A Visit to Somerset and a climb up Cley Hill

Another sunny day although not quite as hot with a cooling breeze. Sara had Sophie's children all day today to enable Sophie to work up at Roche Court. Quite a noisy affair! Sara took them out with her and Mary to Mary's ballet and some essential shopping. I completed the bookwork ready for my accountant and at midday I drove over to Somerset (Frome) to deliver Complex's books of account for conversion into Company House's accounts and a tax return. On the way back I stopped off at Cley Hill and climbed to the top to blow away some "cobwebs" - I am still feeling rather lethargic and thought the climb up the hill would do me good. It was very windy on the top but with magnificent views across the Wiltshire and Somerset landscape. I particularly liked the view looking down on Little Cley Hill (see picture). It is obvious that Cley Hill and little Cley Hill are ancient burial mounds due to their perfect shape (although Cley Hill has been quarried into) and they have connections with UFO sitings. On the drive back to Winterlsow I listened to the Brentford v. Saints match at Griffin Park. Saints managed a terrific 0-3 win which did look as though it would seal their return to the second flight of English football but a late goal at Brighton by Huddersfield means that the contest will now go to the wire and Saints will have to wait until the final game at St. Mary's next Saturday to secure promotion. We simply don't seem to be able to shake off Huddersfield. Somerset also beat Hampshire in the four-day county match at the Rose Bowl. Tonight I rolled out the barbecue and we had a barbecued supper of sardines, prawns, lamb burgers and sausages. Summer seems to have finally arrived (we hope!)

Royal Wedding - Congratulations Kate and William

Today was very much taken up with the Royal Wedding and were glued to the TV from about 8.30 a.m. following the wonderful events of the day. I hoisted the special Royal Wedding Union flag which had been given to me by Susan from the office. We drank champagne to celebrate the wedding. The title of Duke of Cambridge was bestowed on William by his grandmother that morning so Kate will become the Duchess of Cambridge. Sara was not feeling too well this afternoon and evening. I took myself off for an hour to play 13 holes of golf at Grateley - not a very good round - and later played tennis with Tom. This evening Sara took herself off to bed and I spent the evening preparing Complex's books to deliver them to the accountant in Frome tomorrow. Tomorrow could be a big day for the Saints. If they beat Brentford away tomorrow, and Brighton win at home against Huddersfield then Southampton will be automatically promoted to the championship by 5 p.m. tomorrow evening. Somehow I think that would be too easy for them and I expect that it will go to the wire.

Calendar Girls Photo Shoot begins

Weigh-in day at "Fat Fighters" today and started feeling very apprehensive as I felt sure that I must have put on some more weight this week due to lack of proper tracking. I surprised myself and Sara is discovering that I had lost another pound and a half! Now only 6 lbs away from reaching my target and my gold award. After the meeting we drove to Andover in order to present Sara's details to the bank to open the bank account for The Winterslow Calendar Girls. Unfortunately, Sara and left all the documentation behind at home and so we had to return without having been able to go to the bank. This afternoon, Sara did her publicity photo shoot for the Calendar in Brown's Copse (colloquially known as Bluebell Wood) and the result was stunning - see picture above. This afternoon I went over to John's in Harnham where he and I were picked up by Chris and driven to Bournemouth to attend the special St. George's Day meeting of Boscombe Lodge. As usual we had a wonderful evening but with rather unhealthy festive board afterwards - steak and ale pie and bread and butter pudding with clotted cream. I elected to remove the pie crust and had a scoop of ice cream instead of the pudding - what great willpower! The pudding (one of my favourites) looked and was reported as delicious. I arrived back home at just before 11 p.m having missed our House Group which, Sara told me, was well attended.

