Can't believe it's October already, felt like summer flew by and we're now suddenly in the middle of Autumn! However the month started off fairly mild and sunny that first weekend, with an evening braai on the Friday attempting buffalo chicken wings, then Saturday we popped down to Southwick Beach in the afternoon and Sunday we got the kids a new Lego set each so spent the afternoon building that :)

The next weekend was a mix of rainy Saturday indoors at home and Sunday was clearer so all headed out to Bodiam Castle for the afternoon which was good fun and entertaining for the kids running around the castle.

On Tuesday 15th I had tickets to go with Lee to see Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes at Concorde 2 in Brighton. We started off with a couple of beers at Bison Beach Bar @ Sea Lanes and then to Concorde to see Hot Wax open for them, followed by Frank Carter. I'd never been to Concorde before so it was good to eventually get to see a band there. After the gig we grabbed another one at East Street Tap before heading home.

On Thursday 17th Una flew over to Ireland for a few days, and while she was there from the Thursday to the Monday, we kept ourselves busy around the house with Ellen going to PQA and Lena on the Saturday, and myself and Ian at home then headed out for a walk/adventure around Southwick. Sunday was a grey rainy day so it ended up being indoors at home for the day.

Last week Wednesday we had a social event after work in the evening at Players Social inside Spitalfields Market. Was a good social evening and I got to play loads of foosball which I've not done in years, so that was good fun again :)

This past Saturday we had our Croft Halloween Party at home which was rather well attended with over 50 people at our place, half of those being sugared up kids with way too much energy :) But we think it was enjoyed by all - between the food, drinks, smoke machine, movie projector and snacks!

Then the following day, after a bit of house cleanup, we went pumpkin picking at Sompting Pumpkin Patch and spent the following evening carving out faces of each of us on the pumpkins.

This week has been half term for the kids so they've just been lazing around the house and staying fairly local. This evening we all headed out around Southwick for trick or treating which was good entertainment, both of them doing quite well with the sweets and treats in their little Halloween bags :)

We started off September with a camping weekend away at Stoneywish Nature Reserve. After our few days away last month at Blackberry Wood, we decided to get one more camping trip in before the cooler weather set in. We mostly spent the weekend around the campsite, with a walk into Ditchling on the Saturday afternoon for some ice-cream and the rest of the time near to camp.

On Tuesday the 3rd the kids went back to school after the summer holidays, with Ellen rather excited for Year 2 and Ian starting back full time at Busy Bees. Was rather quiet around the house that week compared to the previous five weeks :)

That first weekend was really rainy and grey, with Saturday being an indoor day at home and the SA vs New Zealand game on TV in the afternoon, with SA defeating the All Blacks and winning back the Freedom Cup for the first time since 2009. On the Sunday I had tickets which Una bought for me to see Tim Peake at Brighton Dome as part of his "Astronauts" tour which was really good.

The following week felt very chilly and cold, what could only be described as inclement weather: "severe or harsh weather that is cold and wet which is undesirable for outdoor events". Certainly not ideal and definitely feels like summer is over, even though it didn't really seem to officially kick in this year :(

At the end of the week, on the 13th, the paddle steamer Waverley (the world's last seagoing paddle steamer) made a stop in at Shoreham Port as part of its cruise along the South Coast. Since I had the day off work, Una and I took a walk down to the port to take a look and watch it depart out to sea.

That evening we had Ben, Alice and William over to ours for dinner which was a good evening - Ellen, Ian and William entertained each other while we got to enjoy dinner :) On Saturday we had a good catch up day at the new McLuckie house since Si and Suzie were over from Australia with the family. As it turned out, Si Davies was in the UK too that weekend, so managed to catch up with him as well. Paul and Carol came through, as did Marty, so a good afternoon at their new place. On the Sunday we managed to get out on the cargo bike down to the beach for some rock climbing and playing with the stones.

The following weekend we had Cliff over for a steak dinner on the Friday evening, and then an afternoon party at Adrian and Geri's house with Sunday being a more relaxed home day.

This past weekend I had taken Friday off work to try sort out the garage a bit and then that evening met up with Adrian, Ben, Ian and Harvey at The Ship Inn for a few beers with them. On the Saturday I was aside around the braai for the best part of the morning slow cooking some ribs on the Weber. And then yesterday, while Ellen had gone to Lena's house for the afternoon, Una and I took Ian up to Devil's Dyke for a run around there before fetching Ellen and heading back home.

