Poor little Ruairi

A couple of days ago our little Ruairi started limping and licking his left, back paw. So we managed to take a look and his paw between the pads was all red and swollen and looked very painful. So on Wednesday he had a trip to the dog doctor and was seen by Robin who pretty much confirmed what we had already thought which was a grass seed lodged firmly in the flesh. So an appointment was booked for today to have it removed.

Ruairi had to be at the Vets at 8.45am today and had a little operation during which it was found that the grass seed had actually broken in two and was lodged deeply into his foot. This has now been removed and our little man came out of the sedative with no problems. He now has to wear a 'lamp shade' collar for a few days while the wound heals - that will be fun keeping him occupied!

Sybil and Polly have now settled in really well and munch their way through a variety of different veg as well as spaghetti (which I am told they think is worms) and they also get their layers pellets. Woz will be building a run extension to enable the girls to wander a little more freely during the day and allow them to munch other things too.

The house build next door is nearly up to first floor level but with the wind and rain today they'll probably not get much more done this side of the weekend.

Disappointing news is that Woz and I will not be making the Montpellier v Racing Metro trip as hoped. By the time the date for the game had been released, I could no longer book the day off work. So I will now have to wait until 2011/12 season, hope Montpellier and Racing remain in the Top 14 of the French Rugby Union league and that Sebastien Chabal can remain playing for another season - which obviously was the sole purpose (well nearly the sole purpose) of our visit! He will be in his third season with Racing, 34 years old and may start to be 'side lined' as younger talent comes through the ranks. Hey Ho - I will pray to my rugby angel that he remains a player long enough to make the trip!

In the meantime, I have printed off the full fixture list for the 2010/11 season and am working out which games in Paris I can get to. Also there will be the Heineken Cup game against Saracens at some point, so I'll also get a UK trip to see Racing play (and M.Chabal too hopefully).

Over Carnival this weekend - let us hope for good weather that day!! We'll probably have to leave the dogs at home as Ruairi's paw will still be too sore to walk very far - although we could carry him I suppose - lamp shade and everything! We shall see how he is. If its hot Ruby won't want to walk very far anyway.

Next week is also the Fenlanders annual Rally at Fakenham race course which we are looking forward to attending and getting to meet up with lots of friends that we haven't seen.

Oooooooo Woz just brought Ruairi into the office - poor lil fella - all dozy and confused, but at least he is ok. He'll need lots of cuddles and loves this evening :)

Meet Sybil and Polly................

Mum.....Dad.......what are those???????????

'Here come the girls....................................'

Our lovely ladies are now moved in and we have already had the first egg!

Sybil is in the background and Polly is slightly smaller to the front of this photo

New Arrivals.......

Since our last posting time has flown and the garden has become a flowering, fruiting and 'veg-tastic' haven.

Just about to pick cucumbers #6 and #7 with lots of little cucumblets waiting to grow; loads of tomatoes to go red; mini-chillies starting to swell; mange tout by the bucket load; 1 1/2 lbs of black currants picked and frozen; the first courgette and runner beans starting to pod.
And that's just a small sample of the things we are growing some of which we have been eating (salads/radishes etc)

The house build is now cracking on at the plot next door with footings dug and concrete due any day. A by-product of the work has been the number of old bottles being uncovered and making their way into the five sheds collection! The builders a very nice and we fill their kettle a couple of times a day and they have been really lovely and used their digger to remove all the old earth and plaster piled up next to our drive that we needed to order a skip for. Instead they did it for us and the debris went with the stuff from next door. Thats one less expense (and hard work) for us to deal with. Now we are hoping to find a pine tree suitable for a slow growing Christmas tree, plant in in the ground near the fence and then gravel the rest. Then we can pretty lighties at Christmas!

Back indoors and the materials have arrived to start the plastering of the outer wall and ceiling of our front bedroom. Hopefully this will happen over the next few days. Once completed we can decorate and then shift everything from our bedroom to the completed room. That will allow us to sort out the ceiling in our room and finally decorate. We think we have chosen the colour paint for the livingroom (after many different ideas, tester pots and disappointments). A visit to a another property recently redecorated and of similar age to Five Sheds had a beautiful wall colour which will be ideal in our small room. We won't tell you what yet but await further reports once we have done a test area to make sure.

Both Ruby and Ruairi have been to the vets this week; Ruby needed her vaccination but also had a small sore on the right hand side of her lower jaw line probably made worse by her scratching at it. Oddly though Ruairi has been rubbing the left hand side of his mouth for a couple of days and we discovered that the top edge of the side of his mouth was looking sore. Both now have a cream to be applied 3 times a day. As they share a water bowl (and you try telling them they have to drink out of separate bowls!) then it is hardly surprising that one has given the other some sort of infection. We shall see how they get on. Ruairi is in for his vaccinations in August. Ruby also celebrated her 14th Birthday recently - a grand old lady.

