Ottawa 25 kilham 12

This is not a football score
but the temperature today - Your Mother looks in the Telegraph every morning to compare temperatures and there was something predictable as this is a bank holiday weekend in the UK.

It appears as though you're having an Indian summer in Ottawa although we did get good weather last weekend and had a couple of barbecues.

We have a gardener called Stan and his wife cleans the house - he is a farm worker but they are paid only the minimum wage even though the farmers are multimillionaires.

Well they go way to Ibetha every year to the same hotel - the accumulate so that I pay them only once a year and this is about 600 pounds - the Garden has the lawn cut back and front regularly irrespective that the house is empty. It is much better for us when we leave as we can and it is spotless on return.

When I drink at the Star pub in the evening - I hear all the farming stories - one chap was telling me last night that he has a farm with over 1000 lambs and supplied Marks & Spencer's for the past seven years but they had to discontinue for reasons which are hard to believe. Apparently the quality of his Lamb is proportional to the lushness of the grass - from round here it was such high-quality Lamb but he couldn't supply insufficient proportion for M&S and punters complained from the inferior lamb from his competitors.

He is a real character and kept me in stitches when he finished at agricultural college he went for a year to Wyoming in the 1990s- riding on a horse and looking after cattle - even in this day and age they carry a gun to stop the Indians russling. He was 30 miles from the town and apparently this was the back of beyond and he said the workers there spent all their life on the farm and were completely cut off from the rest of the world.

Everyone called him the Englishman and tears came to his eyes when he told me he recently went back after 15 years and they all rushed up to him to pat him on the back and still remembered him/ he said is never worn a watch since then - apparently their motto was you either work or drink or Sleep.

It's sad to hear really as Bridlington is dependent on good weather over the bank holiday - they have spent 6,000,000 pounds on improving the area - mainly on the sea front and the new Spar Theater. Plus today they have opened a huge carpark for park-and-ride. Even the swimming pool has been revamped and you will see when you are over in August.

It's a pity for James and family as it is too cold in the Lake District for children - I doubt whether the log cabin they are staying in, have any form of heating. Only Maggie will enjoy.

We spoke to Philippa on the telephone yesterday but she didn't wish to come down for the weekend to kilham - she said she was going to apply for a couple more jobs and rest whatever that means. She's getting bored I hope she can get a job soon.

She goes away to Crete the week before we fly out to Ottawa - we are fortunate in having a BA flight to Gatwick which is not affected by the strike.

I think this time that BA has broken the unions - if you listen to the Liverpudlian and Glaswegian voices of the leaders - they are all ex-Communists from the bad old days and this is the last bastion of union power when they have almost all BA to its knees over the past years.

Your mother buys more presents for your children so I hope they enjoy and we've got a small something for Adam. He will be able to accompany me to the Earl of Essex pub with his bulging wallet but I think the drinking age is 21 in Canada also. I will be able to judge his driving skills as well as Annas. I assume you are not going to buy them a car.

Just a short reminder Angela but can you make sure the car insurance covers me as I am not intending to hire car but may go for a drive out downtown as their is no bus if my memory is correct.

I received a short e-mail - a misnomer really as only four words on Chris's iPhone - he obviously has the latest technology. He told me that his contract has been extended until December and we will see him in London.

As I stated previously the LED television /Blu-Ray from John Lewis did not work properly they are sending out the technician on Thursday next week to Queens Quay - as it is brand-new I thought they would've replaced it.

We have done very little today other than going into Driffield to do some shopping - you will see when your here that it is a superb place to shop as many upmarket. All the produce is a local and we made the spaghetti Bolognese today and had fresh strawberries and cream. The local asparagus tastes fantastic.

We go to the library every other day as your mother is an avid reader of biographies mainly film stars and models - we returned one today on Elizabeth Taylor.

What I suggest for Italy is that we all take two paperbacks and a bottle of hooch - we can liaise and some take gin others Bacardi and your mother likes Bailey's etc. we will buy the Pepsi and soft drinks as well as the wine and beer as we have a week beforehand and should be able to find a hypermarket.

I am passing time to avoid five hours of the Eurovision song contest! Even Terry Wogan has called it a day

Post Shona

It takes a long time to forget the dog, particularly as the Corolla had the typical dog smell until recently when Phillipa cleaned the car. We have donated the car to her and she sold the red yaris yesterday for a modest price - a father was buying it for the University daughter


Also when we were walking, we saw an almost identical dog- Shonas doppelgänger - and had an instinct to call out.


The reason it came to our minds was that we went for walk on the cliffs at Flamborough and passed the spot where Shona fell down and almost toppled 200 feet into the sea.

She was waiting down the cliff face for me to come down and pick her up but I had to lie over the edge and encourage her to climb back up which he managed with a struggle as I fearful we were going to need either the lifeboat or the helicopter for a rescue!

