List of things I should have written about for my diary but didn't get around to them...

 

No idea of the months these should have been added in - but they're all from this year and some notes against them that I can remember!

• [ ] Saturday - Ascot - very busy this year - fun but not amazing - not too bothered about going again next year. VERY stressful train journey there because of parking difficulties but sorted. Nice to have spent it with Wayne, Kerry, Zoe, Chloe and Nicole
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• [ ] Sunday - Fathers Day - that was fishing at Bibury Trout Farm - great fun - BBQ afterwards, fish wasn't great but it was a laugh and experience
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• [ ] Fri - Jodie
• [ ] Sat - golf/tracey’s 60th
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• [ ] Sun - christening - not sure who's! Otis and Nola I think!
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• [ ] Saturday 11th - Hike and Jack’s Bday at sauna - went to Cotswold one again - very nice indeed
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• [ ] Fri - Emily comedy - over to Walthamstow on the beers with the Bamptons - this was a great night. Comedy was good, as was Emily, we stuck out a bit being older and heterosexual! Next day walking around we went to God's Junkyard - the neon lights place that Becky Hill has her megamix at - that was brilliant - even though it was 11.00am in the morning and would have been better in the dark/evening/on the beers...ah well.
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• [ ] Sat - Come Alive - absolutely brilliant night - loved, loved, loved it. Fantastic experience
• 
  
• [ ] Fri - MOT/Lewis down
• [ ] Sat - cutteslowe/gathering
• [ ] Sun - wedding venue
• [ ] Mon - quiz
• [ ] Sat - golf/Ev’s 30th

Jodie Passes Her Solicitor Exams!

Jodie has passed her solicitor exams!

Such great news for her. She works incredibly hard and has had a difficult year with all the challenges presented by her mum, but she's managed to stay focused and get through it all. She's done it!

It means she doesn't have to do any further exams now and starts on Tuesday with a proper job as a Trainee Solicitor. That's a massive achievement and she's done brilliantly.

It also means the likelihood of her and Jack getting a flat together in London has increased and that will probably happen soon. Big chapters starting in both of their lives, which is exciting.

Jodie came over in preparation for the wedding tomorrow, so it was great to see her and give her a big hug. Of course, as soon as the news was announced, all the messages started flooding through on the family chats. Everyone was obviously delighted for her.

After work we went over to Upper Heyford as there was a pre-wedding get-together at the pub. Had a couple of drinks and it was lovely to see everyone. They're all getting excited about the wedding and the weekend ahead. All the family were there and Gareth's family had arrived from up north too, so it was a good gathering.

Completely unrelated to the wedding party, Charlotte Evans was at the bar. I went over and had a chat with her for about ten minutes and it was lovely to catch up. She's boisterous, loud and full of life, but I like that about her. That's what she's always been like. She might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I love her!

She's also given us some tips for Ibiza, so I'll have to check those out.

After a couple of hours people started heading off and we did the same. On the way home Jack called and asked if we wanted to meet him and Jodie at Pizza Mama Mia's, so we fed Bess and went there instead.

Nice to sit and chat and have something to eat, and Jack paid for us, which was a nice treat.

We got home around 9.45pm and I suggested opening some bubbly that was in the fridge to celebrate. It was late, but Jodie said yes, so the three of us shared a bottle and carried on chatting for a while.

It was a really nice, relaxed end to the evening.

Then it was time for bed — a long day ahead tomorrow!

End of Day Summary

Really pleased for Jodie, obviously. She's worked incredibly hard to get through the exams and everything else that's been going on, so seeing her finally qualify is a bloody brilliant feeling.

Now she gets to start the next stage of her career properly, and with her and Jack potentially getting a place together in London, it feels like there's a lot happening for them both.

And then there's the small matter of the wedding tomorrow!

A lovely evening with everyone, a bottle of bubbly to celebrate and plenty to look forward to.

Big day tomorrow.

Meal with Wayne & Kerry at Abindon Arms

Had a nice evening after work as we met Wayne & Kerry at The Abingdon Arms, Vic and Danny's pub. It was our treat to say thank you for looking after Bessie while we were away in Portugal.

It was a lovely evening and we sat outside on the decking overlooking the countryside. It was also Pizza Night, so that worked out nicely.

Wayne was obviously on a bit of a mission though and somehow we ended up having about 5-6 pints! 😂

We got four different pizzas and shared them around, and they were all really good. It reminded me of the tasting night we'd had there as some of the pizzas were the same ones we'd tried that night. All very enjoyable, so that was pleasing.

They were really thankful for the treat but insisted that we didn't do it again because they genuinely love having Bess and are more than happy to look after her.

End of day: All in all, it was a really lovely evening. It was nice to be able to thank Wayne and Kerry properly, but I think what meant the most was hearing them say they genuinely love having Bess and don't see looking after her as a chore at all. That actually made me feel really good, knowing that she's so well looked after when we're away. Although I suspect Wayne's determination to empty the pub of beer wasn't entirely part of the thank-you plan! 😂

Rewind South Festival - One Day Pass

Up bright and early, although I was a bit tired to be honest after the late night last night. Got myself sorted and then John and Pauline arrived and we caught the bus into town.

No problems with that and we actually managed to get an earlier train to change at Reading, which sounded great until we missed the connection by about 30 seconds! Got the next one to Twyford and then managed to miss the connecting train there by about 10 seconds. Pissed off by that!

So we snoozed on the platform while gradually more and more people arrived, clearly heading to the festival. The camping chairs were a dead giveaway!

Eventually we got the train and arrived at Henley at about 11.30am. Went straight to the Wetherspoons, The Catherine Wheel, for breakfast and our first pint of the day.

We then set off for the festival and recorded the time as we knew the last train home was 11.30pm, so we obviously wanted to make sure we didn't miss it. The walk was about 30 minutes along the riverside, although it was a bit of a false timing as I was marching along at my usual pace. I definitely wouldn't be walking that quickly on the way home!

Got into the festival without any problems. They didn't check the bags, which was a bit disappointing really as we'd made absolutely no attempt to smuggle alcohol in! 😂

Once inside, we wandered around and it was actually quite sobering to see how small it was. One main stage, a smaller stage down by the river and the disco tent. Compared with what we'd got used to at Latitude, this was tiny.

There were loads of food stalls, which seemed to be the main thing, along with the bars and various clothes shops and other bits and pieces.

We got a drink and relaxed in the sunshine, doing a bit of people watching. Had another drink, wandered off to the toilets and noticed there was quite a crowd starting to gather around the main stage, so we thought we'd better get ourselves in there and find somewhere.

We needn't have worried.

The "chair police" had done their job admirably and there was loads of room for people standing. We found a central spot near the back of the standing area, put our rug down and that was our base for the day sorted.

It worked brilliantly. We had somewhere to sit and relax, but it was easy enough to get out to the side for drinks, food or toilets and get back again. Perfect.

We then settled in and waited for the music.

We noticed loads of people wandering around wearing Christmas hats, but even when Slade came on it didn't really register why. Then, about ten minutes before the inevitable moment, it suddenly dawned on us.

"I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day."

Of course!

There were people dressed up specifically for this one song and when it came on everyone absolutely lost it. There were even two snow machines firing fake snow into the crowd. All of this in the middle of a hot, sunny August afternoon.

Completely surreal.

And absolutely brilliant. 😂

Then the music really started for us. Toploader were good, Louise was enjoyable and then Trevor Horn Band came on, who I was particularly looking forward to. They absolutely didn't disappoint. I saw them at Cornbury years ago and loved them then, and this was another fantastic set.

Then Soul II Soul, Bow Wow Wow and Blancmange. For Blancmange I moved right up towards the front and got properly immersed in it. They were brilliant and I really enjoyed their short set.

We grabbed some food and then it was time for the big guns.

Roland Gift from Fine Young Cannibals, Kim Wilde and then the ones we were really there for...

The Human League.

They were great. Absolutely loved them.

By now the time was ticking on, so just before the very end of their set we decided to start making our way out. We walked along the river with The Human League still playing in the background, which was actually a really nice way to finish.

I don't remember too much about the journey home. 😂

Yes, I'd had a lot to drink, but I wasn't stupidly drunk like I normally am at festivals, and somehow we managed to get all the trains we needed before eventually getting a cab from Oxford station.

We got home about 1.30am.

What a great day. Really, really enjoyable, and actually doing it as a day pass worked brilliantly.

End of Day Summary

Rewind South was a belter. Small festival, easy to get around, great atmosphere and, most importantly, a fantastic run of bands that were absolutely our sort of thing.

