Time To Play Catchup!

For those of you who have patiently waited for an update to our Blog, you'll be pleased to see that the caterpillar has disappeared and I have found out how to change the background!
The good news is that we finally have the time to sit down and update you on what has been happening for the past 3 months.

Anyway....


4th November 2006 - Cooking & Wall Paper...
Friday night and Mandy cooked a delicious Lamb Tajine, a la Ainsley, although our Tajine that we bought in Morrocco lasted about 3 seconds before it cracked. Maybe the 29p that we paid for it was a rip off after all?
Saturday morning and we were doing riveting things like going to the tip, tidying the garage and getting the cars cleaned.
We took the cars to a place in Peterborough that Mandy had been told about. It's an old petrol station that's now a hand car wash. You simply turn up and within seconds you've got a swarm of Russians and Poles busying themselves vacuuming, washing, squirting, rinsing and wiping down your car and within 15 minutes, hey presto, you've got a lovely shiny car, inside and out. The height of laziness but worth every penny.



We then headed off to Mark & Em's. Got there to find them in what can best be described as organised chaos. The extension is well underway and looking good. There's a nice not so thin layer of dust over everything, including Mark and Em as they stripped the wallpaper in the hall and staircase. After a couple of beers, Mandy and I thought we'd chip in and help finish the job off before going out for a well earned curry - yum!
Met a couple of Mark & Em's friends for lunch on Sunday. Their little boy Olly was great entertainment throughout and probably ate more than anybody else - a very healthy appetite.
Back to Mark & Em's and watched England lose to New Zealand in the rugby (Jonny where are you?) and then drove back to Peterborough.
As it was November 5th, we thought we'd take a late night stroll and get a complimentary firework display at the same time... Bit scary walkng through the dark woods but l knew Mandy would protect me...


28th October 2006 - Sarah's Birthday...
We drove down late friday night to my Dad's and once again found JC (Dad) asleep on the sofa. I think he may be turning nocturnal. Either that or he's practicing for winter hibernation. Lazy evening followed with the prospect of a day at Thorpe Park to come.
Up and out early after an interrupted nights sleep. Mandy had a nightmare at about 2 a.m. which resulted in me having to wake her up because of her uncontrollable snorting and face contorting... not a happy bunny. But, unsurprisingly, she was back asleep in no time.
Got to Maidenhead to do a bit of shopping before Mandy had a hair appointment. Highlights included bumping into my friend Miles who l thought lived in Perth, Australia but apparently not that weekend. He was back home for a few days to see his family after his grandad had recently passed away so seeing him in a shopping centre in Maidenhead was quite a surprise.
Mandy's hair appointment was cancelled an hour before she was due to arrive (great!) so a quick stop in to Tony & Guy and luckily she was able to get a last minute appointment - and mighty fine she looked too!
Then it was off to Ben & Sarah's for the days adrenaline fueled entertainment. Saw Freya walking for the first time which was pretty cool and she's becoming very good at animal impressions - most notably elephants and monkeys. (I think she's going to be a vet - either that or a comedienne!)
Thorpe Park was surprisingly good - a lot different since l last went there in 1987. The scariest thing back then was the tea-cup ride. Now they've got some pretty extreme rides including "Stealth" which accelerates you from 0-80 mph in 2.3 secs and then plummets you down 200ft vertically - excellent... Mandy loved it!
Waiting times were up to 2 hours on some rides, or you could pay £3 and go straight to the front of the queue. No guesses for what we did... so long suckers!
A great day, albeit tiring, and even Mandy, who was very apprehensive at the start, was one of the last few standing urging everyone else to go on the rides... a true convert!
Into Windsor for a few drinks, which turned into just 1 for us as we were tired, under-dressed and generally not quite with it so it was back home in time for MOTD. (Match of the Day - perfick!)
Thankfully an uninterrupted night sleep saw us wake up to a nice bright sunny day. I was due to play football although suffering with a chesty cough, l think running the line was about all l was good for. Mandy dropped me off on her way to Bicester Shopping Village whilst the Eton Rifles lost yet another match. (I must be a jinx - we'd one the last 4 games and then l turned up)
I can't take all the blame though as l was the linesman up until 20 minutes from the end. I came on, set up our only goal in a 4-1 defeat, and then got head-butted by my team mate as we both went up for a cross... Ouch.
3 hours in casualty and 8 stitches later l emerged from Wexham Park Hospital with a nice shiner and cut above my right eye... and another on my cheek. Not a pretty sight.



