Thursday 1st July

And so the month started on a steady note for us all with the mandatory let's get a few things sorted before checking on the house again.

While we made the most of the breakfast, we received e-mail notification that the kids had been accepted to St. Wilfred's in Ripon. A shock to us all seen as we had gone to appeal, but a very welcome one nonetheless, and a great way to start the day.

Running around the shops both buying and returning went well enough considering before making it to the house for one final hurrah. Checking on each room and giving the empty spaces one last look over was much easier than it had been on all the previous occasions when we had been cleaning them and so once checked out we drove on in the trusty Camry with one final sneak look and wave out the side windows.

For me personally, the sad man that I am, I was almost as gutted returning our books to Smoky Hill library and giving that the last once over. How I've used that place to death and will definitely miss the quality and range of stuff available from there - as will the kids. Rather than pay their final respects both Molly and Amelia chose to stay in the car with the air conditioning on rather than walk the couple of yards into the place, although the temperature was around the mid-nineties at that point. In great anticipation of our hol's we then made a quick stop over at the barbers so I could shed a few pounds from the barnet before heading back to our now comfortable hotel suite.

When we arrived at our hotel the fire brigade were there attempting to kill the ear-piercing alarms after a plumber on a welding job had set the whole place off. It didn't take too long before all was sorted and we grabbed a bit to eat.

The kids hit the pool for the now daily swim session while Leigh headed off to meet up with her book club chums (old, but good picture) for the last time. The kids loved the TV drama of

some painful quiz show where the contestant managed to blow 140,000 dollars with her avarice while they chomped down the remains of a Cadbury's Flake easter egg. Spot on.

Leigh made it back from her evening sad to once again say goodbye, but with a couple of welcome gifts that will keep us all happy on our trip. No wonder you ladies are full of smiles - or is that just the range of steady alcohol.