Tuesday 28th May

Ah the joy of half term holidays. I remember halcyon days of Spring’s past when the sun shone, or at least that’s how I think it was in days gone by. Possibly I’m looking through rose tinted spectacles at that one. Suffice to say it’s a pretty miserable looking day, and whilst not raining, it is forecast to. Having made breakfast for Mrs P and myself and put bacon sandwiches under the grill for the teenagers, I wave Mrs P off to work and the youngest appears for his. I have to pop to the butchers first thing and before leaving I make the eldest a cup of tea and instruct the youngest to get her out of bed to have her breakfast, as her nan is picking her up in half an hour. I return to find her up but not moving very fast and when her nan arrives she suddenly realises she’s not dressed! I’m sure teenagers must have their own time zones they operate in. You hand them everything on a plate, and they still can’t move themselves.

The youngest and I are off to officiate at a cricket match today, hence my interest in the weather prospects. We arrive to find not everything ready, but sometimes you just need to go with the flow. The youngest and I have a habit of not agreeing, or to put it another way, the youngest has a habit of disagreeing with me at the moment. This may prove to be problematic. We get the match started because despite the poor forecast the intended rain has not yet arrived. The game is progressing nicely and the youngsters are play well and enjoying the match, but then about half an hour in the rain starts. It’s light at first and not a problem, but an hour and a quarter in it’s becoming heavier and I look across to the youngest to gauge his view and he shakes his head to say “no it’s fine, let’s continue.” In cricket both umpires have to agree to stop, and so we stay out. Now him being a teenage boy he doesn’t mind the rain, I however am now getting wet. The spectators have by this time put away their umbrellas and chairs, and gone into the club house to watch from the dry. Eventually an hour and a half after the start we eventually agree with each other that it is raining too much and we take the teams off. To be fair to us the coaches were impressed and pleased that we stayed out as long as we did. We then spend the next couple of hours watching the rain and waiting for tea before we call the match off, as the available playing time expires. Given we only had the one minor debate, it’s been a very successful day out for me and the youngest.

After making tea and washing up after it, I take the eldest out driving in the rain. We try a new route and by and large it goes well. As ever we have a couple of moments which are obviously my fault, despite the fact it’s not me driving, but the laughter outweighs them by far. I only hope the examiner has a sense of humour.

Yours drying out.

Jay