My sister-in-law Wendy's reaction was the best, a dropped jaw and a "bloody hell!" (Wendy never swears so it must be bad)
Lovely home cooked Shepherds Pie with Dad, Rob & Wendy and then it was back up to Peterborough. We thought it probably safer that Mandy drive as my right eye was now virtually closed... all in all a pretty eventful and memorable weekend!


21st October 2006 - Angela's Leaving Do...
Saturday evening, Dave and I travelled over to Kettering for a meal with Sean, Yen and Angela to say our goodbyes to Angela.
Sean and Yen were fantastic hosts, plying us with Champagne and nibbles as we arrived. The meal started with a cheese fondue followed by Salmon wrapped in Proscuttio and black olives! It was all very fancy and delicious.
The meal was followed by games of cards. We started off with some more sophisticated games but this soon deteriorated into drunken snap! Angela was convinced she'd won but I know I did really!
Sunday was s complete washout - for me at least! We had agreed to go down to Burnham to see Dave's dad. I slept for the journey there (2 hours) and went to bed as soon as we arrived in Burnham (a further 2 hours). Red wine is no longer my friend!
Yet another weekend over!


14th October 2006 - SCUBA!...
After weeks of studying (OK 5 minutes the night before) we were finally ready to head to Whittlesey to start our SCUBA training.
Friday evening we arrived at 5:30 to register and meet the rest of the students. We were provided with all the kit we required - mask, fins, snorkle, BCD (bouyancy control device), SCUBA tank, weight belt, regulator - and were then taken into the class room to go through the theory that we should have learnt prior to the class!
We were shown how to set up our kit and then got the chance to try it out ourselves before heading to the local swimming pool for the first of 5 pool sessions.
The first time I had to breath through the regulator underwater was really weird. The air from the tank was really cold and dry and made me cough - not easy to do under water! My mask soon filled up with water and I'd forgotten the part in the training where they showed you how to clear it under water so I soon surfaced coughing and spluttering!
The rest of the evening passed without too many problems and Dave really enjoyed it. I didn't!
I was cold and shivering and the tank was very heavy. I really couldn't see how this could be fun.



Realising that we not only should have completed some pre-study but also that we were due to hand in our 'quizzes' we then stayed up until 1:00am cramming! Nothing changes...
Saturday we arrived early to a mist covered quarry and temperatures near freezing - were we really to return the following weekend to dive in this quarry?!!
A day of study ensued where Dave and I showed off our new found knowledge and were top of the class! The afternoon saw a return to the swimming pool. I had managed to acquire a wet suit so was looking forward to at least not being cold!



Things started off badly as we had to put our SCUBA gear on out of the water. The tank was as heavy as me and I couldn't bend over to pick anything up without fear of toppling into the pool! (Dave found this all highly amusing)
Hoping that things would improve once in the water (everything's weightless in water right?) I was disappointed to find that they didn't. We had to sit in a lotus position and inflate our BCD until we just lifted off the bottom of the pool and hovered. I was hampered somewhat by the additional bouyancy of my wetsuit without additional weights on my weight belt so couldn't stop floating even if I'd wanted to! Even more annoying was seeing Dave lifting perfectly off the floor and floating as if supported by an invisible platform.
Once I'd overcome the bouyancy of my wetsuit I finally managed to lift off the floor, only to continue falling backwards as again l was overcome by the weight of my SCUBA tank. Once again, I really couldn't see how this could be fun!
Next came snorkel skills. The idea was to take a deep breath whilst at the surface, go under water so the snorkel filled up, then come to the surface breathing out sharply to clear the water from the snorkel tube.
I managed all but the last part so kept inhaling water, causing me to cough and splutter. Yet again, Dave was able to master this skill like a true proffessional!
One positive, I wasn't cold! Things were looking up!
Sunday we returned for the final day. We did a bit more study then had to sit an exam. We aced it, both getting 100% - maybe knowing the questions beforehand helped a little bit!
The final two pool sessions reinforced our view that the rest of the class really were stupid as we were the only two who managed to swim 9 metres under water whilst making a noise. (Dave still appears to have not grapsed the reason for this skill so maybe I was the only one who wasn't stupid?!)
All in all a fairly enjoyable weekend in amongst the cold and the difficult skills...