As we head into October tomorrow, it now officially feels autumnal with the change of weather, the leaves falling and the darker evenings...

I hadn't planned on using Artificial Intelligence (AI) for more than 1 or 2 blog posts, but it certainly saves me some time and just mixes it up with a different tone of writing of what we did over the past month :)

So once again, here goes the update...

As summer reached its peak, our family embraced every moment with a mix of spontaneous outings and planned excursions. From beach days to camping trips, August was filled with unforgettable memories.

We kicked off the month with some well-deserved relaxation. The first Thursday evening saw us heading to the beach after work for a refreshing swim. The next day, I took the afternoon off to enjoy more beach time at Southwick Beach.

The weekend brought a flurry of activity. On Saturday, Ellen attended Harry's birthday party at Monkey Bizness in Lewes, while Sunday took us on a journey back in time. We visited Arundel Castle, where we were treated to an unexpected jousting tournament! The day was filled with exploring lush gardens, majestic castle rooms, and climbing the imposing keep. We rounded off our adventure with a visit to the Swiss Cottage pub in Shoreham for dinner before heading home.

Midweek, Ellen had a playdate with Sophia at Blackberry Wood campsite. When we went to pick her up, we fell in love with the place, planting the seed for our own camping adventure later in the month.

On the Friday, I finished up work at lunch time for a week off which we were looking forward to. The week off started with a visit from Greg, Kim, and the boys. We hosted a braai at home and made sure to squeeze in some afternoon beach time too.

With that week off work, we made the most of the hot weather with beach days on Sunday and Monday. Then, from Tuesday to Friday, we embarked on our camping trip to Blackberry Woods. It was a hit with everyone, especially the kids who had an absolute blast.

Returning to work didn't mean the fun had to stop. We managed to fit in some paddleboarding at Kingston beach on Saturday, followed by dinner at Five Guys in the marina. Sunday was a relaxed day at home, ending with a delicious dinner of scallops and prawns on the braai.

Midweek, we supported Ellen at her PQA workshop at The Barn. The following weekend was a mix of family time and exploration, with Una and Ellen enjoying a shopping trip to Brighton, while Ian and I visited Brooklands playground.

The month concluded with a long weekend. We visited Hove Museum on Sunday morning and spent the afternoon with Laura and the boys. Bank Holiday Monday was a quiet day at home, but we made up for it on Tuesday with an outing to Worthing. Una and the kids enjoyed a movie in the afternoon, and I joined them after work for the quintessential British seaside treat - fish and chips on the beach.

As August draws to a close, I'm wrapping up the month with a half-day at work today, ready for a weekend away camping at Stoneywish Nature Reserve and Camp Site.

Looking back, August was a perfect blend of family time, outdoor activities, and new experiences. From medieval castles to modern cinemas, and from home-cooked meals to beachside treats, we made the most of every day. Here's to more memories in the months to come!

Similar to last month, this is yet another AI written post, which nicely summarises what we did this month, and saved me some time typing it all out myself :)

Here we go...

As we bid farewell to July 2024, it's time to look back on a month filled with unexpected weather, family gatherings, and exciting sporting events. From chilly winds to scorching heat, this July certainly kept us on our toes!

The month kicked off with unseasonably chilly and windy weather, quite unusual for early July. Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, we didn't let it dampen our spirits. On Saturday, July 6th, we balanced family commitments with Ellen's PQA morning session and Rowyn's birthday celebration on Southwick Green. The day concluded with some relaxing time at home, enjoying SA vs Ireland rugby on TV.

Sunday brought a delightful family brunch at our place, hosting Pete, Sarah, and their boys. The rainy and windy weather persisted, making it a perfect day for indoor gatherings.

Midweek, I managed to squeeze in a blood donation on Wednesday evening, rushing home just in time to witness England's thrilling victory in the Euros semi-final. The weekend was packed with activities: Ellen's PQA watching week featured a charming rendition of Oliver Twist, while Una headed to London for Kylie's performance at BST (British Summer Time Festival). I stayed home to catch the intense South Africa vs. Ireland rugby match.

Sunday was a day of contrasts - starting with a relaxing lunchtime braai, followed by the vibrant Fiesta party at Hove Park. The day concluded with the nail-biting Euros final, where Spain narrowly defeated England 2-1.

