July has certainly been Milo’s month as he passed his
driving test and then passed the interview and entry tests for a job in
Sainsbury’s in Attleborough. He is in the fresh products team swapping his
tweed coat for a Sainsbury’s maroon thermal jacket and gloves in the middle of
summer. By the end of the holidays he had earnt enough money for a new ‘techy’
style phone (far too expensive!!) and a new look of trendy clothes – shirts,
bespoke shoes and ties being textured and bow styles. A picture of Milo ‘Man
about town’ in his little car.
July has also been the month when our nephew Jake married
the lovely Nicola. There was at least three best-men and I believe three
bridesmaids, flower girl being India and Nicolas nephew as a page boy. They
married in Banham church by the local vicar who was fabulous. He covered all
prominent subjects of a young couple’s life being drink, sex and how married
life works with risks of temptation, boredom and then how to look after each
other, all wrapped up with the web address of the church at the end. A really
great wedding sermon! The reception was back at Vanessa and Stevens in the
garden, a marquee for afternoon tea and evening BBQ and a lot more friends came
along. Picture of the lovely couple, then one of my favourite pictures of all
the cousins and silly boys – Dylan and Finley.
The first week of the school summer holidays and we took
mum and dad on a narrow boat holiday with Jerry, I and Pirate Captain Dylan. We
were on the Grand Union Canal from Leighton Buzzard travelled up the canal
through at least 25 locks, the oldest iron aqueduct and then the longest
navigating tunnel called Blisworth Tunnel. We then turned around on a ‘turning
hole’ and came back covering a grand total of 20 miles.
Our Pirate Captain enjoyed the experience of walking the
plank, sending out orders as he sailed the waters of the canal and his crew
enjoyed the pleasures of the local pubs along the canal banks.
It really was a very different experience, incredibly
slow, so slow people who walked were faster than us in our narrow boat, one not
to have missed and to be repeated. I hope you enjoy the video I asked Milo to
put together for me to give a feel of our holiday.
A couple of weeks later in August we took Jerry on his
birthday trip to Edinburgh to soak up the atmosphere of The Fringe and attend
the Edinburgh Royal Tattoo. The added surprise being we were meeting up with Eric
and Sue in Edinburgh but Jerry didn’t know, they were supposed to be holidaying
in Cornwall – well that’s what Jerry thought everybody else knew otherwise.
Eric and Sue met us at the airport, they had driven up a few days earlier, and
poor Jerry was floored in those few moments he couldn’t comprehend what was
going on. It was funny and a relief, lying since May was hard going.
We started our trip with an open top bus tour of the city,
taking in the many Fringe activities and shows on the streets as always it was
a really interesting and easy way to capture the essence of the city. In the
evening we went to the Military Tattoo and ‘WOO’ what a show, it was truly magnificent
modern and mesmerizing, both Milo and Dylan (for as long as he could keep his
eyes open) on the edge of their seats enjoying the show. The picture display on
the side of Edinburgh Castle was as remarkable as the musical parades with a
celebration to Bowie.
We spent the next day enjoying the cottage, in the middle
of nowhere, being the hot tub with a few sips of wine! Going home we went via
crossing the ‘Forth of Firth’ bridge to a small beach and paddled in really
clear water. My funniest picture being the one below of Milo laying on the
beach in August in his black jeans, tweed coat and scarf. He actually admitted
to being too hot in the car travelling back to the airport asking for the air
conditioning to be put on – a very rare moment! A great opportunist break.
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| Drinks in the Fringe |
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| Edinburgh Military Tattoo Finale |
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| Fabulous view |
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| Enjoying the beach |
I had the last week of the school holidays off too and again
took Dylan to London for the day with my lovely friend Val, we had a fabulous
day together. Our aim being dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum and the
London Eye. Dylan was really excited at the thought of the forthcoming
experience starting with the train and underground trips, then when we
discussed the plan with him and he heard the word ‘Kensington’ he informed us
Peter Pan came from Kensington Gardens which then meant a detour to see the
Peter Pan statue. Dylan’s pirate life is based on the antics of Captain Hook
fighting Peter Pan, being very real in his life and to anyone around Dylan, so
the statue became a must.
The dinosaurs were great fun, he enjoyed the roaring
moving robotics dinosaurs best, insisting on being brought a dinosaur egg which
has since been given birth too. We next hot-footed to find and admire the
beautiful bronze statue of Peter Pan, Dylan was in-orr of the experience his
face was a picture. On the London Eye Dylan was initially apprehensive as he
sat in the middle of the pod bench, legs crossed tucked under him, holding on in
case he fell out! It wasn’t long before he became brave and ventured around the pod
recognising the landmark views, he particularly enjoys and recognises Big Ben.
A really good fun day.
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| Dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum |
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| Sitting next to his hero 'Peter Pan' |
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| Enjoying the London Eye above Big Ben |
Hope you read to the end and have enjoyed my news