6th October 2006 - Simon's Leaving Do...
Friday night was Simon's leaving do. Simon did work for me but decided to take up a new job in America selling our engines to unsuspecting customers! We started in a local pub but very soon seemed to be in a very noisy, overfilled nightclub trying to hear ourselves think! (I really am getting old...)
I can't say I recall much of the evening after Angela and I decided to start on the double Vodkas, but I am reliably informed that I was to be seen bouncing around said nightclub hiding behind pillars in a cat like manner (oh dear...)
Angela, Dave and I returned home where we serenaded Dave with our Karaoke - his counsellor says he may recover one day with continued help and support!
Saturday was a bit of a wash out. I wasn't feeling particualrly great (must be something I ate) and didn't leave the house! An afternoon nap perked me up and Dave popped out to buy me McDonalds so I was soon all better.
Sunday we were up bright and early and headed down the A14 to see Grandma and Grandad. They'd been expecting us since the crack of dawn and the veg was on ready for lunch. An hour later we sat down to a delicious roast pork with apple sauce (or in my case apple sauce with a bit of pork!)
We chatted away the afternoon and Dave was given the thumbs up by Grandma - praise indeed!


1st October 2006 - Abu Dhabi / Le Touquet..
Wednesday night (27th) I jumped on a plane to make the long journey to Abu Dhabi. Sam and Jason are now working out there so I decided to use up the rest of my holiday going out to visit them.
I arrived early on Thursday morning and got a taxi to their flat. They have a fantastic apartment in the centre of Abu Dhabi with a roof top pool and a gym! All very fancy.



Sam and Jase were both at work but soon arrived home to take me up to the pool and out for a lovely curry (£3 each!)
Ramadan was in full swing so we weren't allowed to be seen drinking or eating during the hours of sunlight!!! Sam and I spent a days shopping with interludes in the ladies toilets sneaking a sip of water and a snickers!!!



A day at the beach, another seeing the sights and it was all too soon time to come home.



It was sooooo hot (39°C) so I even managed to get a tan in the 4 days I was there!

Meanwhile....
Thursday morning I (Dave) was Chunnelling my way to France... It 's that time of year again, the annual golf trip better known as 'The Leather Wedge,' which sees 5 not so grown men attempt to play golf and convince themselves that they're any good.
72 holes in 3 days with more than a few beers in between saw me romp in 4th out of 5... not so good, but a great time and some great golf courses played. (Belle Dune will have to be played again) Preferably on the fairway next time.
Headed back at lunchime on Sunday and got to Dad's to meet Mandy who'd only just arrived back from Abu Dhabi.
Quick shower, change of clothes and it was off to my cousin's post christening celebrations at a local pub. Both a bit travel weary and hungover (Me) with a pub full of family was just what we needed???
Was great to catch up with them all though and then it was off again as we scrounged a lift back to Peterborough with Mark who stayed over for the evening. A very romantic way for us to spend the evening of our 6 month anniversary..... thanks mate!


23rd September 2006 - Liverpool vs Spurs...
This weekend, Dave and I travelled up to Maghull to see M&D and Mel. We arrived fairly late, had a beer, tried to complete the 'Christmas' quiz and soon headed to bed - very nice comfortable rooms these days!
Saturday saw M&D heading off on part 373 of their walk from one side of the country to the other (or something like that!)
Mel picked Dave and I up (and Eamonn en route) and drove us to Anfield to see one of the only games that Liverpool have played well in this season - result!
After a well deserved win and a beer in a dodgy pub near the ground we jumped on the bus to Liverpool. Soon the rest of 'the crew' joined us and we went to a very nice Italian Restaurant.
A good night was had by all - Kate announced she was pregnant which called for Champagne and then on to O'Neills before getting the last train home - getting too old for staying out till 2:00 these days!
Sunday - Dad, Dave and I went to Maplins (oh the excitement!) to buy a hard drive for Ben's computer - still not using it over a month later - there's a theme here...
Dave spent an exciting afternoon watching a tiger play golf. I mean Tiger Woods of course in the Ryder Cup.
Yummy roast then back to Peterborough.


16th September 2006 - Mark sells his TT...
Friday night Dave's friends Mark & Starky invited themselves over for a lads night! So, I invited myself over to Em's for a girls night!
The boys headed out into Peterborough for a night of drinking, drinking and a bit of 'Bully' (Bullseye arcade game!).



Em and I stayed in, watched TV and both fell asleep on the couch at about 10:30! We know how to have a good time!
Saturday Em and I got up to wash the cars whilst the boys drove over to see us. Mark was preparing himself to sell his beloved Audi TT which was a very emotional affair - "I'm not sure I can do it" were his words once the offer had been made.



