Jamie and Kat got married in a registry office in Warwick. Really nice it was too and I think being first of the day helped. We enjoyed breakfast together afterwards. The great celebration took place a week later in The Orangery in the Old Rectory House near Redditch. It was a tough call knowing whether to have the ceremony inside or outside, but outside was the favourite and that’s what we did. The bad weather held off and it was absolutely beautiful. In the evening, they had a ceilidh with Jigworks and caller Jane Bird. All in all, a splendid family day of much happiness.

The family met on a lovely sunny May day in Wantage to celebrate these two fine young fellows. 

I was given a most generous invitation to attend (and help with) a ukulele course set in a beautiful chalet way up high in the French Alps. Well, being a properly brought up chap I accepted the invitation. Annie too. And what a week we had. It was a musical holiday that dreams are made of.

Le Manoir is a luxury hotel-restaurant in the village of Great Milton. It is one of the finest restaurants in the world and run by top chef Raymond Blanc. Dead posh and dead expensive.

Joe and Charlotte bought us lunch for two for Annie’s birthday. When the great day arrived, there was a lot of snow in Oxfordshire (December) and we couldn’t get there. The restaurant graciously allowed us to move the date to our wedding anniversary in February.

Well… it was a definitely a highlight in our married life. The setting, the service, the food, the wine was all exquisite. And I don’t use that word lightly. We were immersed in luxury and loved every minute.

A lad and Dad day out. With lunch of course. This was a really interesting place to visit.

The station was built in 1807 to supply water to the highest point of the Kennet & Avon Canal which links London and Bristol. It is a rare survivor of the technology which enabled British engineers to drain mines and supply towns and cities with water throughout the world

We took the ferry to France and spent a most delightful time driving round northern France, staying in various AirBnB houses.

The wedding ceremony took place in Chippenham Registry Office, then afterwards we had a fabulous celebration in the Wyvern Club in Devizes. It had been transformed with tent-like drapes inside the building. Fabulous. After the meal and drinks, we danced the night away to the music of live band Melobo, then a disco.

My dear Mum left a small amount of money and I chose to spend it on a mega holiday for my family. I hired a very big country house and garden in Torquay. I think fishing was the main pastime.

A delightful holiday in the quaint adjoining villages of Kingsand and Cawsand.

After the official wedding in Newbury, the family celebrations took place in Moulsford Village Hall. Neil Townsend conducted the ceremony, Jamie played and sang a song, and we all enjoyed a 1940s style English afternoon tea, sandwiches and cakes, with Glen Miller playing in the background. In the evening we danced to a ceilidh lead by Melobo and Jane Bird calling.

We hired a large house in Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire and a had a wonderful weeks holiday together. Amongst other things, we played music in the garden, went to the beach at Burry Port and then did some pretty serious surfing at Caswell Bay. Jamie mastered those six inch breakers in no time.

Annie’s family on her Dad’s side, came from the Forest of Dean. We stayed in a massive house just a short stroll from the most amazing public house “The Ostrich” and explored the area,  looking out places where her relatives lived.

Gordon wanted to find out a bit more about photography, so we took a Dad and Lad trip across the downs and shot some landscapes and visited Brightwalton church.

This was one of our mega-holidays, when all 8 of us went away. We stopped in Whitley Bay, there and back, and had the most excellent holiday in bonny Scotland. Jamie, Vicki, Gordon, Rob and AJ spent much of their time fishing in the sea loch. Joe read his books. We took a boat out to the island of Iona (near Mull) and another boat trip to Fingles Cave. Jamie, Joe and Rob went on a hike together. On our way back to Whitley Bay we stopped in Glencoe for our picnic.

We were invited to Estonia by our dear friends Alec and Pauline Watts, who had moved there to live. What an amazing country. It seems to have jumped straight from primitive communist Russia style straight to very high tech, missing out the in-between development. 

Gordon and Rob both had a short spell playing for Grove Rugby Club. Gordon’s team usually won and Rob’s team usually lost. I really enjoyed watching the boys and taking these photos.

Gordon invited his friend’s round to the house for his birthday party, opening presents and cake!

Our good friends Dick and Kirsty Squires let us use their lovely country house and barn in France for a week’s holiday. We had use of the large house, sleeping 6 plus the barn, sleeping 4, so plenty of room for us all. We also had our own swimming pool! Tres bon. The long trip to the Dordogne was quite a challenge, but it was so worth it.

The five of us stayed in a holiday chalet (Trewince Holiday Lodges) on the Roseland Peninsula. We met up with the Grays and the Horswells for a picnic. We went to Portscatho Beach and Portcurnick Beach to explore. We also visited St Mawes Castle and then drove to Falmouth to visit Pendennis Castle.

A group of us from Wantage Community Church went on a camping trip to The Forest of Dean. It was a weekend of adventure; making fires, bows and arrows and a trip to Puzzle Wood.

Another lovely summer holiday with Gran and Grandad in Whitley Bay. We spent most of the time going to the beach. We went to Whitley Bay ice rink too.

We spent an amazing week in our holiday chalet by a loch in Scotland. The children spent their time exploring the woods and playing with a Jack Russell terrier called Tim. We visited Lesley’s sister and her family in Sterling. We were made very welcome.