Day, so did the usual bits to try and make it special for Tash… whether I succeeded is another matter, but there were plenty of messages coming through for her which was nice.

We started with tea and coffee in bed, then headed out for our usual walk up to Wytham Woods – bang on an hour again, we’re very consistent with that now. Back home, we got breakfast going and started prepping the Sunday roast for later. Jack wasn’t too impressed that Tash had already made a start as he wanted to do it himself – he had to settle for scrambled eggs instead!

We were back in time to receive Theo, Ralph & Olivia as we were looking after them for the day. To be fair to them, they were really good – much less arguing than usual, which made everything a lot easier.

We bundled them into the car and headed to McDonald’s for some lunch, then on to Millet’s Garden Centre where we met Charlotte and Mum. Jack was with us too. It was pretty cold there, but we did the usual wander around, grabbed drinks and cookies, and the kids went on the funfair rides which they loved.

After that, we all came back to ours, got the fire going and sat down to the roast – which was excellent as always. Nathan turned up briefly and was his usual whirlwind self!

Danny picked the kids up around 5.00pm, and we had a bit more of a catch-up before everyone gradually headed off. Once the house was clear, we tidied up and settled down to watch the next episode of Paradise, which is going really well.

We also watched the Louis Theroux documentary on the “manosphere” – quite a tough watch. Some of those blokes are absolute idiots, to be honest. It did make me pause a bit as a few of the “motivational” phrases sounded similar to things I’ve heard Jack say – not the nasty stuff, but the general tone. Hopefully just surface-level and nothing more.

That led into a bit of a “discussion” between Tash and Jack, which I quietly removed myself from and headed to bed!

End of another really good, full weekend – and Tash seemed happy (and a little bit tipsy by the end!).

End of Day Summary:
A busy but enjoyable Mother’s Day – family time, well-behaved kids, a great roast, and a relaxed evening. Slightly thought-provoking end to the night, but overall a warm and successful day.

Quick trip to London for a show

Up early again this morning and straight out for the now-standard walk up to the entrance of Wytham Woods. Managed it in 58 minutes, so the pace is staying pretty consistent which is pleasing. Good to get the steps in before the day even starts properly.

Work, however, was another story. Extremely busy again and definitely stressful at the minute. Feels like there’s constantly something needing attention and very little chance to pause for breath. Still, got through it all and at least I ate well today, which is helping balance things out a bit.

Jack cooked dinner for us this evening which was appreciated, and then we made sure to leave on time at 4.30pm because we were heading into London for the theatre. Amazingly, the journey in was unbelievably clear — almost suspiciously so — and we got parked in the usual place without any problems at all.

From there we had a nice walk across towards Piccadilly, grabbing snacks from Greggs on the way because, despite dinner, it somehow still felt necessary.

The show we’d gone to see was The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry at the Haymarket Theatre and it was absolutely brilliant. The second half in particular was incredibly emotional and really hit hard in places, but overall it was such a well-done production and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. One of those performances that stays with you afterwards and gets you thinking.

After the show we wandered back through London, got in the car and headed home. Thankfully the roads were still fairly clear and we made it back around midnight without any drama.

A long day, especially with work being as stressful as it currently is, but definitely worth it for such a good evening.

End of Day Summary:
A busy and fairly stressful workday balanced out perfectly by a fantastic evening in London. The theatre trip completely justified the effort and late night, with The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry turning out to be emotional, thoughtful and genuinely memorable. One of those evenings that reminds you why it’s important to still make time for things outside of work. 

Golf and Nathan's Birthday celebrations

Another early start this morning — 1st of March, new month and renewed enthusiasm!

Got sorted and headed off for golf with Wayne and Nathan Creed. It was actually a really enjoyable round. The course is finally starting to dry out after all the wet weather and we even had some decent sunshine for a change which made everything feel better.

I played reasonably well too, ending up around 88 which was enough to nudge my handicap down from 19.1 to 19.0. Progress, albeit painfully slow progress! It’s becoming clear that breaking through into the 18s is going to take some proper consistency and hard work, but at least it’s heading in the right direction.

After golf I came home and cracked on with various jobs around the house, including continuing my ongoing battle with the VHS recorder setup. I finally managed to properly work out the recording side of things, which felt strangely satisfying after all the messing around it’s taken to get there.

Later in the afternoon we headed over to Bicester. I drove because I’ve decided I’m going to try and seriously cut down my alcohol intake during March. We’ll see how successful that turns out to be…

It was Nathan’s birthday so the whole family gathered round which was really nice for him. Charl and Miles arrived a bit later because they’d been visiting a wedding venue beforehand and were absolutely raving about it afterwards. Sounds very much like they may already have found “the one” and, from the conversations, it seems the likely wedding date could be the end of April 2027. Very exciting to hear them talking about it all becoming real.

