Hello everybody!

Back again after a very exciting few days.

My birthday was shared with Gabi's beautiful God-daughter Alex in Melton Mowbray.

We travelled around a fair bit and saw some lovely places such as Stamford, a medieval town that is best described as a micro-york.

It has a wonderful centrepiece in this... erm... I suppose spike?

The spike is around 2 feet wide at the base

It's covered in these beautiful engravings

Although small, around 30 feet, it makes a beautiful centrepiece to the town

Now to the birthday girl, Alex. 

Happy Birthday!

 We were wandering around Stamford after stopping to admire the central spire and found ourselves being brought back around to the same place via lots of lovely, cobbly, twisty streets. I commented to Alex that here was 'another spike' and we continued.

Later we returned to a lovely pub that, coincidentally, was right next to the spike and I said to Alex 'Hey look, that's three spikes we've seen today'. She replied, 'silly Uncle, that's the same one as before, there's only TWO spikes here!' I asked her what was the difference between the first and second. She said, after reverentially surveying the area, 'hmm, the second one had less shops.' Bless her little cottons.

And I'd be in real trouble if I didn't give mention to little Philip, Alex's younger brother, who has a birthday in the next few weeks.

 

 

 

Philip, who is a very polite boy... usually

Some of you may remember these kids from our wedding. Although they did spend most of the time racing around at top speed so if any of you remember a couple of shock blonde streaks passing by, that was probably them.

After parking in Stamford, we mooched around a huge antique store and was very tempted, although fiscally incapable, of buying a large proportion of their stock.

So onwards to Stamford. We found a lovely restored 14th Century church with some amazing carvings.

The wall tops (battlements?) look almost art deco in style

Me and the kids decided that this was a 'famous dead guy'

Presumably the final resting place of the inventor of rolltop, claw footed baths?

The rest of Stamford is beautiful too, and a lot is set around the amazing River Welland.

We checked guys, a small 2 bedroom on the river comes in at around 400k, but thanks for having the same thought as we did

This passageway in particular made me think of York. I wonder if people of York see something there and think of Stamford?

So after a wonderful few days away we headed home loaded with presents of cheese (of course), lovely memories and, in my lucky case, the most stinking flu I've had in years...

Back home to find somebody had stolen the crops

And replaced them with mud and stones... rural crime, know the dangers...

 

 Ok so that's it for now. But before I go... (HONK HONK! Shameless self promotion warning)

We have just stuck a load of books on Ebay so if you know any Pratchett or Rowling fans, point them our way please.

Our books link, click here!

Cheers. Hope everyone is well and happy out there in the world (thinks... what a wonderfully wide spread family we are!)

Blog soon I hope,

D and G x