The Weekend Picture No.19

The Signs of Spring on a Roundabout waiting for the Tour of Britain

The streets and roundabouts of Surrey have been packed this afternoon with spectators waiting for a brightly coloured glimpse of the Tour of Britain.

We took our picnic lunch to a local roundabout this afternoon to join the festival and cheer on the lycra clad cyclists as they whizzed past the end of our road.

We camped out at12.45, saw our first motorbike outriders at 1.10pm, the leading cyclists at 1.20 and the rest of the peloton at 1.23pm. Then we came home again.

We continue to have a very sporty summer.

Speak soon

JH

Do You Speak Your Partner's Love Language?

When I was a student I had the opportunity to spend a year in Spain. I had a fantastic time there but my experience did not have an auspicious start. I turned up in Madrid carrying the largest suitcase my parents could find in the loft with instructions to find one of Madrid's cheapest hotels, in one of Madrid's red lightest of districts. I remember dragging the suitcase along a dark side street, sirens wailing in the distance, desparately trying to find my hotel. I finally found it, blinking in the neon of the cinema across the street and dragged my suitcase up 5 flights of stairs before standing grinning inanely at my hostess as she ran through the rules of the establishment in strong Madrileno Spanish.

I gathered from her hand gestures that I was sharing the room with a stranger and trying to ascertain which bed I was allowed to sleep on I pointed at the one nearest to the window and asked her "Puedo, er, cantar sobre la cama?"

She smiled benignly as if to say "Si, you English idiot" before closing the door and giggling all the way down the corridor.

The Weekend Picture No.18

The Dubmeister brings a little bit of Cornwall home with him.

 The Dubmeister was away for the last fortnight of August. He was camping with a brilliant Christian boys organisation called Urban Saints.

He went mountain boarding, wave jumping and hiking. He sat around camp fires, ate enormous breakfasts and bundled with his mates.

Mostly he had fun and came back a happier, more confident, and yet slightly dirtier person.

His tent was flooded out one night and he mostly wore flip flops around the sodden camp site so when he came home I just had to take a picture of his feet.

It's great to have him home.

Speak Soon
JH

PS You can read about the Dubmeister's bedroom tidying exploits here

The Magical Healing Powers of Paddington Bear

One of the Signs of Spring had a horrible urine infection last Friday evening. She was sick, had a temperature and generally felt uncomfortable and horrible. She wouldn't even eat the Lasagne I had made for her tea - she was seriously unwell.

She woke up in the middle of the night feeling bad enough for me to ring the out of hours doctor service at 2.30am. I was expecting a trip to a grimy doctors surgery with a feverish 9 year old dressed in a duvet and clutching her cuddly monkey. But that was reckoning without the magical healing powers of Paddington Bear.

The Weekend Picture No.17

Mounia Gasmi, Sliver Medallist in the Club Throwing

We were there yesterday at "Super Human Saturday" in the Olympic Park, or Paralympic Park as it is known now.

We were moved by displays of extraordinary courage and determination by athletes of outstanding ability.

We saw Oscar Pistorius look imperious in qualification for the 200 meters final, Jason Smyth ease to victory in the 100m and Liu Fuliang break two world records on the way to the triple jump title.

But my favourite sight of the evening was the bundle of smiles that is Mounia Gasmi, the silver medal winning club thrower from Algeria. Her face told you everything you needed to know about the pride, joy and dedication that goes into paralympic sport.

It will remain with me forever.

In the Olympic Stadium

It was a late night!

Speak soon

JH