12-May to 18-May 2013

Sun 12-May

One proud moment... my brother Andrew crowned Scone Bowling Club Open Singles Champion 2013.

Mon 13-May

Delicious grilled belly pork, roasted vegetables and creamed potatoes, finished off with this sumptuous chocolate bread and butter pudding. After a trip to St Andrews followed by fish and chips in Anstruther with Robert and Amanda, and a creditable hour's showing at bowls against Andrew at 7-11, finished the day  with another special meal cooked by my Head Chef brother, Robert.

Tue 14-May

Returning from holiday is always a bit of a downer, but when you've got kids who look after you like this there's always something to look forward to coming back to. Whilst we were out checking the chickens Becky popped in with some bread and milk, cakes, a flan for Linda and an Indian meal for me.


Wed 15-May

First change of Amelia's nappy for me today during a quick trip around to Beth's. There followed the first of the usual finger and toe blowing, raspberries on the neck, funny faces and all the other humiliations the four older grandchildren have had to undergo from your's truly after the procedure.

Thu 16-May

Managed to get four rows of tomato plants out during a long session on the allotment, two each of beefsteak and sweetie varieties. Might just have the right number in total... another 52 to plant alongside these will leave 46 for the greenhouse and polytunnel. On the basis you collect at least 4 tomatoes from each plant per day when fully fruiting, that'll be 600 tomatoes a day I'll have to find a home for. Help!


Fri 17-May

Linda didn't fancy coming, and Connor was just about to go to tang soo do, so off I went to the Civic Society talk 'St Ives river traffic and the draining of the fens' by Professor Michael Chisholm, Emeritus Professor of Geography at St Katharine's College, Cambridge University. No doubt an intelligent man, but amazingly he arrived without any visual display and a set of poor quality handouts woefully inadequate for the audience of about 100. Then took 30 minutes to in essence say the building of the 100 foot drain to shorten the passage of river traffic to Kings Lynn reduced the river level at St Ives. Was somewhat saved by another 30 minutes of questions. Exited the Free Church (always think of it as a rocket) after just over an hour.

That's the second talk I've come away from amazed at the presenter's inability to use the wealth of material to tell the audience a good story. I'm toying with the thought of offering myself to talk about the amazingly ornate bootscrapers, door surrounds and wall brackets of St Ives (sub-lined 'fun, facts and fotos') that I'm sure St Ivians pass by every day without noticing. Could include a quiz to see if the audience can guess the location of each item shown.


Sat 18-May

Izzy Shores, superhero... or rather the superhero Izzy created to win the competition at her school and have her artwork displayed in the Corn Exchange today for all to see. Apparently Sammy wasn't too interested until he twigged there was money to be made!