Sycamore Gap

Britain's tree of the year was, if I'm brutally honest, very disappointing, I would guess ease of access and a desire to promote the local area ahead of the opening of the new Sill visitor centre all played a part, but it left our group today a bit underwhelmed. Perhaps we just know some really cool trees.
The Sill itself is a fantastic building, as a celebration of landscape I think they decided well to go for mostly hiding it and juxtaposition - a shame they couldn't stretch to hiding the car park. As ever with a new lottery funded public faced project there's a level of pretension in the advertorial statements of purpose and endeavour that's cringeworthy - a little like the early days of Rheghed. Hopefully it can weather that and develop an identity to befits its grand design and location.

All of which was totally secondary to the reason for our visit - time with our oldest friends and two of our god-daughters. A day of laughter, mischief, games and chatter. As children of our own just never happened for us they all mean the world; each of them is my absolutest favourite whilst they're with us - and they've all learnt how to make my inner child take charge (to be fair, he's never that far from the surface). So we played and played and played, ate too many cakes, and were far to loud for civilised society. All the things an uncle is there to do.
Best of all though..... like many a grand parent has said before me.... just as it all reaches a crescendo.... They go home.