Tennis Weather

I woke early today feeling much better than on previous mornings recently. Another beautiful morning. Sara brought me in a cup of tea and I then had an early shower. I attended Morning Prayer with the clergy followed by breakfast and then Mid-Week Eucharist at St. John's I joined Rosemary's bible reading study group before returning home for a soup lunch. Sara had spent the morning working at Morning Star and brought back a huge bag of bananas - the Hartlepool Monkey would have loved them). After lunch I cycled to East Winterslow and distributed a few bible reading books to subscribers en route. I spent twenty minutes or so with Hilary as she showed me around her garden and gave me some petunias to take back for Sara. She was in a very chatty mood and we passed the twenty minutes together very quickly. She is very concerned that we have had so little rain which is not good for her plants but which doesn't seem to retard the growth of the weeds! Back home I had a cup of tea before walking up to the school to collect Mary. We treated ourselves (or rather I treated us both!) to ice lollies. Sophie called round shortly after we returned to see Sara and took away a bunch of bananas! Tom and I played tennis before tea for the first time this year and I was delighted to find that my weight loss meant I could move more nimbly around the court. Tom did manage, however to win two out of three games where we actually scored. Tonight I was due to meet up with the Methodists and Baptist minister at the Baptist church to discuss the ecumenical Food for Thought service but the minister didn't turn up - he had forgotten our meeting! The three of us who did turn up held a meeting in the car park and managed to deal with all the business in half an hour. I now need to write up a short minute and circulate it. There seems to be so much to do at present with so little time. Most days over the next few weeks seem to be fully occupied. I shall have an early night tonight and crack on tomorrow. Back to Fat Fighters' again tomorrow and feel that I have definitely put on weight this week.

Busy, Busy, Busy - Again!

Another busy day today - back to paperwork and tidying up. Sara went off this morning on Calendar Girls business and ended up being interviewed for Spire FM. I spent the morning dealing with correspondence and took delivery of the bible reading guides which I spent the evening sorting out for the various recipients. This afternoon I went into Andover to undertake some banking and opened a new account for the Winterslow Calendar Girls - I have agreed to act as treasurer and look after the donations and sponsorship money. Feeling much better today but seem to be rather overwhelmed with the immense amount of work to be done in the house, garden and study - particularly with Adam (Sara's brother) coming to stay with us for ten days right in the middle of a busy period. I feel less retired today than I have ever done and so now reject the label "retired" as it simply does not fit! I mowed the bank and front lawn this evening. Everything is currently very dry but weeds seem to be springing up with incredible ease. Have a busy day of meetings tomorrow morning and evening and cannot see myself being free of work for the rest of the week. I think I'll get an early night tonight (after catching up on the second part of the programme on the Vatican I want to watch) and getting up early tomorrow. I just wish the kids would put things away and try and keep their room tidy. Sara is working at Morning Star tomorrow and we just don't seem to ever catch up on domestic chores.

Easter Monday - Monkey Hangers' Defeat

I felt a little better today and certainly wanted to feel well enough to go to Southampton to see the Saints play Hartlepool (the Monkey Hangers). Sara and Mary went over to Sophie's to go off for a picnic at Fordingbridge with the children leaving Tom and me at home to make our own way to Southampton at lunchtime. We parked at Trethowan's as usual and had our lunch at the St. Mary's chippie. The weather was glorious with a slightly cooling breeze off the sea at Southampton. Saints played well today and managed a 2-0 win over Hartlepool following a penalty scored by Lambert and the sending off of one of the Hartlepool players. Unfortunately Huddersfield also won in their game against Dagenham and Redbridge so Saints and Huddersfield remain on the same number of points but Saints still have a game in hand and a much superior goal difference. Two wins from their three remaining games will see them automatically promoted. With Huddersfield having to play Brighton at home next Saturday it could mean only one win is necessary. Tom and I called in at Sophie's on the way back where we joined Sara and Mary at a BBQ in their back garden in West Dean. A lovely day today and so pleased that my head cold hasn't turned into anything more serious.
Finally, on the topic of monkey hanging, the term "monkey hangers" or question "Who hung the monkey?" is a derogatory one for people from Hartlepool as the story goes that during the Napoleonic Wars a monkey mascot from a French warship was the sole survivor of a North Sea shipwreck and after being taken into custody by Hartlepudlians was perceived to be a French spy, stood trial, convicted and hanged. Two poems celebrating this affair read as follows:-

Old folks, young folks, everyone and each

Come and see the Frenchie that's landed on the beach

He's got long arms a great long tail and he's covered all in hair

We think that he's a spy so we'll hang him in the square

-and-

In former times, when war and strife

The French invasion threaten'd life

An' all was armed to the knife

The Fisherman hung the monkey O !