So you may be wondering why there is a Fawlty Towers sign to our blog? Well apart from the fact that it is a favourite classic 1970's TV programme it is also the inspiration for the naming of our new aquisition being ....wait for it............

A Hen House!!! called Fowlty Towers along with two chickens shortly to be named Sybil and Polly! Through work we were offered some chickens that cannot move to their owners new home. It didn't take us long (and I do mean both of us) to decide to re-home these egg laying lovelies in our garden. We have room for a modest hen house and run and have sourced a half price brand new wooden first floor apartment, with perch, nesting box, ladder to ground floor with spacious secure enclosure and scope to extend!! Sorry for the Letting Agent speak but it comes with the territory! Fresh eggs - what could be better! Quite how we deal with the dogs over the new arrivals we are not yet sure but it will all work out in the end.

This weekend we are off to Herefordshire to a private mini-folk festival organised by a friend and being held at a Small Breeds and Owl sanctuary. We are camping (so lets hope this wonderful weather holds) and we are taking the dogs. Should be a good weekend with about forty other people and some live accoustic music as well as the odd pint or two of ale!

More to follow after our feathered friends have arrived!!

Six went to Normandy

Having been back almost a week from our trip I thought it was high time to get pen to paper (or keyboard to blog) and get some words down.

A fantastic week with a lifetime of memories; the journeys there and back were tiring but worth every mile; the gite and our hosts just perfect and the beaches, museums and cemetaries both moving and unforgettable.

We departed our meet up point at midnight 29th May and six of us rode down to Dover through the night catching a quick coffee stop on route and arriving in plenty of time so that we ended up taking an earlier ferry. After boarding we took the opportunity to relax and prepare for the onward and longest part of the trip. Arrived at about 3.30pm and after a couple of missed turnings, we found our gite for the week.

Our hosts Sophie and Thierry had transformed an old stone built stable into a cottage and not only was it comfortable and had all we needed, but it was peaceful and set within the courtyard of a working dairy farm.

Over the week we visited all of the D-Day landing beaches, cemetaries for British, American and German soldiers and also a number of musuems, German defensive gun emplacements and stopped at numerous roadside memorials.

We managed a trip to see the Bayeux Tapestry as well as take our hosts sons and their friends for rides on the bikes.

A fuller version of our trip will be published here shortly.

Our ride home was again tiring but everyone arrived home safely.

More to follow.............................................

4 1/2 More Sleeps......................

Can't believe where the time has gone over the past couple of weeks - busy busy busy as usual.

Lots to update you on as you might expect but firstly let me tell you about the photo attached to this entry on our blog. The photo is of St Mary's A.D.S. Cemetery in Haisnes, Pas de Calais in France. (A.D.S. - advance dressing station)

As part of my work on the family history we know about William Wilson who died oN 14th October 1918 at the age of 21 during WW1 and for whom an entry exisits in the Book of Rememberance at Edinburgh Castle. After much searching I finally discovered his final resting place. William was a Private in the 8th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders. If you visit the commonwealth war grave commission website http://www.cwgc.org/search/certificate.aspx?casualty=325114
you will see more information and with his Service Number can actually see where the plot is in the cemetery. Unfortunately our trip to Normandy will not allow enough time to visit the cemetary as it will be too far from where we are staying however there are plans afoot for a trip down to Montpellier either later this year or earlish next and if we go by bike, we shall make sure we visit.

Back to our forthcoming holiday and everything is ready bar packing and putting the bags on the bike. We've laminated some maps in case we need to use them in the wet (sunshine has been ordered for the trip!).

In the garden and things are growing well with the first tiny cucumbers having appeared, first flower trusses set on the tomatoes and tiny little radishes swelling above the soil. Everything is benefitting from this warm, sunny weather but it does mean extra watering. We have a friend looking after this for us while we are away.

All the plaster is now off the walls in the front bedroom and ready for the batten and board prior to replastering; we'll also be getting the ceiling done as well. So much dust though!

Ruby and Ruairi are not overly keen on the heat and as Ruby is an older lady, she is quite happy to stay indoors and lay on the cool floor. Ruairi however still wants to play and tear about the garden - so yesterday he got a bath and a hair cut to help keep him cool, He now looks very handsome and clean!

We've been keeping a check on the birds that visit our garden and for the first time we saw Greenfinches last week feeding on the niger seed so beloved of the Goldfinches that normally munch it all up. The Starlings have been bringing their babies to the garden with lots of chattering and squawking as well as some nervous take offs and landings. Robins, Wrens, Bluetits, Great tits and the occasional Coal Tit as well as Doves and Pigeons and along with Blackbirds, Thrushes, the Jackdaws nesting in our chimney pots and the Dunnocks and Sparrows make for a lovely hour or so early (about 6.30am) each morning. One of the Jackdaws we have called Gammy Leg as he or she cannot lift one leg when flying. This is the third year that this particular bird has nested in the same pot. The Doves who have nested at the front gutter for two years have not returned this year though.