The third week of July saw a mix of social engagements and domestic activities. Thursday evening was spent enjoying beers with Adrian, Ben and Lee in Shoreham, hopping from the Duke of Wellington to the Ferry Inn. Friday, my day off, was a delightful date day with Una in Brighton, featuring drinks at Coppa Club and Blue Moon Sixes, followed by a delicious lunch at the Salt Room.

The weekend was dedicated to home and family, with Saturday focused on house and garden tasks. Sunday was split between household chores and some much-needed garage organization, including sorting out the cargo bike. An evening trip to the basin was cut short due to persistent winds.

As the month progressed, we enjoyed more outdoor time with an evening at the basin beach on Friday. Saturday was all about home improvements, with Jamie working on bedroom wardrobes and Cliff lending a hand to fix the side gate. Sunday was dedicated to celebrating Rich's birthday at The Cricketers, while I spent most of my time at the Pirate Park - a fun-filled day for all!

The final days of July brought a dramatic shift in weather, with scorching temperatures making headlines. As we adjusted to the heat, we also focused on practical matters, like getting the cargo bike serviced on the last day of the month, ready to start using it again next month.

Looking back, July 2024 was a month that truly had it all - from family time and sporting events to home improvements and weather extremes. Here's to the memories made and the challenges overcome!

As a prefix to this month's write up, the entire post for this month has been generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and not myself. I decided to save some time and use AI to write it for me, by giving it some very basic bullet points of what we did and let it write a full summary for me. So it will read quite differently to my other posts, but gives a decent summary of what we did this month. The only bit I did myself was add some photos in between the generated text :)

So courtesy of AI, here goes this month's update...

As we bid farewell to June, I can't help but reflect on the wonderful memories we've made this month. From lazy days at the beach to exciting family adventures, June has been a month filled with joy, relaxation, and quality time with loved ones.

We kicked off the month with a perfect balance of home and beach time. On the first Saturday, we spent a peaceful day tending to our home garden while Ellen enjoyed time with Lena. In the evening, we picked her up and took a brief trip to the beach, savouring the start of summer.

Sunday was all about soaking up the sun. We headed down to the beach in front of Carats Cafe for lunch and spent the afternoon enjoying the sand and sea. It was the perfect way to round off the weekend and set the tone for the month ahead.

The following Friday, I got my hands dirty laying new soil and turf in the garden. It was hard work, but the results were worth it - our garden is now looking lush and inviting.

Saturday was a special day as we celebrated Ian's birthday. His face lit up when he saw his new Spiderman bike! We spent the day at home, letting him enjoy his new wheels. In the evening, we treated ourselves to a delicious dinner at Marrocco's in Hove, followed by a refreshing run on the beach.

Sunday was another perfect family day. We spent the morning at home, then headed to the park in the afternoon so Ian could show off his bike skills. We rounded off the day with a tasty braai for dinner.

The following Thursday marked the start of a few days off work for me, as Una headed to Ireland. I spent quality time with the kids, visiting the Garden Centre, treating them to McDonald's, and enjoying our newly refreshed garden.

On the 20th, I attended my work summer party at Shoreditch Gardens. It was a great opportunity to unwind with colleagues. Afterwards, we all headed down to Brick Lane and caught the England game at Juju's pub before heading home.

Friday was a day of pampering for Una, who enjoyed a massage treatment day in Worthing. I picked up the kids from school and we attended the summer fayre at Eastbrook School, embracing the festive summer atmosphere.

The weekend was busy but fun. Ellen had her PQA session on Saturday morning, while I picked up some quality meat from Westdene butchers. In the afternoon, we attended the MS Centre summer fair. Sunday was my belated Father's Day celebration, spent at home with a delicious braai featuring a mouth-watering bone-in ribeye steak.

As the month drew to a close, we squeezed in a lovely beach braai on Wednesday evening, enjoying good food with the sound of waves in the background.

The final weekend of June was particularly special as we took a trip to Oxford to meet up with Seamus and Kirsty and kids. On Saturday, we visited the Victoria Arms for the afternoon before checking into our hotel. I took a solo excursion to Tap Social in the evening to meet Paul, Carol, Phil, Dan and Marty. Sunday morning started with a refreshing swim at the hotel, followed by a visit to the Up in Arms pub for lunch. We made it home just in time to catch the England game in the Euros.