The Fishermen with courage high,

Seized on the monkey for a French spy;

"Hang him !" says one; "he's to die"

They did and they hung the monkey Oh!

They tried every means to make him speak

And tortured the monkey till loud he did speak;

Says yen "thats French" says another "its Greek"

For the fishermen had got druncky oh!

Easter Sunday - He is Risen! - Alleluia!

Easter Day at last and we all went to All Saints, Winterslow to celebrate the occasion. The church was fully packed as is usual with many unfamiliar faces in the pews. I was due to read the Intercessions in church this morning but my voice was exceedingly croaky and so I handed them over to Sara to do - she made an excellent job of them speaking with a clear voice. After the service and the coffee and biscuits I visited Gill in Farley who is one of the Licensed Lay Ministers to talk about my prospective training. Over coffee she explained the process and the work involved and kindly gave me some books which she thought would help. She felt confident that I would get through the selection process but I still remain apprehensive. This afternoon I cooked the family a late roast pork lunch whilst Sara completed the Parish Magazine - still using her old laptop. I really felt quite unwell after lunch and dozed on the sofa whilst watching a Carry-On movie (Carry On Cruising). This evening, after making a quick phone call to Mum to wish her a Happy Easter, I watched the first part of an extremely interesting documentary on the inner workings of the Vatican but then recorded the second half and went to bed with a whisky feeling quite weak. Hopefully a good night's sleep will help as I want to feel better tomorrow so that I can go to the Saints' game against Hartlepool.

Great Win for Saints - Easter Vigil at Pitton

Woke up with a terrible sore throat - I seem to have gone down with the same illness as Cynthia and Debbie and really didn't feel like doing much today. The weather continues to be hot and sunny. Sara was becoming increasingly frustrated with her laptop as it is so slow and she still has quite a lot to do to complete the Parish Magazine. This afternoon I briefly went into Salisbury to get Sara a pink silk rose which is to appear in each of the photographs comprising the Calendar. I also went to PC World ands bought a new laptop for her which will be a combined birthday and Christmas present. I will need to find the time to set it up and load all the software on it. Still felt poorly this evening but my spirits were lifted when I heard on the radio that Saints, although losing 1-0 for most of the match managed a 1-2 win against Brighton at the Withdean Stadium. This was Brighton's first defeat at home all season and it ensured that Southampton returned to the second (automatic promotion) place in the table. Tonight we all went to Pitton Church of the Easter Vigil and Resurrection celebration taking with us one of the Titanic bells to sound at the point of resurrection. A wonderful cacophony of sound. I gave the the reading tonight - Ezekiel 37 (Valley of the Dry Bones) and my voice just managed to hold out. Debbie gave the sermon but was quite clearly suffering herself. The list of people discerned for LWL (Lay Worship Leaders) training was circulated to those so discerned today with my name on it. There will be a total of ten of us training from the Clarendon Team but our identities are a secret for the moment. I only mention my name here because I am also being discerned for full Licensed Ministry training at the moment and so my inclusion is to be expected. Tom spent tonight in All Saints Church, Winterslow on a Vigil Sleepover. We will see him again tomorrow morning at the Easter Service. I am due to give the Intercessions tomorrow but will probably hand them over to Sara to do as my voice doesn't feel like it will last out. Gill asked Sara and I to join her for morning coffee tomorrow to discuss the LLM training.

