A Few Ramblings…
Forty-six year old Christian happily negotiating the world with a wife and three daughters
Emily’s 3rd Birthday – 16 July 2013
Emily celebrated her third birthday today and started the day by opening her presents – with a little help from her sisters!
Emily with her presents
Peppa Pig birthday card
A present from Holly and Rebekah
Opening a present
Another present
Exciting times!
A Bob and Larry puzzle
A Peppa Pig umbrella
Alligator!
Alligator with Edward
Happy recipient
After dropping Rebekah and Holly off at school, we popped into Palmieri’s for an excellent breakfast. Emily enjoyed her beans on toast and was even given two chocolate profiteroles, as it was her birthday!
Emily trying not to look too excited
Blowing out her candle
After breakfast, we popped around to Sarah’s parents’ before driving to Cookham to collect Mum and taking up our places by the Thames at Maidenhead for our first ever viewing of the famous ‘Swan Upping‘.
Crowds on Ray Mill Island
The ‘Swan Uppers’ head back to their boats
Milling masses
One of the skiffs
Another in the cavalcade
Mooring up to go through Boulter’s Lock
Crowds on the bridge
Skiffs in the lock
Looking down from the lock gate
Exiting the lock
The Queen’s Swan Marker heading off downstream
A welcome ice cream on a hot day
Emily in the house on Ray Mill Island
Mum with her makeshift parasol, with Hugh and Katy
A proper parasol
Emily keeping cool
In the afternoon, we went round to Heather’s house where Emily enjoyed her Peppa Pig birthday cake, which Sarah had made.
Another present
Peppa Pig cake
Emily with her cake
Looking excited
Birthday girl
Blowing out her candles
Emily enjoyed her third birthday celebrations with the family.
It’s hard to think that three years have gone by so quickly and yet it’s already hard to remember a time when she wasn’t around.
Rebekah’s 9th Birthday – 15 July 2013
Rebekah enjoyed opening her birthday presents before heading off to school.
Pancakes!
Rebekah with her presents
One of the birthday cards
Emily taking a look
Three girls
Holly and Rebekah
Opening another present
Spectator sport
Unwrapping another present
Emily investigating the box
A pogo stick!
Keep clear!
A new hat!
After school we popped around to various relations with her to collect presents before returning home for some birthday cake in the garden.
Some presents from mum
Close up
Twister!
Rebekah’s hedgehog birthday cake, made by Sarah
Blowing out the candles
Rebekah with her cake
Holly
Birthdays spent at school are never quite the same as those at weekends or in the holidays. We’ll look to arrange a birthday treat with Rebekah, once she’s decided what she’d like to do!
Furze Platt Senior School at 50 – 11 July 2013
Sarah and I went along to our old school as they celebrated their fiftieth year with a special open day for former pupils and those associated with the school.
Turnout was excellent and the late afternoon was marked with blue skies and sunshine as well as large crowds of Furze Platt alumni.
We recognised a few people from our time there and enjoyed being taken on a tour of the school which is now very different in many ways from how it was back in 1992 when I left.
My first classroom – formally 1L5
Looking across to the window
One of the items on the agenda was the planting of an oak tree to celebrate the anniversary. Head Teacher, Ms Tanya White had a speech arranged, but given the handful of onlookers, she abandoned both her dais and her formal words and opted for a few informal remarks instead.
Head Teacher Ms White is amused at the small number of spectators
A few informal words to the ‘crowd’
…before moving in with a spade…
…to plant the oak tree.
A smile of success
Addressing the larger crowds on the school field
Mid speech
The masses on the field
Reflections on fifty years
Making ready the balloons for release
Setting them free
Heading aloft on a perfect afternoon
A riot of colour
Andy Murray triumphs at Wimbledon – 7 July 2013
1936 was the year that Fred Perry became the last British man to win the Gentleman’s Singles at Wimbledon.
Today, some seventy-seven years later, it was Andy Murray’s turn to emerge triumphant as he defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets, to win 6-4 7-5 6-4.
Here’s how the excitement developed on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/mrdanwalker/status/353909148548730880
https://twitter.com/mrdanwalker/status/353912786440556546
A Few Ramblings... 