Happy Birthday Betty!

Happiest when she's pottering around with her extended brood, here's Gran in her garden taken earlier in the summer when we visited. Today is her birthday so I am wishing her a very Happy Birthday...

Below is a picture of somewhere near the start for me, taken somewhere c 1962..

Greg

Elbows at Dawn

Photo of the start line at Hayling yesterday, the boys are GBR403, as  they head off from the committee boat. The competition is very experienced in this class, so they are finding the challenge quite daunting... there won't be any easy wins, it's just steady dogged determination from here on.

We were on the road at 7am, and on the water by 8.30am for action.

Hayling Island

A few photos of the view from the beach of the boys racing at HISC today. Not a lot of wind unfortunately which seems to be the curse we have when we go to decent events. They managed to get one race in out of three or four.

An  early start (up at six on a Sunday) and hopefully some more breeze and we can have a full day racing tomorrow.

I have been exploring the delight of Hayling Island which included the Hayling Billy Trail, named after the Puffing Billy train that came down to West Town, part of what is now the Shipwright's Trail.

Hayling here we come

The car is loaded, the boat prepared, the boys psyched up! We're off to the the boys first big event in the 29er, a Grand Prix at Hayling Island Sailing Club with 65 #29ers racing. The competition will be very strong, so the look of slight nervousness but also pride sets the scene for some serious fun. The boys have been looking forward to this day for a long time... Me too!

Barts Bash

Been sailing at Calshot today as we were hosting the open event in the memory of Andrew Simpson known as Barts Bash which is part of an attempt to host the largest sailing event IN THE WORLD... We had 48 boats on the water racing, and the conditions were fab. Here's the boys coming off the water...

Sunny Days, Starry nights

I found an old lens earlier, not designed to work with my current camera, so out of curiosity rattled off a few frames to see what they looked like. Our neighbour Dorothy was not playing game so I thought I'd use myself since it's a very wide lens!

I think it may have some uses after all...

Assorted Grandchildren

My Mum and Dad with the male line grandchildren, on Llansteffan beach

The girl in the harlequin hotpants

I took this photograph when visiting my parents recently, and got rambling on about my father's pen collection. Stuck in a box with his pens from art School days was this little strip of photographic paper.

"Do you know who that is?" he asks me... "....Your Mother"

I asked him why it was a thin strip, and he explained that she'd cut herself out of an existing photograph, and given it to him as a keepsake after they first met...

Barabrith

Everything stops for a cup of tea and a slice of Bara Brith when you're at Gran and Grandan's house...

Lewis took her recipe for Barabrith with him from our visit and he's made it once already, and very nice it was too. "Not quite as good as Gran's" he announced...

Now here's a test for Gran. The following link is to some actual photos of the World's Fastest Indian - photos of the person on whom it was really based - Burt Munro. It's a film we often watch at Gran's house, the kids love it so much. Let's see if Greg or Gran mange to find these!

Loon Band

You will I am sure be aware that Miranda is interested in horses...? And Loom Bands...?

Well this is where it all leads if you are not careful. The sight of her and Gregory cantering off into the sunset, trussed up in this harness was something else. She had the bit between her teeth but unfortunately the harness kept slipping...

What next, you may ask?

Relaxtime

The kids are in the bath, and my Gin and Tonic awaits. Lewis is in rhe kitchen making lasagne. He's been roasting the butternut squash and red onions whilst we were out picking blackberries...

The boys have been racing at Calshot, two races finished with about 12 boats out. A second and a third place. I have kayaked from Calshot down to Lepe, two hours exercise to fortify.

Slurp time....

Llansteffan Castle

I've taken the reverse view many times with assorted family members in the foreground, and I quite like it this way too, castle in front! This was an extra half hour of fun playing on the beach whilst Gran and CJ headed for home to get lunch ready. Miranda loves building castles, the boys less so.

Grasholm at Sundown

As I recall she was having the screaming ab-dabs just before I set off for a walk at sundown, so I took her with me. Naturally common sense was restored within minutes and we had a great time together, watching the seals feeding on the beach and talking about what she was doing in school in the term ahead. One of those grab shots that says it all really.

Island Life

The kids are back to school tomorrow and Miranda is learning about islands and people who live on them, so I am posting a photo of us on our summer hols (watching baby seals feeding from their mother) near Skomer Island

Rally Driver

Gran driving her Mini Cooper! I used to have a mental image of her driving the Orange Mini 1000 in second gear, but it's been replaced by this as she zooms up Alltycnap Road like a demon. There's no stopping her now...

Carreg Cennen Castle

It's been quite a few years since I last went to Carreg Cennen, but the castle is as spectacular as ever. Llansteffan obviously is special to me, but Carreg Cennen has the perfect combintion of position and surroundings. The kids loved playing knights on horseback, longbow archers and fair maidens...

The cafe at the farmhouse served us a rather good lunch, washed down with Tomos Watkin ales, and we headed for home...