Trevor Horn Band and Blancmange were particular highlights for me, but finishing the day with Kim Wilde and The Human League was exactly what we'd hoped for.

And Christmas in August with Slade and fake snow while sitting in the sunshine? Bloody brilliant.

A long day, plenty of beer and a late finish, but definitely worth it.

London – O2 Up at the Dome - 30th Birthday Celebrations have started

Worked in the morning and got myself up to date before we picked up Charlotte and headed over to Oxford Parkway. We were stressing a bit about catching the 2.20pm train, but got there with about 15 minutes to spare, so grabbed a coffee and settled down on the platform.

And waited.

And waited.

There were safety checks going on and the train was delayed, so we were starting to get a bit anxious. Thankfully, around 3.00pm it eventually arrived and we got ourselves a seat. At Bicester Village, Katie and Jess got on and we continued into London, Marylebone.

We cracked open a couple of cocktail tins and a bottle of fizz on the way, which made the journey go a bit quicker!

Once we arrived at Marylebone we had a really straightforward journey across to the O2, which was great. We had loads of time, so as planned we found somewhere to eat and settled on TGI Fridays.

Nice food, the girls had cocktails and I had a couple of beers. Nobody bothered with dessert apart from Katie, who had the birthday one — and was suitably embarrassed when the staff all came over and sang Happy Birthday to her!

Once we'd finished we wandered around for a while before making our way to the O2 Experience office.

And then it dawned on us exactly what we were about to do...

We were going to walk over the top of the Millennium Dome!

This was a joint present/experience in that Katie was 30 earlier in the week and Chalotte is going to be 30 next month - so this is signing off Katie's celebrations and starting Charlotte's!!

We got our gear on and joined a group of about 25 people. We started the climb, which is pretty steep initially but soon levels out, and then made our way across the top of the dome.

It was really good fun. Not remotely scary or particularly challenging, but we were very lucky with the weather. It was clear and we could see for miles across London, so there was loads to look at.

When we reached the summit there's a flat area where you take off your harness and gear and have a drink while a DJ plays music. We'd deliberately chosen the 7.00pm slot so we'd be up there for sunset, and that worked brilliantly.

It was really, really enjoyable. Just a lovely experience, sitting on top of the O2, music playing and watching the sun go down across London. Not something you get to do every day!

Eventually it was time to head back down the other side, and before long we'd completed the whole thing.

We got the Tube back and I was tempted to stop for another drink, but probably a good thing we didn't. We caught the 9.30pm train back to Oxford Parkway, dropped Charl home and eventually got back to ours around 11.30pm.

And we've got another long day tomorrow!

End of day summary

That was really good fun. The O2 climb is one of those experiences that sounds much more exciting and terrifying than it actually is, but that's not a criticism — it's just a genuinely enjoyable thing to do.

The sunset made it particularly good and the clear weather meant we got some fantastic views across London.

The girls all seemed to really enjoy it too, which was the main thing.

Originally we'd planned to drive down, which is why I was involved and already had a ticket, but getting the train was definitely the better idea. No driving, we could have a few drinks and it made the whole evening much more relaxed.

Glad I went. Another good little London adventure.

Evening meet up with Brett

After work today, Tash and I drove out to Lechlade to pick up Brett, as he's over here at the moment and we wouldn't be able to see him tomorrow because we're in London.

Charlotte and Miles were already at the pub where we'd arranged to meet — The Trout Inn — so we went in and found our reserved table. Really quaint pub, proper village feel to it.

We ordered some food and drinks and then basically chatted solidly for the next three hours. It was really, really interesting, as it always is with Brett. There's just so much to talk about and he hasn't changed — still absolutely full of life and positivity.

At some point Charl and Miles asked him to come to their wedding, and then asked if he'd be able to officiate the ceremony if he thinks he's going to be over here in the UK at the time.

You can imagine how delighted he was about that, and of course his immediate answer was "Yes". It would be brilliant if he can do it.

There are some concerns about his health, though, and I couldn't help noticing that he referred to his own mortality a few times during the evening. He was also much more "thankful to God" than I've ever known him to be, which is unusual for Brett, but then it's hardly surprising given everything he's been through with the cancer. Hopefully he'll be fit and well enough to make it over for the wedding because it would make it even more special.

He'd also brought over some World War One diaries written by my Great Grandad, Frank Cane. I can't wait to get the chance to read through them properly. His handwriting was absolutely exquisite — it's amazing to have something like that actually written by him and still in existence all these years later.

Around 10.00pm we decided we'd better call it a night, said our goodbyes and dropped Brett off at the place he's staying with a chap called Roger, who seems like a really nice bloke.

Then we headed home.

On the drive back we chatted about Melanie dying and Tess and Brendan's lives. They've got quite a complicated family situation going on, and their children seem to have been affected by it all as well. It's a very dysfunctional family unit, if ever I've seen one.

End of day summary

A really enjoyable evening and it was just great to see Brett again. He's been through an awful lot, but somehow he's still Brett — full of life, positivity and enthusiasm.

The wedding conversation was a lovely surprise and it would be fantastic if he's able to officiate for Charl and Miles. Hopefully his health allows him to make the trip because having him there would make the day even more memorable.

And the Great Grandad's diaries are a brilliant bonus. I'm really looking forward to sitting down and reading those when I've got the time.

Good food, good company, loads of conversation and a very welcome catch-up with an old friend.

Portugal – Family Holiday

Had a great week away in Portugal with the family. Really enjoyed it.

On Thursday, Tash, Jack, Mum, and I travelled down to Stansted, with Charl and Miles in their car just ahead of us. I worked in the morning, sitting in the van and then carrying on at the airport until midday, as I was only officially taking the afternoon off. It works really well doing it that way and means I don't have to use a whole day of annual leave just for travelling.

Lewis, Emily and Frankie were travelling the same day too, although they were flying from Manchester.

We all ended up with a two-hour delay, but eventually got to Faro. Then came the airport experience... We spent about an hour waiting around in Customs, which really isn't very good at all. It's disjointed, frustrating and just seems to take forever.

We eventually made it through and somehow managed to get to the hire car pick-up with about 90 seconds to spare! Got the car, Jack took the wheel and we headed off towards the villa, stopping on the way to pick up some food.

The villa was really nice, but by the time we arrived it was late and we were all absolutely shattered. Ate some food, got ourselves sorted and went straight to bed.

The rest of the week was a mixture of doing very little and getting out and about, which I think was exactly what we wanted. We walked around the village, went to the beach, drove out to various towns and generally just enjoyed being somewhere warm and sunny with everyone.

There was, unfortunately, a bit of illness going around. Frankie, Jodie, Jack and Charl all had a bout of sickness, while I ended up with a cough and cold which I'm still only just getting over three weeks later! It did put a bit of a dampener on things at times, with people either missing out on things or just feeling a bit jaded. I certainly fell into the latter category.

Jodie arrived on Saturday morning, which was lovely, while Lewis, Emily and Frankie had to leave on Monday morning. It was a shame they couldn't stay longer, but it was great that they managed to come at all.

So what did we actually do?

Beach meal and sunset
Our first proper evening was a meal at a restaurant overlooking the beach, with a lovely sunset while we ate. A great way to start the holiday.

BBQ at the villa
Had a BBQ at the villa, which was exactly what you want when you've got everyone together in Portugal.

Pool days
Lots of relaxing around the pool during the day. Cards, games on our phones, sleeping, chatting and generally doing very little. Perfect.

Table tennis
Played loads of table tennis with Jack. Unfortunately, he got the better of me nearly every time, although it was bloody hard work in the heat so I'm going to blame that!

Albufeira Old Town
Went into Albufeira Old Town one evening and, bloody hell, it was an eye-opener! Absolutely mental, but also so, so good. I loved it. Neon lights, banging music and loads going on — absolutely right up my street!

Would have liked to go back, although if I'm being honest, I'm probably too old for it now. 😂

Boat trip
Had a private boat trip out to a cove where we drank, ate, relaxed and swam. We all jumped off the boat at various points, which was great fun. One of those days where you just sit there thinking how lucky you are to be doing it.

Carvoeiro
Went out to Carvoeiro one evening and remembered being there a few years ago for Jack's birthday. The place has hardly changed, which was lovely to see.

I was struggling with my cough that evening and was probably a bit grumpy as a result, but it was still really nice to be back there, have some food and listen to the live music.

Back to the beach restaurant
We went back to the same beach restaurant we'd visited on the first night, this time with an actual booking. Another lovely meal watching the sunset.

So we managed to be busy and relaxed at the same time, which I think means we got the balance about right.

