24 - 30 Dec: XMAS!

Sat - Shock in morning.  Phone rings at 6:15am - its Jon, we panic thinking something is wrong, then he bursts into the bedroom.  He came home for Xmas as a surprise - how fantastic, so we are together as a family, unexpectedly.  Nairobi's loss is our gain.

18 (mostly Odells) for lunch drinks and nibbles.  V. tired afterwards so to bed early.

Sun - Xmas day.  At Lulu's behest, we cycled to C&Ls, 36 miles in 2:45 hours.

(I took the Xmas hat off the front of the bike, it does look rather like a codpiece?)  It started nice but then it became greyer and drizzled.  We were cold and feet were numb.  But I enjoyed it.  Thank you Lulu for suggesting and not letting my initial apathy stop us.

While we were on our way, Cherry & Jon enjoyed a Xmas Skype with the Jacksons in New Zealand:

Arrived just as everybody else did, had great day (walk, lunch, sleep, word games, tea, more food) and back home by 11pm.

Mon - Back to C&L's for more eating, walking and drinking.

Tue - Into Harlequin Centre to shop/return M&S stuff.  M&A came in afternoon, went for walk on Common and drink at Rose & Crown, then indian at Sathis with them and Woodland's Marshalls + Graham & Hilda.  All jolly fun.

Wed - Nutcracker at ROH in evening, excellent performance, after dinner at Deuxieme with Lulu & Ellie:

Anyone for champers?

Thu - Took G to Beaconsfield for some shopping/Waitrose.  Watched Dumbed-down Abbey over tea with her, what a hoot with the risable dialogue.  Dinner at Jeremy & Caroline's, 7 gourmet courses.

Fri - Shopping with G&N in Watford.  Oh dear, but we survived.

Lovely evening round at Georgina's for dinner with L&C and S&P.

17 - 23 Dec: Run up to Xmas

Sat - Well, not exactly a run, was achy this morning after yesterdays exertions so have put exercise program on hold for 2 days.  Spent day prepping for lunch party tomorrow.

Sun - Family lunch 'do' a great success, cooked and laid up for 18!  Very tired by evening time, went to bed at 9:30.

Mon - then up after 11 hours sleep.  Into vill with Mrs M for coffee.  W4D1 17S35C - swam at lunchtime then spin class, so that worked out well.  Dinner out in Ealing at Indian with Hillingdon Hospital Anaesthetic consultants.

Tue - W4D2 17R over to Chorleywood House, through Orchard and back across Common.  2.6km at pace 7.01min/k.

Into London to see Government Art exhibition at Whitechapel Art Gallery, a delightful venue:

and nice small show chosen by Simon Scharma.  Walked back via Spitalfields Market to Liverpools Street, then tube to Victoria for pre-theatre dinner with family at Da Scalzo (good food and 50% off when booked through Toptable).  Saw Billy Elliot at Victoria Palace, excellent musical and dance.  

Good connections on way home and back by 11:15.  A good day.

Wed - W4D3 17S44C - spin class was cancelled so after swim cycled in gym to Sufferfest Angels video on iPad, it worked well and I sweated lots.

Popped to Amersham for Mrs to buy 'things', and I got light padded jacked at 20% off in Fox's.  Dropped off warming tray at H's and had cup of tea and chat.

Thu - W4D4 24R - Around Common then up Whitelands and back, not as fast as yesterday, 7.11 mins/km.  Up to ROH to see Die Mesistersingers, was a bit worried about managing 5:45 hrs of Wagner, but it was great, very approachable and a bit pantomime, time went by and we ate before and during intervals.

Fri - Prepping for lunch party tomorrow.  

12 - 16 Dec: Its Messiah, so it must be Xmas time again.

Mon - Busy day - washing ski gear, Granny to Dentist, shopping in M&S in Pinner, put up Xmas lights, tree and decorations, cook dinner, watch University Challenge, drink red wine, and so to bed.

Tue - Restart the training program - W3D4 38R - where I left off last Thursday.  Though sky was clear, the Common was very swampy after the storm and rains last night, so ran on roads to Whitelands Avenue and back, 5.3km.  Took Granny back to dentist to have dentures re-fixed, and went shopping for w/e food at Waitrose.  After took Granny back home, popped into J&J May to order pork for w/e, and saw Nigel in the Charity Shop - 'just looking' at books.  He had come down on his own for a haircut and to look at the shops.  Persuaded him that he didn't need 2, so he only bought 1 for £3, then we went to Rootz for coffee where I made him pay for his coffee, at which he said he wanted a cheap coffee and couldn't afford a cake.  As he paid he said "I will have to get some more money, won't I?".  Well Nigel, its about priorities, its coffee or books, thats the sort of choice that the rest of us have make every day so its about time you did.

He then went "just to have a look, not to buy" in the Bookshop, and walk back to Thorpedale.  Lovely to see him out on his own, not at all disturbed or flustered.

Last choir of the term tonight, a quick refresher on the Bach B Minor Mass.  Then popped to H's to inspect the completed East Wing, and pick up Mrs M who had gone to a carol concert at her old school.

