After a hectic few days with all the family coming over on Boxing Day, it was time for some quiet Lego building time. Megan (L) and Jessica (R) show off their new police station with helicopter and police car!

We have had a weekend with our good friends in Scotland. Richard taught with Chris who owns Edenbank House near Kelso and Ann who travelled up to Kelso with husband Brian, together with Moira with husband Ken who came up from Warrington.

We had a great weekend with lots of laughter. On the Sunday we went to Jedburgh to see the Christmas Market complete with haggis stalls and even a pipe band.

The day started at 7am and ended when we came home very tired after a wonderful day when over 9000 extra visitors were in the town.

This year we had two real reindeer in attendance - Cracker and Cocoa.

This weekend we had a family get together when Robert (Richartd's brother) and two of his daughters - Charlotte and Helen along with George and Matilda (Helen's children) came for two nights.

During the morning we all went up Stock Ghyll to see the waterfall. Robert, Charlotte (centre), Helen (left), George and Matilda on the top bridge above the falls.

Later we went to Hayes where George and Matilda sat on a rather large polar bear's paws!

After lunch in the palace conservatory cafe, we went across the road to the home of the Scottish Parliament.

We spent half an hour or so in the visitors' gallery as we listened to questions to a minister on Tourism and Brexit!

The state rooms are beautifully preserved. This is the state dining room where many world dignitaries have been entertained.

To end the visit today, we took the "Majestic" tour bus to the Ocean Terminal at Leith where we visited the Royal Yacht Britannia, which is now permanently berthed there.

In the outer courtyard, workers were still dismantling the staging for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo but we found a clear spot for a group photo.

After the photo, care of another tourist, we entered the castle with our pre-paid tickets which were part of our 48 hour bus tour tickets.

To see as mutch of the city as possible, we all bought a 48 hour tour bus pass which gave us access to three different tours.

"Is that a shell in your hands or are you just pleased to see me?"

Jill poses with the soldier who had just fired the 1 o'clock gun at Edinburgh Castle. The self same gun is sticking out of Jill's head!

Jill rested in our room once we had checked in whilst the rest of us went for a walk and found a cafe in George Street where we had coffees and cakes and watched the world go by for a while.

Today we joined five of our friends for a few days in Edinburgh. The friends are those associated with the three year course which Rich did in 1979-82 for his B.Ed degree. Our hotel was ideally located in Rose Street, just behind Princes Street.

One of the places Jill and Keith visited was Dunrobin Castle with its almost fairytale castle appearance. Whilst there, they watched a falconry display.

Today Jill left by train from Oxenholme to visit her brother, Keith, in Scotland - Invergordon which is beyond Inverness to be precise!

This was the view from Keith's front door! The cruise liner is Black Watch which we had seen last in Liverpool with the twins in August. Invergordon sees a succession of cruise liners arrive as it is a deep water port.

Two minutes later the peleton streamed through and on towards the town centre.

Fuzzy pictures I'm afraid as we videod the race passing and then I have grabbed screenshots of the video.

The Tour of Britain passed through Ambleside today on route from Barrow to Whinlatter Pass. After countless dozens of police motor bikes, other mashals and team cars, the leaders came past us by the bowling club at 1237. About 800 metres further on was a sprint stage with extra points up for grabs.

Today we went with Alison and the girls and Alison's Auntie Pauline to Savill Gardens in Windsor Great Park. The weather was hot and Poppy & Daisy enjoyed the playground (making new friends) before we walked to see the excitement of a film crew preparing to film scenes for "Death on the Nile" in Windsor!

For lunch we ate in the very impressive - if not spectacular - restaurant with its wavy roof!

Today we took the girls on the train to Preston where they met up with Andrew who had spent the weekend at his mother's house in Darwen.

Five minutes after Andrew and the girls had departed for London, Jill found the fridge magnet which should have been given to Andrew - hence the face!

On the way home we went via Malham and walked up Goredale (a collapsed cavern) where we came across people climbing the sheer walls.Look for the man near the top of the picture!

Later as we drove home we were overflown by the Red Arrows!

Tomorrow is our anniversary so today we set off with the girls towards Liverpool where we will spend two nights at The Premier Inn, Albert Dock.

On a walk along the waterfront, we saw some of the famous banana statues!

The view of the Albert Dock from our breakfast table!

A trip to Bolton today to see Saints play Catalan Dragons in the first of two matches to decide who goes to Wembley for the challenge cup final.

Sadly we lost as Catalan muscled Saints out. We decided to leave after the first game and drove towards Morecambe for an afternoon by the sea instead!

Later, at the Horse and Farrier pub in Threlkeld, we had a very pleasant meal and the girls tackled some amazing desserts!

Top - Jessica with a chocolate brownie and ice cream.

Bottom - Megan with a Death by Chocolate Sundae!

