John Patrick celebrates his 70th birthday

A very happy birthday Dad!

And many thanks for organising such a wonderful birthday weekend.

Photo credit: Jonathan Patrick

Aqui vas encontrar informacion sobre la familia patrick: David and Charo, Daniel and Louisa

Nature red in tooth and breast...

Two examples of urban wildlife in our Beeston garden this morning. We don't own the cat, but did we "own" the mouse or the robin?

Snap! Thick wet snow has fallen overnight in Beeston too.

Janet and I each have services this morning: one in Sandiacre and one at Queens Road. One of us will need welly-boots to get there!

Here Comes the Snow Again

Have you topped up your bird food this morning? We have now. Plenty of nuts, seeds and fat pies. Beth had even baked granola bar for them!


We awoke to snow on the ground and more coming down.

Megan and Daddy will do some more sledging in preparation for the 2030 winter Olympics.

Is it snowing with you?

70th Birthday Celebrations for John Patrick

Preparations for Dad's 70th birthday celebrations are underway. We're all gathering at The Coach House, Llanyblodwel next weekend.

Patricks visit the Holocaust Memorial Centre

The centre - near Newark - is aimed particualrly at young people. There are several exhibitions showing what life was like for Jewish people under the Third Reich. There is an excellent 'Kinder Journey' exhibition designed with primary school children in mind. It takes you on journey through the eyes of Leo, a teenage Jewish boy in Germany, whose life becomes more and more unbearable until his parents put him on a train to England to start a new life with a new family. Well worth a visit.

Going, going, gone!

The Coach House, Magdela Road, sold to the man at the back...for £130K. Congratulations, Joe, on reducing your property portfolio. The buyer was Dexter Blackstock, a Nottingham Forest striker.

Communism comes to Nottingham

There's an excellent new exhibition at the Nottingham Contemporary Arts Theatre in the Lace Market on space memorabilia from communist Russia. Not only did we see some stunning images and video display but we also had an opportunity to see art in the making. A couple of graffitti artists were busy creating some instant art picturing John Lennon from the 'Back in the USSR' tour.

Megan Gets Her First Pair of Clogs

We had a package from Jacque in Holland today.

Megan had these clogs and Rhys had a tee shirt that said Made in Holland, although it was actually made in India!

Thank you very much Jaques - Megan loves the clogs!

Out for a Drive in a Bentley Blower

We were out at Castle Whittington this morning feeding the ducks when a group of 1920's Bentleys called in for lunch. Apparently these Chitty Chitty Bang Bangs are a quarter of a million each!

Megan Takes Daddy to Play Group

Megan loves going to play group; it is helping build her confidence.

Megan enjoys reading a different set of books, most are in Welsh

The children playing outside have great views!

The play group share the primary school play ground. They have a PANDA area, that is Play and Nature Development Area, it includes a willow garden!

Megan took her new friend for a crawl through the tunnel.

We were celebrating the Chinse New Year by making tiger masks and eating noodles; can you spot Daddy's mask?

Happy Birthday, Daniel

And a very (belated) happy birthday from me too.




Many happy returns.

Mystery of the disappearing wheelie-bin

The bin was put out on Friday morning, but by lunch-time it was nowhere to be seen. I walked up and down the road inspecting the neighbours' bins to see who had taken it, to no avail. I phoned the council recycling office and reported it missing. This morning a brand new bin appeared in the drive! That's what you call service.

NB Broxtowe Council is controlled by the Lib-Dems!

Photo assignments

I thought I would add a couple of pictures from my photography course assignments. They are taken around central Glasgow. I also include one or two from Moray place at night.

This might be more to your liking, David

This might be an even more appropriate a target to aim for: the Killer Mile at Mow Cop, past Auntie Evelyn's old house on Drumber Lane. The incline is 1 in 3!

Tough Guy Challenge - where were you David?

I don't see your face among the competitors David. And this was just down the street from you too! I'll put your name down for next year's challenge.

The BBC writes. "More than 5,000 competitors from around the world took part in the Tough Guy Challenge over an extreme obstacle course on Sunday in Perton, South Staffordshire. Upon entering the race, competitors are required to sign a disclaimer form that organisers jokingly call the Death Warrant, complete with skull and cross bones.

Event organiser Billy Wilson said he was not surprised that thousands of people continued to pay for the privilege of enduring Tough Guy's blend of mud, freezing lakes, barbed wire and fire."

The course consists of 21 obstacles including fire, mud, barbed wire and flooded tunnels.