Sunday 28 July

This time last week I'd just got back from Latitude, feeling a lot cleaner after three days in hot dusty surroundings, enjoying my second (or possibly even third) cup of tea from a normal mug rather than a plastic one.

As last time, Latitude was fabulous. For newer readers: Latitude is a music/literature festival near Southwold, on the east coast. I had always wanted to go but with tickets being quite expensive, we'd never got round to it. Last year I worked as a volunteer on the knitting team, teaching knitting/crochet 6 hours a day in return for a weekend ticket. It was my first ever time teaching and I loved every second of it. I was very happy to be asked again this year and probably looked forward to it even more this time round.

From the start it was all very different. First, the weather. Last year we didn't really have much of a summer, and it was very wet (read: muddy) at Latitude. This year we had a very late spring and although summer took a long time to arrive too, once it did, it did so with a bang. We've had high temperatures for at least a couple of weeks now and it was no different at Latitude. Again, dirty feet, but this time from dust, not mud!

Secondly, this year I had much more comfortable accommodation. Normally our old VW camper goes to Latitude with one of B's colleagues, but as he wasn't going this year, B. said I could have it. After a little mix-up with his son's holiday dates we got everything sorted and I had a proper bed to sleep in and best of all, my own loo! The members of the knitting team are classed as traders so we stay in the traders' field too. We get a couple of portaloos but as opposed to the portaloos in the main arena, these don't get cleaned, or not as often. The loos last year were honestly the most disgusting I have ever seen. So having the camper was a real luxury, plus having a little more privacy was a bonus too (having to listen to the conversations of two 18 year old boys in the tent next to me every morning was an experience I was happy to miss this year!).

What hadn't changed at all though was how much I enjoyed it. Meeting so many different people, all with their own story to tell. The number of times nobody at the knitting circle needed any input and you could just be part of it, be part of a group of people who all enjoy knitting or crochet. The fact that nearly nobody thought we were 'odd' for having what is often still considered an old-fashioned hobby. And the teaching, o how I enjoy the teaching. The lady who had tried to teach herself crochet with YouTube but hadn't managed, and who had made the perfect granny square 45 minutes later.

The boy who was struggling to knit because he was left-handed, and who did so much better once I showed him the continental style of knitting. And my star of the weekend - a little 7 year old girl who could already knit, who I showed how to purl, who bought needles and yarn at the tent and who came up to me the next day with a great big smile to show me what she'd knitted.

Going to a couple of very funny or thought-provoking lectures. The camaraderie among the knitting team. Enjoying having my DSLR with me.The funny stories - having to rescue my own knitting out of the hands of someone who, by her own admission, didn't know how to knit - T., from the knitting team, getting B. and me out of a bit of a sticky situation - listening to a conversation between C., also from the knitting team, and a girl she was teaching who turned out to have a rather unconventional name where I was glad C. couldn't see my face.

There is so much to Latitude, it's hard to describe what it is like. But exactly like last year I had a great time and I have come away with many, many happy memories.

Tuesday 9 July

Yes, I went AWOL for a little while. Just didn't feel like blog writing. Too much going on in 'real life' to sit down and write a decent post. But I'm back with some sunny and above all, pink photos!

Normally on a Tuesday I'd try and do my Ten Happy Things, but as I had such a happy day on Sunday, this blog post is going to be about that - I figure a whole day of happiness counts as Ten Things!

Last Sunday was the 10th ladies' tractor road run in Norfolk, and my fourth time of taking part. Normally in the run-up to the event I have several practice sessions, including one with L. who drives our Fendt tractor. But life's been so busy lately that I'd only managed one and that was on the farm itself, and L. and I didn't manage to go out together either. Fortunately her tractor is easy to drive, a bit like an oversized car really, so she was okay, and on the day itself we drive down to the airfield for the start which is always a good way of boosting your confidence.
On Saturday evening 14yo and I spent a couple of hours adding pinkness to the very masculine tractor - what does he make of it...?! We left the balloons off till we got to the airfield, as they tend to pop quite easily. Afterwards we had a nice BBQ and I finished my pink crochet bunting, and we had an early night. I woke up with nervous energy and all the disasters that could possibly happen going through my head. It didn't help that we overslept and that L. wasn't sure if she could make it. But she turned up at 8.30am and by 9.30am we were packed up and ready to set off:

We're having a bit of a heatwave in the UK right now and it was a very hot day. Sun hats, sun cream, bottles of drink all at the ready... On the way to the airfield we met a convoy of other tractors who'd all set out from one location so we joined them and it almost felt like we were doing a road run already! We arrived with plenty of time to spare and by the time I'd reversed the tractor into position I felt on top of the world - I remembered how to drive this tractor and I could do it!

