Tash Birthday Weekend - Stratford-Upon-Avon

 

Friday

I’ll lump Friday and Saturday together as one entry, even though we covered quite a lot over the two days.

Normal day at work on Friday, but I managed to get away around 4.10pm and walked up to Summertown, where I met Tash outside the Dew Drop pub. Got ourselves a drink and, not long afterwards, Gaz and Nik turned up, so we enjoyed a couple of drinks sitting outside in the hot sunshine.

It seemed a bit of a shame to leave around 6.00pm as we were having such a nice time, but we had a table booked at OX2 so we had no choice!

It was a small plates menu and we absolutely went for it. I think we must have ordered pretty much everything on the menu, along with some fizz and two bottles of red wine. The food was very good indeed and it was nice being able to try so many different things. Obviously it cost a fortune, but there we go... it's only money!

We left there and went back to the Dew Drop for another couple of drinks before Gaz and Nik's taxi arrived and we walked home, by which point we were all a bit drunk.

When we got home I went out to the bar and set up the music and lights, got myself another drink and Tash went to bed. At some point I apparently fell asleep with a beer in my hand. I woke up with it still there, completely warm and clearly untouched, so put it down and fell back asleep.

I eventually woke up at about 5.00am, completely unaware of where I was, with the lights flashing away around me.

So I'd somehow ended up in the bar, surrounded by all my music and lights, and hadn't actually made any use of the facilities whatsoever! 😂

Saturday – Tash's Birthday

Bit of a heavy head all morning, unsurprisingly, but I got myself up and sorted. Jack gave me a bit of a telling off, basically implying I was an arsehole for drinking too much and sleeping outside. Everyone seemed to have assumed I'd stayed up all night drinking and dancing, when in fact that was literally the opposite of what happened!

Still, I was feeling a bit slow and would happily have stayed in bed for longer, but we needed to get moving. I quietly finished packing the car without Tash really knowing what was going on and then we jumped in and headed off towards Stratford-upon-Avon.

She was getting messages and texts wishing her Happy Birthday as we travelled, so it was clear she was a popular girl!

It was also William Shakespeare's birthday, which was rather appropriate given that we were heading to Stratford, his birthplace. There was a parade and all sorts going on and it was pretty busy, although we managed to get there around midday and found somewhere to park without too much trouble. I thought it was going to be absolute chaos, so that was a pleasant surprise.

We met up with Lewis, Emily and Frankie, then Charl and Miles, and went into the park for a coffee. The weather was absolutely fantastic, so it was lovely just sitting there in the sunshine, chatting and relaxing.

After a while we wandered into the town and had a look around. It's a really nice place and there was plenty going on with all the birthday and Shakespeare celebrations.

We'd said we had a table booked somewhere near Warwick for around 3.00pm, so we'd need to leave around then. We stopped at a pub at about 2.00pm but it was far too busy to get any food, so we just had a couple of drinks and then set off.

The journey took considerably longer than the 30 minutes we'd expected. It felt closer to an hour, and then we got caught up with roadworks, ended up at a dead end and had to find our way around it before eventually arriving at our destination.

And what a destination it was.

A beautiful old farmhouse that was genuinely stunning. Proper olde-worlde, full of character and exactly the sort of place you want to stay in. I absolutely loved it.

Tash was delighted and couldn't believe we'd be staying there for the night. Once we were unpacked and sorted, we just chilled out and enjoyed it.

We'd deliberately wanted to get there as soon as we were allowed to so we could make the most of the relatively short time we had at the house, and that's exactly what we did.

End of day summary

A brilliant start to Tash's birthday weekend. Friday was great fun with Gaz and Nik, although I clearly overdid the drinking slightly and somehow ended up asleep in my own bar! 😂

Saturday was much more about Tash and spending time with everyone. Stratford was a great choice, especially with it being Shakespeare's birthday and the weather being so good. But the real highlight was arriving at that farmhouse. It was absolutely gorgeous, and seeing Tash so pleased with the surprise made all the secrecy and planning worthwhile.

And the best bit was that we'd only just arrived... there was still a whole birthday evening ahead of us.

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.

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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.