Solihull Mark II

Look at this little cute Pine Marten eating off our table!

Our last day in Scotland so we thought we’d better do a good walk, so set off round a bay and through a forest to the ‘singing sands’. It was a lovely walk to a beautiful secluded beach. We weren’t quite the only people there, but nearly. We were really glad we hadn’t been put off by the couple leaving as we arrived who said they hadn’t gone far as it was windy and the cleggs (horseflies) were out. We didn’t find either of these things a problem, though it was a bit cooler when we actually got to the beach. We did the shuffle through the sand and although we wouldn’t really call the noise ‘singing’ it was certainly a strange noise!

There's even little lizards

Pauline and Jackie on the 'singing sands'

And just off the singing sands beach....The Cullin Hills of Skye - what a sight!

Got up on Sunday raring to get on with the drive, not really, but it had to be done! We took the pretty bit, through Scotland quite gently, stopping at the Green Welly shop in Tyndrum and on the shores of loch Lubnaig for lunch. Having done Scotland, B decided England was mine, though he didn’t expect it to take as long as it did. We were pleased to get back, straight to the Indian for a well needed dinner.

The little Corran ferry

As it happened, our visit to Scotland wasn't a 'midge fest', but we were lucky, it often is!

Relaxing in D&P's conservatory. Note the tea and cake!

Monday, more useful jobs before coming over to Denise and Paul’s where we are housesitting for a fortnight. Scary here though – it’s just to look after the garden and the allotment, lots of watering, which I’ve decided is B’s job as I normally do animal feeding! We went into Birmingham on Tuesday on the train which was very easy, for me to try and give blood before we went to the ‘travel clinic’ to see what other jabs we may need! Sadly my iron levels were slightly down, so failed on that but we did have an interesting chat with the nurse at the travel clinic who strongly recommended we have rabies jabs bearing in mind where we are going, how long for, and that I like to stroke the odd cat! What we hadn’t realised is that if contracted rabies is always fatal!

And what a garden they have got - scary to be in charge of that!

The site for the new wardrobe at Fiona's house

I may have to do my share here now though (apart from cooking good dinners) as he is now at Fiona, his daughters, new house. A council house but with lots of work, walls to come down in the kitchen and bathroom, decorating throughout, after the re-wiring that James (Fi’s partner) is doing, not to mention installing a kitchen and laying carpet! He has been let off all that it’s his carpentry skills that are being called into action. Designing and building a wardrobe over the slope of the stairs in one room, and making a double dressing table in the other girls room. Oh and slabs for the shed in the garden, and if he still has time what about a new fence? I gave him a hand yesterday doing the shopping and taking it all into the house, but I’m off today – he has Terry, his ex-partner from Andantex who also lives in Kenilworth, has lots of power tools and knows what he is doing with carpentry!

Brian with his old business partner Terry. We might be a bit older, but hey, we're still a formidable team! We started in business together in 1989 (25 years ago) and built the old Kinematic from scratch to over £1m turnover in 2001, before merging with Redex to become Andantex, nearly doubling the turnover. Terry retired in 2007, me in 2012. Great days and good memories!