Lunch in Derby (Mark's treat obviously given his new found wealth) and we then headed back to Peterborough.
Sunday finally saw the end to the awful mustard walls in the kitchen and another weekend was over.


2nd September 2006 - Weekend in Burnham...
This weekend we drove down to Burnham after work to see Dave's dad (JC). He was a little surprised by our arrival as we found him snoozing on the couch! A delicious dinner had been prepared so we all sat down to tuck into the Spag Bol.
Saturday, Dave and I took a trip to Habitat to buy some picture frames (still not used over 2 months later!). On our return we helped out with refitting some tiles in JC's kitchen - all looks very smart now!



Saturday afternoon we headed over to Ben and Sarah's where a very proud Freya was starting to walk around, holding on to the furniture. Football on TV and games with Freya - I fed her her dinner which was very sweet! Once she was tucked up in bed, we had a delicious dinner, wine and watched some TV.
A re-match of trivial Pursuit was closely won by Ben and Sarah - I think we helped them out quite a bit!
Sunday was a lazy day (for me at least!). Dave and Ben played football whilst Sarah and I stood on the sidelines, occasionally watching the football! We met with JC for lunch and soon afterwards headed bck to Peterborough.


26th August 2006 - Mum and Dad come to stay...
Bank Holiday this weekend so mum and dad have been to stay for the long weekend. It happened to coincide with the Peterborough Beer Festival but I'm sure that had no bearing on it at all!
Arriving Saturday lunchtime on the train (cheap tickets for OAPs!) Dave and I picked them up and brought them home for some lunch. Having given them some choices as to what we could do for the weekend, they chose to help us out with the DIY in the bathroom! After a wild goose chase round Peterborough, we finally found a shower screen that was suitable and reserved it to collect the following day.
Saturday night we had Mexican then walked down into Peterborough to the Embankment for the Beer Festival. It was fairly busy with lots of awful sounding (and most equally awful tasting) beers. We also found a Cider and Perrie stand which was very popular. Mum and I tried out the Perrie then we all went into the main tent for an evening of Robbie Williams! Unfortunately it wasn't the real one but we had a good night, jumped in a taxi and were soon all fast asleep.
Sunday, Dave and I went back into Peterborough for the final search for tiles. We managed to get these, paint, shower screen and shower attachments.
DIY soon commenced and I have discovered my natural talent (after a little coaching from Dad!) for tiling.



Dave and Dad did the tiling on the en-suite floor whilst mum and I finished off the walls in the bathroom.
Monday we completed the finishing touches (grouting, shower door etc.) and mum and dad headed back on the long journey back to Liverpool - leaving Dave and I to finish the painting etc.


9th August 2006 - Marrakech with Mark and Em...
With Dave having had only a few days holiday remaining before he moved up to Peterborough, the two of us, Mark and Em decided that a long weekend in Marrakech would allow us a well earned break!!
We left Heathrow on Wednesday evening and flew to Casablanca. After a brief touch down where some people got off the plane and others joined us (all very weird - felt like a bus journey not a plane!) we arrived in Marrakech.
It was fairly late in the evening so we jumped in a taxi to the hotel, checked in and had a quick drink in the hotel bar.

The following morning (Thursday) we awoke to the most glorious day. The sun was shining, it was about 35°C and the view from our window was of a very inviting pool and bar area.
We all met for breakfast which was lovely and then claimed our sun loungers for the day. Lunch by the pool was shortly followed by a decision to check out hire cars for a trip up into the mountains. Em had read about it in her guide book...
Not aware of how draining the heat would be, we started on a fairly long walk into the city. We eventually found the street where the car hire places were and found a very nice man who was sure that we would like a 4x4 to drive off road! Having seen how the locals drove on the roads, we decided to hire a small car and pick it up the following day.
We carried on into the old part of the city, through the city walls and up to the minaret. Once the sun had started to go down, the temperature was a lot more bearable. We walked through to the main square where there were loads of stalls selling orange juice, spices, food and even one man selling teeth! Dave and Mark were accosted by a man with some snakes so I took it upon myself to be 'David Bailey' and took a lovely photo of them both!



Dave had read about a restaurant that was supposed to be very good so we started our walk through the markets to try and find it. A very helpful man took us right to the door, demanded money from us and then left. Unfortunately the restaurant was closed so we were left stranded in the middle of the street!
Two local boys decided that they wanted to try out their English on us, offering to take us to a different restaurant that would serve traditional Morroccon food. Having already been caught out by accepting 'help' I ensured that (a) they knew where the restaurant was, (b) they knew how to get there and finally that (c) they weren't going to expect us to pay them for taking us there!
Having sorted that out, they walked us back through the city to a fantastic restaurant. We had about 7 courses and they were all delicious - except for maybe the mint tea at the end!

