Family visit

I started out early and did a big food shop, before going for a routine mammogram at the mobile screening unit in Hexham. The main car park for town was full and overflowing, so I felt very lucky to find a space before my appointment time. Hopefully the result will be OK. We are lucky to have this facility.

I dashed home and managed to beat the visitors who had been stuck in the roadworks on the A1 Western bypass near Newcastle.

Helen, who is my cousin Maureen's daughter, brought her two girls, Mollie and Eleanor to see us. They were accompanied by Helen's brother, Peter, who did the driving from Ilkley where they were staying for the weekend.

The girls were great. They ate well at lunchtime and then played all afternoon. The weather was too cold and wet to take them out, but we survived. Mollie enjoyed this monkey handpuppet and managed to make it look quite realistic. Eleanor entertained us with Christmas songs, including Little Donkey, word perfect and with the actions. I told her that the man who wrote the song lived in this village.

The day would not have been complete without a family group.......