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Summer in Scotland – COVID calls for last minute panic holiday plans

In the strangest of years, the simplest of lovely holidays. When we’d originally planned to go to Portugal for the summer hols and meet up there for a spell with Sally and Simon & family, the idea of a COVID compromise of a trip to Scotland seemed a bit of a poor cousin. And in the run-up to that trip, it seemed like even that might be a stretch, too.

17 Apr ’2020 Apr ’20

A Lockdown story – Getting the band together for a party.

Strange times. We all agree. And like everybody, Coronavirus-compromises have been made, and good times put on hold.

Amongst the irritations for me this spring was the 50th birthday party I had planned for 100 or so friends on Easter Saturday.

Part of the evening’s fun was to get some music friends together to play some of my favourite songs. People who had never played in the same band or together, but all of whom had played music with me at some time in my 50 years.

9 Mar ’209 Mar ’20

Ski holiday in Champagny en Vanoise Feb 2020

I always saw ‘winter sun’ holidays as being something involving the Canary Islands or such like. But with the winter we’ve had, I came to realise that even plonking your weary winter body 6000 feet up in the snowy mountains provided more than enough vitamin D to cheer up the winter blues. Our holiday certainly did the trick of topping up the cheer.

13 Aug ’1916 Aug ’19

Croatia holiday 2019 – Istria

Another new country ticked off for Katie and me, and for the first time, us four Haygarths all did a new country at the same time. I’m not sure what my expectations of Croatia were beforehand, to be honest, but they were surpassed. A lovely country.

Continue reading “Croatia holiday 2019 – Istria”

10 Aug ’1816 Aug ’18

Careful on your holiday – our Kefalonia holiday

Kefalonia (or Cephalonia) formerly also known as Kefallinia or Kephallenia (don’t ask – we’re just going with the first one). Chosen as our destination following a little bit of grumbling about the three France caravan holidays 2015, 2016, 2017 – and their associated journeys (it’s about the journey, not the destination, right?). Continue reading

28 Feb ’1828 Feb ’18

Sauze D’Oulx family ski holiday 2018

Another family holiday definitely of note. These things define and mark important times in childhood and I am happy to build up the year’s work around affording great memories for the children. Skiing is not cheap – especially skiing overseas in half term, but each time we do it seems incredibly good value for money in terms of unforgettably good memories Continue reading “Sauze D’Oulx family ski holiday 2018”

13 Aug ’1720 Sep ’17

2017 Family Road Trip – Les Français des Jeux

Third year on the trot. Each time you learn and refine. It just gets better and better until you reach a pinnacle like this. Continue reading “2017 Family Road Trip – Les Français des Jeux”

11 Jun ’1713 Jun ’17

Bob Graham Round 1: Dave: 0

My, what a day out. Or rather, ‘What an evening, night and morning’ out. There was so much preparation, an impeccable team of helpers, and plans that would make General Haig look like a chancer. I’d trained and was in great shape. All I had to do was put one foot in front of the other for 23 hrs and 20 mins, and my Bob Graham Round would be completed. Continue reading “Bob Graham Round 1: Dave: 0”

9 Sep ’169 Feb ’17

France 2016. More of the same, please

It wasn’t broke so not much needed fixing.

Another gem of a family hol making the most of our nearest neighbour. Brexit was all a shock to the Haygarth system and we needed Euroengagement as a tonic. Continue reading “France 2016. More of the same, please”

23 Feb ’1624 Feb ’16

Stick to La Plagne – our 2016 family holiday

We were due a good ‘with cousins’ holiday… and this was a corker. Phil, Anne & family had had their arms twisted that a ski holiday could be affordable and achievable if we drove, and I told them we could. Katie and I had driven to the Alps before (in 2012-13 New Year) and we knew is was kind of no big deal. So we booked a chalet and off we went for February half term.

Continue reading “Stick to La Plagne – our 2016 family holiday”

6 Sep ’158 Sep ’15

Teen in the house! Lily’s birthday

The teens are here. Very weird how it all passes so fast – it never ceases to be weird. Lily… the little baby who slept for hours on end in a pram, got carted up mountains and on countless runs in a 3 wheeler jogger is now a huge giraffe-like girl who does the jogging herself. Continue reading “Teen in the house! Lily’s birthday”

14 Aug ’1514 Aug ’15

France Holiday 2015

Since we got the caravan early last year we’ve been building up mentally to the big one. It’s very special for me to do a road trip like this with the children in the caravan because it bears an amazingly close resemblance to my own memories of the same in the mid 1970s. My dad would take us all down there over two days’ driving (on what was, presumably, less fast but less busy roads) and the days have lodged deeply in my memory. Continue reading “France Holiday 2015”