What's going on at the cottages?     -  The Sunnybank Blog!    2023         

Mar 28	We had spent the night in a hotel in Rothley and after a short return visit to Margaret's apartment for coffee, we drove towards home via Newton-le-Willows.
Mar 27	Daisy's birthday. We stayed until she had opened her cards and presents before heading off to school and then we headed North to visit a good friend in Quorn near Loughborough.
Mar 26	The birthday bash was a great success even though he field was so waterlogged that when you trod on the grass, a pool of water appeared around your feet.
Mar 25	Preparations for Ben's surprise birthday bash to be held tomorrow in a field and with a lake owned by his friends! Our task was to buy rump steaks and cupcakes from Lidl's.
Mar 24	Today we headed back to the ferry after collecting pork pies for Ben's birthday from a renowned pie shop in Sandown. With time to spare in Cowes, we found even larger pies in Waitrose - so Ben will have a wide choice!
Mar 23		Today we used our national bus passes to travel across the island to Newport and then on to Godshill where we finally found the quaint thatched houses near the church.Once again, every attraction including the Model Village, was closed till April 1st!!!
Mar 22	We discovered that most things on the island were closed until next week when the season officially began. However, the Isle of Wight Steam Railway was operating today so we headed there and after a busy train arrived and emptied its passengers (coach parties), we boarded and had our own compartment in a 1926 wooden carriage.
Mar 21		We sailed on the car ferry to Cowes and then made our way across the island towards Freshwater Bay where we were due to stay in an old manor house. Finding it was a feat of perseverance as almost every road was closed for the installation of fibre broadband to the whole area. We ate at a pub just down the road (The Highland Inn) and had a wonderful meal and were treated like royalty!
Mar 20		Today we headed for Portsmouth to visit the Mary Rose Museum and then spend a night in a hotel in Cosham before heading to Southampton and the Isle of Wight the following day!
Mar 19	Birthdays for Megan, Jessica, Poppy, Alison's Aunt Pauline! By chance we were all due at the same theatre in Reading as last night (The Hexagon) where Daisy was performing as a member of the Wokingham Area Schools Music Association choir! The whole concert was themed around the reign of HM Queen Elizabeth II , with different songs for each decade. It wa s wonderful evening and beforehand we all ate as Las Iguanas restaurant nearby. So after Korean in Staines, it was now Brazilian/ Mexican / Cuban etc etc here! Our taste buds were on high alert!
Mar 18		Today Ben had arranged seats for us plus Alison at the theatre version of BBC Radio 4's "I'm Sorry I haven't a Clue!". Jack Dee did his usual causticially comic introduction to life in Reading before the various rounds got underway. In one round, all 2000 in the audience were provided with a Kazoo to play along with Colin Sell's tune on the piano. Jack Dee described the audience's kazoo skills as "TRAGIC"!
Mar 17	Having arrived at Caroline's for Richard's birthday, we went to a Korean BBQ restaurant where we cooked our platter of meat on a fire pit/griddle in the middle of the table. Megan is into K-Pop (Korean pop music) so that was why we ate Korean that evening. It was a great experience with clouds of smoke produced but the ventilation system meant that the alarm do not go off!
Mar 16	After Jill finally tested negative, we were able to set off on our annual trip to the family for the birthday fest!
Mar 2	Although Jill had moved into Cobbleholes cottage to avoid passing it on to Richard, it didn't work and Rich finally tested positive but only ever with a very weak line (more of a smudge than a line!).
Feb 23	After three years, Jill finally caught Covid when out for coffee with her Tai Chi friends. There were 6 around a large table at Zeffs in Ambleside. The three (including Jill) who were of the outer edge seats all caught it, but the three sitting away from the gangway did not! Either a waiter or some other person must have passed it on!
Jan 15	The second Sunday of lights removal and this week was cooler but a lot drier!
Jan 8
	At one point, Richard demonstrated the amount of rain! Using a cone as an umbrella! Note the amount of rain coming out of the bottom in the right hand photo!
Jan 1	The year has started on a wet note! Almost an inch of rain today and a lot more in the forecast for the days ahead.