Good Friday

Woke up this morning with a terrible sore throat. Sara and Mary went down to the Methodist Hall to take part on the Children's Workshop where they made banners to carry along with the Cross to the Village Hall. Tom and I joined them after having a documentary on TV about the life and work of Christ. Wearing my high visibility "steward's-style" jacket I led the procession along Middleton Road to the Village Hall where we held a worship service with hot cross buns and coffee/tea. Sara took Mary and Sophie's children out shopping with her after we all had a light lunch of pasta. Sophie joined me in going to the Good Friday service at All Saints which was taken by Elizabeth. She came back home with me afterwards for tea and a chat whilst waiting for the return of Sara and the children. Sophie took Mary back with her West Dean for a sleep-over. Tonight Richard and I went for a few pints in the Lion's Head and I had my firs beer since the beginning of Lent. Not very good with the weight-watching today so must try harder after the holiday break.

Farewell to Roy Mills/Maundy Thursday Service

The summer certainly seemed to have arrived today and with it a summer sniffle as I woke up with a bit of a headache and sore throat. Off to Fat Fighters at Stockbridge where I surprised myself by finding that I had lost a further 1.5 lbs despite the unhealthy food consumed during my stewarding week at Spring Harvest. I suspect it will still catch up with me at some time. After our weigh-in Sara and I, with Mary, went to the Andover Garden Centre to buy another rose for Sara's rose garden. This afternoon, after a shower and a change of clothing into a dark suit, I drove to Baverstock to attend the funeral of Roy Mills, one of our oldest members of Sarum Lodge. The service was very traditional with the Corinthians reading taken from The KJV Bible and very traditional hymns. A lovely service and one which Roy himself had chosen. Rushing back, I had a brief evening meal of chicken fajitas before driving over to Farley Church Hall for the Maundy Thursday service where I was to give the first reading - Exodus 12. The service took the form of the traditional feet washing ceremony and Eucharist followed by a vigil in the church where I stayed until 10 p.m. After all the rushing about over the last few days it was nice to have an hour of quiet meditation with the hour going very quickly. Another busy day tomorrow with Good Friday.

Bluebells

First full day back home after my twelve days at Minehead. Sara went off to Morning Star this morning taking Mary with her. Tom stayed at home and I drove over to Whaddon for the Mid-Week Eucharist led by Elizabeth. I really didn't feel like getting up too early this morning so skipped Morning Prayer and Breakfast with the clergy. After this morning's service I called in at Staples for some office supplies and treated my self to as bacon roll and cappuccino in Tesco's cafe - a real treat. After all the nice but unhealthy food of Butlin's I didn't think I could do much more harm. I am attending Fat Fighters' weigh-in tomorrow and will almost certainly have put on weight so I will start my dietary regime again tomorrow. This afternoon I mowed all the lawns - front, back and the bank and Richard called around for a chat and a cup of tea and to pick up the Andy Hickford Spring Harvest DVD which I had bought him with the 10% team discount. Mary and I went for a walk this evening into Bentley Wood to view some possible sites for Sara to have a Calendar photo taken in a bluebell glade. The bluebells are absolutely gorgeous at the moment and she will need to get the photographer up there in the next few days. Tonight I caught up with some of my paperwork which had accumulated and Mary and Sara watched "Jesus of Nazarus" - now an Easter tradition in this family.

Spring Harvest - Saturday 10th April - Tuesday 19th April

For those of you following this blog please don't worry about the lack of posts during this period. Between Saturday 10th April and Thursday 14th April I was attending this wonderful Christian festival at Butlin's Minehead as a guest with my own family and church family and between Thursday 14th April and Tuesday 19th April as a member of the team staff in the role of a steward. During that time I was working from 7 a.m. until often midnight looking after the 8,000 guests on site either in the Big Top or at various venues throughout. A wonderful experience - truly Heaven on Earth. Consequently there was no time to write up my blog as I fell into bed every night exceedingly tired but incredibly fulfilled. I hope to repeat the experience next year. Fantastic friendships and fellowship. If everyone in the world could show the same degree of dedication and service to their fellow human beings what a wonderful world we would have.

