Much ado about nothing?

Despite last minute doubts and much panic Emily has just heard that she passed her Grade 4 Keyboard exam which she took last week. Well done!
With a flurry of last minute extra lessons to make sure she made the grade, she is much relieved to have passed, but is now frustrated only that she didn't get an extra four marks to turn her 71 mark pass into a Merit.

Driving us around the bend!

Never one to be ahead of herself, or so organized as to not need a last minute panic, the last few days have been a flurry of activity of Hazzard Perception exercises and mock Driving Theory tests, but all to good effect - she passed the Theory part of her Driving test this morning

Pennine Way

Little and large? Happy and grumpy? Fast and slow? Bright and dull?

Ten miles up the Pennine Way from Bellingham with two miles to go to the pick-up on the hottest day this holiday. All in the name of getting Emily and Aidan ready for doing the Yorkshire three peaks a couple of weeks later. Still, they did well, despite the sunburn.

What's this?

Rothbury will shortly become famous for a different reason if my foresight is correct, but I spotted this on the high street. No awards for correct answers, but ... go on, have a guess.

Cool Ape 3 & Emily on horse-back

What is it with this guy and sitting aroung in trees? This one was at Chatsworth.

Then there was Emily sitting on a horse, old-fashioned style - side saddle. Guess she will be sitting around for a while before this one takes her for a ride!

Cooking Skills - could do better!

While we admit that Aidan excels at so many academic things, even acting at school, and playing his guitar, cooking clearly needs a bit more work, for though it is unclear in the picture, he managed to burn ... water! Yes, a whole pan of it! Wrote off one of our pans, a wedding present from 1988, and even burnt the lid handle! I guess it must have been glowing red before he found it. The school report would say, "could do better!"

Sibling bonding

Just don't ask. What Hilda would make of such behaviour in her Abbey (Whitby, in case you're interested) I don't know.

Extreme Biking

Dalby Forest park holds a whole host of interesting activities. Go-ape is one we have done in the past, but this time it was extreme biking on the course which has hosted international competitions! A bit much for some but nothing stopped Aidan going off on his own and taking on the challenge - a must do again place.

Jenson Button beware!

The Christmas holidays passed with little special this year, so as a last day treat Emily, Aidan (and Emily's great friend Hannah) went Karting at Mexbrough. Talk about bringing out the competative edge! Though technically "no contact", it was very difficult to avoid being pushing off the track as Emily and Aidan sought to muscle their way through to the end of the race.

We just hope Emily's driving on the road is a little more patient!