It's half term and the clocks have gone back so we are currently all over the place with our routines. I've also got a few days (2 to be precise) off and so I'm making the most of not having to be up at the crack of dawn. I will freely admit that with the changing of the season and the knowledge that I soon wont have to do the 2 hour commute into Victoria, I'm finding it harder to get motivated to go into the office!
This weekend we had the much anticipated reunion where at least part of the family managed to meet up again after decades of no contact. This was instigated by me and then became a bit of a band wagon, somewhat to my surprise. I made the decision after 30+ years that life is too short and so got in touch with Becky who I last saw I think when I was about 14 years old. It occurred to me a few weeks ago that this was simply daft - so much water had passed under the bridge that there was no need not to at least reach out and say hello. This turned into a plan to meet up which, much to her initial horror I would imagine, grew when both Amanda and Emma decided they would come too. I think for someone who has no kids, and hasn't seen some members of the family for years, to find you suddenly have 7 adults and 6 kids coming for lunch is a bit of a panic moment! In the end it all turned out brilliantly so she needn't have worried.
We decided to make a bit of a weekend of it so left Glenn babysitting dogs and guinea pigs (they've
come in handy more than once!) while we set of for Wales on Saturday morning in torrential rain with wide scale flood warnings - perfect for a trip to somewhere where most of what you might do is outside. By the time we got to Abergavenny, the rain was easing just a bit, so we had a mooch around. I showed the girls where I was born (Nevil Hall Hospital which they said "needs a clean") and then tried to remember my way around town which to be fair wasn't hard as its's not that big. We then set off for Crickhowell where we had booked to stay. On the way in we hit a long line of traffic which was essentially as as result of the fire brigade having to be brought in to direct cars across a number of very flooded roads. We smugly raised the height of the Range Rover and sailed through, unlike the Porsche which had risked it and failed, much to the shame of the driver and the amusement of the kids! Crickhowell was awash with the pub on the bridge being pumped out and cars being washed away. Biblical rain! It stopped around 4pm and I went for a walk to survey the damage - really quite impressive flood water all around. I went back to our hotel room to find Abi having a long bath and Izzy in a face pack and PJs - in their element! We watched a bit of Netflixs (currently obsessed with a series called Stranger Things - more about that another time) and then went for dinner in the bar where I immediately bumped into some friends who I used to work with in Bristol - small world! I hadn't seen them for about 10 years so that as another long overdue catch up - small world!
In the morning Abi and I had a lovely long walk along the river to see how much it had gone down, before digging Izzy out of bed and breakfast. We then set off to Becky's along the scenic route so that I could try and find Croft y Cwm which we eventually did after taking a wrong turn initially. We couldn't see the house but it's a rental cottage now so at some point I plan to stay there. Onwards and upwards with Abi declaring she was definitely going to live there as soon as possible and then we got to Becky's which did nothing to dampen her enthusiasm. It's basically her perfect set up - dogs, sheep, horses, flagstone floors and wood burners. Abi was in heaven! Amanda and the boys were already there and Emma arived soon afterwards so we had a quick coffee and then set off for a walk in glorious sunshine - such a change from the day before. The kids went on ahead (until somehow they got left behind but not for too long) and we walked through the valley and then along the canal before coming back via the old railway - it was beautiful and a perfect set up before lunch and games for the kids. We set off home (first to leave of course) at 4pm with promises of not leaving it so long again. I think a summer party is in order.
As we got in Abi headed straight for her bath (she does love a bath) with Right Move to look at houses in the Vale of Abergavenny - I guess she's not just her father genes then!
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