The week absolutely flew by, though. That's always the sign of a good holiday, I suppose.

Coming home was straightforward enough and, once again, I managed to work in the van. We hit the road at 12.30pm exactly, which was perfect timing and meant I could get on with some work while everyone else travelled home.

End of week summary

A really good family holiday. It wasn't perfect because of everyone getting ill at various points and my bloody cough hanging around, but those things are difficult to control and certainly didn't spoil it.

We had a good mixture of doing things, going places and just sitting around doing absolutely nothing, and I think that was exactly what we needed.

The boat trip was probably one of the highlights, along with Albufeira Old Town — which I absolutely loved despite probably being about 20 years too old for it! 😂

Most importantly, though, we had everyone together for at least part of the week, and that's what made it special. It's always a bit chaotic getting everyone organised, but once we're there it's great.

Portugal definitely gets another vote from me.

Tour De Mont Blanc - Day 10 - Last Day

Everyone was awake and getting sorted by about 6.15am for breakfast at 6.30am. We managed to beat the crowds, and it was actually a really good breakfast, with plenty of choice. We all started making cheese and ham sandwiches for later in the day and had them sitting on the tables in front of us when Victor got “caught” and was told that packed lunches weren't allowed. We all immediately looked away, carefully stashed our contraband and left as quickly as possible!

Our last day today, which is a bit of a shame as this has been such a fantastic trip and we've all really enjoyed it. And this last place, La Grande Ourse, has been a great place to spend our final night. It's such a step up from what we've become used to on the trail that it would probably have given us completely unrealistic expectations if we'd stayed somewhere like this every night!

We set off earlier than planned as we were all ready by 7.40am. We walked through the village until we reached a campsite and then started the ascent. We knew we'd be in the shade for the first couple of hours and could see roughly where we'd eventually emerge at the top.

It was through woodland to begin with and, as usual, I soon found myself falling behind. This was definitely a challenging climb as it was another 900m ascent, but the views were too good to complain about, and we just kept going.

We could see a ridge in the distance ahead of us. There was a building sitting up there, and it seemed a very long way away. With only one proper stop, it took us about three hours to get there, winding and zigzagging our way upwards the whole time.

Eventually, we reached the ridge and, as usual, the view made all the hard work worthwhile.

We were looking down into the valley with Chamonix sitting on the valley floor and Mont Blanc and the surrounding range dominating the skyline. Once again, absolutely spectacular. Even better, we could see the area where we'd set off eight days earlier and realise that we'd actually walked right around the back of the entire range.

We'd completed the Tour du Mont Blanc!

We sat there for quite a while taking it all in, taking photos, recording videos and getting plenty of team pictures. It was one of those moments where you just want to sit and absorb everything that's around you rather than immediately rushing off.

Eventually, it was time to start the descent. We followed the ridge for a while, with the Mont Blanc range providing an incredible backdrop behind us, before heading down into the woods.

The descent was another 900m, and this one felt never-ending. It was steep, rocky and full of tree roots, and as we got lower into the valley, the temperature started to rise again. It was exhausting, but we just kept plodding on.

Nearly three hours later, we finally reached the train station that would take us back to Chamonix. There were plenty of hugs and congratulations all round as we realised we'd actually done it. We then jumped on the train for the 20-minute journey back.

A few final photos outside the hotel, and then we got our rooms, went upstairs and basically collapsed!

We sorted our bags, showered and got ourselves ready before heading out again. Tash, Steve, Victor and I met up with Ching, Ang and Tong for a drink and some fries around 4.45pm. Ang and Tong then headed back to their room, while the rest of us went to the Pont Rose restaurant, which was gorgeous.

Manu joined us, followed by Madeline, Mary-Lou and Kathy, and we had a drink together. I paid for this one. It was a bit of an expensive round, but it felt like a nice thing to do after everyone had been so generous throughout the week.

We then headed to the restaurant that Manu had booked for us. It was another really nice place, quite quirky and very French, although expensive! €12 for a pint was enough to make me decline that particular pleasure, although I did have some of the wine that Steve bought.

The food was excellent, and we'd had a whip-round to give Manu a tip. Steve did a lovely little speech, which went down very well and was a fitting way to thank him for getting us around the TMB safely and making the whole experience so enjoyable.

Once we'd finished, the girls and Ching's parents went back to the hotel, but that wasn't the plan for the rest of us.

We headed towards a fete, although the music was jazz and, to be honest, it wasn't particularly good, so we crossed over to the bar opposite the hotel and settled in there instead.

The music was good, the DJ was decent, and it was full of young people having a great time. It was exactly what you'd imagine an après-ski bar to be like, except it was the middle of summer!

Eventually, we decided we'd better call it a night and wandered back to the hotel and off to bed.

What a fantastic break. Absolutely loved it.

End of Day Summary

And that's it. The Tour du Mont Blanc is done.

Eight days of walking, climbing, descending, sweating, aching, eating, drinking, laughing and getting to know a brilliant group of people. There were some bloody hard climbs, and there were definitely moments when I wondered why I'd thought this was a good idea, but every difficult section was rewarded with another spectacular view.

I'm particularly pleased that I found my own rhythm. I'm never going to be the quickest up a mountain, and there were plenty of occasions when I was right at the back, but I got there every time. Slow and steady seems to be my mountain strategy!

The scenery has been genuinely breathtaking, and, looking back at where we started and realising that we walked right around the Mont Blanc massif, it's quite an achievement.

And the group has made it even better. Everyone has been brilliant. Manu was a fantastic guide, and we've somehow ended up with a group of people who genuinely seemed to enjoy each other's company.

I'm knackered, my legs have had enough, and I'm looking forward to a proper bed tonight, but I wouldn't change any of it.

We came to walk the Tour du Mont Blanc. We bloody well did it.

Tour De Mont Blanc - Day 9

Not too bad a night's sleep all things considered, mainly because I was in a deep sleep until about 1.00am. Then I woke up and hid under the blanket with my phone, watching the BBC text updates on the England v Norway quarter-final.

Steve was doing exactly the same thing on his bunk.

Unfortunately, the game went to extra time, but thankfully Jude Bellingham scored his second of the match and we held on to win 2-1.

That meant it was now 1.50am, but I eventually managed to fall back into a deep sleep until around 5.30am.

Tash wasn't particularly happy with me.

Apparently every time I moved, the whole bed moved, and she was on the top bunk. She said she wanted to throw things at me and that it was her worst night's sleep of the whole trek.

Ah well. I can't help it if I can't get comfortable!

We were awake bright and early for breakfast at 6.30am, got everything packed and then caught the 7.15am bus. We wound through the hills and lower meadows for about 50 minutes before reaching the end of the line.

Most of us snoozed along the way. The driver was a bit of a character and was really helpful, getting out and helping everyone with their bags.

We got ourselves sorted and then set off.

The first hour was downhill, which made a nice change and was a good warm-up for the day. Then it merged into the uphill slog.

And this seemed to go on forever.

We stopped after about an hour for a drink and some snacks and Manu pointed out where we were heading.

It looked daunting.

And it was.

Quite quickly I ended up at the back and, unusually, even Kathy had gone ahead of me. What I hadn't realised was just how badly Victor was struggling. He was miles behind me, which is incredibly unusual for him.

He clearly hasn't been his normal self today. He seemed to have absolutely no energy, and later he slept in his bed in the dorm for two hours before dinner and then went straight to bed after eating.

Hopefully he'll be okay tomorrow.

Back to the walking...

The second hour seemed to drag and drag. At one point I was a bit worried because there were a couple of route options, but thankfully I'd chosen correctly and Kathy and I eventually made it to the café.

We'd ordered our food the day before, so I had salami and bread, which was great. Although with the heat and the amount of water I'd been drinking, I wasn't particularly hungry.

Still ate the lot though!

The views overlooking the valley were amazing. There was this hidden city sitting down in a huge U-shaped valley and it looked fantastic from where we were.

After lunch we got ourselves ready to move on and thankfully there was only another 15 minutes of uphill before we reached the top.

Then...

Two hours of downhill.

Much more my sort of thing!

We trudged along as normal and, as always, the group gradually split up as everyone found their own pace and rhythm. I was near the back, just ahead of Ang and Tong.

We passed loads of people on mountain bikes, all of them pushing their bikes uphill.

I have to admit I'm not entirely sure of the point of it. Going downhill at any sort of speed would surely be impossible on this terrain.

But it's up to them, I suppose!

After about an hour we reached the shop we'd been told about. Bought a Coke, sat down and rested for a while before cracking on for the final 45 minutes.

