Getting ready

It seems an absolute age since Iain and Glenys came for a few days on Erin Mae. On the trip down to Gailey and back we were under moral obligation to stop off at Penkridge and introduce them to Jaspers. A rare bakers', which prompted tales of stops at The Pie Shop, half way between their home in Oz and Sydney.

For those who know, there are even more delights on the other side of the road at this little triangular junction.

My best beloved and Glenys thought the name of the shop they were standing by highly appropriate.

But why, once inside Mr Simms' emporium, was my best beloved so glum? It wasn't all out of bounds.

Anyway, once we'd dropped them off at Stafford station to continue their UK visit with family, we ourselves came home to get ready.

It involved visits to the dentist, the hairdresser and the supermarket. It involved finishing off immediately pressing database work. It involved picking up life-jackets and car booster seats. Elissa and Sam are arriving from Oslo, for 11 days on Erin Mae. And we need to be ready.

So tomorrow it's back up the motorways to Great Haywood, ready to pick them up from Manchester airport on Monday. I wonder if they'll help me with the blog.

Somehow the Test Match seems a little less important this time (nothing at all, I assure you, to do with Australia having had a rather good first day).