Diggerland

What a day! Oakley woke up this morning to find we had three diggers at the house. One to move the soil into a pile, one to lift it over the back wall into the lorry and another delivering bricks. Small boy heaven. In fact, big boy heaven too. They both lept out of bed to watch the goings on, while I had a bit of a lie in. There's a lot to be said for diggers.

Oakley is on a school trip all day and then we're doing the Year 6 party. How's that for a good day? We haven't quite decided what to do with the ten year olds yet. Maybe tea on the scaffolding followed by a spot of blindfolded "dodge the digger". That donkey's tail is so last century.

Quent's scan is now set for 27th July - still about four weeks away, yet.

Must go. I have a meeting in town and need to do my builders' teamaking duties first.

Nature trail.

I have just walked home with Oakley and Anna Sophia, his latest flame. We took a detour past the river (stopping for a paddle), the rabbits (we saw 12) and the canal. Oakley and Anna Sophia (apparently, only "Oaks" is allowed to call her "Anna") chirpily told me they were pretending I wasn't there and that they were a bit older and allowed to walk home alone.

I trailed along behind them, carrying book bags, packed lunch kit and a plethora of discarded feathers, sticks and stones. I am sure Sherpa Tenzing wasn't as sulky, but I had really hoped to be accepted as a one of the adventurers.

And the answer is...

I realise I haven't confirmed which of us is responsible enough to have joined the Council.

Yes, of course, it's Oakley, who was appointed to the School Council at the beginning of the Summer Term. Here he is, sporting his special badge.



I don't think they've decided much yet - they're still working through their expenses.

Happy anniversaries.

Exactly a year after our offer on the Priory was accepted (3rd June 2008), our Listed Building Consent application was approved. So we're getting quotes on scaffolding and we're raring to go. The first bit is the old house equivalent of getting your shoes reheeled. It seems very expensive and there's not much to show for it, aside a bit of lime plaster in between the bricks. But once we have "secured the envelope" of the building, we can start on the exciting part - the kitchen!

There have been more anniversaries this week. Our wedding anniversary, on Monday. No seven year itch, unlike last year when Quent was itching like a good 'un - but thankfully only because of the IL-2 treatment.

Neither of which match up to a Centenary event - the Sea Scout party went very well. Over 250 people from through the ages. The HQ looked like a corporate function venue with marquees and bunting, the most fantastic hog roast, a great band and clean windows. Quent had a slideshow running of photos through the ages. When we get around to putting them on some website, we'll post the link, but in the meantime, here's a taster of some of the older ones:

1930. Julie Andrews later stole this composition for a musical.

1952. I'd love to know what they are all looking at.

1954. The kids on the bank are doubled up, laughing - at the guy on the pole or the speedos on the other one?

And Oakley is working hard on his own anniversary party. He's started planning his and Quent's "join up" birthday party. As Quent put Oakley to bed the other night I heard him saying "Yes, but we don't need to decide on the food tonight, because the party isn't until January".

I vote for a hog roast.

Glad news

The Christie is getting its money back - the government is going to pay back the £6.5m lost in the Icelandic bank collapse. I guess something else gets cut in order for the money to be returned so let's hope it comes from the repaid expenses fund and not the already-stretched NHS budget.

Full details on the BBC website:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/8090617.stm

Sad news

We have heard this week that Peter, the man we met at Christie's in November, has died after a very brave fight against advanced kidney cancer. His wife Margaret's research put mine to shame - they travelled to Mexico, Turkey and the USA (as well as the Christie Hospital) in search of a cure. Sadly it was not to be. Like Bill, Peter lived for less than 2 years after diagnosis and was in pain for much of that time.

Once again we realise how lucky we have been - and once again we have raised a glass to the memory of one of our "cancer friends". We will remember Peter imparting all they had learned and been through, with kindness and humour - he had a lovely smile, which would spread across his face as he spoke. Our thoughts are with Margaret and the family at this very painful time.

Noisy sex and council meetings

What happened to May? I haven’t blogged for ages. Or tweeted. Or Linked in or Facebooked. I confess. I have gone the cyber equivalent of deep undercover - and am in danger of becoming a social media pariah.

Well, we’ve been busy. Mainly in the garden, enjoying the warm weather with friends and a glass of Pimms. We’ve had barbecues, sleepovers and children’s parties. We’ve been to York, Whitby and a wedding. We’ve had the May Fair, the Canal Festival - and my grandmother to stay. I can’t count the number of Oakley’s friends who have come round to sit on his platform (a pallet on top of the wall) or to dig for hours in the mud. It seems like ages since we went up to Manchester and it’s still another seven weeks or so before we go again. Bliss.

We are starting (finally) to get organised on the house project. The listed building consent is due any day. We went to the Grand Designs Show and picked up a rainforest of brochures in the eco section. We have a team of conservationists pretty much in place and we hope they will start re-pointing and repairing timbers next week. Not before time. We have heard knocking in Oakley’s bedroom and he’s only five. Apparently it’s probably death watch beetle, which only mate at this time of year – so they give it their all. The noise is the male banging his head against the wood to get the female’s attention. What can I say?

We are told death watch beetle is nothing to panic about. (A bit like the beam not reaching the ground, I guess.) The beetles’ eggs can take up to 10 years to hatch so there’s no point trying to kill them – instead we have to change their environment (eradicate the damp) and hope they go elsewhere for their orgies. A man is coming to have a look tomorrow. It’s not in the budget and I can feel my swanky new bathroom slipping through my hands as I type.

Quent is well and definitely recovering. Every time I think he’s better, he puts on a bit more weight, gains some colour and I realise he still wasn’t 100% before. I guess it will take a long time for his immune system to recover from all the operations and treatment over the past couple of years. At the moment, he’s busy organising a Batchworth Scout reunion this Saturday. Three hundred people all coming to celebrate our wedding anniversary. It’s touching.

Oakley is as gorgeous as ever. He was so kind to Nana when she stayed, rushing to fetch her stick, doing the barn dance with her and offering to sleep in her bed if she was lonely. He had a great half term, full of friends and fun and now he’s planning a party for his year 6 friends before they go off to secondary school. (On the invite list so far are Hattie, Georgina, Michaela, Abbey, Katy, Isobel, Hayley, Shaunie, Kiera and a couple of token boys).

If a short post is a good post, I've failed dismally, but there's been a lot to tell you. And I haven't even mentioned the big news. One of us has joined the council. Bet you can guess who.