Again, all downhill, and it was actually lovely to be in a world of my own for a while and think about all sorts of things. I even tried making some notes on my phone while walking without falling over.

I managed it.

More mountain bikers were coming uphill, along with plenty of other hikers, and before too long we could see our accommodation for the night, miles away down in the valley.

It actually didn't take us too long to get there.

We checked in and found ourselves in another eight-bed dorm, but this one was excellent.

The beds, room, showers and toilets were all brilliant. It was the complete opposite of some of the places we've stayed in.

If only the other dorms had been this quality, the trek would have been absolutely amazing.

It already is, obviously, but this sort of "luxury" would have been the icing on the cake.

Tash and I couldn't be bothered to queue for a shower straight away, so we grabbed a couple of beers and relaxed in the hammocks, taking in the surroundings.

Steve came down and we played Cornhole – the bean-bag throwing game – and he beat me.

Good fun.

Had another drink, then eventually went and showered and got ourselves sorted.

Back downstairs, I bought a round for those who were around and we sat chatting and relaxing in the shade of the trees. It was a lovely hour or so, just chilling out and gradually finding out more about everyone's lives away from the trek.

At 6.45pm we went in for dinner.

Another drink.

Four pints for me tonight.

I don't mind though!

Dinner was excellent – probably the best yet – and once again we all chatted and enjoyed the evening.

Except Victor, as I've mentioned already. Such a shame he's not feeling himself.

After dinner some people went off to bed, but it was only 8.00pm and far too early for some of us.

Steve and I renewed our Cornhole rivalry.

To absolutely no avail.

He thrashed me.

Meanwhile Manu, Tash and Ching had gone off for a wander to the pink church.

When they came back, we played the two girls against me and Steve at Cornhole, with Manu sitting there watching us all with amusement.

We won the first game, but the last one was 10-9 to us.

Very exciting.

Very competitive.

And completely ridiculous when you think about it. It's amazing how even the simplest game can bring out everyone's competitive side!

Eventually we called it a day and went to bed around 9.30pm.

I stayed up for a while doing my diary and listening to music before finally turning in at around 10.30pm.

End of Day Summary

What a great day.

The ascents were really hard work today. That long climb in particular felt like it went on forever and I was struggling towards the back, but I got there.

And that's becoming the thing I'm taking from this trek.

I might be slow. I might be right at the back sometimes. I might look like I'm about to collapse when everyone else seems to be strolling along happily...

But I get there.

And once you're standing there looking down into these enormous valleys and across the mountains, you realise it's completely worth every sweaty, painful step.

The downhill sections are definitely more my thing, and being able to just wander along at my own pace for a couple of hours today was actually really enjoyable.

The other big thing is the group. We're now properly comfortable with each other, and the evenings are becoming as enjoyable as the walking. The Cornhole rivalry is getting slightly ridiculous, but it's brilliant fun.

Hopefully Victor is okay tomorrow because he's definitely not himself today.

And we've now got just a couple of days left.

We're getting there. 🏔️

Tour De Mont Blanc - Day 8

Not the best night's sleep, but clearly I got some shut-eye so no complaints. Victor's alarm went off at 5.00am, but we didn't need to get up for another 45 minutes, so I closed my eyes and made the most of those extra few minutes I'd been given.

Got my bag sorted and went down for breakfast, which wasn't particularly good. To make matters worse, those fucking flies were all over the food. So it was Coco Pops and coffee for me, then outside to wait for everyone.

We set off at 6.40am. Manu was concerned about the weather and wanted to get us moving early to avoid the afternoon storms that his weather app was predicting.

We started with a steep slope to warm us up, followed by a long traverse for an hour or so. We then descended about 300m, walked a few hundred metres along the bottom of the valley and then started ascending again – another 300m or so – towards the refuge where we were stopping for drinks.

This was quite hard and, unsurprisingly, I ended up at the back and was left behind. It was exhausting.

Got there eventually, as I always do, and had 15 minutes to recover before we set off for the 800m climb.

Fuck me, that was hard.

Thankfully it wasn't as hot as it has been, but it was still incredibly draining. By this point it was me and Kathy at the back by some distance, but there was no pressure and no particular pace that we had to maintain, which is good.

We made it in about 70 minutes, despite the expected time being 90 minutes, so I was actually pretty pleased with that.

We sat at the top of the rise – the highest point of the entire trek at 2,500 metres – and took in the views while we rested.

Then we had to hit the trail again and, within about 10 metres, we were in Switzerland!

The change in scenery as we crossed the pass was amazing. On the Italian side we'd had these rough, rugged mountains and glaciers, whereas Switzerland suddenly opened up into lush green meadows.

There were still enormous mountains towering above us, but somehow they didn't seem quite as harsh and rugged.

We continued for another hour or so on a steady downhill until we reached the next refuge, where we had a milkshake made from milk from the local cows and a cheese and ham "toastie", also supposedly from the local cows. It was excellent.

Then the predicted rain arrived.

We decided to wait for a while, the temperature dropped and it became quite chilly. I was writing this at the time, waiting for the green light to continue and hoping the rain would ease off.

It didn't.

The heavens opened and we had proper thunder and lightning. Everyone piled into the food hall to wait it out.

As it turned out, we were incredibly lucky. Manu's food order had been delayed by half an hour, so we'd already been sitting there waiting. Had it arrived when it was supposed to, we'd have been caught right in the middle of the storm.

Phew.

We eventually set off around 2.45pm, meaning we'd spent nearly three hours at the refuge because of the weather. During that time quite a few of us had actually fallen asleep – we were absolutely knackered.

We put on our waterproofs, both jackets and leggings. I have to admit I was a little jealous of some of the proper rain jackets people had, but I had my trusty poncho.

And I'll be honest – I was absolutely delighted with it.

It covered my backpack, kept me completely dry and worked an absolute treat.

The storm had abated to constant drizzle by the time we set off, which continued for about an hour. Manu took us along a different route to the one most people normally use. He really doesn't like walking along pavements and roads, and we benefit from that because we're generally taken along proper trails, mud and all.

We went through an area with a load of cows that seemed to be fighting, which wasn't particularly enjoyable, and then continued on to our accommodation.

It was actually a nice hotel/hostel and we ended up in a room with four bunk beds – eight of us in total. Tong and Ang went into another dorm. They really don't care about anything, as would become apparent shortly afterwards!

We got ourselves sorted and went down for showers.

There were four shower cubicles, but they were mixed and the only privacy was provided by a very thin shower curtain. One of them didn't even have a curtain.

Tong took that one.

Ang was wandering around naked too.

It was absolutely mental and surreal.

I managed to have a shower while maintaining what little modesty was available and then got myself sorted back in the room.

Lewis and Charl called while Charl and Miles were up there visiting him, and we had a lovely FaceTime call. They've got it incredibly hot over there at the moment and everyone is suffering, so it was great to catch up with them. It'll be nice to go up and see them when we get back.

After that I had a wander around some of the shops underneath the hotel. I was very tempted by a couple of T-shirts, but things are expensive over here in Switzerland so I decided against it.

Hope I don't regret that decision.

Back upstairs and the group were already downstairs. Mary-Lou bought me a drink, which was lovely and very generous, and I stayed down with them.

Tash came down, then Manu joined us and eventually the whole group was together again.

We had another cheese-tasting experience and today's was easily the best. Manu had bought quite a hard cheese which was absolutely delicious.

My favourite by an absolute mile.

We then had a lovely dinner – salad, chicken curry/casserole with rice and then chocolate mousse for dessert.

The chocolate mousse was to die for.

Absolutely amazing.

We had another drink and then, one by one, people started heading off to bed. It was only 7.30pm!

Tash and I were pretty much left behind, so we went for a walk through the village. There wasn't really much there, so we came back and were upstairs in the bedroom by about 8.15pm.

I would have happily had another beer, but that wasn't happening.

So I got a few things sorted and then started writing my diary. It's now 8.45pm and almost the entire group is asleep.

There is, of course, the England v Norway quarter-final tonight, but over here kick-off is 11.00pm.

That's too late.

Not sure what to expect anyway. Hopefully England will do it and we'll get to watch the semi-final next week, but I'm not expecting anything.

It's been a good day today. The climbs were painful, I have to say, although it seems that some of the others who didn't show it and got to the top without too much fuss found it just as hard.

That doesn't actually make me feel any better because I know how much I struggled.

I can do it, but I can't do it at anyone else's pace. It has to be my slow and steady pace.

Which, let's be honest, is basically a snail's crawl!

Tash and I keep giggling about Tong and Ang wandering around naked without a care in the world. They're such a lovely, friendly couple. Hopefully we'll all be that comfortable with each other by the end of this.

