10-Dec to 16-Dec 2011

Sat 10-Dec: Hyperion's fortnightly auction this morning. Amongst the motley collection of bikes from Cambridgeshire Police were a couple I thought might do as a Christmas present for David. Didn't bid in the end... would have gone for £20 or £35 at least and 'as seen', where you can't really check them out adequately, and I'd been speaking to Vito (black hat on right) who does bikes up and said he'd got a couple of mountain bikes for sale, £25 each. So I'll take David with me to let him pick one himself. Was an interesting vantage point to stand in... the puddle in the image was much deeper than it seems and quite a few potential bidders stepped in the water only to jump out like scalded cats when they went in past their ankle. Brought me a bit of amusement while standing in the freezing cold.

Sun 11-Dec: We're now sleeping in the bedroom I've just finished decorating and it's on to doing our bedroom. All the wallpaper is now off and the ceiling is painted, but looks unlikely we'll be back in before Christmas... just can't agree on a new wallpaper! We've gone from replacing with a similar small patterned print to match terracotta, to having a strong feature wall with all colour options open and the rest a more subdued paper, and now possibly just painting the other three walls. Here's just a small selection of the options. Some have dropped off and lie on the floor. I know how they feel... we've been around every DIY shop twice and I've looked up hundreds of patterns online, some of which are gorgeous, but nothing gets Linda's interest. $%**&^^)??((!!!!! My choice would be the one second from right... there's a paper on the floor of the same textured background with a gold thread running through it that would look really nice on the other three walls.

Mon 12-Dec: Today we had our wonderful 60th birthday present from the kids... Christmas lunch on the Orient Express! Can't do the experience justice with a single image, for a photo record of the day click Allotment Heaven: All aboard the Orient Express!. However unique the day, there's nothing more special than being met by family on a windy wet station platform... here's Beth and Connor waiting to chauffeur us home.

Tue 13-Dec: Somehow that doesn't look right! Rushing off to collect Jazz and then meet Beth, Connor and Paige walking to school (Sammy's on holiday at Centreparks) I must have been a bit eager in shutting the garage door. Result... the wire that ensures both sides stay level when the door is pulled down came away from one side. The door's been living on borrowed time ever since the spring went in the winding system some while ago. The other garage door hasn't worked for over 20 years ever since David's friend decided to swing on it while open. Managed to get the door closed when I got back, have to get some quotations to fix it.

Wed 14-Dec: Another afternoon of pitch & putt, hat and gloves needed because of the biting wind. Here's David pitching to the green on the 3rd hole. He's been having a run of wins and reckoned he'd won the year after equalling the 18 hole record last week with a round of 63. Was a couple of holes after this that it all started to go wrong for him, when I putted consecutive holes from the edge of the green for two twos and also ended up with a round of 63. So match score now 6-8 with two to go and a faint hope of a playoff. There's some hope on the squash front as well. Although I'm five matches behind, managed to persuade David to count both the best of 5 and the friendly best of 3 we play twice a week as scoring matches. But I can't afford to lose again. The pool and darts is a lost cause... David is way out in front of John and me and there's no way I would 'miscount' without him noticing ~:0(

Thu 15-Dec: No grandsons' squash today... Sammy's on holiday in Centreparks and Connor preferred the offer of a visit to the allotment for a bit of den building. So after I'd tended the chickens we got down to some treehouse development. Here's Connor giving me instructions on the construction of another floor on the extension. At this stage I've fixed in the support in the foreground, his job being to check everything with a spirit level. Managed to get the other support in before it got too dark to see what sizes the screws were in my box. He's always about ten stages ahead of me... in the image he's waxing lyrical about the windows that'll be fitted, how the roof should look, how many extra floors can be installed and most interesting of all, the sanitary arrangements.

Fri 16-Dec: An exciting text message left on my mobile this morning... could I call BBC Bargain Hunt? I'd applied in March for me and John to take on Becky and Beth... was this fame and fortune at last? It was in part. Firstly, they have no trace of the application for Becky and Beth, so the call was for me and a partner. Secondly, there are several selection stages to go through first. If I get past the telephone interview I did after lunch they then invite me and partner to an all day event somewhere near Newark. If we pass that we get to appear on the programme over two separate days. I texted John and the girls explaining and expecting a quick drop out because of the commitment involved. Not a bit of it... all three are up for the challenge and it looks like they're going to draw straws to see who partners me. Or did they mean I should draw a straw as well??????