This is one thing about a dog that could gets you out every day for a walk - rain or snow

The walk on the cliff top is stunning on a summers day with a white cliffs and the birds nesting on the rocks . Most of the birds have taken off for Africa.

we went to the golf club for lunch - The Links where we used to play golf on Boxing Day in the past. We have to remember to take Phillipa's golf clubs and she's going to start and Val is very keen to teach her

I found the garage is still full off dog food when I went to clean and the last task was to put her bed in the dustbin. We keep the food just in case Maggie spent some time with us.

Similar to Dick, we are not getting another dog although your mother is still very sorry. We try to get out every day for walk irrespective.

That has to be some positives - your mother is never on toilet duty now on the back lawn with a shovel! I've been feeding the lawn and it looks superb.

It is a different way of life down in kilham as I can hear the noise of animals and there'll always horses going by as well as tractors. I wonder if any of the visitors here will wish to ride as it is a stable nearby - Phillipa has not written since she fell off.

hi from ottawa

The house is reverberating to loud music, Adam and his friends are in end of school year mode even though there are still a few weeks to go, our house is full of kids night and day, they even knw the dogs name as they step over her on the stairs. Issie is also miss social so last night, Issie had 6 friends over while adam had about 10 friends over, luckily it is a big house!
Glad that you are having a good time in Kilham, the weather is lovely here, we have sat outside more this year than any other year, the house is slowly being finished but we have yet to do the outside, it is one project after another. We are having the dry stone walls rebuilt, the stone mason is english and has done a great job , it is very labour intensive though.
It is a great idea you going for dinner with Gary and ANgela, they arrive on the thursday and maybe you can go for dinner on the friday night as we have an event at the school to go too. Adam has a date for the prom and he is looking forward too it.His date is iranian and very pretty, the girls were shocked that he found a date!
I just spoke to Phil, she said Wigan have booked their hotel for the meal which will be fun, even tim and Polly are coming. Remember to have a veggie option for anna.
Adam is off for sushi with his friends, he has had a great year at school on the social side,
love angela

May 22 update 2

For some reason, the blog was updated so I think I must've exceeded the number of words required but will make more sense if you read update below first.

Tim and Deidre - they have moved into Harrogate and love the place and now go for coffee at Betty's! They live right in the center next to the Majestic Hotel which had a fire last week I was on the television .

They've invited us over as they have a guest room and Angelo will have to visit as Harrogate is a great place and they are good hosts.

as I said, Clare has returned to Dublin to the same job and is now settled down again although she was a little depressed after finishing with her German boyfriend.

JP was doing some local work but had been interviewed for a permanent position with a law firm in Leeds. He has been working in Manchester. I hope he settles down as T&D need a more tranquil life.

Dick - I have not been able to play golf for some time as them a little too unsteady with my blood pressure - however we meet in Tuesday evenings at the cavalry for a drink and on Wednesday lunchtime go to the New Inn.

He is down in London at the moment as the family are giving him a 70th birthday party - they are all coming over to Liz's place in Putney including the three or four grandchildren and they are sleep cheek by jowl. He puts a brave face on it and they're going to a concert of a very famous Chinese pianist at the Albert Hall. You will know the lad as I think he is played for Obama. Pippa is over from Prague but unfortunately her marriage has become unstuck although she's staying there with her two children and has a part-time IT job. Her husband's grandparents are fantastic. Liza is pregnant again and he even get e-mails sequentially of her ultrasonic scan! He says the size of the files of such the other clogging his computer as he is reluctant to delete.

Your mother sat on the coffee table in the lounge and as you can imagine there was a splintering sound - well Dick has been around to repair - your mother thinks he looks like Mr. Pickwick with a florid complexion - we gave him a nice bottle of wine.

James - he telephoned a couple of times this week - once for medical query for a case and also inviting us for Sunday lunch but we are down the kilham.

It is Bank holiday weekend next time we invited them to come over here but they are going on a camping holiday to the Lake District. I think this is a bit of a misnomer as they're not in a tent but I think in a wooden hut. Last time they went with Turner but this time they are alone. Philippa went around recently and took some shirts I had bought for him which were well appreciated and a navy blue suit. These all came from the gentleman's dresser in Driffield - but I was discreetly told that he has a wardrobe full and not only that, but the jacket was a size 42 for Chris with small trousers so I hope I haven't given Chris a mismatch also.

Hospital - I have an appointment on June 1 to see a colleague - he telephoned me at home to discuss the problems as I obviously know him very well. He was a bit noncommittal about traveling to Ottawa but I will inform the insurers and pay a small premium to cover. Your mother has a melanoma on her back and a seeing a plastic surgeon in Bradford on November 10.

