On Monday the 5th, we returned back to normal routine with me back to full day working and kids back to school after the Christmas holidays. Then on Tuesday we had the carpet stair runner fitted which was long overdue but also with December being busy for the fitters, the earliest they could do was the start of January. But happy with the outcome.

Then that Wednesday there was a light dusting of snow at home in the afternoon. It didn't really stay long on the ground and didn't build up enough to be useful, but did look nice falling.

That first weekend was Jukka's Christmas at Paul and Carol's house, so Una headed off there for the day while I stayed at home with the kids. Then on Sunday after the morning at home we got the cargo bike out for a trip down to the beach with Mia for a run along the sand and stones and some rock climbing, heading home just after sunset. Nice to get out for some fresh coastal air.

Wednesday was my birthday so in the afternoon we had cake and a small celebration at home with the four of us :)

The next weekend was kids party weekend with Leonardo's party on the Saturday at Monkey Bizness Lewes, followed by Liana's party on the Sunday at Funplex in Brighton.

This week has been rather cold at home, but I'm getting ready to head off tomorrow out to SA for 10 days for a sun holiday with the folks which I'm really looking forward to. Una less so I'd imagine :)

The past couple of weeks have gone by pretty quickly but it's been a nice fairly relaxing break and some time off work. After finishing up on the Monday before Christmas, we attended the Christingle service at the Methodist Church on the Tuesday, which is a festive, candle-lit Christian celebration that takes place during Advent.

Wednesday was Christmas Day which was a nice day just at home, with great excitement from the kids after a rather early start! On Thursday we had hoped to head out to Nymans but the wind and rain had other ideas so had another home day instead :)

On Friday evening we drove out to Leonardslee Gardens for Leonardslee Winter Enchantment Lights Trail which is a magical seasonal event held at Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens, known for its Grade I listed gardens, which transforms during the winter months with stunning light installations woven throughout its woodland landscape.

On the day after the Leonardslee Winter Enchantment Lights Trail, we took a drive over to Lancing College for walk around the Chapel, and on Sunday we all caught the train into Brighton for a walk down Queens Road, then a couple of beers at both The Seven Stars and The Bath Arms, followed by dinner at Pizza Pilgrims before making our way home.

On Monday 30th we had Greg, Kim and the boys over at ours for lunch and then over to the park and playground in the afternoon. Then on Tuesday on New Year's Eve we headed into Hove in the morning for a walk by the beach then home for the afternoon with a small (early) party to celebrate the new year! So happy new year to everyone!

I had planned to return back to work on the 2nd, which was an easy transition back with it rather quiet still. So on the Friday afternoon we headed through to Nymans for a walk around there to see their Christmas display of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

This past weekend has been rather stormy, but we got out to Worthing yesterday to take the kids to see Moana 2 at the cinema, followed by a drink at The Thieves' Kitchen Pub and then (a rather disappointing) dinner at Patty Guy at The Dome. With the storm still passing over, today has just been a fairly lazy day at home which brings an end to the Christmas Holidays for this year and back to the early starts and normal routine from tomorrow...

The beginning of this month kicked off with the morning at home decorating the living room Christmas Tree, i.e. the kids tree :) They had fun and it wasn't too stressful getting it up and decorated which was good! Then after lunch I took Ian for a spin in the cargo bike which hadn't got much use and wanted to give the battery a bit of a power cycle over the winter.

On that first Tuesday after work we all headed down to Southwick Square and joined what seemed like the rest of Southwick to see the Santa Bus pass through. We had an Elvis impersonator keeping everyone entertained ahead of the bus passing through. The kids had a great time seeing all their friends and obviously loved the sweets seeing the festive bus.

On the next weekend, after Ellen had finished PQA, we popped up to Holmbush Shopping Centre for a quick shop, then over to Mayberry Garden Centre to buy a (real) Christmas Tree which we then spent the afternoon decorating. On the Sunday I took Ellen out to Worthing for Lola's birthday party at Hollywood Bowl which she thoroughly enjoyed, followed by an afternoon playdate at their place.

On Wednesday 11th it was Ellen's Nativity play at school which was a combined play from both year 1 as well as year 2 kids.

On the Friday we went through to Light up Shoreham Christmas Market. Turned out to be really popular with loads of people and stalls and a funfair as well as some singers and musicians keeping everyone entertained. Despite the cold it was a good evening walking around there. On the Saturday we headed into Brighton to Exeter Street Hall to watch a small play based on the Pugs of The Frozen North book which the kids enjoyed. Then Sunday we headed out to Walton for lunch at Greg, Kim and the boys with their Christmas Show church service in the evening.

