Barnes Summer Trip 2016 & Suki goes on holiday
So I got back to London at the beginning of July with only about 11 days to go before I would be back down to take Suki to stay with Lee and Emma. Mike and I did a couple of GCU summer sings which were very enjoyable - Elijah and Israel in Egypt. I thoroughly enjoyed singing through these pieces again. There was a night out with the Aces "girls" to meet up with Nikki King who was passing through. We had a great meal at Joe Allen's - where the burgers are so famous they are not on the menu and you have to ask for them. Of course most of us had one! It was great to catch up with everyone again - we haven't had a TARTS night out for over a year. There was supper with Caroline and Pru - always enjoyable. A Chiswick Choir concert - Mass in Blue plus some other jazzy numbers and a jazz trio which were my idea of hell! They did 3 numbers - all of which sounded the same and were the sort of thing I really don't like! I actually enjoyed the Mass in Blue more than I thought I would but I felt that the jazzy numbers done by the Choir didn't really work as they were sung like a choral society rather than a jazz group. Richard, Mike and I declared UDI afterwards and went for an excellent meal at Lara rather than going to Tarantella. They treated us really well and gave us a free "after concert" drink. Much nearer than Tarantella too. I had quite a successful month on the handbell front with a peal of spliced surprise major with Pete, Muffie and Chris O'Mahony, St Clements College Bob Major with Mark, James and Ian, and a QP of Lincolnshire at Steve's after a failed peal attempt.
I missed the Cantanti Camerati concert on 9th July because I went back down to Devon for a couple of days to take Suki to stay with Lee and Emma. They looked after her for a fortnight and gave her a holiday! First they took her to Rhyll for a few days staying with Emma's mum where she went for long walks, played on the beach and snuggled up to Emma's mum at night, then it was a trip to Lancaster Castle in scorching hot weather, followed by a spell at a campsite in Barnstaple. Then it was back to Dartmouth and more adventures on the beach, including being surprised by the beaching of shoals of small fish. Emma sent me lots of pics and I was amazed to see ones of Suki swimming way out in the sea - she will usually only paddle and hates swimming - and also to see her sitting alongside Lee and Emma's cat! She certainly makes herself at home with them - and there is often no room on the bed when the 3 dogs all decide to sleep on it.
I drove back to London on the Tuesday and the following day we were off on the:
13th-17th July - Barnes Summer Trip 2016 This was our second trip to Evesham and we stayed in the teddy bear hotel again (The Evesham Hotel) although many of the teddy bears had gone, including all those on the key rings. Once again all the towers and ringing arrangements had been organised by Mike and I was in charge of the finances and menu orders. I had asked not to be in any Quarter Peals but had agreed I would ring in the general ringing but as it turned out I was hardly needed. I enjoyed a lovely break of 5 days doing lots of cross stitch (the Shelties) and sitting in the sunshine in churchyards (or in the car if raining), staying in a hotel, eating out every night and doing hardly any ringing. I did help out at the 12 in Evesham where I thought I could be useful though. Most evenings we ate in The George where we were able to get a table in the back room to accommodate us all and where the food was excellent and served late. There was a dinner in the hotel on the last evening.
Click here for the write up and QP list published in The Ringing World and here for the full photo album.
Suki was still in Devon on her holidays when we got back to London,and it seemed very strange without her for the four days until I was off again to Butlins at the end of the week. I took advantage of the extra time to have a pedicure and manicure
I missed the Cantanti Camerati concert on 9th July because I went back down to Devon for a couple of days to take Suki to stay with Lee and Emma. They looked after her for a fortnight and gave her a holiday! First they took her to Rhyll for a few days staying with Emma's mum where she went for long walks, played on the beach and snuggled up to Emma's mum at night, then it was a trip to Lancaster Castle in scorching hot weather, followed by a spell at a campsite in Barnstaple. Then it was back to Dartmouth and more adventures on the beach, including being surprised by the beaching of shoals of small fish. Emma sent me lots of pics and I was amazed to see ones of Suki swimming way out in the sea - she will usually only paddle and hates swimming - and also to see her sitting alongside Lee and Emma's cat! She certainly makes herself at home with them - and there is often no room on the bed when the 3 dogs all decide to sleep on it.
I drove back to London on the Tuesday and the following day we were off on the:
13th-17th July - Barnes Summer Trip 2016 This was our second trip to Evesham and we stayed in the teddy bear hotel again (The Evesham Hotel) although many of the teddy bears had gone, including all those on the key rings. Once again all the towers and ringing arrangements had been organised by Mike and I was in charge of the finances and menu orders. I had asked not to be in any Quarter Peals but had agreed I would ring in the general ringing but as it turned out I was hardly needed. I enjoyed a lovely break of 5 days doing lots of cross stitch (the Shelties) and sitting in the sunshine in churchyards (or in the car if raining), staying in a hotel, eating out every night and doing hardly any ringing. I did help out at the 12 in Evesham where I thought I could be useful though. Most evenings we ate in The George where we were able to get a table in the back room to accommodate us all and where the food was excellent and served late. There was a dinner in the hotel on the last evening.
Click here for the write up and QP list published in The Ringing World and here for the full photo album.
Suki was still in Devon on her holidays when we got back to London,and it seemed very strange without her for the four days until I was off again to Butlins at the end of the week. I took advantage of the extra time to have a pedicure and manicure
