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.

FA Vase Final at Wembley and Canice & Lauren engaged

Woke up with a bit of a heavy head this morning — becoming something of a recurring theme lately!

Got sorted and we headed off around 9.30am to pick up Zoe and Niamh, with Jack coming along too as we dropped him at an Underground station on the way so he could travel across London to meet Jodie. They were off to support one of her brothers who was running a half marathon.

The journey over towards Wembley was unbelievably quick and easy and we parked up on a driveway we’d booked which turned out to be only a couple of minutes’ walk from The Green Man pub — apparently one of the traditional meeting spots before and after matches at Wembley.

We were later than the others who’d travelled up by train but it didn’t matter. We settled in with a couple of pints — Tash very kindly taking on designated driver duties for the day. We were there supporting AFC Stoneham because Kate Millar’s boyfriend, Ollie James (OJ), was playing.

The pub itself was buzzing with excitement and anticipation and it actually felt really good being part of the whole occasion and supporting them properly. Around 11.45am we all wandered down towards Wembley Stadium for the 12.30pm kick-off, grabbed another beer once inside and settled into our seats.

The standard of football was decent and overall it was a really enjoyable experience. We’d quietly upgraded ourselves a little higher than our actual allocated seats to get a better view and spent plenty of time critiquing the match like we knew exactly what we were talking about.

OJ had apparently been a major doubt before the game because of injury and, truthfully, he probably shouldn’t have played at all, but of course he gave it a go anyway. He did well while he was on, although sadly he didn’t come back out after half-time.

The game itself was quite cagey and not exactly end-to-end entertainment, but Stoneham were definitely the better side overall and probably deserved to win it outright. Instead it went to penalties where they held their nerve brilliantly and won 4–2. Massive celebrations afterwards and great to see how much it meant to everyone involved.

After the presentations we headed back to The Green Man intending to carry on celebrating, only to discover something very odd — because of licensing restrictions, neither that pub nor any of the surrounding pubs were allowed to serve alcohol between 3.30pm and 4.30pm. Very strange and very frustrating timing.

We wandered off into town instead, only to discover exactly the same situation everywhere else, so in the end we grabbed a KFC and killed some time before perfectly timing our return to the pub for reopening.

By then more of the girls had arrived and eventually the players turned up too which was good fun to watch as everyone celebrated properly together.

Eventually we made our way home, wished everyone a great evening and Tash drove us back whilst I fell asleep almost immediately in the passenger seat.

Dropped Zoe and Niamh off and then got home where we pottered about doing a few jobs before settling down to watch a bit of TV.

That wasn't the end of it either, on WhatsApp Zoe shared a photo of Canice & Lauren on holiday with her showing off her ring - they'd got engaged! That was lovely news to end the day - completely unexpected. 

By about 10.00pm we finally gave in and headed to bed.

What a long weekend it’s been — but a really good one.

End of Day Summary:
A really enjoyable day out at Wembley supporting AFC Stoneham and OJ. The football, atmosphere and penalty shootout win made it feel like a proper occasion and it was nice being part of the celebrations afterwards too. Another busy social weekend, plenty of laughs and yet another reminder that Tash is probably carrying the sensible side of things at the minute!

Tom's Stag Weekend in Liverpool

Not the best night's sleep. I did wake up to an empty room and a WhatsApp message from Jack containing a recording of me snoring. Apparently he'd reached the end of his tether and gone off to sleep on the sofa instead! Oh dear.

Went downstairs around 7.00am and we spent a couple of hours playing with Frankie and giving him his breakfast. He's so active and happy at the minute. He doesn't smile all that often, but he seems fascinated by everything going on around him and is constantly crawling about or playing with toys. A very busy little boy – he's lovely.

We had breakfast ourselves and then got sorted ready for Liverpool. Frankie was still awake when we left at about 10.30am, so we were able to say goodbye before heading off. Miles was already on his way, but we got parked in the city centre and found him soon enough.

We wandered around for a bit and ended up in a plant-based coffee house. Miles asked if they had any cow's milk and the lady gave a rather frosty "No" in reply, which amused us all.

After that we carried on killing time until we got word that everyone was in Yates's, so we headed over there and joined them. There were about 14 of us altogether. Tom was dressed as a lobster which, all things considered, wasn't too outrageous for a stag do – just a bit awkward to manoeuvre around in. The city was absolutely packed with hen and stag parties wherever you looked.

We watched some football and then made our way to Bierkeller where seats had been reserved for the FA Cup Final. The match itself wasn't much to write home about, but it passed the time. Once it finished, the lads headed off to their Airbnb while we stayed behind. We grabbed a coffee and wandered around before catching up with them again at about 7.00pm for pizza.

Miles said his goodbyes and headed home. We had our food, a couple more beers and carried on chatting. To be honest, it was probably the most civilised stag day I've ever been on. Someone else commented on exactly the same thing later on. But that's just the sort of group they are, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with that.

After the meal we settled the bill and then Jack, Lewis and I said our goodbyes and started the journey home. Had some music on in the car, Lewis fell asleep and we stopped for food on the way. Jack wouldn't let me have any alcohol in the car, so naturally I sulked about it!

We dropped Lewis off and then carried on home ourselves. I slept for most of the journey back and we eventually got in around midnight. Pretty much straight to bed after that.

It was a decent day. A bit of an effort with all the travelling, but it was good to be there and support Tom. I'm glad we made the trip.

End of day summary

A long day split between family time with Frankie and a trip to Liverpool for Tom's stag celebrations. The morning was spent enjoying a few hours with Frankie before heading into the city to meet up with the group. Despite being a stag do, the whole day was surprisingly relaxed and civilised, with football, pizza, a few drinks and plenty of catching up. The travelling made for a long day, but it was worth the effort to be there and show support. Tired by the time we got home, but pleased we'd gone.

Long Training Walk

Woke up around 5.45am, got sorted and then drove out to Christmas Common. Parked up around the corner because the National Trust car park only took cash, but it worked out fine. That said, when we got back there were more cars there and one of them had the rear passenger window smashed in. Most likely they'd left something valuable on display, but what a shame – and out there of all places. I'd be absolutely gutted if that happened to us. Thankfully we'd left nothing in the car, but it's definitely put me off taking Vinnie out there.

We set off and walked (and walked). In the end it was just over 10 miles, mostly up and down hills, although it felt like more downhill than uphill so we'll need to go back and do it in reverse one day. It took us a little over four hours and was really enjoyable. Lovely countryside, some great views and hardly any need to stop. We only paused once for a drink and some sandwiches, so we put in a decent shift and weren't actually too tired by the end of it.

Back home and I was absolutely knackered. The previous couple of nights definitely caught up with me, so I had a bath and then went to bed for an hour or so. Tash headed out with Lucie for Afternoon Tea as part of her 60th birthday celebrations, which left me with the house to myself and a chance to crack on with a few jobs that needed doing.

Didn't do a great deal in the evening. Just took it easy, pottered about, and then headed off to bed fairly early.

I really hope we've been doing enough training for the Alps hike – it's only four weeks away now and suddenly feels very close indeed.

End of day summary

A productive and active day centred around a 10-mile hike from Christmas Common. The walk took over four hours and provided some lovely scenery, good exercise and another useful step towards preparing for the Alps. A smashed car window in the parking area was a reminder to be careful where valuables are left, but thankfully it wasn't our problem. The afternoon was spent recovering from a busy few days, catching up on jobs around the house and enjoying a quiet evening. A good balance of exercise, productivity and recovery – and another reminder that the Alps are coming around very quickly.

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.

Mother's Day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quick trip to London for a show

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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