London- we going to Queen's quay on Wednesday, June 2 for eight days by car. I bought a new LED television and the HDMI plug does not work to run the Blu-Ray/have to send back to John Lewis and also to get the floor re-stained. Your mother has bought a number of small presents for Aiden and Aoefe so we hope to see them as it is now a long time since Christmas.

We are going to book into some of the good restaurants as there are great deals at the moment. We've been to the Ritz last time and this time we are going to the Waldorf or Claridges.

Sunday morning and once again is going to be 80° but we again to stay in the garden as Bridlington will be heaving and we have the rest of the week.

Your mother is eternally happy - whether going to Bolton to have a meal with Phillipa as we do weekly or coming to kilham then to London and she cannot wait to travel to Ottawa - she reads the temperature every day from the telegraph and apparently you have also been having a heat wave.

Must finish

love dad

your mother is watching the TV - the obsession now is with animal programs which is a change from cookery and then property.

May 22nd 2010 Update

My broadband has been repaired so I'm going to put my e-mails on the blog so that everyone can read and join in. I've change from Orange to BT and have a new e-mail for home and kilham although the old one still runs for a year.

Kilham -we are spending 10 days here and it is a great place for holiday as we are having an Indian summer and the weather yesterday was 80°. The garden looks great as a red orange blossom is out to the front plus the Clematis so the place looks like a picture postcard. We're in the process of transplanting the tomato plants we should be in bloom when you are over and a herb garden. We spent a fortune on the lawn feeding it I had the sprinkler on overnight so it should look like a cricket pitch late in the year. We abort a superb solid oak wooden table and umbrella - I've used yacht varnish and it is to be used in the garden for meals. I bought one for James as well and it has two benches which she is going to use in his own kitchen for the kids.

We went to the beach which was heaving and all the children would've loved it including the donkeys. The great British public on holiday are not fashion plates and a tattoo is de rigeur. It would have been nice to use the red speedboat I'll go for trip on the Yorkshire Bell bully them to wait for this week when it is less crowded.

We had a superb meal in the Captain's Table of Moules Marinaire followed by half a lobster salad and homemade chips for £26 for two. Angela will have to visit when over as efficient chips are also excellent.

Your mother uses the public library and is now gone to biographies of every film star you could mention. She drew the line at the biography of Dusty Springfield! The facility is fantastic and it is just me modernized and you just pile your books onto a computer reader and it automatically books out with a printout of the date when it is due back. I've never seen anything like it as you compile five books on top of each other and it can still read the chip.

Philippa - is really well but is now waiting to get a job. As you know she was interviewed about 10 days ago I didn't get the job but the delay suggested that she was very close and she suspects it was an internal candidate. She is going to apply for three-day week teaching job in law.

Yesterday she cleaned the Yaris with Val and they took some photographs and they're going to advertise in the local paper. I obtained a valuation of £980 - but I think she is going to sell it for 800 pounds, which is a bargain as it is totally reliable and very economical and she has full service history.

Apparently she's going to come to kilham with Sandra if they can find a weekend and next month is going to a Greek island with Val for week.

The house has been decorated and looks very nice and clean and I'll have to consider getting the new development to the kitchen as this is the worst aspect of the house. She still talks about getting another dog.

Ottawa - I had a brainstorm with my BA booking from Manchester to Gatwick as I booked the return flight on the 28th June - completely forgetting that you fly overnight and it is the 29th when you arrive back.

I'll have to speak to them to see if I can change although it is a nonrefundable ticket.

Your mother is planning old bits and pieces as small presents she doesn't want to arrive empty-handed. We thought perhaps if it was convenient, then we would have a meal out with Gary and Angela on the Friday evening - grandparents - as we have not seen them for long time.

We will buy Adam a watch - this will be a present from granny and granddad and he can use in the future. I shall have to send him a little e-mail to dip into his bank account as granny and granddad will be very poor - have you seen the rate of exchange. Sterling is in freefall.

I will bring my video camera to record the event and I hope Adam will be wearing a bow tie as you see in all films of graduation events.

I received a nice photograph last week of a competition. I wonder who is the winner whether it was Issie or Lucy!-certainly in the IQ department, it would've been a close contest between Buddy and Lucy-neither endowed with great brains. I'm certain it's the breeding and next time everyone should get a mongrel. We had dogs in the past that could almost speak.

Tim and Deidre - they visited for me last week and it looks like the Elizabeth Taylor of Harrogate. As you know she has a huge diamond ring which she bought in Liverpool for almost 10,000 pounds and she turned up in an equally sized emerald ring. They both looked extremely well but does your mother will tell you when we meet, their faces looked distinctly different particular Tim and this was not the ginger color of his hair. I blame my mother for the tinting as she was an expert having a different color every week. I will tell you my suspicions when I see you but Tim's eyelids are completely distorted. They have had nothing but problems with a Spanish villa and they again to sell even at a financial loss. Plus they again to sell the house at Sherborn.