April

Though Helen had to miss Teresa’s birthday last month, she was able to spend Easter with us and on Good Friday we visited Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire – an enjoyable excursion on a bright sunny day.

Our visit to Eastnor

Helen was still not fully recovered from the work on her wisdom teeth in March. She returned for another break at the end of the month (26-30), but was suffering from a viral infection, probably unconnected with the dental work, so we had a quiet weekend.

Roger’s indoor bowling season came to an end with the last games at Malvern on Thursday 5 and at Littleton on Tuesday 10, in both leagues his team finishing towards the wrong end of the table.

Meanwhile, mowing duties resumed on the outdoor green, and the outdoor season got under way again on Sunday 15, when the green was opened for the year by the Club’s president, and 48 bowlers played in the following roll up. The high numbers due in part to a gloriously sunny and warm afternoon, very different from the cold, wet start we usually seem to have in mid-April. The first match, an evening friendly, followed on Thursday 26, finishing in the twilight with a victory for Overbury.

Jay’s Easter holiday (6-20) was the last normal break of her school life. She returned at the end of the month for no more than a couple of weeks of normal routine before study leave and then exams begin. During the break we grappled with the paper-work which will be required for entrance to university – grants, loans etc – starting with a renewed adult passport.

Our Rover 45 reached its third birthday and obtained an MOT certificate. Unfortunately, the last of our promised free services disappeared with the demise of the selling garage, so we had to get one done locally at our own expense. This followed the loss of our three-year guarantee when Rover collapsed. The horse-box also gave trouble during the month, the battery collapsing suddenly after we stopped for fuel. As luck would have it, this was at the very place where Rovy was due to be serviced the following day, so we were able to get it repaired and a puncture fixed all at the same time.

This was timely, as Clyde and Jay were due back on the competition trail on Sunday 29, when there was a Combined Training Event at Allens Hill. Clyde once again gave a good account of himself. Even after a rare mistake in his jumping, his dressage scores were high enough to give him second place overall, together with two third place rosettes for the individual tests.

The holidays interrupted Teresa’s writing activity, but she did have some good news, selling a second piece to the American on-line site Common Ties and another story to People’s Friend. Also, her full length ‘pony mum’ blog was still under consideration by a second publisher. Fingers crossed!

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