Early start again tomorrow. Breakfast at 6.30am and the bus at 7.12am.

We can't miss that one.

End of Day Summary

Another bloody good day, although definitely one of the harder ones physically.

That 800m climb was a proper test for me and I was really struggling towards the back, but getting to the top in 70 minutes rather than the expected 90 minutes is something I should probably give myself a bit of credit for.

And then crossing into Switzerland at the highest point of the trek was a brilliant moment. The change in landscape was spectacular and probably one of those moments I'll remember for a long time.

The weather certainly made things interesting. The storm was incredible and we were very lucky to be sitting safely inside when it really kicked off. The poncho proved its worth too – probably one of the better bits of kit I've brought with me.

The group continues to get better and better. We're laughing, eating, drinking and generally taking the piss out of each other now, which is exactly what you want on something like this.

And then there's Tong and Ang.

Still can't get over the nakedness. 😂

Tomorrow is another early start and another day on the trail. I'm definitely aching tonight, but we're getting very close to the end now.

One more big push.

Tour De Mont Blanc - Day 7 - Wedding Anniversary

It’s our 33rd wedding anniversary today! Just wow!

We had a bit of a lie-in this morning as we didn't need to get up until 7.15am, which felt very civilised compared with some of our previous starts. Got sorted, had breakfast, checked out and then gathered in reception ready to go.

We set off through the town and, to be honest, it felt like we were only just waking up for the first few hours…which was probably because we were!

It seemed particularly hot today, even though we were walking through woodland for much of the morning. Before too long I found myself at the back and decided to just let everyone get on at their own pace. There was no point trying to keep up and burning myself out.

The amount of sweat pouring off me was ridiculous. I was absolutely drenched by the time I eventually reached the top after about two hours. Everyone was waiting for me, but it was fine.

And the views from the top were absolutely stunning.

I got some great photos and videos, hopefully, although as usual there's no way a camera can really capture what you're seeing. Manu then took us on a detour around the side of the mountain which I suspect not many people get to see. It was a brilliant little diversion and gave us some completely different views.

It was also lovely because everyone wished us well for our anniversary and I shared some photos from the day. It's really nice how much we've all started to bond as a group.

We then made our way to a café for lunch where we shared some pasta, and Steve bought it for us as an anniversary present. That was really kind of him. He's a great lad.

It was hot again when we left and, before long, we were heading uphill once more. Eventually it levelled out but we still couldn't really pick up the pace.

We were walking through a huge U-shaped valley, which I found fascinating from a geographical point of view. Manu kept stopping to explain things and give us some context about what we were seeing, which makes such a difference.

But most of the time I was just looking around and trying to take it all in.

There were glaciers everywhere in the rocks and terrain on the other side of the valley. It was simply mesmerising. You could walk for hours and still be discovering something new every time you looked up.

We eventually stopped at a bridge where we could paddle our increasingly weary feet in the water. It felt bloody lovely.

Unfortunately, there was quite a lot of cloud building and we could hear thunder in the distance. Manu assured us it would miss us.

It didn't.

As the occasional drops of rain became more persistent, I stopped and put the rain cover over my backpack before carrying on. With about 20 minutes left, the rain really started coming down and, as we got closer to the refuge, it turned into hail.

That was bloody painful!

Eventually I made it under cover and we all got ourselves sorted. We're all in the same room again, with the girls on one side and the boys on the other. It's such a funny setup when you think about it, but everyone just accepts it as completely normal.

Shower, clothes changed and then we sat outside with a beer. Thankfully the rain had stopped by then.

Gradually everyone came down and Manu talked us through tomorrow's plans. There's rain forecast around midday, so he wants us to get away early – 6.45am departure – which means another long day.

There's also quite a big ascent which I'm not particularly looking forward to, but that's what I'm here to do!

We had dinner and, honestly, it was probably the best meal we've had since starting the trek. Celery salad, tomato pasta (again!), beef stew with puréed potato and panna cotta for dessert.

They also gave Tash and me a toast for our anniversary, which was a lovely touch.

It's such a good group. We're all getting on really well and there seems to be a genuine affection developing between everyone, which makes the whole experience even better.

After dinner everyone gradually disappeared off to bed. I got some fresh air for a while before coming back upstairs and spending about 45 minutes writing this diary.

And now I'm done.

End of Day Summary

Another brilliant day, and one that's been made particularly special by our anniversary.

33 years of marriage is a pretty amazing milestone when you stop and think about it, and to be celebrating it together in the middle of the Alps, surrounded by these incredible mountains, is something we'll certainly remember.

The hiking was tough today, mainly because of the heat and that relentless uphill section, but the scenery more than made up for it. The glaciers, the valley, the mountains and then getting caught in a proper Alpine storm all added to the experience.

And the group really have become a proper little team now. Everyone wishing us well, Steve buying us lunch, the toast at dinner and just generally everyone looking out for each other made today feel quite special.

Tomorrow sounds like it's going to be a proper day in the mountains, though.

Early start, big climb and rain forecast.

Bring it on. 😁

Tour De Mont Blanc - Day 6

Woke up to a message on the group from Mary-Lou, sent at 1.30am asking Manu to come and see her. She'd been even more ill during the night and had decided to stay with us, but take it easier on the next leg and use the bus rather than hike the whole way. I honestly thought she might have decided to jack it in completely, so it was good to hear she'd be carrying on.

We had a nice breakfast, made some sandwiches for later and then jumped on the minibus to the rafting place.

We sorted out all the preliminaries and then had our safety briefing. Wetsuits, helmets and life jackets on, followed by a practice run of all the instructions we'd be getting shouted at during the trip. Down, position, forward, back and a couple of others that thankfully we didn't need!

Then we were hosed down with cold water before getting onto the boat. Basically a baptism in freezing glacial water before we'd even started!

And then we were off.

Because of the hot weather and all the melted snow and ice, the river was absolutely flying. It was a proper torrent – wild, fast and full-on – and it was fantastic.

Our boat had me and Ching right at the front, Steve and Victor behind us and Tash and Manu at the back. Ching and I got absolutely soaked from the word go. There was no escaping it!

It was crazy and exhilarating. It was also bloody hard work. You're paddling constantly, trying to stay balanced while the boat is being thrown around all over the place. But that was what made it so good. It felt like we'd done a proper white-water rafting experience rather than some gentle tourist version.

Everyone was absolutely buzzing.

We must have been going for about 40 minutes before reaching the end, where the pickup crew were waiting. They'd been getting ahead of us during the descent and were standing on bridges taking photos, which we were able to buy afterwards.

Then, about 10 metres from the bank, we all jumped overboard and experienced the proper freezing water. Bloody hell. It was unbelievably cold and I certainly wouldn't have wanted to stay in there for long!

We loaded the three boats onto the trailer and drove to another location. Then came one of those moments where you think, "Are we actually supposed to be doing this?"

We pushed the boats over the road railings about 15ft down, climbed over ourselves, somehow levelled everything out and then Manu and Victor split us into two groups of four before we headed off for another run.

This second section was shorter but somehow even more intense. The instructions changed rapidly from "get down" to "position" to "forward" and back again, so we were working really hard to keep up.

It was one hell of a workout.

We eventually reached the end, loaded the boats back onto the trailer and headed back to base.

There we showered and cleaned ourselves up, then sat down with biscuits and cold tea while we watched a PowerPoint presentation of the photos they'd taken during the rafting. Victor bought them and we all chipped in. They're actually really good and will make a great additional memento from the trip.

We grabbed some fruit from the local supermarket and then walked the short distance to the spa.

And what a fantastic place!

There were loads of different areas and pools, rooms with jets of water acting as massages, plunge pools, hot and cold pools and all sorts of other things. We found ourselves a base and just wandered around trying everything out.

It was baking hot, so I didn't fancy sleeping in the heat, but eventually found a pool that was more lukewarm and absolutely perfect. I sat there for about an hour listening to music and just enjoying a bit of solitude.

Exactly what I needed after the rafting.

At 5.30pm it was "happy hour", so we showered and got changed before heading into the restaurant/bar area where the food and drinks were included.

There were some nice little snacks and Prosecco, so me, Tash and Ching made the most of it and had about three glasses each. Why not?!

The minibus picked us up and took us back into Courmayeur. The Canadian ladies were already in the bar where we'd arranged to meet, so I went over and chatted with them for about 15 minutes about the day. They were very interested in the rafting and wanted to hear all about it.

I then went back to the hotel, got myself sorted and came down again shortly afterwards.

