Goodbye

Just back from a really super lunch at the Mariners to say goodbye to Mum and Brian, it feels very real now although Mum says it's unreal. Perhaps it's real for us as we are off on Friday and their date is not entirely fixed. Also, despite depositing bagfuls of stuff each week on us, they still have so much packing and sorting to do!

I was remembering as we drove back how I took mum to the airport last time she was off to Sri Lanka. Georgia was just a few months old and oblivious to the tears mostly held back, as we drank coffee and ate plastic airport croissants on a chilly morning. Now the tears are held back to protect her, but the sadness no less keenly felt. Of course you want go and we want you to go and have another amazing adventure, we've just got rather used to your proximity. The saving starts now for a trip there ourselves

Stan's daft face!

Tim Dowling back on form..

...and seemingly describing my book group! Fantastic
"Tonight is ladies' night… and men are not welcome"

AMAZING!

Just been eyeballed by a baby Kestrell
Michael looked out and saw something on the roof of the treehouse, we thought it might be an owl. Crept down the garden and got within a couple of metres, it seems to be very young and fluffy and was sheltering in the lea of the trunk - the wind has been relentless this week. Think it was sleeping, which is how we got so close, then I stepped on a twig - very Ealing comedy - and it swivelled it's head round and gave me good look over but didn't fly away. We stood looking at each other for a long while, the markings on it's feathers are exquisite. It's as close as we'll get to being on safari but it felt as magical as coming across a leopard and just sitting watching, both as intrigued as each other.

Party

Mum and Brian will soon be off on their next adventure and so hosted a fabulous party at the Drapers to say farewell. the sun shone, the Prosecco flowed and we were on the train, hooray! It was a lovely gathering of old friends and family and the children looked gorgeous, behaved brilliantly and we all had such a lovely time. Great food topped it all off - I can still taste the blackcurrant sorbet!

A few pics from Mum including an updated line up of the full set of her gorgeous grandchildren - what will they do without all of your spoilly treats? - and for that matter, what will we do without the Saturday morning croissants and catch up x