Max Rides Again

This will be my last post here for a while, as the final packing is almost over, the house is started to empty and the bike is squashed into the a cardboard box with enough sticky tape to stretch around the world a dozen times. I guess the film is pretty obvious, Max turned 3 years old on 23rd October and was given his first bike without stablisers and within a couple of days his has mastered the art of proper cycling.

Lastest OZ Fashion

The youngest member of the Sutton family sporting a designer T-shirt set to sweep Australia by storm, this fall...

Cannot Bake, Must Bake

In my usual haste to please and not knowing when to say no, I foolishly offered to bake bread for a work picnic which is taking place tomorrow. Its now 11pm and my first loaf from the so called fool proof bread maker has turned out somewhat disappointing (in fact uneatable) a second loaf is heading the same way as I type, so it seems that I have lost my touch when it comes to all things baked.

Things started going downhill a few weeks ago, when, as usual I have offered to make 30 something scones for a 1st birthday party and left it until late the night before to start the baking process, so they were fresh, you understand. Finding that I had the wrong flour was the final straw. There was nothing for it but rush to Sainburys in blind panic on the busiest Sunday morning this year to complete the pretense, which is what I might well being doing again tomorrow morning.

Ethan follows in mum and dad's footsteps!

Ethan waters the garden for Dad and gets ready to join Mum at a gig with Eclipse. Got any Quo EJ?

Lynn's Skype Lesson

This is a great arrangement, food for IT support services, if only everyone cooked such great food. Always a pleasure to enjoy some old stories with Chris and Lynn and look at the veggies, such like old times, "3rd tile from the left lynn, you remember!!"

Still a few techincal issues to overcome, namely the lack of headset, now on order, so shouldn't be long for the Robinson's hit the 21st century running, they are truely digital natives!!

Green Transport

In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint we decided to cycle to my friend Sue's 40th Birthday BBQ. In theory simple enough, Sue lives near Croydon, so by a series of train connections we decided it was possible. The journey started badly, when Lorry fell off the bike I had lent her only 1/2 mile from Horsmonden on our way to the station, cutting her leg in the process. But being a woman, she battled on through the pain and blood.


The rest of the journey was fairly uneventful until our second train connection, when so engrossed in conversation we missed our station and ended up having to get off at the next station, with no map and no idea how to get to Sue's house. Thank god Lorry likes people and is happy to ask anyone for directions or our route could have been a lot more torturous.

There was then the other small issue, in my usual forward planning style, the little matter of buying a present had been forgotten. What do you buy as a 40th present on a Bank holiday in May when the only shops open seem to be SPAR!!

Then we spotted the florist and after careful consideration the largest plant was purchased, followed by a complicated series of knots the plant was lashed carefully on the bike rack, which certainly turned a few heads as it sped through the suburbs of Croydon.

The Blubell

You live all alone in an entwining place,
You have no one around to invade in your space,
You're looking so lonely, just standing there small,
But if you look deeper you're the bell of the ball.

Outstanding you are as you reach for the sun,
It's amazing to think how your life once begun,
From the tiniest seed, planted deep in the ground,
To the prettiest flower, who whispers no sound.

Your colour so blue, yet so soft & so healing,
Surrounded by you gives a wonderful feeling.
I watch as you bow your head down to the floor,
And return to your resting embrace once more.

Surrounded by shadows & cold running streams,
Whilst lying beside you, I'm flowing with dreams.
So peaceful you look but you can't stay forever,
As you cannot survive throughout all kinds of weather.

A environmentailsts dilemma

Here's an interesting dilemma, I generally spend much of my life trying to live in a fairly environmental way. As everyone knows I spent some years without a car, and with great support from family and friends was able to manage here in the countryside, pouncing lifts from people when needed. However when I changed jobs last year cycling was longer an option., so I looked for a small, economical car. My intention had always been to carry on cycling when possible, but the lure of the car and the pull of my bed in the mornings has turned me almost back into a car dependent, just in time, guy again. :-(

Now the summer is upon us again I am attempting to cycle whenever possible. Then I had the bright idea of getting rid of my car altogether again, which would force me into cycling again. (seems I don't have the will power if I have a choice) but I still need a car occasionally for work and at weekends, so why not buy something completely impractical which will force me into cycling more. What about an old Landy? Series IIa, petrol, 20 miles to the gallon, can be an open top in the summer. Just so happens this one has come up for sale!!!

Hey Jo & Nato

Just a quick one to show you more delights from Blighty the stunning landscape of the Lakes!

Tony and I have just returned from a week ‘up north’ and apart from avoiding the ‘where wally’ clad walkers and the odd rabid sheep all went smoothly!

Nearly had a 999 incident on top of one of the fells (Im sure Michael Burke was lurking behind the nearest cairn), but emergency averted and all was well.

Missing you hugely

Loads of love Ruth & Tony xx

Max Rides Again

Here is a quick clip of Max riding his "like 'a' bike". which is a very cool toy for kids from 2 years old. Hopefully the video quality is a little better than the last clip.

A message from India

I will let this message speak for itself, just wanted to say, it was lovely to see everyone last weekend for Karina's birthday.

I hate self portraits

Well I thought I was being very clever, managed to get hold of some cheap studio flash lights on ebay. Having taken thousands of baby nephew and nice photos, the next thing was to do the whole home studio thing, RIGHT!.

Well now, hours later I am still none the wiser when it comes to using all this complicated equipment. Cables, umbrellas and softboxes everywhere, (what does it all mean) its a whole other world of photography and I don't even have the instruction book. Experiments seem to be the way to go, so bored of waiting for family and friends to volunteer as models, I was left with no other choice and here is the result. Any hints, tips or models offering their services would be much appreciated. It would all be in the name of art!!

A Simple life

Watching the sun go down from the shore of Loch Muick on the edge of the Balmoral estate, drinking wine and keeping warm, after a days walking up Lochnagar the mountain made famous by Prince Charles. The warmest day of the year so far, walking in T-shirts in the Scottish Highlands.

After a day on the hills we spent the night in a bothy keeping the fire burning with only the aid of a bow saw and some pretty wet pine branches. Not quite Ray Mears, but the beauty of camping out gave me time to concentrate on the important things in life, keeping warm, eating, being with friends and sleeping. It is so easy to forget how easy our lives have become, everything is only the push of a button away. I encourage everyone to ruff it, now and there, as a reminder of the important things in life.

Daffs in a cold snap

Well we were all waiting for the big snow predicted over this weekend, but it seems that the South East has missed out yet again!! Could it be global warming or maybe El Niño ? Who knows, all I know is that St Patricks Day went off in beatuiful sunshine.