As I said earlier in the week we are looking after Joe and Amber whilst mum and dad, Alex and Dave are in Barcelona ‘working’, on topping up the alcohol levels it seems to me. As retired grandparents this is enjoyable but hard work but I have a plan though to make life more simple.


Let them do whatever they want. How hard can that be?


They want to watch Cartoon Network. OK.
They want to play on their gameboys. OK.

Go on the computer. OK.
Stay in their jim jams. OK.

Meals whenever they want them. OK.
Crisps and sweets all day. OK.

As much cola as they can drink. No problem.
How hard do we want to make this project of looking after the kids.



I call a meeting and explain the plan to Joe and Amber who look at me with the same blank look I usually get from Christine.

“We can’t drink cola all day grandad, we will be sick”

says Amber but Joe, I notice, is considering the plan. Sitting on the settee all day, tubes of BBQ flavoured Pringles, bottles of Coke with the remote control for the plasma I can see the plan has some merit to him.


But Christine, suddenly realising that a meeting is taking place wants to be included. I remind her that she once said she was my wife and wouldn't attend meetings at any price. Anyway we let her join in and I explain the plan to her. She listens and then says

“OK guys, lets get dressed and go out for some fresh air”

..... It’s the fresh air thing again, she’s obsessed with fresh air. The plan is scrapped. It didn’t even get to the point of being entered in the Black Book. So where are we going for fresh air today? Hornsea, our local beach.


Now bear in mind Joe and Amber live in the Bahamas and they are over here for our summer and we are taking them to Hornsea. The beaches they have become used to are somewhat different from the the 'Costa del' Hornsea. But never-the-less, Christine wants fresh air so off we go.


Fresh air! We are having a very good summer here, day after day of hot sunny weather, so what happens on the day we go to the beach. The heat wave stops, the temperature plunges and it looks like rain. It’s anoraks and hoods and that’s for us, the kids are very cold, back in the Bahamas this would be the worst winters day. I saw Bahamians in hats, scarves, gloves and thick anoraks on much warmer days than this back in January. But we still go, Christine wants some fresh air.


To give the readers out in the Bahamas something to be ‘jealous’ about look at these pictures. Hornsea in August or the Bahamas in January? It's a hard choice. To help you spot which is which Hornsea is on the left.


Anyway as you can see Joe and Amber had fun walking on the beach in their jeans and anoraks skipping stones in the murky surf. I did ask them if they had brought their snorkels and did they want to go swimming. A comment that no one deemed to answer. Half an hour later we are sat in the local coffee shop having hot chocolate drinks.


So having spent today down the beach I am now struggling to keep awake, even the kids are yawning and seem set for an early night. Christine is doing a very good impression of dozing in the garden room, although when disturbed she claims she was only resting her eyes.


The fresh air has finally finished us all off, we need sleep. Problem is I have a three hour journey to the airport to pick up Alex and Dave. Never mind, get in the car, turn on the air co, bottle of water, sausage roll and turn the radio up. I travelled home like this most Friday nights. It’s just like being back at work. A nasty shiver just passed over me!