We spent an hour or so admiring other tractors and catching up with other pink ladies. This outfit was my favourite one, I think she sewed it herself.

And at 11.30am we were off. As we were about 3/4 towards the end of the convoy, we had to wait about 20 minutes before we could go but it was worth it. The route has been the same each year I've taken part and people along the route now know to expect us. They sit on their driveways with tables, chairs, picnics, drinks, balloons, banners and flags. It's such an amazing sight, you just can't help but smile all the way through.

Harleston was the usual emotional rollercoaster. You think you're not going to cry - I mean, it's my fourth year, surely by now I'm used to it? But no, as soon as you see the first pavement lined with people and they start clapping and cheering, your bottom lip starts wobbling. It's hard to explain what makes you cry, but I had tears running down my cheeks from start to end.

B. was marshalling again and it's lovely that to know I'll see him along the route. He also has my camera with him so he can take a few pictures of me:

You can just about see the bunting here - every year I make some new decorations which can be used over and over again.

The lunch time stop was much needed, but was very hot with very little shade. On the tractor I was fine, as you have a bit of a breeze, but sitting down in the sun was just uncomfortable. L. started saying she wanted to go home! (I wouldn't let her).

After lunch we did the offroading part which I find uncomfortable - all the other tractors have their wheels in the ruts, but because I have narrow front wheels, I can't do that. I'm always glad when we're back on tarmac, although this year wasn't too bad as it's been quite dry the last few weeks.

Pulham St. Mary was amazing this year. The Pennoyer Centre had laid on vintage pink teas with proceeds going to Cancer Research, and there were so many people cheering us on, I almost cried again.

Before we knew it, we were back at the airfield:

I switched off the engine and told Annie, who organised the whole event and was handing out our medals, that I'd enjoyed every second of it.

Time for the group photo - a sea of pink:

160 pink ladies, each with their own reason for taking part. Annie always says thank you to us for taking part, as without us there wouldn't be a road run. Without Annie, there wouldn't be a road run either.

Just want to finish with what I put on Facebook on Sunday night. I'm already looking forward to next year.

"loved, loved, LOVED every second of the pink ladies road run today - the sunshine, the people along the route having picnics and waving, the crowds in Harleston, the tears in Harleston, my surprise visitors at the picnic, the breeze on your face as you're driving, the Norfolk summer landscape, meeting another Dutch pink lady, feeling I've never driven the tractor so well, raising money for a good cause, and above all, gratitude."

Wednesday 26 June

I have written my first ever guest blog post!
Hop on over to In Norfolk to read all about my cycling adventures in Norfolk.

Thank you to Lucy for giving me the chance to post on her blog!

Tuesday 25 June

Tuesday comes around so quickly! I start off my 'week of happy' full of good thoughts and then forget about it after a few days. And then wonder if I'll manage to remember ten happy things! But it's not a bad thing, because it makes me stop and think and appreciate the small things.

1. 11yo ran up to me after I'd dropped them off at J's house last week with this bunch in his hands. They'd picked it earlier in the week and had forgotten to give it to me. They're my favourite flowers, I just love their colour and the whispiness as the petals fall. They're past their best now but they have cheered me up all week.

2. I taught a couple of crochet classes on Saturday - beginners in the morning, improvers in the afternoon. The two ladies attending the improvers class, had previously come to one of my beginners class. It was so nice to see how they'd carried on and used the skills I'd taught them. One of them was even teaching her daughter to crochet. That's what it's all about!

3. Yesterday we had to spend quite a bit of time in the car through my own fault - I'd left my camera in Ipswich and wanted to go and pick it up. The kids didn't complain at all, in fact, we had a really good time together. Not for the first time I thought that they're both really good company.

