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What a week!

So last week's blog went by the wayside. I failed to wrote it on Sunday (not sure what happened there - what did we do last weekend?), I thought I would write it on Monday on the way into London, but the trains were messed up and then I got into work and suddenly there were a number of urgent (i.e. needed before yesterday) deadlines and I didn't lift my head up until I got them sorted on Friday about 8pm. So much for beginning to wind down before moving to a new job! I think it will get easier, but unlikely to be much before December. On a more positive note I have had a number of lovely emails from my new team welcoming me to the fold, and another one from the person I'm taking over from talking about my PA - yippeee - I will have help again!!! I don't know who is more pleased at this, me or Izzy, who always makes an effort to meet my PA and generally charms them to the point they talk more about her than anything else!

The other problem with blogs these days is I cant get a photo from or off the kids for love nor money. It's also true that it feels like all the interesting stuff they do isn't necessarily with me, so it make sit hard to write about. We are in danger of the dogs or guinea pigs becoming the star of the show here - will try to make sure that doesn't happen!

So true to that statement, this weekend Izzy was off to a friends for a sleep over on Saturday night,  a girl she has become friendly with in her short time back in St Gabs. Turns out her parents were both born and brought up in Abergavenny, and had we stayed, we'd have probably been st school together - it's a small world! They had a fab time by all accounts - shopping in Swindon, movie night and the morning spent trampolining while Olivia's parents watched the Wales RWC game on a knife edge - they won, just!

Abi and I had our own  adventure. In a moment of distraction during the week (they were but a few) I had seen a post on the local community app from a local lady asking whether anyone fancied riding out some of her horses. I saw someone had offered their 13 yo daughter, with an immediate knock back for obvious reasons, but then I thought it's worth offering Abi's services - not for riding but as a spare pair of hands to help in the yard, with the opportunity for riding a positive but not a necessity. Another lady in the village obviously saw my post and said her daughter (also 13) would be very willing to do the same. After a bit of discussion backwards and forwards, we were both invited to go to her yard on Saturday to met and discuss what options might be available - result! Abi was just a tad nervous and I made sure to reinforce it could all come to nothing, but off we went with high hopes at the least.

Turns out Charlotte, who lives less than 5 mins drive and an easy (and safe) bike distance, has 40 acres of land and breeds point to point and race horses, as well as keeping polo ponies for her son who plays in local leagues. Her daughter, now 24, is a professional jump jockey and so her yard is full of horses - some permanent, some passing through. She was really kind and showed us around, basically saying that as long as the girls understood that sometimes there would be plenty to do and other times not, they are very welcome to come and make the most of the horses there!! This is a brilliant result, and although there is nothing she can ride right now, there will be over Christmas and definitely from March onwards when they start bringing the polo ponies in. She said she would be happy for Helena (the other girl) and Abi to take a couple of the ponies out hacking or onto the gallops. To add to the serendipity of it all, turns out Helena was in the year above Abi at Thorngrove so they know and like each other. It shows you sometimes it worth taking a unt, even if it's a long shot.

Today was a typical Sunday - running and riding a theme. Glenn went out on his enduro bike in the morning and then I collected Izzy and we all headed off to Salisbury Plain to make the most of the fact that for the first time in ages it was dry! The dogs had a lovely run and everybody came home smiling. Doesn't happen all the time but when it does it's lovely!




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