Wow! what an amazing response to the Pub Games Challenge 15 teams to date. GAME ON!

 

Out with a very Motley Crew today, caught the train from Keynsham to Bradford-on-Avon, a walk along the canal to Avoncliff and back to Bradford-on-Avon via the river, then up the very steep side of the town for some fantastic views and a bit of practise up lots of steps!! Think there might be a few more on The Great Wall of China!

 Stopped at Avoncliff for a cup of coffee (I know a lot of you will be thinking bet it was a pint in The Cross Guns really!!) in the café. Although it was a bit overcast there was a hint of spring in the air with the birds competing to be the loudest singers and a tiny hint of green shoots showing through on the trees and hedgerows.


Bradford-on-Avon is a lovely little town with some really old buildings including the tiniest Chapel I think I have ever seen teetering on the edge of the hill you have to wonder how they ever managed to build them in such precarious places and why!

Found a very quirky little Coffee Shop run by an equally quirky man in a very crumpled t-shirt, everything was very thread bare and a little tatty round the edges but the food and drinks were great and although it was like being in a time warp the oddest thing of all was in the grate there was a Tablet with a picture of a log fire complete with moving flames and a crackling fire sound track!!! The more I think about it the odder it seems, think I'll have to go back just to check I didn't imagine it all!!!

 

 

The swans performed for us with a lovely display of circling each other with their wings cupped, stunning wonder if they knew it was St Valentine's Day yesterday!

 

I will be organising some Flower Demonstrations in March hopefully one at Bathampton and one at Keynsham.

April will be an Auction and dancing.

Thanks to everyone for all your support so far, keep it up!!

 

 



Fabulous walking weather today. This is the view across Weston towards Bath from the Cotswold Way on route to Kelston Round Hill.

 

Walking buddies Barney and Archie in the back of the car after our lovely walk up towards Kelston Round Hill they really get on well but Archie's not quite as fit and energetic as Barney, I think Barney would have gone round again!

 

 

 

 

 

Just had to photograph this fallen tree, looks a bit like a giant Stick Insect!!! The views from the footpath are spectacular, you can see for miles right across Bath, towards the Mendips and over to Lansdown. Everything is starting to show signs of spring from the Catkins on the Hazel to the clumps Snowdrops growing under the hedgerows, the birds are getting frisky too.

 

 

 

 

So once we're home Barney is still full of energy decides my slipper will make a good toy to play with in the garden!!!! I'd already rescued a boot, a shoe and a towel, he just loves carrying things out to the garden so I've got to go and retrieve them, am I missing something here, I thought HE was supposed to be the retriever! guess no-one told Barney that.

 

 

 

 

 

Pub Games night is proving really popular several teams have already registered. It's going to be a great night and spectators are welcome too. There will be lots of opportunities to add to my fundraising so make sure you bring lots of cash with you. There will be lots of different games and each team can choose 6 to compete in.

There will also be a raffle and Claire and Steve are supplying hot food. Looking forward to some fun and games.

A very big thank you to Su and Marcus for a fabulous evening with their great friends and neighbours, lots more money raised for Dorothy House.



A really lovely informal gathering hosted by Su and Marcus to help raise some money for my Trek. Good food, nice refreshments and above all great company.

 

The evenings entertainment courtesy of Marcus and Steve, all I can say Marcus is I'm glad you friend had a 'Detached Retina' and not something more personal!!!!

 

Steve is sitting on his instrument! it was really quite fascinating listening to the music he could make from a 'box'. He even accompanied Marcus with a song he had never even heard before let alone practised.

 

Donations were all very generous so again thank you all a very much appreciated boost to the funds.

 

 

Lots of interest for the Pubs Games Challenge so looks as if it will be a really fun evening. Be for-warned I will be fining people for bad language, cheating and any other inappropriate behaviour!

 

Don't forget to register as soon as possible so get your teams together, you will be able to choose 6 games to compete in and you can use your best players for each game. It will be a great night so get picking!

 

Get your heads together and come up with a really good team name, not too rude please!! we'll be looking for originality and amusement. These will be judged on the night so you don't have to have your team name to register.

 

Got a bit of leg work to do this week going to beg for some good prizes for the winning team and team name, maybe a booby prize or two as well. Any suggestions or donations please let me know.

 

It has amazed me since I started telling everyone I was going to do this challenge how many people have, or knows someone who has done similar challenges on The Great Wall, all say it is quite difficult but very rewarding and China is an amazing country.

 

It's only 6 months until we do our training weekend, 3 peaks in 2 days! Lots of hill to climb before then.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Pub Games Challenge

Sunday 22nd February 2015.

Well we're set for a great night of fun and games so start getting your teams ready, teams of 2 - 6 must be registered by the 17th Feb. and final numbers by 19th for the Buffet.

Thank you Claire and Steve at The Belvoir Castle for offering to supplying a complimentary buffet very much appreciated.

For further details please contact me direct or leave a message in the comments box.

 

This weeks training took a different turn.

Well as you can see this weeks house guests are still not helping with the training!!! Buddy loves having a fight with his toys (or my balls of wool) after breakfast, then this is position for the rest of the day!

