Well, I’ve given both these monsters up for the New Year, once existing supplies (of choc) have run out. All laugh derisively, as if there’s some doubt I’ll stay the course. We’ll see. Liv gave me two kilo bars of CDM for Christmas, which I’ve just finished. If, as I intend, they were my last for a while, at least they will provide a good memory.

Concerning the Lakes: Easter’s available, from 3rd April, I think, as is May, either 1st or 8th, I’m not sure which.

I’m sure there’s a sandfly spawning ground in my back pocket or something. I just can’t seeem to get away from the little blood suckers.
Feeling rather bloated from a massive lunch of cherries and apricots. Best I’ve ever tasted!
You should make it out here for the grape season.

G

Hail all,Well, we are in picton waiting for the ferrty and just about to do a last walk with a view of the sounds. it is a bit grizzly today but the weather has been most clement! WE have been picking and eating a lot of cherries, the hugest ones i have ever seen and are feeling rather blottus and sick, Also picked a huge amount of apricots at $2 a kilo which we will never manage to eat beofre they get too ripe so i might have to cook some! Mama would ahve loved it, they were so cheap and tasty! Geoff had a suspisious red mouth after the cherries so had to stay in the bushes until the dye had worn of! WEll, hope all is well at the homestead. geoff was wondering what Jul’s indeapth training consisted of – learning how to read a letter – hahaha! most amusing i thought! After the Christmas orgy i looked rather plump to say the least in all the photos – a tum verging on the mama’s so i thought a less sugar diat would be a good plan as all clothes becoming a bit tight! Geoff is getting a bi of a tum too so he’s ofthe choc for the time being – most painful. We will prepare old gerty for the big sale if you are not sure whats happening but you have a while yet to decide if you want her or not – a most reliable old girl. Did you find out about easter time in the lake district? might be able to go but count feb out i think as too soon after we get bacj, the day after in fact and also weather not as good then is it?? well, will mail or phone from the north.T

Thank you for the long Christmas mails Mama and Dod, nice to read about all the usually Christmas activities! We had a good time too though not like at home! Louise said that James is a wet blamket when it comes to Christmas as well!! old has beens i say! We are in nelson at the mo, and no letter from granny at the post office to maybe she didn’t send one. going for swim later as it is blistering and then geoff is having a flying lesson with xmas money, then of to the cinema to see love actually while he goes to see some cac about a sailor! well, texting works so text away and i will ring beofre we get the ferry on the 7th with these classy cards which Jul omitted to tell us about. The bike looks classy. I would have said jul looks lie something out of that film Labyrinth woth davis bowie! well, cheers for now and will talk later. are still trying to find a classyier place than the lovcal chippy to spend J&L’s food voucher!
T

Those photos vividly remind me of a couple of christmases I’ve spent in Mown Meadows.
Was that 5 a side as shattering this year as I remember it to be last year?

I didn’t realise that Jul could ride a motorbike. I guess he learnt pretty quickly. If you scaled up the bike, and changed the background a bit, that shot could almost have come from a film. Just don’t tell him I said that!

Happy New Year to all!

Geoff

We got back last night, at 12.15. Amazingly, only a six hour journey, which I don’t really understand, considering there was a lot of traffic, several delays, and a minor hiccup when we missed the M25 turn off and had to double back up the M1. Maybe we entered a time hole.

It was a great few days, except perhaps the ending, when the Newcastle supporters amongst us headed off to St James’ in the certainty of an easy victory over Blackburn, only to watch a dismal performace turn sour in the second half. Toby buying me a sweaty pie was the highlight of the afternoon: scalding hot ‘meat’ and gravy and damp pastry. Delicious.

There were nineteen of us for Christmas lunch, with turkey, roast potatoes, brussels, pudding, profiteroles, cheese, coffee, wine, champagne. Later, we played Empires, which some may remember from Isola, and Canasta. Also, on the first evening, we had a long game of Monopoly.

We went down to the land on Boxing Day and built a bonfire, chainsawed logs, drove the two four wheel drives around and bombed about on the little motorbike. The bike was great, though changing gears was a struggle. It was a freezing cold day but we all got warm. Then, onto Granny’s for lunch.

I did the 8 mile bike circuit across the golf course and down the avenue of trees with Crip one morning and Jamie the next. There are two seriously steep climbs that strain heart, lungs and thighs; but arriving back and having a hot shower made it all seem most pleasurable.

Then there was the five a side game. I was in one goal, James in the other. Crip, Jul and Henry just lost to Liv, Jamie, Edward and Edward’s friend. So we had a numerical advantage. We also had another advantage which was Henry struggling with an injured foot. Henry was a nightmare when he got close enough to have a shot at goal. He reminded me of Geoff. I would be lurching in one direction, to stop the ball that looked like it was coming that way, only to see it roll past me into the net on the other side. Had Henry been fully fit, we might well have lost. All in all, both tense and satisfying, with much discussion afterwards and some jolly backslapping amongst the winning fraternity that Jul claimed was ‘frankly nauseating’.

Then, homeward in Daisy.