Spring Harvest - Minehead Week 1 / Day 1

Sara was up very early this morning – 5.30 a.m and so I was woken up by her with a cup of tea quite early. As is so often the case, the best laid of plans failed and Sara was not ready, as she had hoped, to set off for Spring Harvest at 9.30 a.m. this morning – in fact she didn’t set off until just before midday, Meanwhile, Tom and I, after a cooked breakfast of grilled bacon with sausages (for Tom) and mushrooms for me, set off for the Hilltop Grill where we were to rendezvous with other members of his football team to go, in convoy, to Bishops Waltham. On the one day when we wanted to get off early to Spring Harvest his football team had to have an away fixture at the furthest team away from Winterslow! It took over an hour to get to Bishops Waltham and we lost half the team on the way at the A34/M3 junction with a number of cars heading down the M3 towards Southampton! Eventually we all met up but, unfortunately, Clarendon Juniors were thrashed 5-1 by a much stronger Bishops Waltham side. Tom and I returned to Winterslow and had a lunch of pasta, bacon and prawns before we too set off for Minehead at around 2 p.m. We stopped off at Cynthia’s to see how she was but, unfortunately she is not feeling well enough to make the trip to Minehead today. Hopefully she will be able to join us on Monday. Tom and I arrived at Butlins at around 5 p.m. after a very easy and uneventful journey. The only event of note was Saints’ win away at Leyton Orient (2-0) which when combined with Huddersfield’s draw at Peterborough now puts Southampton in the second automatic promotion spot with two games in hand. What a great result today! Tonight, after a dinner of spaghetti bolognese, I joined the rest of our church group for a very uplifting and emotional session in the Big Top. Sara didn’t join us tonight as she has a thumping headache caused, no doubt, by the long day yesterday and the travelling and stress of all the packing today. Following the Big Top event I joined the rest of the group at Richard and Linda’s chalet for a glass or two of wine and a lovely evening of fellowship. Sara was already in bed when I return and so I made myself a cup of coffee and wrote up this blog.

Preparing for Route 66

Busy day today, especially f0r Sara, who spent the morning at Wilton House viewing locations for her Calendar with the photographer, Mandie. The children stayed with me and I spent the morning preparing for our trip to Spring Harvest especially by printing off all the essential details need to check in and instructions for joining the staff for the second week. The theme of the this ear's Spring Harvest is "Route 66" being a reference to the 66 books which make up the Holy Bible. Route 66, of course, was also the number of the famous cross-States highway from Chicago to Los Angeles (part of which I have travelled along in Los Angeles to its terminus at the beach at Santa Monica). Mary and I joined Sara at the Lord Nelson for lunch today - garlic mushrooms and chips - not the healthiest of meals but very enjoyable (Roger does do good chips!). I am still off the beer until Easter so drank soda and lime cordial. It will be so nice to have a pint of London Pride at Easter. This afternoon I tidied up and cleared out my car and this evening started to pack - in fact, by 9 p.m. I had finished most of it. Sara was on duty at the Kidzone youth club this evening and then went to Tesco's to buy essential groceries for Minehead as we are self-catering. She seemed to be gone for an enormous length of time. Sara has decided to go to bed early tonight and resume her own packing early tomorrow morning.

Wounded Healers

Weigh-in day at Fat Fighters today - not good news - though not surprising. I have put on half a pound this week unfortunately but Sara managed a one pound loss so I gladly swap not losing weight for Sara starting to lose it again! Hopefully this is the incentive she needs to get back on track. losing weight for me is now getting difficult as I near my target weight - they say this is always the case. I spent most of the day dealing with important paperwork before we go away to Spring Harvest. I managed to get the agendas out for the next meeting of Sarum Lodge and wrote the Night Sky article for the Parish Magazine so these won't be on my mind whilst we are away. I cycled over to East Winterslow to deliver one of the agendas to a member who lives there - the only real exercise I got all day. Tonight we had a good house group with Richard, Steve, Paul, Dawn, Sara and myself. The Moody Brothers were on their church's business in Salisbury. Our topic tonight, as part of the Lent Study Group, was "Wounded Healers". It is interesting how so many of the more active church members have had such unsettled lives in the past. There is certainly a theme running here. Feeling quite tired tonight and still a little disappointed that the weight loss is slowing down. Still, I have done remarkably well and feel so much better for having shed over two and a half stones. Now looking forward to the energising effect that Spring harvest always seems to bring.

