Catching up...by Theo

So we haven't blogged for a while as we've been pretty busy...

Buying a house:
We've found a lovely three-bedroom semi in north Bristol, near where I'm going to be working from September. Things are going relatively smoothly - the surveyor's report threw up a few kinks, but nothing major - and we're hoping to complete on August 1st.

Starting a new (old) job:
I'm back at the language school where I taught last summer. Teaching a class of 9, adult, motivated students who are genuinely interested in the topic has been an absolute pleasure. I am wondering why the hell I wanted to switch from TEFL to teaching in secondary schools?

Socialising:
After my PGCE course finished we sped down to Cornwall for the weekend, then back up the M5 to Oxford, before heading to a few kids' parties in Bristol, hit Domstock in Fairford and I managed to catch up with some old friends in London last Saturday.

And being parents of course.

Actually, we're thinking of stopping the blog after August. We seem to have both run out of steam a bit and, as I'm about to take up a teaching role, reducing my web-presence would be no bad thing. The blog which began as a chronicle of our wedding preparations, then our honeymoon, followed by our life in Madrid, seems to have run its course. It may be time to move on...

Domstock - by Theo

We'd been trying to make this legendary and exclusive event for years, but due to calendar clashes had never quite managed it so, despite the poor forecast, we were determined to get there this year, come rain or shine. Which it did. Both. Plus lots of wind. We weren't deterred, especially as Kate had recently purchased a fabulous red puddle suit for Rosie, which is windproof as well as waterproof.

We arrived early, at 3pm, to find that the stage (a flat bed trailer) had only just been rolled into place, Larry-the-Lamb still the unhealthy side of rare on the barbecue and guests thin on the perfectly manicured ground. Still, the sun was out, Kate had some cider and rather pleasingly, the red arrows picked that moment to do a fly-by.
My old school friend Dom's parents have a farm just outside Fairford, so every year, when the Air Tattoo is on, he invites people round for a barbecue and gets a few bands to play while they watch the display. Creative thinking at its best.

Rosie kept us on our toes, so I wasn't able to chat to Dom's folks and my old classmates as much as I would have liked, but it was good to see people. Rosie was the only non-adult there (apart from one in utero) and, with creche facilities being limited, we had to go pretty much as the first band started up, but it was a still a very enjoyable afternoon and an excellent start to what we hope will be the first of many Domstocks for us.