June has been a month of balance - home improvements and relaxation, family time and solo adventures, local outings and weekend getaways. As we move into July, I'm grateful for these moments and looking forward to what the rest of the summer has in store for us.

This month started off with our wedding anniversary on the 2nd which we celebrated with dinner at home. Unfortunately Ian liked to scupper the day a bit and landed up with a high temperature, but at least it was just a 24-hour fever and back to his usual self the following day :) That weekend was nice and sunny so we spent the Saturday at home doing a few house jobs and on the Sunday we all headed out to Sheffield Park and Gardens for the day which was nice and scenic. The Monday was the first May bank holiday which was a bit of a wash out - heavy rain all day so we just had a cosy indoors day.

That week was Una's birthday which we were just at home for. Then on the Friday the weather had picked up so we headed down to The Cricketers for dinner and a couple of drinks there. Saturday was really warm here so we had a nice afternoon in the garden and then headed down to the beach that evening. Sunday was Lottie's birthday in the afternoon and then bumped into Rich and Brittney and the boys on the Green on the way home, so stopped off there for a while and enjoyed a drink on the green with them.

The following weekend was sunny and warm, so a mix of time in the garden as well as the beach. Then last Friday we started work on the outdoors patio tiling which we had been wanting done for ages, but had to wait for the scaffolding to come down first, but at least it's now getting done! On the Saturday we had the Southwick Beer Festival, followed by a few at Beer Engine and then back to ours for something to eat and a couple more. Turned out to be a bigger day than expected! The next day we popped over to Laura and Dennis for the afternoon. Monday was the second May bank holiday which was a lot nicer than the first one, so after the guys had finished with the patio tiling, we headed down to the beach for the later part of the afternoon.

This week we've started our bedroom fireplace surround, we had Shane come in and help us to fit the hearth, marble and surround which is looking really good. Next up is the painting, the wardrobes, carpet, curtains and furnishing - so plenty still to do but getting there at least :)

That brings us to the end of the month and hopefully June brings us some nice decent weather - looking forward to some time in the garden and a few beach visits as well :)

Already at the end of April and this month feels like we're slowly starting to see the end of the house building works and start to concentrate on the garden, in the hope that actual Spring and Summer might be around the corner, but for now it's still pretty cold for this time of the year!

On the first weekend of this month, which was Easter weekend, Ellen had Lena's princess birthday party in Worthing, so after dropping her off there, Una, Ian and myself headed down to the beach to fly the kite and then up to the pier for a walk along and some lunch. That afternoon we were just at home and some time in the garden.

During that week, we managed to get the brickwork sorted above the living room doors which, up until then, was hindering the plaster work on the back of the house. Very happy with the end result and came out looking much better than first expected!

The next weekend we met up with Greg, Kim and the boys at Godstone Farm which was fantastic - very interactive with the animals and a few play zones and the kids really had a good time and enjoyed catching up with them. On the Sunday we had Laura with the boys over for brunch at ours, followed by an afternoon in the garden.

During that week, Ken finished up the exterior rendering and plastering, very happy with how it's looking, so next up will be to get it painted.

Then on that Friday after work I drove over to Hove to meet up with Una and the kids who had spent the afternoon in Brighton and Hove, so met up near Hove Lawns, took a stroll along the promenade and then headed home. The weekend was then fairly action packed with kids activities - Ellen had PQA on Saturday morning while Ian and myself headed to Vale Park. Then that afternoon we had Lila and Lark's party at Monkey Bizness in Lewes and on the Sunday we had William's birthday at Portslade Sports Centre.

The following weekend was busy around the house doing various DIY and house jobs, like sorting out the living room before the new flooring went in, as well as exterior window and soffit cleaning now that the painting is complete and wanted it done before the scaffolding came down. Then during that week we had the living room floor done which looks so much better compared to that old green carpet :) Last Friday we had the scaffolding taken down which has made a huge impressive difference to the house - can actually see the house again and looks amazing with the rendering and painting done - very happy with the result!

This past weekend was a mix of kid's birthday parties (Liam's in Portslade Village Centre on Saturday and Sophia's at Shark Park on Sunday) and in between those, Una managed to get the living room painted while I cracked on with the garden and tried to get some new turf laid where I could. Still plenty more to do, but good to get started with the garden.