Early this morning after a quick inspection of the garden we also discovered mating frogs in our little pond. We shall have to make sure we keep the water topped up for them. If successful, this will be the first time we will have had tadpoles. I can't begin the imagine what Ruairi will make of tiny frogs!

Veggies and Pigeons

If we can get to the end of the year and produce a harvest like this then all the effort will be worth it!

Another busy Sunday getting to grips with jobs in the veggie side of the garden. Firstly and most importantly, we erected netting to prevent the local pigeon population making anymore visits to the FiveSheds Brassica Feast!! Our poor brussels and purple sprouting broccoli have been turned ragged by these hungry birds. Well no more - now they'll just have to sit and stare as the plants grow!

The list of vegetables and fruits are increasing so here is a list of the things sown, planted and cultivated for the FiveSheds table 2010:
New Potatoes - International Kidney, Ulster Sceptre, Pink Fir Apple
Carrots - Resistafly
Beetroot - Choggia and a 'cylinder' type which will make for easier slicing
Radish
Leeks - Povite
Borlotti Beans - Firetongue
Mangetout
Mixed salad leaves
Rocket
Spring Onions - white lisbon
Shallots -
Red Onions
Parsnips -
Brussells, Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Swiss Chard
Cucumber
Courgette
Butternut Squash
Tomatoes - Ailsa Craig, Gardeners Delight, Alicante and Black Cherry
Broadbeans
Rhubarb, Black Currants, Raspberries, Strawberries (four types), Blackberries (thornless), Apple
Red Pepper
Chilli - Cayenne

Hoping for some Runner bean plants from Woz's Dad in a few days

Phew - no wonder i came in from the garden aching all over; lots of weeding, watering and potting on of seedlings as well as Woz helping me with bean poles and netting.

Futher garden updates will appear in due course.

Morning after THE night before!

The T-Shirt picture describes perfectly the state of Mr Woz this morning!!

It is safe to say that he excelled himself and very successfully polished off several pints of Hopback Brewery 'Spring Zing' followed by numerous cans of Old Speckled Hen.

And looked very sorry for himself this morning when he finally got up!

'nuff said..........................................

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday dear Wozzie

Happy Birthday to you

xxxxx

And so another birthday in the Fivesheds household, no doubt there will be a beer or two to be drunk this evening!

Bank Holiday weekend rambles

Another busy weekend for the Wozzies.............

Saturday dawned bright and sunny and so we went with Woz's Mum and Dad to a great garden nursery, Simpsons at Fordham. Our visited started with coffee and bacon rolls at their newly built cafe and then it was time to shop. The selection and quality of plants is superb, the pricing very good value. So it would come as no surprise to learn that we (ok me) excelled in our purchases!

Over the winter, we appeared to have lost a shrub in the garden which either succumbed to the very low temperatures or already was weakened by pest or disease; very disappointing as the 'Pittisporum' that died was a valuable specimen plant. So - the shrub will come out and will be pruned, potted and given some TLC to see if we can resurrect it. In the meantime, we have selected a new plant (well tree actually) to go in its place. Prunus Serrula Tibetica - Tibetan Cherry. The photo above is a detail of the beautiful copper bark that makes this tree really stand out. First seen at Abbotsbury Gardens in Dorest whilst we were away last month, we had already said that it would be lovely to have one of these in our garden and now we have!

Ended the day with Woz's Mum and Dad, one of his brothers and his wife coming round for a BBQ.

Sunday was the monthly Fenlanders meeting; started with cloud and drizzle but we put on the waterproofs and set off on the bike; the sun came out and we had a nice ride up to Norfolk. After the meeting we rode back across the open fens popping into our friends Roy & Ali for a cup of tea and then home.

Bank holiday Monday and the weather report was not that great, chilly wind too but we decided to get out for the day and take the dogs for a walk somewhere. Wellies, leads, waterproofs and woolly jumpers, off we went. First stop - Walkers Cafe on the A1065 near Barton Mills - take away bacon rolls and coffee; sat in the car as it was alternating sunshine and showers and very chilly breeze.

Then onto West Stow country park and Anglo Saxon village. Couldn't take the dogs into the reconstructed Anglo Saxon village (which we will go back to another day) but the walks around the country park were lovely; a footpath follows along part of the River Lark, there is a fishing lake with lots of ducks, geese and nesting cootes. The paths go through mature conifer and deciduous woodlands and also across ancient heathland. There is a childrens activity playground (which we didn't go to) and a very nice cafe (which we did). Picnic tables are dotted around and some are under some very tall scots pines. Another time we will bring a picnic and spend longer there but yesterday was too chilly with frequent rain showers.

We then headed off through pretty country lanes, thatched cottage villages and through woodlands until we reached the Suffolk/Norfolk border and a visit to the St Georges Distillery - the only malt whiskey distillery in England. A sample or two had to be tried! And whilst there (and thankfully indoors) the heavens opened and threw down hail!

