Petes-Pix

29 March 2026

Brionnie Choir

To Tonbridge to see and hear Brionnie singing in the Tonbridge Soul Choir. Mick played an unglamorous but vital support role.

Afterwards Brionnie and Mick joined us for dinner at Cinnamon Square

12 March 2026

Jack's Fourth Birthday

To The Paper Mill, a pub/restaurant on the canal at Apsley to lunch with Toby, Emma, Jack & Finn for Jack's upcoming fourth birthday.

It was cold, otherwise it would be pleasant to sit at a table on the banks of the canal, but it wasn't warm inside. Even though there was a small log fire huge air-con vents, that the staff couldn't turn off, continuously blasted out cold air.

When the staff heard we were there for Jack's birthday they brought him a small cake with a lit candle which he greatly enjoyed blowing out.

15 February 2026

Fin's Christening

Dan and Krisie came to stay Friday and Saturday night then on Sunday we all went to Aylesbury

to see Finley and his cousin Madeline christened by the same priest who had christened Jack.

Courtesy of Brionnie

Courtesy Dan

Courtesy Krisie

Jack sat quietly through the ceremony.

Courtesy Krisie

Courtesy Mick

We all enjoyed seeing Brionnie & Mick.

04 February 2026

First Daffodil

The first daffodil bloomed today, it would have been the third but the first two blooms were killed by frost and can be seen lying on the ground.

In eight years the earliest has been 1 Feb (2020) and the latest 21 Feb (2025)

27 January 2026

Alice in Blunderland

To Criccieth on Friday 2 January for The Starlight Players Pantomime Cinderella in Blunderland.

We stayed in Min y Traeth, a modern detached house in a close, but it was lacking champagne glasses, anywhere to hang towels in the en-suite bathroom, and a cutlery basket in the dishwasher. And it was cold, the wooden window fittings had warped.

Krisie was Front of House Manager and Dan was Stage Manager.

We saw Cinderella in Blunderland on Saturday night, after dinner at the Prince of Wales. It's a blast, so fast, with none of the standard tired pantomime tropes and with a huge energetic cast.

picture courtesy Dan

Written and devised by the team, it's a totally bonkers mashup of Cinderella and the denizens of Alice's Wonderland with Aladdin's lamp and Genie, Goldilock's Seven Dwarves, the Wicked Witch of the North and was that Tom Baker's Dr Who?

I loved it; it was the best Panto the Starlighters have delivered. So new, lovely costumes and a confident cast. The jive-talking high-fiving White Rabbit (Paula Carr) with his lighted shoes and bow tie dominated the stage, Awen Pritchard played a feisty Cinderella who wouldn't accept any sexist crap from anyone, her bearded Ugly Sisters (Paul Dunn & Dave Roberts) had jaw dropping dresses and I particularly enjoyed the King and Queen of Hearts, (Bryony Green & Swyn Williams), he with his jaunty curled moustache and roving eye and her with a haughty gaze and a penchant for chopping off heads. And then there's the Dormouse (Shon Williams) whose thunderous snores probably were heard in Porthmadog.

How will the Starlighters top this in 2027? I suspect they have a cunning plan.

picture courtesy Krisie

Sunday we had a roast with Dan & Krisie after they had cleared the Memorial Hall of stage props after the final show that afternoon.

picture courtesy Krisie

Monday we were joined by Caroline, Stuart and Elliott. Dylan's was closed that week for renovation so Dan & Krisie brought a takeaway from Sima Tandoori in Porthmadog.

Then home on Tuesday 27 Jan to a Deliverood Nando's

12 January 2026

Lanzarote

To Lanzarote and the Costa Calero hotel again, this time for 4 weeks from 15 December 2025 to 12 January 2026 with the intention of missing Christmas and New Year at home.

Lovely sun and very hot out of the shore wind.