As people gradually headed home we stayed behind to help tidy everything up and then eventually made our own way home once it was all sorted.

We finished off the last few episodes of Paradise afterwards, so we’re now fully up to date. Really enjoying it actually.

So overall, a decent start to March. I stayed disciplined on the alcohol front, although perhaps less disciplined when it came to eating healthily. Still, it’s a start. Let’s see if I can actually lose some weight and get myself back into a bit of shape this month.

End of Day Summary:
A productive and positive start to March. Good golf, family celebrations and some exciting wedding talk from Charl and Miles. Pleased with the discipline around not drinking — now the challenge will be keeping the momentum going and balancing that with eating properly too.

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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!

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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 5 - St Kitts.

 This is just a copy and paste of my notes from my phone - can't remember specifics sadly

A little bit of a heavy head this morning, but soon got rid of it as we went through our morning routine and then down for breakfast. We didn’t have anything planned so it was a later morning and a slower pace today.

Went outside and was greeted with the usual hawkers and taxi/excursion people which we ignored as we walked through the customer village/shopping mall. I’d be interested as to how many people only get this far and don’t venture further into the town and just simply shop, sit in a bar and return to their ship.

Not us!

Walking through the Shopping mall on the ship later in the evening I was looking at something in one of the shops and one of the members of staff was chatting, saw me and exclaimed, "This man was in Bar 11 last night and he loves Aviici!!"

Made me smile and feel good!

Cruise Day 4 - Antigua

Just a copy and paste from my phone - lacking details unfortunately

Up and at em

Nice breakfast

Found a taxi all day

Viewpoint overlooking the Atlantic

Visit to Nelson’s port and walk around

Yachts - amazing

Dickinson bay.

Went passed Nik and Gaz honeymoon hotel - now overgrown and disused - bit sad really

On the beach at a bar - drinks and relax

Back to boat

Cruise Day 3 - British Virgin Islands - Gorda Island

Quick breakfast this morning before a rapid march off the ship towards the ticket kiosk. We’d left it a little tighter than ideal and only just made it in time — literally seconds to spare before boarding the boat over to Virgin Gorda.

The crossing itself was straightforward enough and once ashore we grabbed a taxi from the waterfront to the entrance of the nature reserve. From there we set off walking through the reserve itself and it was absolutely beautiful. Lovely coastal views looking out to sea and a really interesting landscape all around us.

We eventually reached Devil’s Bay and settled there for a while. The water was gorgeous and it was a lovely place to relax and swim for a bit. Definitely one of those postcard-type beaches that feels even better in real life.

Getting from there to the next beach was an experience in itself because the route took us through huge boulders, narrow gaps and cave-like passages. It genuinely felt like some sort of assault course at times, climbing and squeezing our way through everything, but it was brilliant fun and unlike anywhere else we’d been before.

By the time we emerged the idea of a cold beer was extremely appealing, so we stopped at a nearby bar and they went down very well indeed.

We then moved on to another bar nearer the exit where we had some decent food, more beers and, importantly, access to the internet. Managed to FaceTime the kids which was lovely and nice to properly catch up with everyone back home for a bit.

After that we made our way back to the ship, although not before stopping at a cigar shop because we’d had the bright idea of getting Gaz a cigar for his birthday treat later on in the evening.

Once back onboard we both crashed out for a snooze before getting ourselves sorted for the evening ahead.

Dinner and drinks followed as usual and later on we unveiled the cigars. Unfortunately, Nikki was absolutely furious about it — we’d clearly misjudged the situation quite badly and she was not impressed at all. To make matters worse, the wind outside was so strong that none of us could really smoke them properly anyway, so the whole thing turned into a bit of a failed idea all round.

We caught back up with Nik later on in the theatre, although things were still slightly frosty after the cigar incident. Thankfully the atmosphere improved as the evening went on and we eventually ended up listening to music in one of the bars whilst continuing to drink before finally calling it a night and heading to bed.

Overall though, it had been a really good day.

End of Day Summary:
Virgin Gorda was a genuine highlight of the trip — beautiful scenery, great swimming spots and the adventure through the caves and boulders made it really memorable. The birthday cigar idea perhaps didn’t land quite as intended, but aside from that it was another fun and eventful day with plenty of laughs, sunshine and good memories.

Cruise Day 2 - At Sea

 As the title suggests - we spent the day travelling North on the sea

It was enjoyable and we relaxed, ate, drank and made the most of the free time.

Didn't go mad because it's an early start tomorrow and we don't want to ruin things

It was the "Captain's Dinner" evening and we all dressed up smart and had a really nice meal and it was good fun

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.