Yesterday we headed down to the Cricketers as Ian had been invited to Auggie's birthday party there, and after staying for the party we decided to have lunch and a few afternoon beers and landed up being there for a good bit of the day :) Then today we decided to head out to Sheffield Park and Garden for a walk around there as part of The Snowman (from the book) they had over the Christmas period.

It's been quite a busy December already and I've got just tomorrow left at work then finish up until early January, so I'm looking forward to a bit of downtime and getting into the Christmas spirit :)

The first Saturday of this month we headed out to Nymans for the day for a walk around the gardens. It's a good day out with nice scenic walks and the kids get to run wild and enjoy the freedom. Then on the Sunday was a bit more of a relaxed day at home.

On Tuesday the 5th I had taken the day off work to spend some time cleaning and rebuilding my RC nitro truck which had been sitting in the loft for the past couple of years. The plan was always to try to revive it, and over the past few months I've bought bits and pieces to try get it running again. After a good number of hours tinkering away in the garage I manage to get it up and running and firing all all cylinders. Unfortunately no photos or videos of it in action, as I was too busy racing it up and down the road :)

The next Saturday evening we had dinner at Sylvia and Marco's place. It was a nice family evening there and an easy stroll back home afterwards. On Sunday morning we took a drive out to Steyning to have a look at the Adur Model Car Club Off-Road Track they have there once a month. Was good fun to watch, the kids seemed to enjoy it too and then afterwards went back into Steyning for coffee and cake at The Cobblestone Tea House.

On the weekend of the 16th and 17th, we spent Saturday at home with the England vs SA rugby game on TV, followed by a fresh batch of biltong making again. On the Sunday I took Ellen over to Jumpin Fun Inflatable Park in Burgess Hill for Theo's birthday party which she thoroughly enjoyed. While we were there, Una and Ian headed into Brighton for the afternoon and then all back home again that evening.

Last weekend we had Storm Bert passing overhead, so it was a stay at home indoor day watching the storm and rain and crazy winds outside. On the Sunday afternoon, once the storm seemed to be easing off, we took a drive down to the Basin to watch the waves a bit and then back home for the evening.

Yesterday evening I headed out into Shoreham for a few beers with Ben, Lee, Adrian, Harvey and Ian at The Duke of Wellington which was a good evening of catch up and drinks. Then this morning was the Southwick Christmas Fayre at The Methodist Church where Una was helping out, so while Ellen was at PQA, myself and Ian headed to the Fayre for a little browse.

This afternoon we all headed into town for dinner at MEATliquor Brighton and then a pop into the Royal Pavilion Ice Rink before returning home which brings us to the end of another month...

Can't believe it's October already, felt like summer flew by and we're now suddenly in the middle of Autumn! However the month started off fairly mild and sunny that first weekend, with an evening braai on the Friday attempting buffalo chicken wings, then Saturday we popped down to Southwick Beach in the afternoon and Sunday we got the kids a new Lego set each so spent the afternoon building that :)

The next weekend was a mix of rainy Saturday indoors at home and Sunday was clearer so all headed out to Bodiam Castle for the afternoon which was good fun and entertaining for the kids running around the castle.

On Tuesday 15th I had tickets to go with Lee to see Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes at Concorde 2 in Brighton. We started off with a couple of beers at Bison Beach Bar @ Sea Lanes and then to Concorde to see Hot Wax open for them, followed by Frank Carter. I'd never been to Concorde before so it was good to eventually get to see a band there. After the gig we grabbed another one at East Street Tap before heading home.

On Thursday 17th Una flew over to Ireland for a few days, and while she was there from the Thursday to the Monday, we kept ourselves busy around the house with Ellen going to PQA and Lena on the Saturday, and myself and Ian at home then headed out for a walk/adventure around Southwick. Sunday was a grey rainy day so it ended up being indoors at home for the day.

Last week Wednesday we had a social event after work in the evening at Players Social inside Spitalfields Market. Was a good social evening and I got to play loads of foosball which I've not done in years, so that was good fun again :)

This past Saturday we had our Croft Halloween Party at home which was rather well attended with over 50 people at our place, half of those being sugared up kids with way too much energy :) But we think it was enjoyed by all - between the food, drinks, smoke machine, movie projector and snacks!