Sarum Lodge Meeting

Busy day for Sara today with her work for Morning Star in the morning and a special long (and final) LPA training session this afternoon at which she and her fellow trainee were to put together the formal Commissioning Service for 17th May. I drove over to Whaddon for the early Morning Prayer service with the clergy and afterwards had breakfast at Tesco's where I bought some new jeans - my existing ones being too big now! I also had my hair cut before returning home. I worked at home this afternoon whilst Sara was attending her training session. Tonight I attended Sarum Lodge where we passed a long standing member to the Second Degree. An excellent ceremony and a very enjoyable dinner afterwards - although it was rather heavy on ProPoints and I am sure I won't have lost any weight this week! I found it hard to sleep tonight and ended up watching a rather bizarre lecture by a Creationist scientific speaker on the TV suggesting that the Earth is only a few thousand years old!

Keep going Saints! - another vital win tonight!

Sara and I spent this morning at home dealing with more paperwork. Both Sara and I gave our apologies to Sophie for being unable to attend her Lent Group this morning. The morning seemed to go very quickly but I managed to get some bills paid and letters written before lunchtime. I had a light lunch of French onion soup before driving into Salisbury for a meeting with a new client at the white Hart Hotel. Over a pot of tea I spent two hours with the client going through a proposed new contract for his staff. After dashing back home, I just had time for a quickly snatched cup of tea (I seem to drink gallons of it these days) before Tom and I set off for Southampton to watch a another vital game for the Saints in their bid for automatic promotion from League 1 and back into the Championship League. We had supper at our usual chippies and were rewarded this evening with a 2-0 win over Charlton Athletic. Peterborough also won tonight (beating Bournemouth 1-0) but we are now only 2 points behind Huddersfield who currently hold the automatic promotion spot with two games in hand. Our next two away games are going to be absolutely vital. It was lovely to return home this evening with a very warm feeling about our club being promoted at last. Nigel Adkins seems very contented at the moment.

Morning Coffee in Stockbridge - A nice interlude

Sara and I drove into Stockbridge this morning to deliver Tom's homework to him at school as he had been unable to print it off before leaving on the school bus. We took the opportunity of having a leisurely coffee together in Lillie Langtry's tea room which was very pleasant and a change from all the rushing around. I had a light lunch of tuna salad and soup and then attempted to load software onto Tom's laptop to enable him to use his own printer. The software loaded okay but for some reason the printer will only operate after the laptop has been switched off and switched on again. I will need to have a further look at it or try and reload the software again. I washed the car and mowed the lawns this afternoon as well as heightening Mary's bike. We went off for a bike ride together this afternoon down Witt Road and skirting Bentley Wood to the Livery Road Gate and back through the centre of the wood - 6.5 miles! Supper this evening was mussels. Sara and Mary were babysitting at Karen's and I held a Food for Thought planning meeting with Rosemary, Gillian and Susan. I learned that the large meadow field between Middleton Road and Brown's Copse which villagers use as a cut to the village shop has been ploughed up by the local farmer following his request for planning consent to build seventy houses. This will certainly upset a few villagers.