Onwards with the sun now shining, we gradually made our way north'ish and then west'ish and ending up near Downham Market and an american style diner called Arbuckles for an early dinner. Great way to round off the day.

We stopped for a quick beer at the AV and then headed home. Possibly it was tiredness - possibly Woz had one of those 'senior' moments (well he is having a birthday this week!) - Woz went off to feed the dogs, put the bowls down and came back to the living room with his cup of tea. A short while later, I could hear Ruairi's bowl (being plastic) being scraped across the floor and Ruby's bowl (being stoneware) tinkling where a collar tag was touching the side. It is very unusual if not unheard of, that Ruairi finishes his dinner first and so I went off to see what was happening? In a 'loss of concentration' moment - Woz had put the bowls down in the wrong places - the dogs however went to the right places. Ruby then munched all of Ruairi's dinner whilst he stood just looking at her bowl, that contained her food and then, once she had finished one plate of food, went over and started on her proper dinner. Ruairi meanwhile did try and get his nose in her bowl, but she growled at him and so he sat down and looked all forlorn.

Thank goodness I went and took a look!! Woz refilled Ruairi's bowl and he happily tucked in (Ruairi that is, not Woz!) whilst Ruby (cheeky dog that she is) not content with two dinners, hovered by the kitchen door awaiting a chance to sneek in and eat some more! Ruairi must have been hungry though as every little morsel was eaten.

Busy Busy Busy

Its already been a busy week and it's only Wednesday!

Woz is off tonight to collect his refurbished engine for the old Harley. The photo is an example of what the engine will look like not actually his engine. Over the next few weeks he will be gradually re-building the bike but there is still an awful lot of work to do.

Last night we sowed some more veg seeds - so add Courgette, Butternut Squash and Leeks to the list. Already popping their first green shoots up out of the soil are the rocket and lettuce seedlings along with tiny radish leaves.

Work continues on our Family History with further investigations revealing more surprises. One of the by-products of researching ancestors is finding out about the environment they lived in, the difficulties they faced and the tragedies they witnessed and in some cases had to live with for the rest of their lives. Child mortality in the 19th and early 20th centuries was shocking; poverty wide spread; disease and death from illnesses that today we are vaccinated against and the incredibly cramped and unsanitary conditions that huge families lived in. It has been and continues to be an absorbing and fascinating project and now that I have contact details for some of our extended relatives, I shall share with them the discoveries made.

On to another hobbie/project/distraction.............Rugby .....what else :) and the news to share with you all is that I will be the Moderator for a forum on http://www.frenchrugbyclub.com/ this is an english speaking site devoted to all things rugby and obviously French teams however we also chat about other parts of the rugby world, share news, views and predictions. The site has been active for quite a long time and since joining the forum, I've learned an awful lot as well as contributed frequently. Anyway - long story short - the web administrators have asked me to look after the forum! Cool.........and very exciting. No renumeration, but lots of potential opportunities to link up with other supporters, potentially players and also to visit other stadiums. There is already a plan to travel to the south of France next season to watch the Montpellier v Racing Metro fixture - Woz has said he's up for it and if the weather is kind we'll go on the bike! The season however is drawing to a close with just a month left of 'play-off' fixtures in the Top 14, so this will give me a chance to learn how to 'moderate'.

Oh and if you're wondering - Fivesheds goes techno with a broadband connection during May. Mr and Mrs Woz will finally drag themselves into the 21st Century!

Spring has sprung

Apple blossom has appeared on the tree we planted last year to the wall at the end of the house facing the raised veg beds. This is the first time we've had a fruit tree that will hopefully produce some tasty apples later in the year.

The rest of our soft fruits are also coming along nicely with lots of berries setting on the black currants, strawberry flowers appearing on the new plants that we planted in the planter given to us as a wedding present and lots of leaves appearing on the raspberry canes planted earlier this year.

In the veg beds we have so far sown seed for carrots, radish, two types of beetroot, spring onions, lettuce, rocket and parsnips. The shallots planted about a month ago have lots of green shoots. We also planted small plants of brussel sprout and purple sprouting broccoli but the pigeons have been feasting on the leaves so we shall need to set up a deterent with string and cotton. We have several pots and containers with potatoes - three varieties this year - Ulster Sceptre, International Kidney (aka Jersey Royals) and Pink Fir Apple.

In the greenhouse the mange tout, borlotti beans and sweetcorn have all appeared in their pots and we also have the first chilli seedlings popping their little green buds above the compost. Herbs this year include mint, sage, chives, tarragon, thyme, rosemary, lemon balm and marjoram.

In the flower garden we have planted some more perennials and herbacious plants along with some summer flower bulbs and for the first time ever, we have some dahlia's in pots. We've never tried dalia's before so this will be a learning opportunity on how to grow them.

Our three climbing roses are all doing really well and this year we have six flowers on the wisteria planted three years ago.

