Olympic Tickets Update

We found out today which tickets we were lucky enough to get.

On Saturday 4th August we'll be off to the Olympic Stadium to see all of this: Women's 10,000m Victory Ceremony, Men's 400m Hurdles Semifinals, Men's Shot Put Victory Ceremony, Women's Discus Throw Final, Women's 100m Semifinals, Men's Long Jump Final, Women's 400m Semifinals, Women's Heptathlon 800m, Men's 20km Walk Victory Ceremony, Men's 10,000m Final, Women's Discus Throw Victory Ceremony, Women's 100m Final, and Women's Heptathlon Victory Ceremony. Phew. All in the space of 3h 15mins, apparently! Our eyeballs will be rolling in our heads by the time that's over.

The following Thurs & Fri we have tickets to see the men's hockey semifinal no.2 and the women's hockey bronze medal game.

Having spoken to friends who got no tickets at all in this first round of the allocation, we know how lucky we are to have got our hands on six so we'll have to make the most of them!

The Drive To/From Nursery

I wanted to share with you some photos that I took along the route to and from DC's nursery Tuesday and today. The difference from our old 'commute' is immense - previously we would be stuck in traffic at some point, without fail; now traffic is a rare sight, until we get into Ilminster itself and even then we're unlikely to pass more than 15-20 other vehicles, let alone get stuck in a queue. There's not even one set of traffic lights between here and the nursery. Instead we have winding country lanes with lots of "tunnels" (as DC likes to call them) where the trees meet overhead, huge vistas where the land literally drops away and it feels like the whole of Somerset is laid out before us, gorgeous farmhouses to covet, and moos (cows), baas (sheep) and neees (horses) galore to admire and point at along the way.
This is just one of the many reasons why I love living in Somerset. Not to mention that the sun is always shining (except when it's raining...)

Ilminster Midsummer Experience

This morning Family W took a trip into Ilminster to enjoy part of the Midsummer Experience - a four-day event featuring such things as a Classic Car Rally, Banner & Penant Display, Scarecrow Competition, Food & Craft Fair, Church Fete, Treasure Hunt and a Saturday night party in the square. We went along to the Food & Craft Fair plus Church Fete, which happily coincided with the monthly Antiques and Vintage Fair at the Arts Centre.

Our first stop was the Vintage Fair where we ummed and ahhed over several items including a lovely pine kitchen table, a pine plate rack, a large wooden box, etc, etc. I spotted this lovely old pharmacy bottle and considered how much I would pay for it - £10? £15? £20? I asked the lady running the stall how much she wanted; £4, she said, but before I even had a chance to say "I'll take it" she changed her mind and asked for £3. How could I refuse?! Hubby bought a similar bottle in clear glass, also for £3.


Then it was off down the hill and into the thick of things at the Food & Craft Fair: We didn't get far before DC was collared by the photograper from the local rag to pose with a balloon and a happy smile - in return for a balloon the small boy will do almost anything...



We didn't find much to take our fancy among the stalls, but in the charity shop for just 50p I managed to pick up this old game of skittles which I hope DC will enjoy playing; if not, I shall enjoy admiring the box and it's slightly battered, and clearly much-enjoyed, contents. Is it from the 1950s do you think, or is that wishful thinking on my part?


Then it was on to the church fete where we spent most of our money at the cake stall - DC had a fairy cake and when that was gone demand "more cake", so he ended up scoffing two. A well-balanced diet, I think you'll agree.

After a bit of running around in the churchyard it was time to head back up the hill to the Arts Centre for a cup of coffee (me), a cup of tea (daddy) and a bacon butty (supposedly for daddy, but mostly eaten by DC who thought it preferable to the breadsticks and hummus I had brought along for him. Can't blame him really.)

This afternoon we are off to see an ex-work colleague of hubby's who is visiting her parents on their llama farm about 5 miles away -should be fun!