4. The Mini game. 11yo and I have played this game for a few years now. The rules are simple: you spot a Mini, you punch the person sitting next to you and say Mini and you get a point. You get an extra punch for a cabriolet Mini, a yellow one, a learner and a few other unusual versions (actually, yellow Minis are quite common). We only play it in the car and the winner is the one with the most Minis at the end of the journey. The thing about this game is that it is utterly pointless but can get very silly - sometimes if traffic is heavy and I have to concentrate, 11yo can leap ahead and spot one Mini after the other. But neither of us ever mind about losing, we sometimes give points away if we're feeling sorry for each other. I've played it with 14yo as well but it's not the same. It cheers me up so much that when 11yo is not in the car with me, I'm a little sad when I spot a Mini and can't score a point.

(We recently added a new rule. The person to spot J's old Mini, which was a limited edition but was sold years ago, wins for life. I don't think it's likely to happen ;-)

5. I've finally found a book again that's really gripping me. I haven't finished the last few books I was reading because they just weren't, well, gripping enough! I wanted something fairly light but sometimes it was so light it was rubbish at the same time. So I went back to Thomas Hardy, who never fails to disappoint. I'm reading Jude the Obscure and o, how you can tell it's going to end badly, but still I can't stop reading!

6. Finding I have yet something else in common with a friend at WeightWatchers. She's 20 years older than me but we share an uncanny similar taste in literature. Last week we found we enjoy the same music, this week we discovered we both like Radio 4...

7. Having a haircut and liking my hair again.

8. That moment when the radio alarm clock goes on 30 minutes sleep and you switch off the light and crawl under the duvet, knowing you'll be asleep in the next few minutes or so (I rarely suffer from insomnia).

9. One of B's cats who's normally a bit shy, jumping up into the bed to come and have a cuddle and a very loud purr.

10. Last week my 'little old lady' celebrated her 84th birthday. I popped in on the day itself but as I had suspected, she was out with her children. I left behind a present and a card, saying I'd come and see her the following Tuesday. When I turned up, she had already left two mugs and a plate of biscuits in the kitchen for us to have later. It just warms my heart that she looks forward to my visits.
('my little old lady' and 'my captain' will have a blog post of their own soon).

11. Standing on the balcony at B's house around 10pm on the longest day, watching the moon occasionally come through the clouds and marvelling at how light it still was.

And there you have it, 10 happy things and a bonus one!

Pop back tomorrow for the first guest blog post I've ever written, about cycling in Norfolk.

Thursday 20 June

I wanted to do my WIP Wednesday yesterday but had used up my computer time - well, I've got to set the right example to the kids don't I! And tonight's not much different, so only a short post.

Colours aren't very good as I took the picture last night as the light was fading (even though the days are very very long at the moment - love it!). The pink is really bright pink and the lilac is more lilac, but you get the idea of the ruffles. I still want to add a few more but to be honest I'm getting really bored with it. One ruffle row takes a couple of hours at the very least, and as it is something I'll probably only wear once, I don't want to spend so much time on it. It's turning out more frilly than I had imagined but I'm quite pleased with that.

Again the colours aren't perfect, the shirt isn't orange but pink! It's a lovely pink seersucker which I've had for a long time. I've been trying to get back into sewing and when I do, I really enjoy it. I used to sew a lot for the children, but I seem to have lost my confidence a bit. Every time I get to a new step, I procrastinate over it. All that's left of this shirt is the band around the edge of the right sleeve, the hem and the buttonholes plus buttons, but the buttonholes are scaring me. I've never been that good at them, they always have that homemade look. Plus I haven't got any buttons for it at the moment. I should finish it off though, we finally had some warmer weather in the UK this past week and I could have worn this. If I wasn't so scared of buttonholes that is!

Tuesday 18 June

My happy things for this week:

1. 14yo getting a place on the communications team at school. It's been obvious for a while now that the arts subjects are her strong side (following in her mother's footsteps!) and lately she is showing more and more interest in writing. She will now contribute to the school blog and newsletters, and represent the school at other schools. If she is serious about pursuing writing as a career, she has made a step in the right direction, and I'm very proud.