Our next challenge is to get to grips with the front garden which at the moment looks very unloved and overgrown. Dandelions and couch grass have both made their homes across the garden as well as a rampant 'Rose of Sharon' which has sent what seems like millions of runners under the earth only to pop up everywhere as little green rosettes of leaves - another job to get back under control.

This weekend was the annual Yesteryear Road Run through the village with all types of vintage cars, heavy transport vehicles, tractors and motorbikes. Although the day started gloomy and wet it soon cleared up and we walked the dogs around the village green taking a good look at the vehicles on display.

We spent the rest of the afternoon in the garden, pottering and weeding and enjoying the sunshine and then popped down to the pub for an early evening drink.

A week by the sea

After a hectic end to March and then a busy Easter weekend during which (amongst other things going on) we finally had our living room ceiling plastered and also attended the monthly Fenlanders meeting, we took a look at the weather forecast for the forthcoming week after Easter and decided to head for the Dorest coast and a few days camping in our new Tent.

We left Monday morning with the truck fully loaded with dogs and equipment and headed off. We chose a campsite in the village of Eype just west of Bridport arriving in sunshine but with quite a wind blowing which made the inaugral tent erection somewhat more invloved than perhaps it would normally have been. Tent up, beers opened and dinner cooking we settled down to relax and then through the night hoped that the increasing strength of the wind wouldn't find us and our new tent somewhere near Cornwall in the morning!

Tuesday dawned bright and sunny with no wind to speak of. We headed into Lyme Regis and had brunch sitting at a pavement cafe in an elevated position at the end of the high street, then a walk along the 'prom' to the harbour and then up through the gardens. We headed west from the town via the village of Beer ending up at Branscombe beach and indulged ourselves with a cream tea (after a walk on the beach). On our way back to the campsite we stopped at the village of Whitchurch Canonicorum where there is a church dedicated to St Candida and the Holy Cross; St Candida was formerly known as St Whit and the church is famed for being the only paris church in England to still have its saints bones and the original medieval tomb that pilgrims visited. Also there is a memorial to the man who inspired Shakespear to write 'The Tempest' and also the grave in the church yard of the Bulgarian assasinated at Waterloo Bridge, London with a poisoned umbrella! Back to the Tent (after a quick visit to the local brewery) and a relaxing evening sitting in the sun. Although we had rain over night, the following day was warm, sunny and cloudless.

Wednesday we headed east along the coast and to Abbotsbury iron age hillfort, then onwards and upwards to Cerne Abbas to see the famous chalk carving and then stopping for lunch at The Poachers Inn, in Piddletrenthide- a dog friendly pub. We then took the dogs for a walk along Eype beach, collecting stones and trying to find fossils as well as doing a bit of rock pooling. Back to Bridport and after picking up ingredients for dinner, we enjoyed another very lovely evening watching the sunset over the sea.

Thursday and a visit to Abbotsbury Sub-Tropical gardens. They accept dogs on leads and so Ruby and Ruairi were able to walk round with us. A fantastic place to visit and even though we were so early in the springtime, the rhododendrons and camelia's were stunning. We ate lunch at whilst watching very friendly small birds eat crumbs from the table and from Woz's fingers and also listened to Kookaburra's in the aviary as well as watching the native and Golden pheasants strut about. Back into the gardens we visited the mediteranean garden, sculpture trail and a view point looking to Chesil beach and Portland. A lovely few hours on a warm sunny day and we could easily have been in a much more southern part of europe. We stopped off on our way back to the campsite at West Bexington and gave the dogs a short walk along Chesil beach before sitting down and just listening to the waves gently roll in and the stones rattle back and forth along the beach. A further trip to the brewery (Palmers of Bridport) to re-stock the supplies and then back to cook dinner and read a book.

Friday was very warm and sunny; not expecting such good weather we hadn't packed sandles or shorts but between us we had t-shirts so at least we weren't completely baked by the time we had walked with Ruby and Ruairi down to Durdle Door and back. Ruby did really well, the path is very steep in places and the steps to the beach take some climbing back up - for an elderly lady, she was amazing. We had taken plenty of water and with frequent rest stops and lots to drink, both dogs (and us) made it all the way back up to the carpark without too much difficulty! We then headed to Corfe and lunch at The Greyhound Inn just outside the castle gates. We were back at the campsite by 4.30pm so that we could enjoy our last evening of peace and quiet, the sea was very calm, no wind, brilliant blue sky and a very pretty sunset......perfect.