Wed - W3D5 48S97C, well didn't manage all the cycle, it was too cold to do this outside for fun.  Bromptoned over the H's to pick up car left there last night, 25 mins, then to 45 mins spin at William Penn (where I used some ear plugs to reduce the volume of the beat music, what a relief) followed by 45 mins swim ended by having cramp in leg.  So all in all I'm happy with the exercise today.

At lunchtime went to Bedford Arms to perform carols for the '1967 Club' (a lunch club the meets once a month containing rather elderly but active locals).  It was off the cuff for me, but I read the music OK and sang out lustily (I think most of the audience were a little deaf).  There were 8 of us from the Chiltern Choir and they gave 50 pounds to the choir.

Thu - Caption competition for Virgin Mary holding a pregnancy kit (answers in comments section pls):

(well, I think its very funny!)

W3D6 Program says rest day from exercise, who am I to argue?  Walk to vill for coffee with Mrs M, see Granny staggering around there so I walk back for car to take her home.

In evening up to Royal Albert Hall for Messiah:

 Quick warm up with guests in the box:

 Where's Wally?, see if you can spot me in the choir

Did you get it?

There was a lot of white hair in the choir.  The chap next to me was rather doddery on his pins and kept sagging down during the performance, but he said he was alright, just his balance.  He sang well and during seated times was doing a sudoko puzzle that had me stumped as I looked over his shoulder, so he had all his marbles.  On the other side was Chris, the Chairman of Highgate Choral, so I was on best behaviour.  I have to say it went well and I don't think I missed being spot on more than a couple of entries.

Mrs M had arranged a box with G&P, S&B&R, S&A, with canapés and drink...plus the extra 2 bottles of fizz that I smuggled in.  It was extremely well organised and hosted, and I could sneak up and have a fortifying red wine during the interval.

P, with his Downton Abbey Branson impression, drove us back in the rain, so we didn't have to suffer the tube late at night.  Thank you Branson!

Fri - and its snowing, so Mrs M as Dr M took in the Toyota to test the 4 wheel drive in such conditions for the first time.  But as you can see, its not settling at the moment (9am):

W3D7 is a 48 min run.  Shall I wait for the snow to stop? No, so I got togged up (with Mrs M's goretex as I found mine was too big):

but as I left it stopped sleeting.  Still I was warm and dry as I ran up Whitelands, Carpenters, Berks Hill and back for 6.25k in 48 mins, not fast but I didn't stop and didn't feel too awful at the end.  Just think, 3 months I couldn't run 2 mins without having to stop!

After shower, weighed in at 87.6kg.  I can now say that I have lost 2 stone in the last 5 months.  This is amazing, and I am very pleased and happy with progress.  Tried on some fleeces and running shirts, all too big now.  Saddened but very elated to have to discard a fleeces that I bought in Berkley REI and North Face shop 25ish years ago, but I have burned my boats.  I AM NOT GOING BACK TO HOW I WAS.

Help P move some furniture into their new East Wing.

Messiah again in the evening, very good performance made better by the wine provided by MC!

9 - 11 Dec: Zurich, Flumserberg skiing & Rioja

Fri - Caught 6am flight to Zurich where we were met  by Pascale (the swiss au pair we had in SF 25 years ago) and Andy.  Back to P's for breakfast and to see her delightful children:

 Then onto a viewpoint over Zurich

 and into the old centre where we parked and walked through a street market, seeing a cow with wings on a balcony:

 Xmas posies handmade by a guy who spoke perfect english.  Very confused over how much the conversion rate was, but decided just a little too expensive:

 View across river:

 Then up the hill to the square where birds wanted to be in the picture:

 Lunchtime, and its a game of chess:

 We sample the full Swiss cuisine of gluhwien and brotwurst, yummy

 Cherry spots a leather shop where a very talkative sales guy tells her all about the handbag that Cherry buys

 though she is rather spoilt for choice

Drive up the highway to Flumserberg where we are staying at Andy's families apartment, the view from our bedroom bodes well for tomorrow:

 But first a little red wine - Andy is a Rioja fan so it ends up rather more than a little

 and I end up in first in bed as a result

Sat - Its the first day of opening for the season.  It only snowed a few days ago, and there is just enough.  Cloudy but we walk up to the first chair and get on the slopes

 Lunch stop, and another Swiss tradition of 'special' coffee

 After skiing most of the day, we walk up to a restaurant/cheese farm and buy the fondue

 and walk back via some husky bogs that are being used for sledging.

We all with making the fondue

 ...and eating....

 More red wine, and sleep

Sun - but we manage to get up to a brighter day though there are high clouds

 Lunchtime in the hut at the top with a great view:

This picture captures it all - great company, super rioja, lovely view, sunny weather.  Now all we have to do is ski back down.

Drive back to Zurich, quick coffee at Andy's apartment, then catch 20:25 back to Heathrow where 'due due a mechanical problem with the plane' we wait over an hour for our luggage, but manage to get to bed by midnight.