Today we took Caroline and the twins (Megan and Jessica) to Threlkeld Mining Museum where we had a picnic inside a portacabin - out of the rain! After looking around the museum dedicated to Lakeland mines and quarries, we took the little steam train to the actual quarry.

We concluded the visit by going on an underground mine tour - not a real mine but you would never know!

A good friend of Caroline (Katy) arrived today for an overnight stay with her two children - Lucy and Thomas.

Despite our doubts about whether they would stick it out - the three girls camped out overnight in Ladybird Cottage!

Today we both worked at Ambleside Sports. Richard was a gatekeeper at the main car park entrance where over £15,000 was collected. Jill was selling programmes and raffle tickets.

As well as treaditional races, there are hound trails and a fell runners' race called the Rydal Round. Our postman, Bob, did it in 1 hr 45mins!

Today was a busy day... We started by acting as gatekeepers at Langdale Gala at Chapel Stile. We took ovewr £3000 and Richard's Rotary Club earned £200 . It was hot and sunny so we were grateful for a gazebo.

The Gala started with a procession by the Kookaburra Drummers from Staveley who led a procession of the valley's children.

Sure enough, when our train from London pulled into Oxenholme, the heritage train was threre waiting. Provided by West Coast Railways (who do lots of rail tours), the train had three traditional coaches with a loco at each end. The back of the train had a class 37 loco 37669 with a headboard naming the train "The Lakelander".

At the front was 57316. On return from Windermere that loco would be at the back.

When the train departed it was almost full but the rail replacement buses parked in the station car park were EMPTY!!! Ha Ha!!

Jill heads down the platform as Rich photographed the class 57.

Today we were free to explore so we started by taking the train to Waterloo and then the tube to London Bridge where we had booked to go up the Shard. The conditions were almost perfect - sunny and good visibility. The images above Left The Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Right - The City with its amazing variety of buildings.

After the Shard, we had lunch in an old bank before walking along the Thames-side path past The Golden Hinde (below left with Jill doing the same pose) and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (below right).

Being Father's day today, we had a family get together at Caroline's house and we recreated the group photo first done in 2016. A rabbit called Snowball sneaked into this version!

We had a lovely brunch meal before Ben and family headed back to Reading to see Martin, Alison's father.

Front (L-R) Poppy, Jessica and Snowball, Daisy, Megan

Back (L-R) Alsion, Ben, Andrew, Caroline

Jessica went for the Disco Diva design.

Meanwhile, Megan decided to have her mails painted purple instead.

Having built up its strength again, the pigeon has flown on towards its home - we assume.

However, its place was taken this afternoon by three male mallard ducks - obviously out on a boy's jolly! Two slept at one stage with heads under wings whilst the third one kept a look out!

Last weekend we had very strong winds despite the warmth. The result was that the roofing felt was ripped off Ladybird Cottage!

So new felt was rapidly purchased to renew the roof before any rain or thunderstorms arrived. In very hot conditions, Rich toiled away and finished 15 mins before the rain started!

We also gained a new visitor - a lost homing pigeon! We named him "Walter" and tried to feed him up to carry on home towards the NE (according to his leg tags) but he seems to like it here!

Over the bank holiday weekend we were both involved in the Community Flower Festival in the local church. Twenty-three local community groups had been offered a window sill or a pillar to create a flower display to represent their organisation.

Jill was involved with the WI and the Bellringers' displays whilst Richard was involved with Ambleside Rotary's display. That had been created by two Rotarians' wives but Richard had sourced signs and a box of 100 crocus buttonholes. The purple crocus has become a symbol for Rotary's efforts to end Polio as children have their pinkie finger dipped in pruple dye when they are immunised.

Jill and two other ladies created the Bellringers' display including a miniature bell wheel and sally (the woollen grip on the rope).

Over the weekend there were hundreds of visitors and in the next edition of the local paper, Jill's bells display was the main picture!

On the Saturday the Rotary Club had hosted a swing band concert and made close to £1000 profit from the event.

Today we took part in a local litter picking exercise in conjunction with the Daily Mail. We took the Waterhead area and checked the promenade area, the large car park and Borrans Park.

At Waterhead we were surprised to see lots of young grocers doing a sponsored rowing boat trip in fancy dress.

The final day's evening meal was at Le Caveau (the old gaol in Skipton) with its low vaulted ceilings. The meal was excellent with lots of laughter and ended with a rather special plate!

The three day stay had been a total success and all the plans had worked perfectly!

In the afternoon we headed for the Embsay to Bolton Abbey steam railway. We enjoyed the nostalgic ride and then discovered that for £1 each we could upgrade to First Class and thus travel back in the directors' soloon carriage at the back of the train!

Here (L-R) are Brian and Ann Ankers, Moira and Ken Ryder, and Christina Moffatt with Jill.