Friday, we all woke, had breakfast then jumped in a taxi to take us to the car hire place. Dave was nominated as driver and we set off into the crazy traffic of Marrakech. Dave did very well and soon we were whizzing our way thorugh the countryside seeing small 'villages' on the way and lots of people cycling, walking on their own or with cattle, sheep etc.
We finally came across a Tourist Information place and Mark went in to check it out. After a while, a man appeared with some mint tea and we soon realised that we had to get out of the car and go and join Mark. Dave took pity on the man in the TI place and bought some very old and faded post cards - you might have received one of them!
After doing the polite thing of drinking the awful mint tea, we were back on the road and heading to the mountains.
Not really sure where we were going, we were pleased when the road came to an end and a car park was available for us to stop in. After a bit of frustration with people asking to take us on the hike through the mountains and our inability to find the trail ourselves, we admitted defeat and agreed to pay a local to take us. I'm glad we did as the path was not obvious and there were times when his helping hand to yank me up the side of the mountain whilst my legs turned to jelly was very welcome!



The views were spectacular and the waterfalls impressive. We stopped for lunch then jumped back in the car to head back home.
Just as we were driving back into the city, we came across a water park. Excited by the thought of the cool water after a very hot day, we pulled into the car park, paid our money and had a great few hours on the slides and lazy river.
After finally dropping off the car, the plan was to go back into the city for dinner. After showers and a power nap, the city seemed all too far away and we spent the evening in the bar and were soon off to bed.

Saturday morning the boys were up and out early to go and play golf! Em and I decided that a day by the pool was a much nicer alternative! We had a lovely morning lazing in the sun, reading, chatting and a bit of swimming.



The boys eventually arrived back and we had lunch by the pool. The afternoon continued with more sunbathing but Mark had managed to cook a small part of his leg the previous day (uneven sun cream application) so spent a large amount of time in the shade or covered up with beach towels!!!
That evening we took a walk back into the city and had another lovely meal. Em and I befriended a cat, leaving him some of our left over chicken as we left!

Sunday, our final day, we decided to pamper ourselves. Dave and Mark decided on a 'Hammam' (hot bath) followed by a game of squash. Em and I took the more relaxing option of having a facial. We both fell asleep!!
Packing was then completed and we soon headed back to the airport for the journey home....


5th August 2006 - Ben, Sarah and Freya come to stay...
The weekend following, Dave's friends Ben and Sarah came to stay with their daughter Freya, who was 9 months old at the time.
Friday night was a subdued one as we were all exhausted after a week of work. Saturday was a beautiful day so we took a walk down to the Botolph Arms for lunch. Unfortunately we were a little late so lunch was over! We carried on up the road to the Gordon Arms and sat out in the sunshine with our sandwiches - Sarah had a lovely black potato! Freya slept whilst we chatted and witnessed a small child falling out of a climbing frame! It's all go in Peterborough!!
After lunch, freya was very excited to learn that we were off to see the ducks and started to do a very good impression of a duck quacking!



On returning home, Dave and I fell asleep whilst Ben, Sarah and Freya were having a minor catastrophe which ended up in Freya having to have an emergency bath!!
Saturday evening we planned to have a BBQ but after a few glasses of wine and some games of Trivial Pursuit, the sausages were put under the grill (seems to be a bit of a theme with our BBQs!). Ben brought out the guitar and we entertained the neighbours with our harmonious singing!
An early start for Ben and Sarah left Dave and I the day to relax and recover!


29th July 2006 - Debbie & Eamonn get married...
The weekend following our impromptu Christmas, Dave and I travelled to Belfast to Debbie and Eamonn's wedding. It was beautiful. Unfortunately the weather wasn't so good (what do you expect, having a wedding in Ireland?!) but that didn't dampen the spirits.



It was a Catholic service so we were expecting a long sit, but before we knew it, the cermony was over and Debbie Dickinson was now Debbie Devlin!
We all trundelled back to the coach which was waiting to take us back to the hotel for the reception. After a nerve wracking journey back, we were pleased to see that the bar was open and settled in for an afternoon / night of drinking, eating and great fun.



The following day, we met for breakfast with aching heads and soon drove back to the airport. After a long delay to our flights, we arrived back in Nottingham and another weekend was over.
I might even get round to putting photos on to my Flickr site soon.....