3 - 8 Dec

Sat - What an amazing brilliant day.  Firstly, W2D6 is a rest day, so no need to haul my body round the common, swimming pool or lanes.  Took G&N to Ricky, then to Amersham for Woolovers so-called sale.  I bought a 'dad' style sleeveless cardi, so really am looking my age and era.  Popped into H's to inspect building works, and had a xmas cup cake and designed decking.

Caught 1:32 train into London

 to meet up with Lulu and Ami (the Paris cyclists) to see a matinee performance of the Ladykillers:

Now for the Amazing Co-incidence:  In the original Ladykillers film, Mrs Wilberforce was played by Katie Johnson who is Cherry's Dad's mums cousin:

Kate Johnson

She bears a very close resemblance to Cherry's dad, so there is a family connection.  The new theatre production stars Marcia Warren, who's mum was a neighbour of my mum, so we know her:

Marcia Warren as Mrs Wilberforce

The show was excellent, played with the right combination of seriousness and farce.  The set was a brilliant.  The audience loved it, it is going to have a long run, and is ideal Xmas family fare.  Afterwards we went to the stage door and Marcia kindly saw us in her dressing room.  What a delightful gracious lady.

She gave us a glass of champagne and the director popped in for a quick chat on his way home, we felt a real part of the stage scene.

We then walked via a pub to have dinner with Lule, Ami and Elle (the Paris cyclists who were treating us a thank you for organising the ride) joined by cousin Hannah at The Chancery Retaurant which was very good, with lots of wine and craic.

Tube back to arrive home at 11:45, with no feeling of horrendous London crowds that we got last time we came up (or is it down?) to town.   It has been a fantastic day.

Sun - Tried new trick to clear out gutter leaves by using the leaf blower outside the upstairs windows... only partially successful, and sprayed soggy black mess on garden!

G&N came round to do Xmas cards and presents, the its off to Rose & Crown for lunch.

After the usual nice lunch (I had 2 pints of Wagtail!) we finished off the Xmas cards, took G&N back, then collapsed.  Over for another year, TG.

Mon - W3D1 S29C58 - well I missed the long run yesterday, so went and swam first thing, then out on Common for for 44mins run.  Golly it was cold.  I jogged around, one good thing being the cold meant the mud wasn't mud but was solid frozen.  Managed about 6km, not very good but its still 6 months to go. So I have caught up with yesterday's exercise and am only a cycle behind.

Caught 10:02 train, then tube to Kennington, then to Brixton to pay for extra door fobs for Jon's flat.  I won't go on about the process I then followed.  Eventually I was told it would be up to 10 days, and they would call me.  They did on the way home, they had made a mistake and I could pick up the fobs as they were to be programmed by the porter rather than at the office (where the fob programmer is temperamental).  I think I'll go in tomorrow and fit a new light for Jon in his toilet as well, so popped to Homebase in Hemel to get same.

Off to see/hear the gorgeous Ben Fogle give a talk for the CW Bookshop at RMS

Amazing how he came from nowhere as a guinea pig on the BBC Castaways (the first reality fly on the wall show) programme to be an "adventurer", often with James Cracknell...and a jolly nice chap he was, very interesting, natural and perceptive talk about his life.  Shows that you don't need A levels to get on in life, just a positive inquiring attitude.  A true Victorian amateur.  And a trim body!

Tue - Up to Kenington to get door fobs for Jon's flat and fit new light in toilet.  Back to CW on 13:27 train, walked home via vill to get some shopping.  Mowed lawns and picked up leaves.  Changed into full cover gear for a run round Common (Its W3D2 29R).  Did 3.96k in 30mins.  It was cold.  I think i'll just drop the missed cycle from the last couple of days.  Now to cook myself an early dinner, then off to Highgate for the obligatory Messiah rehearsal....which went fine as I have done this so many times, its a risk though to go onto auto pilot.  Chatted to M&A afterwards, back home by 11:30.

Wed - W3D3 S38C78.  Walked to vill to post parcel.  Into long cycling gear, cycled to William Penn (2.4km), swam (with drills) for 38 mins, changed back into light cycling gear for 45mins spin class, then back into longs for headwind gusty cycle home.  Walked again into vill for another parcel,  I think that about makes up the required quota.

Building works inspection at H's, its really getting on a treat.  Wine tasting in evening, Xmas drinks.  My nose and palate seem crude compared to others as I can't detect as much as they claim, still it was full of interesting info.

Thu - Rest day.  Packed for trip to Zurich, coffee in vill then up to London with Mrs M to see Degas exhibition at RA- he did have a fetish about ballet dancers.  Walked to M&S at Marble Arch, bought myself a suit and Jon some shirts (all 25% off).   Off to Covent Garden to meet up with Nadia, where I left them to drop off champers and flowers for Marcia Warren (its the Ladykillers first night) at Gielgud Theatre, back home by 7:30.  Mrs M met up with Lulu to see Sleeping Beauty.

3 days in Switzerland next!!!!!