2. Staying the same weight at the WeightWatchers weigh-in yesterday - considering how much I'd eaten over the past fortnight...

3. The latest addition to the collection:

Picked up from Wales last weekend - a rather rare Bolinder Munktell

4. Spotting three red kites while in Wales. I know they're getting more common these days, but it still felt very special.

5. Listening to the rain on the roof of the lorry cab when we'd stopped in a small village on the way to Wales to have a sleep.

6. Getting lost on the way to our destination but finding this:

So, so different from the rural churches in Norfolk that I normally visit

7. Picking up parttime dog for a walk on Monday evening and noticing he excitedly barks his welcome before I even get the chance to knock on the door.

8. Finishing a job at work that I have been working on for the last 4 or 5 weeks. Although I have really enjoyed it, it also feels good to hand it off knowing you have done your part.

9. Spotting this on my Sunday walk:

A bell on an old rectory in Somerton

10. The beauty of Wales. B. and I have been there three times now and every time we agree it is a stunning country.

Photo taken from moving lorry, so excuse the blurriness and lack of composition!

Wednesday 12 June

120 pink ladies

As I haven't got much progress to show for my WIP Wednesday (just a few more pink and lilac ruffles), I thought I'd talk a little about the ladies' tractor road run that I am making this outfit for.

 last year's outfit

Some of you will know that for the past three years I have taken part in a tractor road run for ladies that is being held every year in a village near B. A few years ago while on holiday in Holland, I spotted a tractor for sale in a farmyard. Not thinking anything of it, I pointed it out to B., who promptly made me drive past the farm again the following day, got out and sat on it. The owners were on holiday (a neighbour wandered over to see what was going on!), but we put a note in their letterbox saying we were interested. Although I didn't expect to hear back from them, about a week later we received a phone call and after some negotiation B. had actually bought it off them. Three weeks later we hired a lorry and set out to collect our Fendt. A rather unusual holiday souvenir!

Two future pink tractor ladies

I had got 'caught up' in the ladies' road run a few times as they drive almost past B's house, and I promised B. that if he did the tractor up, I'd actually take part. This may sound less impressive than it was - I'd never really driven anything other than an ordinary car before. B. spent the winter lying underneath an oily tractor in a draughty barn, and come July the tractor was restored to its former glory and I'd had several practice runs. Although initially nervous of driving on my own, I had a great time on the day and determined to take part the following year.

My second road run

That was a few years ago, and the collection of tractors has grown with almost one for every year. When B. turned 50, he bought a John Deere on American eBay and had it shipped over. In the meantime he'd bought a lorry as well so we could actually transport the tractors if we wanted to go to any rallies. A year later and he found a very small French tractor (a Semiac, in case anyone's reading who knows about these things!) which meant a trip down to Somerset to fetch it. And this weekend we're off to Wales to go and pick another one up (a Bolinder Munktell). Our criterium for adding tractors is that they have to be unusual - all of these have never been imported into Britain and there probably only are a few of them in the country.

The baby of the family, in restoration phase

The tractor road run started 10 years ago and was the brainchild of Annie and John Chapman in order to raise money for charity, in this case Cancer Research UK. I don't think they ever expected it to become as popular as it has, but in ten years more than a quarter of a million pounds has been raised and this year we have 160 ladies taking part. All of us have a cancer story to tell. In my case there are several, although the main reason was and is my own mum, who has battled and conquered first pancreatic cancer and then breast cancer. B's own mum suffered from breast cancer for years before passing away shortly before I met B. My grandmother-in-law survived breast cancer twice. A good friend from WeightWatchers was diagnosed a year ago and after treatment is now doing well. A customer of B's died earlier this year, two years after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Learning to plough

Some people are lucky, some are not. But we want more people to be lucky. In fact, lucky shouldn't be a word that comes into it. Cancer should not be that dreaded word, but should be treatable. There is a long, long way to go before that is realised, and it will need a lot more research. Research costs money. So, if you enjoy reading my blog, if you have a cancer story of your own to tell, if you want more people to feel grateful that their partner, parent, child, loved one is still with them, then please consider making a donation. Every little bit helps. My JustGiving page is linked on the right.

400 tractors at the National Vintage Tractor Road Run in Chepstow at Easter

Thank you...