Then the following day, after a bit of house cleanup, we went pumpkin picking at Sompting Pumpkin Patch and spent the following evening carving out faces of each of us on the pumpkins.

This week has been half term for the kids so they've just been lazing around the house and staying fairly local. This evening we all headed out around Southwick for trick or treating which was good entertainment, both of them doing quite well with the sweets and treats in their little Halloween bags :)

We started off September with a camping weekend away at Stoneywish Nature Reserve. After our few days away last month at Blackberry Wood, we decided to get one more camping trip in before the cooler weather set in. We mostly spent the weekend around the campsite, with a walk into Ditchling on the Saturday afternoon for some ice-cream and the rest of the time near to camp.

On Tuesday the 3rd the kids went back to school after the summer holidays, with Ellen rather excited for Year 2 and Ian starting back full time at Busy Bees. Was rather quiet around the house that week compared to the previous five weeks :)

That first weekend was really rainy and grey, with Saturday being an indoor day at home and the SA vs New Zealand game on TV in the afternoon, with SA defeating the All Blacks and winning back the Freedom Cup for the first time since 2009. On the Sunday I had tickets which Una bought for me to see Tim Peake at Brighton Dome as part of his "Astronauts" tour which was really good.

The following week felt very chilly and cold, what could only be described as inclement weather: "severe or harsh weather that is cold and wet which is undesirable for outdoor events". Certainly not ideal and definitely feels like summer is over, even though it didn't really seem to officially kick in this year :(

At the end of the week, on the 13th, the paddle steamer Waverley (the world's last seagoing paddle steamer) made a stop in at Shoreham Port as part of its cruise along the South Coast. Since I had the day off work, Una and I took a walk down to the port to take a look and watch it depart out to sea.

That evening we had Ben, Alice and William over to ours for dinner which was a good evening - Ellen, Ian and William entertained each other while we got to enjoy dinner :) On Saturday we had a good catch up day at the new McLuckie house since Si and Suzie were over from Australia with the family. As it turned out, Si Davies was in the UK too that weekend, so managed to catch up with him as well. Paul and Carol came through, as did Marty, so a good afternoon at their new place. On the Sunday we managed to get out on the cargo bike down to the beach for some rock climbing and playing with the stones.

The following weekend we had Cliff over for a steak dinner on the Friday evening, and then a Saturday afternoon party at Adrian and Geri's house with Sunday being a more relaxed home day.

This past weekend I had taken Friday off work to try sort out the garage a bit and then that evening met up with Adrian, Ben, Ian and Harvey at The Ship Inn for a few beers with them. On the Saturday I was around the braai for the best part of the morning slow cooking some ribs on the Weber. And then yesterday, while Ellen had gone to Lena's house for the afternoon, Una and I took Ian up to Devil's Dyke for a run around there before fetching Ellen and heading back home.

As we head into October tomorrow, it now officially feels autumnal with the change of weather, the leaves falling and the darker evenings...

I hadn't planned on using Artificial Intelligence (AI) for more than 1 or 2 blog posts, but it certainly saves me some time and just mixes it up with a different tone of writing of what we did over the past month :)

So once again, here goes the update...

As summer reached its peak, our family embraced every moment with a mix of spontaneous outings and planned excursions. From beach days to camping trips, August was filled with unforgettable memories.

We kicked off the month with some well-deserved relaxation. The first Thursday evening saw us heading to the beach after work for a refreshing swim. The next day, I took the afternoon off to enjoy more beach time at Southwick Beach.

The weekend brought a flurry of activity. On Saturday, Ellen attended Harry's birthday party at Monkey Bizness in Lewes, while Sunday took us on a journey back in time. We visited Arundel Castle, where we were treated to an unexpected jousting tournament! The day was filled with exploring lush gardens, majestic castle rooms, and climbing the imposing keep. We rounded off our adventure with a visit to the Swiss Cottage pub in Shoreham for dinner before heading home.

Midweek, Ellen had a playdate with Sophia at Blackberry Wood campsite. When we went to pick her up, we fell in love with the place, planting the seed for our own camping adventure later in the month.

On the Friday, I finished up work at lunch time for a week off which we were looking forward to. The week off started with a visit from Greg, Kim, and the boys. We hosted a braai at home and made sure to squeeze in some afternoon beach time too.

With that week off work, we made the most of the hot weather with beach days on Sunday and Monday. Then, from Tuesday to Friday, we embarked on our camping trip to Blackberry Woods. It was a hit with everyone, especially the kids who had an absolute blast.

