Advantage Murray.

That's what the umpire just said, but at 2-2, two sets down & struggling to hold his service, Murray doesn't appear to have much of an advantage.
He does have moments of brilliance but Gasquet is playing well.

I played a couple of hours of tennis at Coleshill this morning - I make up a foursome on Monday & Wednesday mornings, if available. Two of the ladies are in their seventies, but very competent players with good reach, if limited footwork. We play for enjoyment, to keep the ball in play really - no shouting or punching the air, which is good practice for me.
It was delightful this morning, bright sunshine & very little wind.
Afterwards I went on to the gym & did a workout & swim, then on to Solihull to shop.
We are going to Henley Regatta on Friday. G says that I need some wedge heeled shoes to cope with the grass/mud, if wet. I found some very stylish corn coloured ones in Gordon Scotts' sale.
I don't know what would go with them, though.
As I couldn't recall what I had in the wardrobe, it was easier to look for something to go with them.
I found a superb dress in Beatties' sale - chocolate brown, going to neutral & then corn coloured at the hem. There is even a corn coloured bolero style cardigan.
All of this is still expensive & I don't know if it is worth one & a half days pay - I haven't bought anything....yet.
The price of vanity.

They are into a tie-breaker in set 3 - Murray has just won the set witha truly remarkable shot.
He's still in the game!

G is at his new gym tonight, in Coventry.

Congratulations to James.

James had his results on Friday & is now a fully qualified chiropractor - all those with aches & pains form an orderly queue, behind G!
I was teaching a difficult class at Granville school on Friday when G phoned with the news.
By careful choice of response, they were convinced that it was the Head calling to check on their behaviour, following the silence to ascertain who had the illegal phone!
I called at M&S, Ventura Park on the way home to have coffee with the Kingsbury clan & catch up on the gossip.

Yesterday we went to see JR in Cambridge - the weather was beautiful, warm & sunny.
We went to The Angel at Stoke by Nayland, picked from The Michelin guide; Peter drove up from Mistley & met us for lunch.
We had a potter around Dedham & then went to Flatford mill, where you "park & walk"
JR had last been there in the '60s, neither G nor I had been before, but JR said that it hadn't changed, just the trees had grown up somewhat.

Today I went to St James to join P, A & extended family at the family service, following J &T's christening there last Sunday. There were two baptisms, the second was Jack Daniel! The priest made some quip, then baptised him "Jack Daniels"!
We had scrambled egg & smoked salmon for lunch, read the papers & gardened this afternoon, dodging showers.
We have dined on fishcakes & asparagus, bought yesterday, in Suffolk, & watched a Jeremy Clarkson documentary on Sr Nazaire.
Time for bed.

A good second week for Wimbledon predicted.



Will Lott's cottage - The Hay (wain missing) apologies to J Constable!

On the lookout for the wain, on the way back to the mill.

Would we have added something to the original?

Question Time from Bexhill on Sea.

What a motley crew they have tonight, a baroness/diplomat,Yvette Cooper, wife of Ed Balls & chief secretary to the Treasury, Ann Leslie,a Lib Dem MP & a large bloke wearing a puff-sleeved, gingham dress. Apparently he is an artist.
G is at a dinner, so I can watch it, shame it's not better.

Yesterday I gardened all day, including making a bonfire in the field, of the next 4/5 feet of the trunks of the leylandii hedge that G had removed with his new tool - a cross between a chainsaw & hedge cutter, & clearing the border under the lounge window.
There was a partridge nest under the periwinkle, by the front door - hatched & flown apart from a couple of eggs.
When I had finished I bathed & collapsed in front of the TV to watch Wimbledon - bliss.
I did another 3 hours gardening/clearing the yard this morning before going to Kenilworth & Knowle to shop, in the sunshine.
It has rained ever since & the yard has big puddles.
I am teaching tomorrow so will not have to think about what to do until after 3.50pm

I have some great photos of Jessie & Thomas's christening, on Sunday.
Ben looked particularly "Mr Bean" for the occasion.

Yvette Cooper is aggravating in the extreme; she & Ed Balls, a match made in Heaven!
They are being investigated over housing claims.

Here I am!

Well, did anyone miss me anyway?
I have been on "Granny duty" in Bournemouth for a few days.
The twins, Sebastian & Harriet are delightful, a good size & very placid.
G & the babies are all doing well; J is finding it very tiring!
I didn't take a camera as I couldn't find the battery charger & I was a bit busy anyway.
J & G even managed about four hours sleep on the first night home, on Sunday.
Oscar & I have been on the beach every day & done some bracing walks along the prom & the cliffs, all in balmy weather.
He loved the wind on Sunday - arms out as wings & shouting from the buggy - I didn't take him out in case he blew away!
P came down on the train on Monday & we drove home together in the evening.
P only travels First Class nowadays so I was pleased that I had G's car!

Yesterday was "Thomas Day". We had great fun out in the sunshine, spending a long time on the swings, in the park & the garden. He has some innate football skills which we are building on so that he will be able to kick a ball as soon as he can walk.

The rain has passed over; blue sky & sunshine; I shall garden with gusto until I run out of energy, which may then coincide with Wimbledon on TV.
I have lost 3lb this week so must eat little, apart from fish & fruit, & exercise frantically to loose a little more whilst I'm on a winning streak.
(I'm not sure that's the right word!)

Wimbledon or bust!

OK, so I did two blogs with fantastic news & photos & only two lotto nerds find it worthy of comment.
I did speak to every one of my relatives on the phone during the day.(almost)
Today G went out early for the train to London - home alone again.
I blogged the photos that G had taken & put on my laptop at midnight , when he got home, & prepared to go to the gym.
The ladies from the tennis club phoned & invited me for a game, so I drove to Coleshill and we played for an hour & a half, during which time I served a number of double faults but improved overall.
I have only played about half a dozen times since we moved here in 1979, so have a lot of catching up to do.
I went on to the gym, swam 25 lengths & had five minutes in the spa before hitting M&S for tea & a scone.
I then went to Homebase at Monkspath & broke the habit of a lifetime by deciding to come home down the M42.
This was closed at the Solihull turn & it took me well over an hour to get home.
Stuff the M42!
I am now fed, have napped & may even do some ironing.
The weather has turned, tomorrow looks cold & wet; perhaps I'll leave it then.

Here they are!

Harriet & Sebastian: photos by grandad G.

The twins are here.

The news for today,17 June is that Gina had the twins this morning, as planned, by Cesarean.
All are doing well.
Sebastian James Adam, 8lb 4oz
Harriet Elizabeth Jane, 7lb 8oz (I think - these weights were given verbally by G, who is on his way back from Bournemouth, eta, midnight)
Love & best wishes to all.
The grandchildren now number eight, for the next three weeks anyway, until W & K's son is born:
Jessica, 4
Tim, 4
Jeremy, 2
Oscar, 1
Katie Poppy, 1
Thomas, 1
Harriet 0
Sebastion, 0
Friends are amazed at how quickly we have amassed this large family - it took little effort on the part of G & me, really.
There will be 19 of us if everyone is available for next Easter's holiday, unless there is something I don't know (chance for sarcasm there!)
We shall need a youth hostel!

AJ & I had a great game of tennis early on Monday before hitting Solihull for lunch at Zizzis (half price, compliments of the Telegraph)
Food was great, service painfully slow.

Thomas entertained me today; he was recovering from his weekend birthday celebrations.
I have stayed awake all day!