Christmas was at home with Selina, Phil and Julian. Usual fare of turkey, roast potatoes, parsnips & carrots, plus a stalk & a half of sprouts, bread & cranberry sauces, stuffing balls and rather a lot of pigs in blankets. Various Christmas puddings and lakes of wine, including a dessert one we’d brought with us from New Zealand. Not a white Christmas, but a warm one.
Christmas is over, with the real Boxing Day nearing the end. Family has left and Rosemary and I are left alone to eat our turkey and bread sauce sandwiches. This Christmas has been a white one with snow on the fields, and -10C frosts and hot wood burners toasting our toes. Friends in the pub to share a pint or two, Selina and Phil to share a turkey with. Alas did not manage to persuade Selina to run to the village shop. Yes, an evil plan hatched by her parents, the shop does not open on Boxing Day.
Here are a few pictures for you, I have even take a departure from the norm and condescended to include some people in one or two shots.
Today was Selina and Grahams wedding. It was a lovely hot day, and she looked beautiful in her silver gothic dress and shoes. Selina and I arrived at the registry office in plenty of time, completed the formalities and entered the wedding chamber at 13.30.
Soon she and Graham were man and wife.
Now it was back to the house where we toasted the bride and groom, and then ate a small lunch of quiche and sausage roles. Present were close family and friends from afar. We managed a small Blasdale cricket match. The wicket was a bit rough and hard, causing the ball to bounce rather erratically.
Now it was on to the main event at the Buckinghamshire railway centre. Here we had the covered railway station until midnight, and we had a locomotive and rolling stock in steam. So there were plenty of train rides and the opportunity to ride on the locomotive, blow the whistle and control the engine under the watchful eye of the engine driver.
The meal was supposed to start at around 8.00, but started a little later for one reason or another. Excellent meal put on by the Plough and Anchor. Started with melon and summer fruits, then on to salmon with oysters and prawns, beef, chicken and a vegetarian Thai curry. The afters were the excellent tiered chocolate cake made by Rosemary and several British cheeses.
A band called Brimstone started to play some seventies rock music. They played ZZ Top, Black Sabbath, AC DC, Jimi Hendrix, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and by special request White Wedding by Billy Idol. I thought they were very good, and so did most of the others at the party.
John and Carol Curd took the official photographs for the wedding. These will be appearing on the website soon.
Sunday Keith and I finished laying the floor in the conservatory. I only to stick the skirting boards back onto the walls.
Selina and Graham went to a car boot sale and sold of some of her old books and toys she no longer wants.
Today was Selina’s graduation ceremony at Liverpool University where she had gained her First class honours degree. Up and away in good time, good trip up the motorway until the M62 where we were stationary for half an hour.
Headed for the halls of residence where we had three rooms for the night, changed and caught a taxi to Liverpool University campus. First stop was to pick up the mortarboard and gown, then onto a reception where we met Selina’s tutors. The ceremony was in the Philharmonic theatre at 15.00. We all filed in early and were seated in our allocated places. The presentations took place at a fast and orderly rate.
After the ceremony we managed a quick tour of the city and docks, then a Chinese meal on the waterfront. It was then back to the halls of residence for the night, via the excellent men’s toilets and the Philharmonic bar on Hope Street. The pub has really very ornate marble urinals, well worth viewing. After sleeping at the halls of residence, we had an excellent breakfast.
Tuesday was spent at Albert docks looking around the Maritime museum, followed by a tour of the city and the docks in an amphibious American wartime DUKW. These Ducks were being run by The Yellow Duckmarine and had names the names of Wacker Quacker 1 and 2.
After the tour it was back in the car home, leaving Selina behind for the graduation ball.
Selina is back from Liverpool having finished her third and final year at Liverpool.
I was determined I would not be caught in any traffic, so up at 5.00 and arrived in Liverpool at 7.40 for Selina. Packed and way by 9.30. Now the problems, accident on the M6 delayed us by 30 minutes, than another accident on the other lane of the M40 caused our side to be stopped while the air ambulance took away the injured. Arrived back just after 12.00
Selina received a letter through the post from Liverpool University informing her of an award she has won. She has been awarded a Royal Institution (Canning) University Scholarship, one of a limited number of scholarships awarded for one year on the results of either Year 1 or Year 2 assessments.
She obviously is not taking after her father while at University.
Drove to Liverpool and back picking Selina up on the way. Was home by 12.15. She has now finished her second year.