Returning to work didn't mean the fun had to stop. We managed to fit in some paddleboarding at Kingston beach on Saturday, followed by dinner at Five Guys in the marina. Sunday was a relaxed day at home, ending with a delicious dinner of scallops and prawns on the braai.

Midweek, we supported Ellen at her PQA workshop at The Barn. The following weekend was a mix of family time and exploration, with Una and Ellen enjoying a shopping trip to Brighton, while Ian and I visited Brooklands playground.

The month concluded with a long weekend. We visited Hove Museum on Sunday morning and spent the afternoon with Laura and the boys. Bank Holiday Monday was a quiet day at home, but we made up for it on Tuesday with an outing to Worthing. Una and the kids enjoyed a movie in the afternoon, and I joined them after work for the quintessential British seaside treat - fish and chips on the beach.

As August draws to a close, I'm wrapping up the month with a half-day at work today, ready for a weekend away camping at Stoneywish Nature Reserve and Camp Site.

Looking back, August was a perfect blend of family time, outdoor activities, and new experiences. From medieval castles to modern cinemas, and from home-cooked meals to beachside treats, we made the most of every day. Here's to more memories in the months to come!

Similar to last month, this is yet another AI written post, which nicely summarises what we did this month, and saved me some time typing it all out myself :)

Here we go...

As we bid farewell to July 2024, it's time to look back on a month filled with unexpected weather, family gatherings, and exciting sporting events. From chilly winds to scorching heat, this July certainly kept us on our toes!

The month kicked off with unseasonably chilly and windy weather, quite unusual for early July. Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, we didn't let it dampen our spirits. On Saturday, July 6th, we balanced family commitments with Ellen's PQA morning session and Rowyn's birthday celebration on Southwick Green. The day concluded with some relaxing time at home, enjoying SA vs Ireland rugby on TV.

Sunday brought a delightful family brunch at our place, hosting Pete, Sarah, and their boys. The rainy and windy weather persisted, making it a perfect day for indoor gatherings.

Midweek, I managed to squeeze in a blood donation on Wednesday evening, rushing home just in time to witness England's thrilling victory in the Euros semi-final. The weekend was packed with activities: Ellen's PQA watching week featured a charming rendition of Oliver Twist, while Una headed to London for Kylie's performance at BST (British Summer Time Festival). I stayed home to catch the intense South Africa vs. Ireland rugby match.

Sunday was a day of contrasts - starting with a relaxing lunchtime braai, followed by the vibrant Fiesta party at Hove Park. The day concluded with the nail-biting Euros final, where Spain narrowly defeated England 2-1.

The third week of July saw a mix of social engagements and domestic activities. Thursday evening was spent enjoying beers with Adrian, Ben and Lee in Shoreham, hopping from the Duke of Wellington to the Ferry Inn. Friday, my day off, was a delightful date day with Una in Brighton, featuring drinks at Coppa Club and Blue Moon Sixes, followed by a delicious lunch at the Salt Room.

The weekend was dedicated to home and family, with Saturday focused on house and garden tasks. Sunday was split between household chores and some much-needed garage organization, including sorting out the cargo bike. An evening trip to the basin was cut short due to persistent winds.

As the month progressed, we enjoyed more outdoor time with an evening at the basin beach on Friday. Saturday was all about home improvements, with Jamie working on bedroom wardrobes and Cliff lending a hand to fix the side gate. Sunday was dedicated to celebrating Rich's birthday at The Cricketers, while I spent most of my time at the Pirate Park - a fun-filled day for all!

The final days of July brought a dramatic shift in weather, with scorching temperatures making headlines. As we adjusted to the heat, we also focused on practical matters, like getting the cargo bike serviced on the last day of the month, ready to start using it again next month.

Looking back, July 2024 was a month that truly had it all - from family time and sporting events to home improvements and weather extremes. Here's to the memories made and the challenges overcome!

As a prefix to this month's write up, the entire post for this month has been generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and not myself. I decided to save some time and use AI to write it for me, by giving it some very basic bullet points of what we did and let it write a full summary for me. So it will read quite differently to my other posts, but gives a decent summary of what we did this month. The only bit I did myself was add some photos in between the generated text :)

So courtesy of AI, here goes this month's update...

As we bid farewell to June, I can't help but reflect on the wonderful memories we've made this month. From lazy days at the beach to exciting family adventures, June has been a month filled with joy, relaxation, and quality time with loved ones.