Saturday and time to strike camp and all done in a very laid back manner! although we were up just after 7am, it still took us until 11.30 to finally leave! Frequent stops to admire the view of a flat calm sea, several cups of tea and stopping to eat breakfast meant that neither of us could find any real enthusiasm for packing up although we did get everything packed and the tent down eventually. After leaving the site, we headed north east and up to Yeovil and across the A30 to Shaftsbury stopping in the town to collect picnic food; we then travelled on to Old Wardour Castle (used for a scene in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves) and spent a couple of hours wandering the ruins, eating our picnic and enjoying an ice-cream. We had an uneventful drive home arrive at 7.30pm; tired but relaxed and happy. The dogs were pleased to be back in their garden, Ruby was delighted to be back to her settee, and we sat down with a cup of tea and spent the evening recalling our trip. We'll definately make a visit back and especially to the gardens. The verdict on the new Tent? Excellent!

Rubbing shoulders with a No 8!

This was taken inside the Hotel Scribe before we left for the game; Olivier Roumat, a very tall man and an ex-internation French No.8 player having captained France and is actually due to take over as Manager of a team in the French Pro2 Division next season.

A weekend to remember

What a weekend!!!!!! We both enjoyed ourselves and have memories to last a lifetime.

The journey Friday evening took a little longer than anticipated with our flight leaving slightly later than planned and then when we arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport we ended up assisting two young gentlemen heading into the city and who didn't have a clue how to get there. We helped them sort out train tickets and left them on the train to reach their destination when we disembarked at Gare du Nord station. By the time we had arrived (23.15hrs) we chose to get a taxi to the hotel rather than mess around with the metro; our taxi driver however was having a bit of a nightmare with one-way road systems and we finally arrived at 23.45. Room key, shoes off, cup of tea and bed.

Saturday dawned warm and sunny and we headed out for a slow wander around the city centre ending up in Boulevard St Germain at a cafe eating brunch and watching the world go by; we walked back via the Pompidou Centre, stopped for a beer and a full circle tour back to our hotel in time for a shower, cup of tea and then a quick ride on the metro to Hotel Scribe to meet up with the rest of the group going to the game. 16.30 we got onto the waiting coaches along with our hosts for the evening, Victor Ubogo, Mark Regan and Olivier Roumat (you can read up about them on the 'net'); We headed off to Zack restaurant which is located within a 10 minute walk of Stade de France. An excellent meal in a beautifully decorated restaurant, lots of beer and wine flowing and pre-match talks given by our hosts along with live television coverage of the Ireland v Scotland game and then a short walk to the ground.

The atmosphere was electric; the game very enjoyable to watch especially with so many supporters for both nations singing and despite a spirited attempt by England the end result most definately deserved by the French after steaming their way through the previous four rounds. Although it rained heavily during the game, we didn't get wet and on the walk back to the restaurant with waterproofs on, we enjoyed the banter and cameraderie shown by all supporters. More beers and post match reviews and then back on the coach to return to the city and eventually arriving back at our hotel at 1am.

Woz didn't get a very good nights sleep due to the noise from a night club across the road from our hotel which lasted until after 6am! I mercifully slept through it (possibly the beer?). Sunday morning and although a little cloudy and cool, we set off on the metro across the city to visit the Bastille, a fantastic sunday market, the Pere Lachaise cemetary and ate lunch at a local cafe. Then onto Sacre Couer, Pigale and Moulin Rouge and finally back on the metro and up to the Arc de Triomphe and a wander down the Champs Elysees stopping for a little beer refreshment en-route. The sun was by now shining, not a cloud in the sky and so we headed across to the Seine and walked by the river. We ended our evening back in the Grande Boulevards at a restuarant where we sat and watched the world go by whilst eating our dinner. We headed back to the hotel and as we had an early start decided that an early night was in order, particularly as Woz had not really slept the night before.

3.15am!!!!! we were woken by a delivery truck outside the hotel making so much noise that we were both awake until he finished 45 minutes later. 5.30am our alarm went off and by 6am we were dressed, packed and ready to leave. Having checked out of the hotel, we walked along the near deserted streets with dawn breaking clear over the city; took the metro to Gare du Nord and then the train to the airport arriving in plenty of time for a quick breakfast and a wander through the air-side shops; Our flight however was earlier than expected and we boarded 30 minutes early so it was just as well we had been 'on the ball' in getting to the airport. A good flight and then we were back.

A thoroughly enjoyable trip for us both; Woz has a better impression of Paris than before (despite the result, the lack of sleep and having to drinking lager!) and I managed to get to the shops for a new Chabal shirt for my collection! joking apart - it was a memorable weekend and one that we shall no doubt be talking about for many years to come.

Nine more sleeps!

First thing this morning Woz breezes into our living room with a big grin and a 'Nine More Sleeps' announcement; off to Stade de France on 19th March to see France v England in the final game of the Six-Nations and we can't wait.



Here at home we are today having the final window installed in the house, this one is the dining room window - a much larger one than all the others and will probably present a bit of a challenge. The stone windowsills are gradually being painted in the same colour as the front door and it is all beginning to look very smart indeed.



Spent a few hours in the garden last weekend tackling all the shrubs and dead growth from last season ready to plan new planting for the flower borders. Hopefully this weekend we will manage to get our raised vegetable beds cleared, dug over and prepared for sowing the veggies that we plan to grow this year.



