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Our tour of the West Country continues with a visit to the best tourist hotspot in the world, Cheddar. Though we were here to see local eccentric characters Keith and Barbara Herring. Incredibly it's my dad's 90th birthday on 5th August, but we were going to start the celebrations now for the members of the family who will be away on that date.
Dad's been a bit poorly this year and was away from home for a few months being cared for, but my amazing family have managed to find a way to get him home, where he's much happier.
We had cake and scones in the sunshine as Keith's grandchildren and great grandchildren played hide and seek and treasure hunts and badmington around him.
Mum also played badmington, as well as making all the food. Mind you she's only 89 so my dad is a cradle-snatcher.
Phoebe gave both grandparents a pompom frog and Ernie gave his grandad one of his treasured rings.
After four really active days I was hit by a wave of exhaustion, but managed to eat some cake and scare my niece's babies, partly because I had a mask on to avoid catching their cold. But also when I didn't have the mask on. Depending on the baby.
On the car ride over I'd been saying how great I felt and how I might go for a run tomorrow and that Catie should let me do some of the driving now. Catie told me I had to pace myself and not get ahead of myself. I told her that I knew myself and I was fine and that I was all better now. Then quite suddenly tiredness descended like the shutters in a bank during a robbery and I was knackered for the rest of the day, in spite of an attempted afternoon nap.
I couldn't even stay up for the World Cup Final, watching the uninspiring first half before sloping off to bed. At least falling asleep was pretty easy.
My sister pointed out that a Herring family trait is to attempt to prove how impervious we are to hardship that we press on regardless and today was a reminder that as much as I wish to be back to my normal 25 year old self, I do have to recuperate and as my always correct wife says, pace myself.
With badmington and sightseeing and solo parenting I have done a lot in the last few days, though it was a shame I wasn't on top form for dad's first 90th birthday party.
Joining me on 6th August at 2pm at Stand 3 will be SNL UK's Paddy Young. Also on 14th I am joined by a guest who has to remain a secret. So maybe that will be an exciting one, who knows?
Ticket links and other confirmed guests here.
