As predicted on Thursday, the weekend is seeing a family effort with manual labour on the allotment. Joe is contributing his bit, having discovered power tools (namely the hedge trimmer), although this photo doesn’t really reflect this. It’s interesting to compare this photo with another one of him in a hedge, taken in January 2012; that’s what adolescence does to you (visually anyway).
Having taken Friday off work because of the funeral Sunday was a day at the desk for me, but at least around lunchtime there was the distraction of the 2017 Handmade Parade, Hebden Bridge’s annual photo-fest. Having featured this event on several occasions before (it’s made it every year from 2012 onwards), let’s add distinctiveness to this year’s entry by featuring Joe in his home-made finery. As ever, hearty congratulations to all who took part, the level of effort and creativity which goes into this totally non-corporate event still amazes me.
On 2nd June my aunt, Anne Morecroft, my father’s sister, died of heart failure — may she rest in peace. Today was her funeral, first at Dukinfield crematorium in Tameside, Manchester, and then the wake afterwards at Stalybridge Methodist church where I took this picture of my other aunt and uncle, Celia and Philip Hall (my mother’s younger brother). That’s the thing about funerals isn’t it: while regretting the reason these events start to become the only time you see your extended family. Should it be that way? Probably not, but I doubt I am the only person for whom it is true. Best wishes to them all, and families everywhere.
Exciting times in the household as the jigsaw map of Brighton that was a Christmas present is finally finished five months later. With all three of us present to witness this stellar event, you can tell it’s the half-term holiday. Life doesn’t get more uneventful than this.
The family portrait theme of the weekend continues with my younger sister Vicki paying a visit and making, as a result, what I calculate to be only her second appearance on the blog. She seemed interested in my big world atlas for some reason, perhaps planning a trip — certainly I have been in Hebden for what seems like a while, although June is going to involve more distant locations.
Joe’s first appearance on this blog was on its 9th day, September 3rd 2011, in which he was pictured in this room doing much the same thing as here, drinking a fruit juice (always still — Joe doesn’t do fizzy drinks). He — and the room — look somewhat different now, 2,094 days later.
The wife…. and a small square thing in the wall. Looking good after a day working at the Hebden Bridge burlesque festival which is in town this weekend. Well, she’s looking good, not sure about the small square thing.
An opportunity to picture the new coat that Joe acquired for his birthday last month, with suitable patch now installed. His choice, in case you were wondering — he does claim to like this popular beat combo.
Uneventful Sunday due to having to work, after which the in-laws came round and took us out for dinner, which was nice. Here we study the menus attentively although four of the five diners all ate the same thing anyway (roast lamb). And very nice it was too.
It’s the half-term holidays, meaning a week where it’s necessary to find ways to keep Joe productively occupied, at least to some extent. The ‘vertebra’ is actually a crankshaft for a model internal combustion engine — at least, that’s what it says on the box that has been hanging around since arriving at Christmas. Apparently, it’ll be a fully working model when the kit is constructed — as long as one doesn’t lose any bits along the way. Like springs…. now where did those damn springs go again?
Being 42 