What a weekend it has been!

One to enjoy - and at £1.50 for a pristine and unread hardback copy certainly a welcome treat!

It would be fair to say that the last week has been a particularly trying one for a number of real life reasons - one of which was mentioned in my previous post. I would like to say at this point how pleased and grateful I and my family have been at the numerous messages of support and good wishes we have received. It has been truly humbling and our thanks can never be expressed sufficiently to all concerned so many, many thanks once again.

We have launched an appeal with the CPS and so will keep everyone posted as to how that goes in due course.

Yesterday SWMBO and I had arranged to go to the seaside with some friends for an old school day on the beach. To be more accurate, our friends arranged the whole thing for us and told us we were going - which was an unexpected and delightful surprise - and so we were duly collected at around 11:00 and for a day on the beach at Shoeburyness.

There is something truly comforting to me about a day at the seaside - memories from childhood of making sandcastles, excavating intricate tunnels on the beach and waiting for the tide to fill them; of sand and shingle between the toes, skimming stones and collecting 'treasure'. The sight, sounds and smell of the sea and the various stalls selling candy floss and hot doughnuts and various types of seafood. Fish and chips and cups of scalding hot industrial strength tea and warm fizzy drinks or squash all serve to paint a picture of a childhood that perhaps had been forgotten.

We ate a picnic of truly gargantuan proportions and featuring roast beef, smoked salmon, quiche, salad, sausage rolls, scotch eggs, strawberries and cream, scones and beer, wine, cider and soft drinks.

I played Petanque on the shingle and had a number of very close fought games; all the while with the sounds of the sea in the background.

The day was rounded off with an excellent fish and chip supper and so SWMBO and I cannot thank Jackie and Steve enough for a truly wonderful day out.

We popped to a boot sale this morning for a short while and I managed to pick up a copy of the book you see in the picture by the late and great Richard Holmes for a miserly £1.50.

I managed to get he appeal email drafted to the CPS sent just as England managed to win the first test against the Australians and then saw that according to certain sources Chelsea football club are looking to get the legend that is Didier Drogba back at Stamford Bridge.

Things have not turned out so badly after all then - now to crack on with the barbecue!