Together with 5 friends from Richard's old school in Newton, we arranged a belated 70th birthday trip to Skipton. We had booked an AirBnB house on the Broughton Estate. We were first to arrive and realised that we had booked a gem of a place to stay. With four luxurious double en-suite bedrooms, it matched our needs exactly!

Jill is enjoying the sunny views as we wait for the others to arrive.

Today we installed the new waterfall at the side of the pond. This would make use of the pump which Richard had brought up the country when the electric supply had failed whilst we were down south for the birthday celebrations!

Once the waterfall was working, Richard landscaped the space behind it and planted it with moisture loving plants bought with birthday gardening vouchers from our "B.Ed" friends.

By pure coincidence we had bid for some new wheels for Jill's Suzuki 4X4 on Ebay and they were in the Stoke area. So the day after the party, we headed to Hanley and waited in Costa Coffee until the bidding ended!

We won the five wheels plus new tyres for £90 and we were soon heading to Blythe Bridge to collect them!

The seller was very short in conversation skills- perhaps because we had the wheels at the opening bid!

This weekend, we were invited to go to Robert's (Richard's brother) house for an engagement party for Charlotte (Robert's youngest daughter) and Joe. Also present were Helen talking to her Dad here and many of their friends.

On the way to Robert we called at a garden centre in South Manchester to buy a new waterfall for the pond (See May 7)

All ten of us pose for the waiter (in the mirror) inside the old luggage van. The meal was super!

The van had seen service in France in the war when it acted as a mobile hospital for wounded troops.

The evening made a great way to celebrate so many recent birthdays.

Our thanks to all the "children" who had planned the surprise holiday.

Three generations in Dorset...

Nana (Jill)

Daughter (Caroline)

Grand daughter (Poppy)

all trying to complete the Screwball Challenge game.

In between the two weekends of birthday celebrations, we took the Eurostar train from St.Pancras to Paris for a three night stay in a hotel just off the Rue de Rivoli.

Despite the cool (or cold to be precise) wind, we made the most of our stay and tried to do things which Jill or both of us had not done before.

So we bought a three day travel pass for all buses and tubes and headed for Pont d'Alma and had a river cruise on a bateau mouche along with about 60 enthusiastic and lively foreign students from all nations.

We also took a bus trip along the left bank towards Notre Dame cathedral and found that the building is now back to its original glory (having been covered in scaffolding whilst it was cleaned and repaired in recent years).

Here Jill poses between two bookenistes' stalls on the left bank. The river was still high after recent rains and floods so the boat had not been able to get this far up the river.

On a walk towards Place Vendome (where Princess Diana had started her fateful last journey from the Ritz Hotel) we took a variety of side streets.

Jill contemplates a new outfit for wearing in Ambleside but decided against it as it may cause some elderly WI members to over-react!

We ate out each evening and had a real selection of dining experiences. On the last night we had booked at La Cordonniere and following hints on the reveiew website, asked for a table in the kitchen area. We had a wonderful meal including mushroom and snail casserole (more of a soup really).

The chef and his fellow worker (waiter) - there were only two of them -gave us great service and we watched all the meals being prepared alongside our table!

A wonderful end to an action packed few days.

Later in the day we were back at Staines for a birthday meal out at The Swan Inn (which had caught fire on a previous visit 3 years ago!).

This time the only fire was on the nine candles of the cake.

Here Megan (L) and Jessica (R) pose after "glamming up" from their school uniform.

Today was Richard's birthday but the celebrations in London had to wait as he was due to be at a Rotary conference in Penrith that day! At one point 200 people all sang Happy Birthday to Rich.

At 5pm exactly he was out of the door and ready to drive directly to London via the M6 over Shap. The weather had changed and it was snowing!

The journey over Shap was "interesting" but made possible by following two snowploughs working alongside each other!

Staines was reached at around 10.30pm and the cards were duly opened.

Jill travelled down to London before Richard so that she could go to see the twins, Megan and Jessica, perform at Wembley Arena as part of the "Voice in a Million" series of childrens' concerts.

Jessica waves (just to the left of the tall girl near the camera).

Megan is just behind the middle of the three girls in the front right corner of the picture.

They had a great time!

In a rare burst of sunshine, we spotted that the Rotary crocuses planted last year were making a lovely show in Rothay Road. We nipped down to add the sign.

A slightly worrying view of Jill looking like a woman possessed. She was actually pleased that my present to her - a lighthouse shaped jigsaw was finally finished....

Despite the fact that we are in March, the weather has been arctic-like with windchill temps down to -15C.

As a result, the old pump in the garden pond is completely frozen right up to the spout and the netting on the pond has become a delicate ice pattern!

Today was bitterly cold and we drove to Keswick (in a blizzard) and visited the pencil museum where there were sketching lessons free of charge.

The two views show why Richard urgently needed lessons!

The lamp wasn't too bad!