France - Sunday

T&D returned during the night and we met them for breakfast. It was great to discuss all the places that we might want to visit and pick out favourites.
After breakfast, we left T&D to unpack while we walked up into the mountains. It was blazing hot but there were some shady trees and a cool breeze to help us. It was a hard slog to the top but spectacular views greeted us at the end of our climb.
When we got back we were able to cool off in the pool before enjoying a stupendous barbecue for dinner. Then it was a couple of games of 'Articulate' (easily won by the boys) before bed.

French holiday - Saturday

After a curry in Luton on Friday night, we were up bright and early to get our taxi to the airport. It was very quiet at that time and there was a very short queue at check-in and none at all at security - brilliant!
Paying for priority boarding proved the right choice when we were able to nab the seats by the emergency exits with the extra legroom.
It was hot when we emerged onto the tarmac at Beziers. The airport is tiny but picking up our car was simple and we were even upgraded to a C3.
The drive to Lunas went without a hitch; the trouble started when we arrived in the village. I realised that I'd left Tim's address at home and my only sense of his house's location came from a vague recollection of looking at a Google aerial photo. Cue much wandering around the little streets looking for a house that matched the sketchy description. When we found one that fitted the bill we were foxed by the locked gate - we knew T&D were away but they knew we were coming. In the end we decided to climb the fence and see what happened. Luckily we'd got the right house and we found the key and let ourselves in. What a palaver!
We settled in and had a couple of well-earned cold drinks, and a snooze. Keren got challenged by the neighbour/guard but she was able to conjour up enough French to satisfy her that we were there legitimately.
Later on we strolled into the village and enjoyed a very nice meal at a somewhat odd restaurant but, all in all, it was a very good start to our holiday.

Ryanair are dirty robdogs - discuss.

K and I have just checked in for our flight to Beziers. £20 per kilo for overweight bags. My case's ticket was more than mine. Maybe it'll get better service.

On the bright side, we sailed through Security without a queue of any sort. Now sat in Starbucks in the departure 'lounge'. No queues + Keren booking taxi = long wait airside.

A Weekend with Friends and Family - that's the best kind isn't it?

K and I started the weekend with Dinner at Darren & Sarah's.  Sarah's a great cook and they're both terrific hosts so we enjoyed our evening no end.  Apologies to K for the extensive school day reminiscing - I'm afraid it's inevitable.

Saturday night was spent at Steve and Patricia's.  We had a look at their wedding video, which brought back great memories and drank way too much!  This was evidenced by Steve's decision to pull his pants up to his nipples and then sit on his wife.  We can't remember why.

Sunday lunch with the in-laws and then down to Martin and Charlotte's to spend some time with Evie.  Clint, Emma and Joel were there too and the adults all played pass the parcel with the baby - I ducked out of that game, I'm always a bit nervous with tiny babies, worried I might break them I guess.

Hello Evie!

Welcome to the world to Evangeline Grace Hickerton - my new niece.

She was born yesterday morning and weighs a very healthy 8lb 8oz.  I think you can tell from this photo that Dad is quite pleased with the new arrival.

Marwell Animal Park

Just got back from a great trip to Marwell Animal Park with Lou, Pat and Oli. It's the little fella's birthday and he enjoyed the animals - but not as much as he enjoyed riding on a tractor!

My favourites were the giant anteater and the wallaby with a baby in her pouch.

Weather was very good (for Feb in England) so we really enjoyed it all.

Shep upsets Martin's London marathon training

Martin's doing the London Marathon in April and his training programme said he needed to do a 16 mile run. That's further than he's been before and he asked me if I wanted to go with him (on my bike, obviously!).  I planned a route that I was sure would be between 15 and 16 miles but, as usual, I underestimated and he ended up doing 18.8!  It all turned out OK because he managed it really well and there was no sign of hitting the fabled 'wall' which often comes around the 18 mile mark.  Martin might let me go out with him again but I don't think I'll be allowed to navigate!

3rd Anniversary - walk to Pyewipe

It's our third wedding anniversary today and we marked it in our usual style with a bracing walk in the countryside.  We fancied trying the food at the Pyewipe (being the third pub under the same ownership as the Penny Farthing and Chequers).  By the time we got up, it was a bit too far to walk all the way so we got the bus into town and walked two miles along the Fossdyke to the pub.  Food was just as good as expected and we wandered back in the dark with full tummies.

Charlotte's Baby Shower / Harrows

In the early evening of the 28th it was Charlottes Baby Shower which Keren had helped to organise.  Various partners of attendees converged on the Harrows for a few swift ones.

We all then met up at the Hickertons for a few drinks later on in the evening.  All the girls made predictions about the date and time of the birth - only time will tell who's correct.

Walk in Potterhanworth with Jo & Tony

Took a walk in Potterhanworth today with Jo and Tony followed by lunch in the Chequers.  Jo's preggers so nothing too arduous - we parked up in the village and walked north-east through Potternahworth Wood before following the Car Dyke south, then back to the village via Nocton Fen Lane - it was about 4 miles in all.

The Chequers do great food - we picked it specially because it's owned by the same people who have the Penny Farthing in Timberland and we'd had a couple of good meals there.  We weren't disappointed - highly recommend this place for a meal - bit pricier than standard pub food but you get what you pay for.