We kicked off the month with a perfect balance of home and beach time. On the first Saturday, we spent a peaceful day tending to our home garden while Ellen enjoyed time with Lena. In the evening, we picked her up and took a brief trip to the beach, savouring the start of summer.

Sunday was all about soaking up the sun. We headed down to the beach in front of Carats Cafe for lunch and spent the afternoon enjoying the sand and sea. It was the perfect way to round off the weekend and set the tone for the month ahead.

The following Friday, I got my hands dirty laying new soil and turf in the garden. It was hard work, but the results were worth it - our garden is now looking lush and inviting.

Saturday was a special day as we celebrated Ian's birthday. His face lit up when he saw his new Spiderman bike! We spent the day at home, letting him enjoy his new wheels. In the evening, we treated ourselves to a delicious dinner at Marrocco's in Hove, followed by a refreshing run on the beach.

Sunday was another perfect family day. We spent the morning at home, then headed to the park in the afternoon so Ian could show off his bike skills. We rounded off the day with a tasty braai for dinner.

The following Thursday marked the start of a few days off work for me, as Una headed to Ireland. I spent quality time with the kids, visiting the Garden Centre, treating them to McDonald's, and enjoying our newly refreshed garden.

On the 20th, I attended my work summer party at Shoreditch Gardens. It was a great opportunity to unwind with colleagues. Afterwards, we all headed down to Brick Lane and caught the England game at Juju's pub before heading home.

Friday was a day of pampering for Una, who enjoyed a massage treatment day in Worthing. I picked up the kids from school and we attended the summer fayre at Eastbrook School, embracing the festive summer atmosphere.

The weekend was busy but fun. Ellen had her PQA session on Saturday morning, while I picked up some quality meat from Westdene butchers. In the afternoon, we attended the MS Centre summer fair. Sunday was my belated Father's Day celebration, spent at home with a delicious braai featuring a mouth-watering bone-in ribeye steak.

As the month drew to a close, we squeezed in a lovely beach braai on Wednesday evening, enjoying good food with the sound of waves in the background.

The final weekend of June was particularly special as we took a trip to Oxford to meet up with Seamus and Kirsty and kids. On Saturday, we visited the Victoria Arms for the afternoon before checking into our hotel. I took a solo excursion to Tap Social in the evening to meet Paul, Carol, Phil, Dan and Marty. Sunday morning started with a refreshing swim at the hotel, followed by a visit to the Up in Arms pub for lunch. We made it home just in time to catch the England game in the Euros.

June has been a month of balance - home improvements and relaxation, family time and solo adventures, local outings and weekend getaways. As we move into July, I'm grateful for these moments and looking forward to what the rest of the summer has in store for us.

This month started off with our wedding anniversary on the 2nd which we celebrated with dinner at home. Unfortunately Ian liked to scupper the day a bit and landed up with a high temperature, but at least it was just a 24-hour fever and back to his usual self the following day :) That weekend was nice and sunny so we spent the Saturday at home doing a few house jobs and on the Sunday we all headed out to Sheffield Park and Gardens for the day which was nice and scenic. The Monday was the first May bank holiday which was a bit of a wash out - heavy rain all day so we just had a cosy indoors day.

That week was Una's birthday which we were just at home for. Then on the Friday the weather had picked up so we headed down to The Cricketers for dinner and a couple of drinks there. Saturday was really warm here so we had a nice afternoon in the garden and then headed down to the beach that evening. Sunday was Lottie's birthday in the afternoon and then bumped into Rich and Brittney and the boys on the Green on the way home, so stopped off there for a while and enjoyed a drink on the green with them.

The following weekend was sunny and warm, so a mix of time in the garden as well as the beach. Then last Friday we started work on the outdoors patio tiling which we had been wanting done for ages, but had to wait for the scaffolding to come down first, but at least it's now getting done! On the Saturday we had the Southwick Beer Festival, followed by a few at Beer Engine and then back to ours for something to eat and a couple more. Turned out to be a bigger day than expected! The next day we popped over to Laura and Dennis for the afternoon. Monday was the second May bank holiday which was a lot nicer than the first one, so after the guys had finished with the patio tiling, we headed down to the beach for the later part of the afternoon.

This week we've started our bedroom fireplace surround, we had Shane come in and help us to fit the hearth, marble and surround which is looking really good. Next up is the painting, the wardrobes, carpet, curtains and furnishing - so plenty still to do but getting there at least :)

That brings us to the end of the month and hopefully June brings us some nice decent weather - looking forward to some time in the garden and a few beach visits as well :)