Dinner was at the same place as the previous evening. There was far too much food again, but it was good and we certainly weren't complaining.

Afterwards we went for a walk, partly to show Mary-Lou where she needed to catch her bus the following morning, and some of the group stopped for ice cream.

As 10.00pm approached, we headed towards an Argentinian bar because it was the only place showing the France v Morocco game. The owner looked remarkably like Maradona, which amused us.

There was absolutely no chance of getting inside – it was rammed – so Steve bought the round and we stood outside in the street with loads of other people watching through the windows.

It was fine, but we were tired and couldn't really see the TV anyway, so we finished our drinks and left Manu with all his guide mates to enjoy the rest of his evening.

On the way back to the hotel we passed Tong sitting on a wall enjoying the cigar he'd bought the previous night.

And that was pretty much it.

Back to the hostel and off to bed.

End of Day Summary

What a bloody great day. The white-water rafting was absolutely fantastic and probably one of the highlights of the whole trip so far. It was exhilarating, properly hard work and just a brilliant experience to share with everyone. We were all absolutely buzzing afterwards.

The spa was the perfect follow-up too – completely different pace and exactly what we needed after getting battered around in a glacial river.

The group is getting on brilliantly now and there's a really nice atmosphere between everyone. Lots of laughs, lots of shared experiences and everyone looking after each other.

Only downside?

We've got to walk again tomorrow. 😂

And after today, I'm not sure my legs have received that particular memo.

Tour De Mont Blanc - Day 5

Cold night's sleep last night. The door had been left open and it got bloody cold, but at least it was a quieter night than the previous one!

We got up and set off down through the woodland trail, with the glacial waters rushing down the gorge alongside us. It was a really pleasant walk and, as usual, there was a fantastic view around practically every corner. Even when you stopped and turned around, there was something else worth photographing. You could spend the whole day just taking photos.

We settled into a nice rhythm, chatting to each other for a while and then putting our headphones on and listening to music. It was a fairly easy walk too, which was very welcome after the previous couple of days.

We were due to be picked up by a bridge at the end of the trail and had about half an hour to kill, so a few of us dumped our bags and went down to the water. We got our feet and legs into the glacial water.

Bloody hell, it was cold! But it actually felt really good, especially on the feet and calves. A natural ice bath!

The minibus arrived and took us about 20 minutes to Courmayeur, where we checked into our hotel for the next two nights. It was very nice to have a proper room, a proper bed and our own space after the last two nights in dormitories. Luxury!

Had a shower, caught up with the internet and then created a PhotoCircle group so we can all share our photos from the trip. I also had a call with the kids (well, not Charlotte!) downstairs in the foyer.

Then Tash, Steve, Victor and I went for a wander through Courmayeur, stopped for an ice cream and eventually found a bar where we settled down for a drink.

Manu happened to walk past, so we persuaded him to join us. Then Ang, Tong and Ching found us too, and suddenly we had a decent little group together having beers and chatting.

We then headed off to the pizza place that Manu had organised. Tong had paid for the drinks earlier, which was incredibly generous of him. 

The pizza place was really nice, and we had a great evening. Steve somehow managed to get Tong and Ang talking about their relationship and how they'd actually met when they were four and six years old in their village. It was fascinating listening to them talk about it, and really fascinating to get to know more about their lives outside of this trip.

It was just a very relaxed evening. No rush, no trekking, no worrying about the next climb – just good food, drinks and conversation with a really nice group of people who are definitely getting closer as the days go on.

We paid up and headed back to the hotel. By then, the three Canadian ladies had returned from their spa day and seemed to have had a great time. It's a shame they're missing out on the meal and the evening with us, but they seemed perfectly happy with their decision.

Tash and I came back to the room, did a bit of social media scrolling, and I got on with writing this before finally calling it a night.

It's only 10.00pm, and I'm tired, so that's probably a good sign!

End of Day Summary:
Another really enjoyable day, although very different from the first couple. The walking was relatively easy, the scenery was spectacular as usual and it was great to get into Courmayeur and have a proper hotel for a couple of nights. More importantly, the group seems to be getting on better and better and we're having some really good conversations. A chance to relax, wash some clothes and recharge before the next couple of days of hiking. A very good day.

Tour De Mont Blanc - Day 4

Oh my goodness, the guy in the opposite bunk snored so loudly all night. Thank God for earplugs! The lodge came alive from about 5.00am by my reckoning, with people getting up and going to the bathroom, and because it was a wooden structure, every little movement seemed to resonate throughout the whole building.

I didn't sleep particularly well. There was always that concern about bedbugs (thankfully, no need to worry!) and then just being in an unfamiliar bed and strange place. I think my brain was probably more awake than I realised.

Got up around 6.15am, sorted the bedding and tidied everything away, then went down for breakfast. It was simple but good enough – coffee, croissant and cereal – and then we sorted our bags and were ready to leave around 7.30am.

We knew what was ahead of us today: walking uphill all morning until around 1.00pm. Can't say I was particularly looking forward to that, but it's hardly a surprise and it's exactly what we're here for!

We had a fairly steep rise for about 10 minutes and then settled into a steady walk through the meadows on a gravel path. We were accompanied by the sound of cow bells, which was actually really nice. Manu explained that the bells allow the farmers to locate the cows when it's time to bring them in for milking twice a day.

Because of the mountains to our east, we were walking in the shade for much of the morning, although it was a bright, clear and sunny day, and the mountains catching the sun on the other side looked spectacular.

We settled into a slow and steady pace. Tash had forgotten her poles after one of our breaks and had to run back for them, but thankfully, we'd not got too far when she realised, and then the gradient became steeper as we started crossing sections of snow - that was really cool (literally) as we had to traverse glacial snow. There were plenty of stops along the way, partly because of the flowers and fauna that Manu kept pointing out, but also because there was no reason to rush.

Eventually, we reached the top overlooking another valley. I honestly don't think you can get bored with these views. They're just amazing.

We even spotted some ibex, which was a real bonus, and then carried on towards the summit. We were still going upwards, but it wasn't painful, and I felt like I'd managed my pace really well. Slow and steady seemed to be working.

Actually, I really enjoyed today. It was hard work, but the reward at the top and the scenery all around us made it completely worthwhile. You can walk through these landscapes for hours and still find yourself stopping to look around because there's something new to see.

We then dropped about 100 metres down to the lodge for lunch, where we had pizza and sat outside taking it all in. The only downside was the flies, which were becoming increasingly annoying!

After lunch, we headed downhill for about an hour, eventually reaching an abandoned farmer's hut where we stopped and listened to Manu explain more about the meadows, farming and how the cheese is produced. It was really interesting and gave us a much better understanding of how important the whole landscape is to the local farmers.

Another hour or so of walking and we eventually reached the bottom of the valley. There was a restaurant there which is run by some of Manu's former students – he was a teacher before becoming a guide – so we stopped for some well-earned beers.

Manu also bought some cheese for us, a really nice Beaufort from the summer co-operative. There was plenty of chat about where the cheese is made, how it differs depending on which part of the valley or town it comes from, and all the various traditions around it.

The group is getting on better and better as well. There are loads of chats now, and everyone seems much more comfortable with each other, which is making the whole experience even better.

At around 5.00pm, the buses arrived, and we had a short transfer to the local hostel. We were high up on the road and could see the building below us, joking that surely that must be where we were staying.

It was.

We walked down a short way and discovered our accommodation for the night. We knew we'd all be together, but it was still a bit of a surprise when we realised it was basically a converted cow barn!

There were slatted beds and mattresses running down either side of the room. The boys took one side and the girls the other, with at least a mattress-width between each person. It was certainly going to be another interesting night!

Got ourselves sorted and had a much-needed shower before heading outside for another drink in the sunshine. We then got into a game of pétanque (boules), which turned surprisingly competitive.

The boys won 3–2. Obviously. 😂

Dinner was at 7.00pm, and there were loads of people staying here. The food came out and, once again, it was really tasty, and there was plenty of it.

There was loads of chatting around the table, and then, during dessert, the host brought out a wind-up organ and played a number of tunes for us. It was brilliant and added to the whole experience.

Once dinner finished, most people headed off to bed, although a few of us stayed up to charge our phones. Steve and I played Scrabble while Tash and Mary-Lou played some sort of shapes game.

By about 9.40pm we'd had enough and decided it was time to call it a night.

There's absolutely no phone coverage down here, which feels very strange but, at the same time, it's actually quite nice to be completely cut off from everything. No notifications, no messages, no work – just us, the mountains and a converted cow barn!