Mothering Sunday

Up early this morning and brought in tea in Sara's mother's cup as well as cards from me and the children. I then walked to church where I and the family were acting as sidespersons at the All Age Mothering Sunday service. There were no service sheets or hymn books to hand out today as an All Age/Mothering Sunday service hadn't been designed (it is usually a Parish Eucharist) so the congregation had to rely entirely on the screen - nothing unusual for those of us who also attend Spring Harvest and CityChurch. A very good service with flowers being handed out to all those present as a symbol of God's love for us all. I walked back home after coffee and this afternoon Sara, Mary and I went for a bike ride into Bentley Wood. Sara is still struggling with her cycling and the hill in the wood. I am delighted to find that with my weight loss I am finding it much easier. We cycled as far as the "T" junction where the wood piles are normally situated - they have been moved and back. Sara wheeled her bike back from the top of Witt road and Mary and I cycled back - meeting Karen and the children on the way. Mum phoned to say that she had received the cards and flowers which we had sent and seemed very pleased with them. After a shower, we drove into Salisbury for an "mid-afternoon lunch" at ASK and Sara and I had a really lovely grilled salmon salad. We got back to Winterslow just in time to walk to St. John's for the Annual Parochial Church Meeting and new PCC meeting. Mary came along as well. The meeting went on rather longer than any of us anticipated with issues being raised surrounding the inter-relationship between Team and Parish. At the meeting I was once more elected to the Deanery Synod and Standing Committee but with the understanding that if I get through the Selection Conference in June and start training for ministry in September I may very well have to relinquish these positions. Richard and I ended the day in the Lion's Head chewing the cud over these meetings.

Great Saints comeback

A day at home this morning followed by a trip into Southampton for Tom and me to attend the Saints v. MK Dons game - an important game if Saints are to make a bid for the automatic promotion spot. We parked at Trethowans and walked the mile or so along St. Mary's Road and St. Mary's Street to our fish and chip shop where I had fishcake and chips and Tom had a portion of chips. The match this afternoon was quite a roller-coaster affair. At half-time, Saints were 0-1 down and MK Dons' lead was doubled early into the second half. With Brighton and Huddersfield both winning elsewhere, it didn't look too good for the Hampshire side. Nigel Adkins made a substitution and brought on Jonathan Forte who, with just two touches of the ball fired in a shot to goal which found its target. One minute later, with his third touch of the ball, Saints were on equal terms. A third goal from Lee Barnard ten minutes later secured the all-important win for the Saints. A tremendous match and what a comeback by the Saints. We all were thinking that Southampton would be very lucky indeed to come away with one point but some brilliant play after the substitution brought a much needed victory. Tonight we had a light supper of rump steak and roasted vegetables (I supplemented my plate with some prawns to make a "turf and surf" meal) which I cooked. A great day out. Sara is now back focused on her weight watching which I really hope she will see through. I am now very close to reaching target and ending my weight loss regime. It remains to be seen how well I can maintain my weight after that.

Lunch with old collegaues

A bit more of a leisurely day today after all the travelling and meetings yesterday but an early start all the same as I was taking Ed and Tony into Salisbury this morning at 7.00 a.m. for this week's Ambassadors' breakfast meeting at Grasmere House Hotel. Tony was able to do a one-minute "elevator" pitch which I think he found useful as well as making a couple of useful contacts. I returned home for an hour or so and ordered some flowers to be delivered to Mum in Grimsby (- I accidentally phoned Mum instead of the florists and had a quick chat to her - apparently she is in a lot of pain with her fibromyalgia -) before setting off for Salisbury again to have lunch at Anokaa's with Phil and Susan, my former claims colleagues from Friends Provident - now Friends Life. We had a very pleasant though slightly rushed buffet lunch at which we tried to catch up on so much news since we had last met - last year. We agreed that we should do it again soon buy try and make it an early evening event so people didn't have to rush back to work. I walked back to Waitrose via the card shop and bought Mothering Sunday cards for me and the kids to send to Mum in Grimsby. These were posted first class at the Waitrose post office. I also bought flowers for Sara too. This evening Sara went to Fordingbridge to a very good Vie at Home customer and came back with some good orders. I watched Michael McIntyre on the TV and I am looking forward to seeing him live on stage in Liverpool in November 2012!! Yes, we've had to book tickets to see him that far in advance to ensure we can get them. It was either Liverpool or Cardiff and as we can all stay up in Liverpool with a friend it seemed the best choice.