In the UK May to June

Weekend at Brian's daughter Fiona, husband James and two of his grandchildren Becky and Jenny

And so life goes on.

The downstairs loo is virtually finished. We've gone from the washing machine, a wall cupboard, the boiler and loads of junk, to a wall with a door for the washing machine, a small cupboard and a toilet, the smallest toilet possible, the basin actually sits on the cistern and the water from hand washing forms part of the flush. Very eco friendly. Tariq and Mohammed built the wall, plastered and did the plumbing. Brian did the electrics and assisted with fitting the folding door. He's also polished all the copper pipes so they look lovely, just need to protect them now. He's fitted work surface and a cut down cupboard to optimise space and we've both then painted. Just need Mr. Singh to come and fit the floor. 

Jackies amazing Paella nearing completion at Fi and James'. I didn't get a photo of finished and on the table as we were too busy eating it!

The bed has come, an electric ottoman to give us more storage, so at some point we can empty the loft. (Probably when the weather is at its hottest knowing us). I know we are not going to be able to get everything from the loft in there but if we haven't used it in 13 years, we probably don't need it. The display cabinet for the kitchen is also in progress so that will be the glasses and table wear from the loft, but that's it. We have to be ruthless!

John's very cute kitten Emma. He's goes away quite often so we have the pleasure of going round to feed and play with her

We've been more regular at Argentine tango lessons and even went to a milonga run by our teachers last Saturday afternoon. It was all very scary, but I guess it's coming together, a bit. 

A day in Bury St Edmunds to visit Margaret at the same time as Jackies brother Jonathan and Lucy

The previous weekend we went across to Bury St Edmunds to meetup with my brother Jonathan and Lucy at Aunty Margaret's where we had a lovely time. Video call with Charles and Caroline made it all very family. We've been walking with John and with Denise and Paul. Curry and drinks with Helen and Ian and Monday club, and drinks with Sunday club. We've just been to the afternoon tea dance so back into ballroom hold which will probably have undone so many people's efforts of getting Brian into a Tango hold. Disappointed to find that those shoes are a lot less comfortable than my very high Tango shoes. That's a surprise.

Our downstairs loo has appeared from this rear lobby area off the kitchen with door leading to the garden 

This weekend was a BBQ at Manu and Crystal's, they'd worked very hard marinading and then cooking lots of chicken and pork. Yum. We were very lucky with the weather. Much rain had been forecast but we only got a few drops. This meant we stayed much later than expected. It was an hour and a half on the train due to to a change and 25 minute wait. We persuaded Helen and Ian to drop us off at Bourneville which bypassed this and got us home much quicker. What Brian wasn't so lucky with was his tooth. He's having some work done so has a temporary cap on a tooth that has been on its way out for years, he had mentioned something about maybe a referred pain, but no, while eating a samosa yesterday the corner of the tooth next to the one being worked on fell off! Hopefully the dentist can fit him in tomorrow and sort it out with it's neighbour 

To a separate room off. There's a bi-fold door into the loo and the small door is for access to the washing machine

It's just life, but it all takes time. The list of "must just do...." Keeps getting longer 

Inside, the washing machine has been closed off with a small cupboard down on the right (you can't see it in this photo and there's a worksurface for storage of stuff and I've polished the copper pipes to really show it as a feature, which we think looks really good

Looking the other way, there's the loo with washbasin over the cistern

There you can see the small corner cupboard. This is an older photo before I'd polished the pipes and taken the protective layer off the worksurface

Here's our new king size bed with our wall art. Its a photo I took in Kenya of the great migration and shows Wildebeest heading off into the distance over the great plains of the Maasai Mara. The cushion is a photo of a Jaguar I took while in the Pantanal, Brazil, who we identified as being named Constantina 

We got some more solar lights for the garden too and here they've just lit up at dusk (now about 10:15pm)

At Great Central Railway Station in Birmingham for our Tuesday walk. This week it was from Stratford on Avon to Wooton Wawen along the canal. Only John was available for this one, but we're here with Chris from our village drama group who was just on his way to work! Oh well, someone still has to!

A quick change of railway stations in Birmingham to to the historic Moor Street station to get to the Stratford line

At the start of the walk on the canal in Stratford

The historic and protected Edstone Aqueduct over the railway and a road. It was opened in 1816 and consists of huge cast iron tanks bolted together, forming the longest canal aqueduct in England at 143m. It took 19 years to build (1793 to 1812) at a time when no modern machinery and almost no roads were available to transport and lift the very heavy sections into place. Under one of the sections over the railway a metal valve protrudes that was used to provide water for steam trains passing underneath. The notice says that many people remember learning to swim in it, although swimming is not recommended today. It was saved from closure in 2003 by a £1.2million renovation

Further on, near Wooton Wawen is another, shorter one, opened in 1813

Our Tuesday walk ended as they all do, at a pub selling craft ales - lovely!

Out for another walk a few days later with Denise (Brian's sister) and Paul at Earlswood Lakes, followed by a meal at the nearby Red Lion afterwards 

We went into the historic Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham so Jackie could get some old rings of her mothers made into something she will wear. This is the Chamberlain clock in the centre, erected in 1903

A stroll back into Birmingham city centre. The lovely building on the left is the Birmingham museum and art gallery, the colonaded building is the Town Hall and and, in front is the statue in Chamberlain Square

We had time for tea and cake in the Edwardian Tea Rooms inside the Art Gallery

And a very quick stroll through some of the exhibits. What a fabulous building

And home in time for drinks and nibbles in the garden before dinner

Yesterday barbeque at Manu and Crystals and all the Sunday Tea Club gang

They've recently moved into their bungalow in Sutton Coldfield and done a huge amount of renovation, so it was good to see how they are doing and catch up with everyone at the same time. We're lucky in that their house is on the same train line as the one for our village in Alvechurch, so a pleasant train journey allowed us to sip a few drinks and let the train take the strain