I'm definitely aching more tonight than I was yesterday, although today wasn't anywhere near as strenuous. Hopefully, I'll wake up tomorrow feeling okay. We've been told tomorrow is even less strenuous, but I'm taking that with a fairly large pinch of salt!

End of day summary

Another brilliant day in the Alps. Today was hard work but much more enjoyable for me than yesterday. I found my pace, didn't push too hard and was able to properly enjoy the scenery rather than constantly thinking about how much further we had to go.

The mountains, valleys, snow, meadows, cows, ibex and endless views are just spectacular. It's difficult to explain quite how impressive it is when you're actually standing amongst it all.

The group is also really starting to gel now, which is making a big difference. There's plenty of laughing and chatting and we're becoming a proper little team.

The accommodation tonight is certainly going to be an experience, though! Let's see whether the snoring situation improves tonight... I'm not holding out much hope.

Tour De Mont Blanc - Day 3

Up at 6.15am, having been awake since 4.30am clicking refresh on the BBC app as England played Mexico in the last 16 of the World Cup over there.

As I tuned into it (no video allowed when abroad), we were down to 10 men and Kane then scored a penalty to make it 3-1. They got a penalty almost immediately afterwards and then it was backs against the wall for the last 20 minutes. No way I should have been staying up for it, but it was intoxicating and somehow we managed to hold on and defend the lead and win. So, along with Norway beating Brazil, we now play them in the quarter-finals on Saturday night, which should be good.

Anyway, enough of that – we're here to hike the TMB... Tour du Mont Blanc!

Down for breakfast at 6.30am with everyone, plenty of nervous chatter, and then we left whatever luggage we didn't need at the hotel as we'll be back again in a week. Team photo done and then we were off.

Bus to Les Houches and then onto the gondola up the mountainside. Last checks and then we were on our way.

The first part was a comfortable hike downhill through woodland terrain, eventually coming down to a rickety wooden bridge over the glacial torrent. Decent photo opportunity and then, once over the bridge, we embarked on a slow, long incline through the hills towards what's known as the saddle.

There were plenty of stops along the way as Manu pointed out flowers, fauna and various stories of interest. As time went on the group got a bit stretched out, but it was fine – it was obvious what the trail was, so nobody was going to get lost or left behind.

For this first part I was admittedly a bit slow, but I was stopping to take in the scenery, which you have to do every now and then. That's what we're walking through these mountains for, and the scenery didn't disappoint. It's spectacular and breathtaking.

You can take as many photos or videos as you want, but they're never going to do justice to the scale and scope of the surroundings. Being there, dwarfed by these mountains and ice and water that's been here for so long, is a great experience. You just need to soak it all in, while still remembering to look at the ground so you don't trip over tree roots or loose stones!

We had a 15-minute break at the saddle and then started on our way down the slope to a "village" at the foot of the valley. It wasn't really a village, more like five chalets and a bar!

The hike down the mountainside was quite tough. The stones were often loose and the gradient meant a tough workout for the knees and thighs. Quite quickly our snake of 11 people had broken up and I stayed at the back to help with the stragglers, as going downhill I feel fine with.

Soon it became apparent that Kathy, the Canadian lady who hadn't done any training, was struggling quite badly and tiring quickly. Before long the pace of me, Mary-Lou, her friend, and Kathy became painfully slow. She slipped a few times, lost confidence, went dizzy and had to keep stopping. She didn't even have any snacks, so I was sharing my jelly beans with her to give her some energy.

By now we were left a long way behind and people were passing us. I messaged Tash and Steve saying not to worry, but they didn't see their phones. I even offered to carry Kathy's bag at one point. I would have had to wear it on my chest, but I realised I'd not be able to see my footing, so was quietly relieved when she said no!

Anyway, we made it to the bottom after over an hour. When you looked back at what we'd just done, you could see why it had taken so long – it was a very steep slope. Thank God we weren't walking up it.

Kathy made quite an entrance when arriving at the meeting point as she fell down quite dramatically. Manu didn't seem too phased by it!

Managed to get a few decent photos of the group on the way, so I was pleased with that.

We had a brief stop behind the "village", topping up our water from the mountain spring, which was lovely and cool, and then we were off again.

This time I moved ahead and let the three Canadians work together, and we set off upwards again for about 45 minutes to a plateau where we had lunch at the picture-postcard cabin at Le Truc, overlooking the mountains in the distance.

We had an hour there, so it was nice to relax for a bit and have some good food before getting back on the move.

Now it was downhill again for an hour or so to Les Contamines. We kept taking it in turns to lead – no agreement, just the natural rhythm of the group – and we made it to our destination in time for a bus trip at 4.30pm.

We needed this bus to remain on schedule and there was a group of kids from the US with all their gear, but we weren't going to be left behind and all squeezed in like sardines in the stifling heat.

Got to our final starting point and, after a quick chat about the Notre Dame church there with its baroque carvings, we set off again for the last hour of the day.

This was through woodland again and it was uphill, causing quite a sweat, but we plodded on in what was becoming little groups – Maysie, Tash, Mary-Lou and Victor, sometimes Ching, me in the middle on my own or Melinda nearby, then Tong, Ang and Kathy with Manu moving between us.

Eventually we made it to the refuge. It looked like a typical wood cabin/lodge, with people relaxing outside looking over the mountainside. We sorted ourselves out, found our rooms and got showered and changed.

Once sorted, we relaxed outside for a bit and had a pint. Manu shared out some cheese with us all and explained that it was tax-free cheese, along with the story of how the farmers and monks worked together to produce it.

Then dinner. The food was really good and very typically French – more cheese, bread and vegetable soup, followed by potato gratin with sausage and finally apple pie. It all went down very well indeed.

We had a quick chat outside where Manu explained what tomorrow involved, and we all looked at each other and basically said, "We're knackered. We're going to bed!"

It was 8.30pm.

I've stayed up another hour typing this and the guy in the opposite bed is snoring like a trooper. Thank God for earplugs, although the rumbling is still getting through! It's going to be a long night.

What a day. It's been fantastic.

Hoping not to ache too much in the morning. We'll find out in nine hours, as breakfast is at 6.30am.

Thoughts/notes on the hostel

You have to leave your bags and boots downstairs, understandably because of the smell but also because of bed bugs. Yep! Having the bags in the room runs the risk of transferring them. We have a bed liner, basically a very slim sleeping bag and pillow case, to combat them. It makes me itch just thinking about it. Really hope there's nothing in it. We'll see.

There are three dorms/rooms, about seven people in each.

Phones can be charged in the hallway.

There's a lot of trust going on here.

Everything else about it seems fine – hot shower and all that.

Just fingers crossed that in the morning I'm not itching and covered in bites... will I actually get any sleep?!?

End of day summary

What a first day on the TMB. An early start made even earlier by staying up for England's dramatic win over Mexico, followed by a full day of hiking through some absolutely spectacular scenery. The first proper descent was harder than expected, particularly with loose stones and steep ground, and I ended up helping Kathy along with Mary-Lou after she started struggling badly. It slowed us down considerably, but we eventually made it down and regrouped.

From there it was lunch at Le Truc, more climbing and descending, a very hot bus ride and then the final uphill section to the refuge. By the time we arrived everyone was shattered, but the food, beer and atmosphere were excellent and it felt like a proper first day of the adventure.

The scenery has already been incredible and it's only Day 1. Physically, I feel okay at the moment, although tomorrow morning will tell us more! The only slight concern is the dormitory, the snoring and the thought of bloody bed bugs... fingers crossed for a decent night's sleep.

Tour De Mont Blanc - Day 2

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Tour De Mont Blanc - Day 1

 

• Early start. 3.00am

• Charl drive

• Picked up Steve

• Easy drive to Heathrow

• Massive queues. Jumped them

• Everything else normal.

• No breakfast beer

• Geneva airport massive queue. Relaxed because of bus time

• Waiting

• Picked up and snoozed on journey

• Dropped at Chamonix

• Bus to hostel.

• Left bags. Grabbed some snacks

• Walked to town

• Wandered around

• Very impressed with the place

• Hikers everywhere

• Ate at restaurant

• Bought tshirt

• Back to accommodation

• Sorted in room then downstairs watching rugby and then football

• Had a couple of beers but no more

• Bed early

Visit to Wimbledon for Day 1

Worked in the morning and then got everything sorted before setting off around 11.00am. We were about half an hour later than planned because Tash had gone to her mum’s for some reason, but anyway, we made good time and parked without any problems about 40 minutes’ walk from the ground. Tash drove so I could work in the car, which worked perfectly as I literally stopped working as we arrived.