The trip to Normandy is booked with a gite located in Isigny-sur-mer to the west of Bayeux; six of us will be travelling on our Harley's for a week of sight seeing, visiting the D-Day landing beaches, medieval towns and probably sampling quite a lot of the local produce especially the seafood.



Also planning a short break over Easter and hoping for kind weather as we plan to road test our new tent for the first time - possible destinations are being whittled down from North Wales, New Forest and Yorkshire. It will very much depend on the weather forecast for the week we wish to travel. Ruby and Ruairi will also be coming with us so no rain would be a bonus - wet dogs in tents is not a pleasant experience!



I have finished making the new cushion cover for the garden bench that we have yet to buy; we gave Woz's Dad his one back, so we shall be looking to purchase a new one for the garden in the springtime.



Next major project is this weekend when the plasterboard gets fitted to the livingroom ceiling ready for the plasterer. Once completed and dry, we can decorate the room, so we need to start choosing paint, fabrics and gettign the rest of the doors that were stripped of old paint, re-painted.

"So wise so young, they say, do never live long". Quote (Act III, Scene I).

"So wise so young, they say, do never live long". Quote (Act III, Scene I).

From Shakespears The Tragedy of Richard the Third

Today on the news an announcement regarding the true location of the site of Richard's demise and the crowning of Henry Tudor. Archaeological discoveries have been made and a full report can be found on the link below. This looks like a good day out and a place that the dogs can go too! So another jaunt to add to our ever growing diary of events and activities that will fill the Five Sheds calendar this year.

Also received an email and text message regarding some Harley Davidson filming taking place on the weekend of 27th/28th February in Lakenheath, Suffolk. Not sure what it is for but the shout is out for Harley riders (as many as possible) to come along for the filming. Woz says he'll go depending on the weather and the amount of salt on the roads as cleaning the bike afterwards takes ages.

And the forecast for Monday is more snow..........great, just in time for the first windows being removed and replaced! We shall let you know how we get on!!

And more rain...............

Very foggy and frosty first thing followed by miserable wet weather that made a journey to the deepest darkest regions of suffolkshire (Red Lodge) a pretty unpleasant experience; the A14 was just horrible with lorry spray and that revolting heavy rain with mist that seems to roll across the road from the fields either side. An added bonus was the Toyota driver who i followed off the slip road of the A11 and when we turned right at a junction seemed to think he was still on a one way traffic roadway and proceeded to drive headlong towards a roundabout on the wrong side of the road nearly causing an horrific accident. As it was obvious that he was doing something so wrong, I stayed well back until he had sorted himself out. However even the roundabout was difficult for him to negotiate so it was with some relief that he turned off fairly soon afterwards and out of my path.

Today Woz went to see how the windows are progressing; next week should see all of the new sash windows installed to the front of the house and our new front door. That being the case Woz decided to go and get the paint for the stone sills. Check out the link below for the Farrow and Ball website, click on the paint page and select 'green's. The colour of our door and sills will be 'Calke Green'. Thought we would post the link for the colour for those of you too far away to be able to just drive past and see :)

http://www.farrow-ball.com/default.aspx?language=en-GB

Thinking back, looking forward

Next Friday will mark what would have been McDuff's 14th birthday; this photo taken on a beach in Norfolk some time ago (and me with shorter hair!) is one of my favourite pictures and memories of a lovely weekend spent camping. Ruby (the majestic lady to the left of the picture for those who don't know) will be 14 years old in June.

I thought I would put this photo up today as it is so bleak, damp and cold outside, a sunny picture raises the spirits!

On the home front, the scaffolding is now up and we have discovered a small hole where rain has been getting in under the roof tiles; this now explains the reason for some 'blown' plaster in the exterior wall of the front bedroom and which we will now have to get re-plastered before we can decorate. Woz will fill the hole again (if it can stop raining for a while) and he has also started to remove the old blue paint from the stone sills ready for the new windows; the sills will still be painted (as the blue paint has penetrated the soft stone) and they will match the new door - a lovely shade of green.

Looking further forward - four weeks on Saturday until France v England - not that i'm getting excited or anything :)

Busy weekend, lots of plans

So - that was the second weekend of the Six Nations and a mixed bag of results. We watched the Wales v Scotland match - and got very excited up until the 70th minute and then very disappointed with the end result. Good wishes to Thom Evans, Chris Paterson and Rory Lamont following the injuries sustained during the game and subsequently keeping them out of the rest of the tournament if not the rest of the season.

The France v Ireland match was a delight to watch; especially since Ireland got a good run about and their opponents were very classy (in Lindz's world anyway); And as for Italy v England - well Italy have come on as a side not to dismiss and England need to take stock and get their act together if there are to be no upsets later on.

