Family cook night

Pancakes for pudding

Cucumber

Clara has invited Grace for a sleep-over tonight. Cam and I walked to the allotment and picked the BIGGEST cucumber grown yet. 

He picked a 2nd cucumber to eat on the way home. When we got home he decided to use what was left of it as a straw!

Tower Bridge

Today we went to London by train. We walked from St Pancras station to Tower Bridge, via Costa.

Cam was tired, it's hard getting up in the

morning when you've got out of the habit. So he ordered an espresso to help wake himself up!

Tower Bridge now has a glass walk way so you can see the road below and the river. It's lovely

Tower Bridge is a Bascule bridge (has bits that lift up like a draw bridge). It took 8 years to build and was opened in 1894.

It was needed as prior to this there was only one bridge over the Thames in London, London Bridge.

We also got to see the original engines used to lift the bridge.

Lovely views across London from the walkways

Hayfever

We went to Boughton Monchelsea to see this year's Changeling Theatre's production of Hay Fever.

Really funny, quite cold, beautiful setting. 

Duets summer workshop.

Clara has been going to the summer workshop this week. Tuesday to Friday, 10:00 to 12.30.

She has been having fun with Abby, Bethany and Megan learning one of Megan's, very difficult, school dances. Cam and I went Friday to watch the short showing of the dances they had been learning.  Clara was great as usual; even though she said she didn't remember all of the dance - it looked good to us.

Skelly (aka Micheal)

For Christmas 2013 Grandma and Grandpa gave Cameron a paper, self-assembly skeleton.  It was finished today!

Fixing the guttering

Our guttering is STILL leaking. We tried to fix it about a year ago and thought we'd cured it; but failed to test our repair with water. Oh to find it still leaked next time it rained. 

We borrowed Paul's ladders again and sealed the first joint, let it try, tested it - leaked from a second joint.  Sealed the 2nd joint, let it try, tested it. It leaked from the back of the first joint.  We were now up against the clock as Paul needed his ladder back Monday ( it was now Sunday at 18:55). So we dried the joint, sealed it again and held our breath.

It's a long way up to the guttering by the way!

Parkrun volunteers BBQ

We have been invited to a parkrun volunteers BBQ this evening at Gerry's house (Donna's neighbour and fellow parkrunner)

Clara has baked a Burger Cake to take.

Cam decided to stay at home in the end, Clara returned from an afternoon at Cobtree with her friend Grace to accompany us and her cake to the BBQ.

Lots of food, especially puds, and a nice bunch of people (weirdos Cam calls them).  The parkrun weekly winner, T and his wife Emma, Howard (of Howard's hill) and his wife Sue - just back from their holiday, token Steve, mad Diana, James and Teresa,  Tri Sue and Roy, Jo and Keeley and many more (about 40 people in total)

Lovely spot, great garden leading down to the river where we could watch lots of boats go by.

Clara's new bedroom

Clara has redecorated her bedroom in pristine white. It has taken 3 days, She had a little help from Grace on Monday and mum on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

It looks lovely and clean and fresh.

Just needs an new wardrobe and desk now and some accessories to finish it off.

Going home

Waiting at Naples airport for a 10:20 flight to Stansted we discussed or Italian adventure.

Clara summed it up as tiring, lots of sight seeing. She enjoyed the day at the park as it was so relaxing.

Cam's view of Rome in a sentence was that it was hot and cool. He enjoyed all of it.

Jon said it was beautiful, historic, classy, hot 'Waterstones'... His favourite city visited so far.

Chris loved the city, the sights and the relaxed attitude of the Italians...and their driving!!   Pompei was amazing, Vatican City incredible.

We walked a total of 95km over the week - phew!

Would we return?  Yes..  In a less hot

month than July 😂

Hello England.

Beach day

A hot train journey on the railway from Pompei Scavi (ruins) to Sorrento this morning.  We walked down a very steep road

 to St Peter's beach and rented 3 deck chairs for €10 each and an umbrella for €5 and spent the day topping up the tan and being mermaids in the sea.  Lovely, cool and relaxing.