The walk through Wimbledon was enjoyable. It’s a really nice place and, unsurprisingly, they absolutely milk the tennis fortnight with advertising everywhere for pretty much anything and everything with the most tenuous links to the tennis!

No problems getting our picnic through security, so we made our way around the grounds and took advantage of some of the Amex offers that were dotted around. Had a drink in one of the rooftop bars and collected a load of completely useless freebie tat, but it was all part of the fun!

After a while, we made our way through the crowds to Number 1 Court and settled in for the first match. We were watching the English girl Harriet Dart, who was playing as a wildcard, and it turned into a really entertaining game. She gave it a good go, and it was great to watch, although sadly she eventually lost.

Once that match finished, quite a few people filtered out, so we stayed where we were and ate some of our picnic and had a few drinks while waiting for the men’s match between Cilic and Medvedev. I was quite looking forward to this one, but it turned out to be incredibly one-sided and was over in about 90 minutes, with Medvedev absolutely wiping the floor with him 3-0!

We left Number 1 Court and found a decent spot on Henman Hill, so we finished off the food and drinks while relaxing and watching the big screen. It was nice just sitting there for a while, taking everything in.

Eventually, we got a bit bored and decided it was time to move on, so we slowly wandered out, taking in more of the shops, tennis and general atmosphere before making a proper exit.

The walk back to the car was fine, the car was where we'd left it, and we had an easy drive home. Watched a bit of football when we got back and then headed off to bed.

End of day summary

A really enjoyable day. Wimbledon is a lot of money for what it is, but there’s something about actually being there that makes it worth doing. The atmosphere, the crowds, the courts, Henman Hill, and just wandering around the whole place make it a proper experience rather than simply watching tennis.

The weather was good, the tennis was entertaining (even if Medvedev made short work of Cilic!) and we had a lovely relaxed day together. Definitely glad we went.

House Warming BBQ - Kate Millar's - Southampton

We were planning to get up early and go for a very long walk, but we both woke up feeling a bit groggy from the night before. I think Tash was suffering slightly, although she wasn't about to admit it!

So, instead of heading out at 6.00am, we didn't get going until about 8.30am. We took Bess with us and drove over to Shotover, spending the morning walking up and down the hills there. Tash was probably the slowest I've ever seen her, but I didn't mind at all—it was quite nice being the one striding off at the front for a change. It was warm, we worked up a decent sweat, and Bess was brilliant, keeping up with everything we threw at her. We ended up doing about three hours before heading home to get cleaned up.

Not long afterwards, Jodie arrived and then Jack drove the four of us down to Southampton to Kate Millar's new house with OJ. It's a lovely place and they should be really pleased with what they've bought.

All the usual suspects were there and Tommy was in charge of the BBQ. Food was good and there were plenty of drinks flowing as everyone settled into the afternoon. Later on we all migrated into the front room to watch the Champions League Final between Arsenal and PSG.

To be honest, it wasn't an enjoyable match. We spent most of the evening sounding like a bunch of old men, talking about how football wasn't like that in our day and complaining about modern players. We left before the end as the game went to extra time, but I listened on the radio on the way home and PSG eventually won on penalties.

Arsenal had won the Premier League this season, but they've not exactly been a popular side. Their time-wasting and gamesmanship can be incredibly frustrating to watch. I suppose if you're an Arsenal fan you probably love it because it gets results, but I can't imagine many neutral supporters were cheering them on.

I slept for most of the journey home as I was feeling pleasantly tipsy by then. Once back, we had a few nibbles, I watered all the plants, and then settled down to watch a couple more episodes of Legends, which I'm really enjoying.

Tash eventually told me to stop messing around and get to bed at about 11.15pm as we had another early start planned the following morning for a proper walk.

A really enjoyable day and evening all round. Great company, good food and drink, and it was lovely seeing Kate and OJ settled into their new home.

Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club....nice!

A fairly normal day at work today, although I managed to finish a little earlier than usual which was handy because we had plans for the evening. John and Pauline arrived and we all caught the bus into town where we met up with Tash before wandering down to the train station.

We were comfortably early, which is always preferable to cutting it fine, and soon found ourselves on the train with a table seat secured and a couple of tinnies opened. Just two each for the journey — enough to get the evening started without overdoing it.

We arrived in London in good time and then jumped on the Elizabeth Line, which continues to impress. It’s so modern, clean and efficient compared to some of the older parts of the Underground network.

From there we walked through Soho and found Ronnie Scott’s. There were huge queues outside which initially looked a bit worrying, but thankfully we were booked into the upstairs venue, so we bypassed all of that and were shown straight to our table. It was quite cosy — perhaps a little tight — but it felt like a proper little booth and we quickly settled in.

Cocktails and food were ordered and both were excellent. We had originally booked to see Vula, of Basement Jaxx fame, but unfortunately she was ill and unable to perform. We already knew that before arriving, so it wasn’t a surprise. The group covering for her — I think they were called Village Vibe — were absolutely brilliant though. They played a fantastic set, full of energy and great music, and the whole 90-minute performance flew by. There was even a bit of dancing towards the end.

After the show we spotted the band outside, had a quick chat and grabbed a photo before making our way back towards Paddington. We still had about an hour before our train so found a pub nearby and enjoyed a couple more pints before boarding the 9.20pm service home.

The train journey back featured a few more tinnies and plenty of conversation, and once we arrived in Oxford we weren’t quite ready to call it a night. Instead we headed into The Grapes, which turned out to be a great decision.

They have a turntable set up on the bar along with a box of vinyl records for customers to choose from. Naturally, I picked out a Duran Duran album and they happily put it on while we sat there. A cracking little touch and something a bit different.

Eventually we caught the bus home, said our goodbyes and called it a night.

A fantastic evening from start to finish and one I’d highly recommend repeating.

End of Day Summary:
A brilliant night out combining good company, good music and a few drinks along the way. Ronnie Scott’s lived up to its reputation despite the change in performer, and finishing the evening listening to Duran Duran on vinyl in The Grapes was the perfect way to round things off. One of those evenings that feels effortlessly enjoyable from beginning to end.

Jenks & Marko's Charity Golf Day - Ex Non-League Players

Woke up a bit stiff and aching from the long walk yesterday, took it easy and then Danny & Vic dropped the kids off. Zoe and my Mum arrived and we loaded the car and they set off for Bournemouth. It was 30 degrees today and a bank holiday/half-term so I wasn’t remotely surprised when I got a text from Zoe saying there was a lot of traffic! But they got down there fine in the end and had a fantastic time, so that was good.

I had a long list of jobs from Tash, including food shopping and Airbnb rooms all refreshed, which I got done in time, and then headed off to golf around 12.15pm. It was up at Southfield and was the annual charity match between Jenks and Marko where about 60–70 non-league footballers all play – great fun and this year was no different.

One difference was that I’d been transferred out of Marko’s team over to Jenks to balance numbers, as they’ve had a few dropouts this year which can be a pain – but it was fine. I’d bought my pink shirt earlier in the week so I was ready. I drove this year as I wasn’t really in the mood for more drinking, and also because Lewis and family were coming over to stay the next day.

Met in the clubhouse as usual and all the pleasantries flowed like we’d seen each other only last week.

I was paired with Wayne and we played against Steve Dolton and Dave Gubbins. Set off after a warm-up (not really needed in this heatwave). Off we went. I really look forward to this match, but again I just didn’t quite click and I played a bit shit. First nine holes I struggled and I was annoyed with myself (not said out loud), and we reached the turn 3 down.

Had a beer at halfway and then headed out for the back nine.

No idea what happened after that beer… but I bogeyed one and then parred five holes and suddenly we were 2 up. I faded a bit again but Wayne was now flying and we won on the 17th, 3 & 1 – a proper turnaround from being 3 down. They were all impressed with my back nine, which was pleasing.

One bunker shot I played was probably the highlight – got to within 1.5ft from an impossible lie.

So that was that, we won our match, and later found out Jenks’s team had won comfortably overall, about 11.5 to 2.5.

Back in the clubhouse we had BBQ, drinks and caught up with people. A couple of speeches and awards, then more drinking. I kept it steady and only had a couple of beers all night – I was knackered. Got to catch up with a lot of people which was great. They all asked what our next adventure was going to be, which is flattering.

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End of day summary

A hot Bank Holiday Monday split between getting jobs done at home and the annual charity golf day at Southfield. The morning was spent ticking off a long list of tasks before heading out for the match, where things started slowly but turned into a strong back-nine comeback as we won 3 & 1. The day finished with BBQ, speeches and plenty of catching up in the clubhouse, with Jenks’s side winning comfortably overall. Tired but a really enjoyable day all round.