'Phone me back quick, it's great!' Squeaked my mother to my answerphone, 'We are all coming to see you'!

'All' was the Dagenham/Chigwell contingent of my family. Aunt, Uncle, cousin, mother, mother's friend...They arrive some two and a half hours later, the designated driver claiming to not know I had moved to the coast and therefore detouring via Tonbridge. We had a perfectly pleasant afternoon/evening being tourists in The Bay. Walk along the beach, fish and chips (not for me), beer, arcades (help!) then more beer before they headed off late in the evening. It was really nice I don't see much of them and it was nice to be reminded that I am part of a bigger family. So thank-you :)

This morning I awoke early to the sound of a growling Ashley who had somehow caught a bird. Quite a big bird at that. He was holding it in his mouth, growling and looking at me from the bedroom door, 'Look what I got you Mummy!' Being a nice person, I freed the bird (who was alive and miraculously unscathed) and gave a very proud Ashley a cat treat. How the bird got in I have no idea. Once I had liberated the bird, I grabbed my stuff and headed off to the gym. I am now back and trying hard to avoid the work I have to do today. Back to work this week - where did the holiday go?