This brings us to the end of April, hopefully we can get the last of the building works finished next month, like the patio tiling, the side gate and the driveway cleaned up. Then we'll be ready for the summer months which hopefully aren't too far away now...

The start of March brought an end to my few weeks of being "between jobs", which I utilised rather well with various DIY jobs getting done and started up the biltong making again which was good. Then on the Monday the 4th, I had an early start getting into London for my first day at Thispacerrd spacerBrspaceridge, followed by a fairly hectic first week of learning and onboarding. However on that Thursday, I met up with Lee, Adrian and Harvey at Beer Engine and then at the Ship for a few catch up beers which was good.

On the first weekend, Ellen had PQA in the morning followed by Leo's birthday. And then Sunday was Mother's Day which we had at home in the morning and then up to Holmbush for coffee and cake at Harris & Hoole.

The next week was busy at home with work as well as the flooring in the hallway and kitchen getting fitted. Then that Wednesday was Ellen's birthday so all went for dinner at Marrocco's that evening.

The middle weekend was busy with Ellen's PQA in the morning, Six Nations on the TV in the afternoon, Vee's party on the Sunday morning and then Ellen's party in the afternoon.

The next weekend was rather relaxing, it felt like one of the first weekends in ages where we didn't have a list of house jobs to urgently get done. On the Saturday we had Lorena and Lana over for a bit of the day, and then Sunday was nice and sunny so we got to open the patio doors and kids played outside a bit... in between the scaffolding :) That evening we drove into Hove for ice-cream from Marrocco's on the beach.

This weekend is the Easter long weekend, starting off with a small Easter Egg Hunt for Ian on Friday morning with a few friends from Busy Bees. That afternoon we had drinks over at Tom and Elle's place. Yesterday we had the morning at home and a bit in the garden then headed out to the Marina in the evening for dinner at Five Guys. Today we spent at Wakehurst walking around the gardens and enjoying the Bluey Trail which they have there at the moment.

Still got another day left of the long weekend and the weather isn't too bad, was originally predicted to be wet and miserable. Hopefully get out for a walk along the beach tomorrow if possible :)

We arrived back in the UK last Saturday morning after leaving South Africa in 30° heat and walked off the plane at 6am into a rather chilly 2° morning - however it was really sunny with clear skies which helped. After collecting our bags, grabbing breakfast and changing into warmer clothes, we headed over to the car and made our way down south to Southwick where the weather changed to dull and cloudy with a downpour of hail. So needless to say we spent the day chilling at home, watching a couple of the Six Nations games on TV.

On the Sunday we felt we should get out of the house a bit and drove over to Widewater Lagoon beach for a bit of a wander with pooch coming along too:)

This past week has been rather busy at home, with me still off work trying to get as much house and DIY work done as possible before starting with the new job next Monday. We had Daniel the painter in on Monday and Tuesday, and between myself and Una managed to crack on with bits and pieces around the house to start making it more homely and less of a building site :)

A couple of weeks ago, on the Wednesday night, we flew out to SA and arrived on the Thursday where the weather was predicted to be around 30° for the day. After baggage claim and a fairly sweaty passport control queue, we met the folks and headed back to Edenvale, wasting no time getting into the pool for a refreshing swim!

For the next week we kept busy with the kids as well as enjoying the weather and downtime at home, making full use of the swimming pool and garden. The plastic bikes for the kids were a great hit, especially with Ian and his racing laps around the pool :)

Other than that, we went for a braai with Dave, Trevor and Tasha, a visit to Rand Airport, lunch at Fahrenheit, out to Monte Casino, a morning visiting Leisure View Village, popped up to Bev's place, the Kidz Fun House Play Centre, Papachinos, Greenstone, coffee and muffins at Mugg & Bean and a dinner date at Fin & Fillet. In between all that, we squeezed in a few braais at home and plenty of pool time too!

This Tuesday we booked a night away at the Bothongo Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve, so headed off there mid morning. That afternoon, after a lunch at the Neck and Deck Restaurant, we checked into the chalet, spent some time in the hot tub and enjoyed a braai that evening (until the loadshedding generator kicked in!). The following morning we had a game drive booked which took us around the reserve for a couple of hours, before lunch back at the restaurant and then headed back to Edenvale.

The past couple of days have been lounging around the house, garden and pool, soaking up the last bit of South African sun before we head off to the airport shortly for our flight back to a rather chilly UK.