Loni thinks she needs a wash and has taken to curling up in the laundry basket on the dirty washing, she's a lovely old girl and they have both been good company, Buddy is very entertaining when he's not sleeping and so is Loni but she can be a bit demanding and noisy at meal time! Look at that face 'butter wouldn't melt'!

They go home tomorrow so get back to normal for a while, going to have a dear old 3 legged dog for the weekend next guess that won't be a good training weekend!



So I had to resort to buying these to help with my fitness, they should help with strengthening my back muscles around the injury so just building up gently a few repetitions each day to start with. Hopefully back to Zumba and Pilates soon.

 

 

 

 

Don't forget I'm still looking for raffle prizes, also would like some things suitable for a child's Lucky Dip and Fancy Dress prizes. Anyone who thinking of getting rid of a single duvet cover and pillow cases, please don't I would like them for Sack Races for the Mad Hatter's Tea Party in May.

 

 

 

 

 

Well this weeks house guests won't be much help with my training!!!

 

Meet Loni and Buddy they are staying with me for 3 weeks but not as energetic as my normal house guests!!

 



Dad came home from hospital on Monday and he's much better that he has been for a couple of months so possibly the ulcer had been troubling him for some time and the chest infection has clear up too so thankfully almost back to normal.

 

Lots of planning going on this week, phone calls and emails to make appointments, so hopefully will have dates confirmed for some of the fundraising events very soon. Keep the raffle prizes coming! thank you to everyone who has already donated items, also I will need some smaller prizes suitable for children's lucky dips and treasure hunts planned for the Mad Hatter's Tea Party in May. One of the events will include an Auction so I am looking for some really good Auction items, Balloon Flights, Spa Days, Pamper Packages, Restaurants, Hotels etc. any ideas or donations welcome.

 

If anyone would like to organise a Coffee Morning or Cheese and Wine Evening or  similar that would be great and a raffle always goes down well (as does the wine) let me know where and when and we can plan it together.

 

 

 

 



www.dorothyhouse.co.uk

This week has been very fraught, my Dad has been in hospital since Monday night, he is now much better and will hopefully be home tomorrow. He had internal bleeding which turned out to be a perforated ulcer.  The problem was they needed to do an Endoscopy  which they weren't sure about because of his breathing and the amount of oxygen he is normally on, thankfully they were able to do it and diagnose the problem and treated the ulcer. He has now had an infusion and antibiotics and he's doing really well.

Dorothy House have been really helpful, Mum was able to call a 24 hour help line number they gave her for just such emergencies, this was such a help to Mum just to know there was someone there she could rely on to either tell her what to do or to take over and organise things for her. They have been in touch all week and have organised Physiotherapy to make sure he is steady on his feet when he does get home.

Many people assume Dorothy House only deal with Cancer patients but it is any terminal illness and they help with the end of life care, Dad's illness has caused him to have vastly reduced lung capacity hence the need for oxygen which he needs to be on for a minimum of 16 hours per day. Dorothy House have outreach centres at Peasdown St John and Trowbridge as well as there main branch at Winsley. Mum and Dad have been going out to Peasdown regularly where the team have been advising them on how Dad can get the most out of his situation. There is a team of dedicated and caring people with time to assess each person's own needs, I don't know how Mum would have managed although she is very capable and independent it is not something that she has had to deal with before and probably wouldn't have been sure where to start. A big thank you to all the team.

For more information about Dorothy House and the amazing work they do please visit their website, www.dorothyhouse.co.uk you will get an insight to the fantastic work they do and the diverse areas they cover.

This is what my whole challenge is about, it's my way of thanking Dorothy House, not just for the support for Mum and Dad but also for many friends who have also needed their support. Many people will have known someone who has use their services directly or know someone who has.

Fundraising is a very important part of the funding for many organisations I'm aiming to raise a lot of money through various events but you can also sponsor me via the Just Giving link on the right hand side of the main page just below the Dorothy House logo.

Happy New Year

Fundraising will be starting in earnest!!

Any unwanted gifts please pass my way to use for Raffle Prizes or to put on ebay to add to fundraising.

My blond trainer unfortunately had to go home as his owner got back from holiday on Saturday, me and Barney had a lovely couple of weeks and lots of great walks, he has been replaced by 2 ageing  Shih Tzus not very energetic I'm afraid so it was off to Kelston Round Hill today with a walking group, a bit disappointing as the cloud was so low we couldn't even see the trees on top from Lansdown Race Course!!! I did however see it on my way back home as the cloud had lifted.

The photo is a bit of a cheat as I took it back in the summer when I went on a Balloon Flight from the Globe.

It was still a really good walk, very muddy, quite steep in places, just what I need to start building some stamina and met some really nice people too.

 







Back to Zumba Gold and Pilates soon, once I get back in the swing of those I will start something else as well.

Next fundraising event I will be organising is a 'Pubs Games Night' this will hopefully be on the 20th February so note it in your diaries and start getting your teams together. I will post full information as soon as I can.