Friday November 1 2019

09:00 We drive over to Haslemere, Surrey, to spend a few days with our daughter Ali and her family. Ali has asked us to babysit the 3 children while Ali and Ed spend the night in Oxford and attend Ed's sister Alison's 50th birthday party.

We take a different route from the normal one and drive via Basingstoke. On the way, we see the AWE (Atomic Weapons Establishment) complex near the village of Aldermaston, a stark reminder of the Cold War - Aldermaston was the focus of frequent peace demonstrations in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

The AWE complex just outside the village of Aldermaston, Hampshire

12:30 We arrive at Ali's house, after a 1-hour stop at Membury Services. It is very nice to see Ali and two of her 3 children: Josie (13) and Rosalind (11).

Isaac (9) is doing football training today with the other members of his school football team and Ed is at work in central London.

Josie in a leftover Halloween mask -

I will try to persuade her to take it off

at some point in the next 3 days ha ha!

After lunch, I go to bed and take a gigantic afternoon nap while Ali, Josie, Rosalind and Lois walk over to Isaac's football club to pick him up.

17:30 We have dinner and afterwards spend the rest of the evening watching a bit of television. Ed comes back from work at 9:30 pm. A long working day to put it mildly - he sits down at his desk at 8 am and finishes work at 8 pm - a 12-hour working day - my god, what madness! His company owns hundreds of petrol stations in Africa:-  what a crazy world we live in !!!!

It’s just a temporary job while Ed searches for his dream job. The family came back from Denmark in the summer of 2018 after 6 years in Copenhagen.

22:00 Lois and I go to bed in Isaac's room. Isaac sleeps on a mattress on the floor of Rosalind's room during our stay - the poor thing !!!!

Danish translation: fredag den 1. november 2019

09:00 Vi kører over til Haslemere, Surrey, for at tilbringe et par dage hos vores datter Ali og hendes familie. Ali har bedt os om, at babysitte de 3 børn, mens Ali og Ed overnatter i Oxford og deltage i Eds søster Alisons 50. fødsesdagsfest.

Vi tager en anderledes rute, end den normale, og kører via Basingstoke. På vej ser vi AWE-komplekset (Atomic Weapons Establishment) i nærheden af landsbyen Aldermaston, en bister minde om den kolde krig – Aldermaston var fokussen af hyppige fredsdemonstrationer i 1950’erne og 1960’erne. 

AWE-komplekset lidt udenfor landsbyen Aldermaston, Hampshire

12:30 Vi ankommer til Alis hus, efter et 1-times stop i Membury-rastepladsen. Det er meget rart at se Ali og to af hendes  3 børn: Josie (13) og Rosalind (11).

Isaac (9) gør fodboldtræning i dag med de andre medlemmer af sit skolefodboldhold, og Ed er på arbejde i midten af London.

Josie i en tiloversbleven Halloween-maske –

jeg vil prøve at overtale hende at tage den af

på ét eller andet tidspunkt i løbet af de næste 3 dage

Efter frokost går jeg i seng for at tage en gigantisk eftermiddagslur, mens Ali, Josie, Rosalind og Lois går til fods over til Isaacs fodboldklub for at afhente ham.

17:30 Vi spiser aftensmad og bagefter bruger resten af aftenen på at se lidt fjernsyn. Ed kommer tilbage fra arbejde kl 21:30. En lang arbejdsdag for at sige mildt – han sætter sig på sit skrivebord kl 8 og afslutter arbejdet kl 20 – en 12-times arbejdsdag – du godeste, sikke et vanvid! Hans selskab  ejer hundredvis af tankstationer i Afrika: sikke en skør verden vi lever i !!!!

Det er bare et midlertidligt job, mens Ed er på jagt efter sit drømmejob. Familien flyttede tilbage til England i sommeren 2018 efter 6 års ophold i København.

22:00 Lois og jeg går i seng i Isaacs værelse. Isaac sover på en madras på gulvet i Rosalinds værelse under vores ophold – staklen!!!!