Also spent time with friends Roy and Ali (amongst others) at our monthly HOG chapter meeting up at Mundford, Norfolk. Spent the time browsing the French country cottage brochure choosing a cottage to rent when we travel to Normandy later this year. More to follow on the preparations for this in future posts however there are at least six of us going possibly eight.

It will be our intention to visit the D-Day beaches, the Bayeux Tapestry and enjoy visiting the fishing ports and the fish markets as well as other places of interest that berween us we would like to see.

Today the scaffolding was being erected in preparation for our new windows being installed next week; and right now it's snow/sleeting again - lets hope it's cleared up before next Monday otherwise its going to be chilly work and a cold house!

We shall see clearly now the windows are coming....

After weeks...nay months.......of waiting we shall be receiving our new windows in a fortnights time. Our friend Tass has been booked to install and we went to look at them yesterday to see how they were progressing. Also the stained glass panel from Grandma's old windows has been completely overhauled, glass cleaned, new lead fitted and then encased in a double glazed unit ready to be fitted into our new front door which is also being made.

Our living room and front bedroom windows are being replaced with sash windows as the current ones were installed in the 1970's and although match the other three semi's don't really go with the Victorian architecture. We have a photo of the houses from the early 20th century showing that they all had sash windows so we thought we would return the property to its original look. Also being replaced are the dining room and rear bedroom windows, again all sash.

We also discovered why our windows have taken so long to make. Adam Clayton (U2) is having a property completely refurbished in London and he (or the builers) ordered 250 replacement sash windows. So - poor Five Sheds has had to wait. And for that reason shall not be buying their new album....ok, maybe thats not relevant as I don't buy them anyway! :)

So all hands to the pump, we have some organising to do before the windows arrive, scaffolding to erect next week and we can finally get some more work done in the house!

On the theme of Valentines......

Got to add the following link as it's just too funny :) Scroll through the vids to find the english one!

http://www.youtube.com/puma

In the meatime, update in Twitter world - Chabal is rested and hopefully playing in a league match for RM92 weekend of 20th Feb. Let's hope that Lievremont decides to select him for forthcoming France games as the trip to Paris is looming!

x

Looking ahead to the better weather

What with the snow flurries, sleet and then bursts of sunshine in a bright blue sky, the weather today is a bit mixed up. Whilst out today driving to appointments my mind wandered off to the summer months and the realisation that it is nearly a year since we went to Scotland and stayed in the Wigwam in Dumfries and Galloway, and much too long ago since we last went to Gairloch.

With a new tent to try out, maybe a late summer trip to the north west of Scotland can be arranged?

http://www.wigwamholidays.com/

Check out the link above to see what a 'Wigwam' holiday is all about.

The Monday after the weekend before

Its been a busy morning back in 'real world land' after a weekend of partying until the wee small hours. The Winter Ball was particularly good ......Woz excelling himself with his 'Beer Glasses'; I'll have some other pictures to share once they have been emailed to me.

Today is 12 years since Ruby came to live with Woz and 7 years since I first moved into the village.....where does time go?

6Nations - didn't get to see first match (Ireland v Italy), hotel manager put the England v Wales match on in the main hotel bar and then we had to get ready for the Ball so were watching while getting dressed up. Woz says - good game but England could have done better. Managed to watch Scotland v France at the pub back home - I wore my Scotland shirt, Woz was even supporting them! But on the day France were definately the better side. Roll on next weekend for the next round (hopefully 'The' man will be fit to play!)

The Six Nations is coming!

Welcome to our daily (hopefully) diary of the wonderous and sometimes crazy world of the Five Sheds family; Woz, Lindz, Ruby and Ruairi.

February 2010 is now upon us, the ice and snow (for now) has disappeared and the Six Nations Rugby is about to start - hurrah!

We support a mixture of domestic and international teams between us - Woz is England and Harlequins through and through; Lindz supports Scotland and Racing Metro 92 (a French team in the TOP14 domestic league) Oh - and the reason (as anyone who knows me will testify) is a particular player - Sebastien Chabal! We're off to the France v England game and Lindz and her good friend Sally (and Wasps supporter) recently attended the second leg of the Amlin Challenge Cup RM92 v Wasps - great trip, excellent game, positive result (from RM92) but Wasps topped the pool and they're through to the next round. The photo is of me at the RM92 ground in Colombes, near Paris with Valeriane Fourmy - a rugby supporter and ladies 7's player who we met prior to the game along with her friend Pierre-Eric who both very kindly spent the evening with us.

Another passion in the Five Sheds world - Harley Davidson. We both ride (although Lindz doesn't ride as much as she used to) but we enjoy the lifestyle, the friends we have made and the places we have been including a trans-european tour to Latvia and back via Sweden and Denmark.

This year we intend to travel to Normandy as well as attending various rallies across England and also getting out and about to lots of other destinations during the year. We belong to a Harley Owners Group club and this weekend is the club Winter Ball - the guys in suits and the girls in frocks - makes a change from the leathers! Photo to follow.