Happy Hogmanay

We left at 9.30 to get to the airport to meet the family off the Dubai flight, stopping off at M&S to get Lynne some fruit salad.

The family was quite early out and had their bags despite having to run for their connection, the Cape Town flight being late in to Dubai. They were happy and surprised to see us and not embarrassed by the welcome sign. The metro was having issues so we had to get off at Regent Centre and wait for a replacement.

The children wanted us to go in and see if Santa had filled their stockings which luckily he had.

This meant I didn’t have time to go to town to get something for the daughters’ Christmas as I’d arranged to go to see Lynne in the Freeman where she’s waiting for her urgent open heart surgery. Her aneurysm is 5.5 cm wide. She is remarkably stoical and calm but when I left Gavin was coming in and we had a few words and a hug. He says he thought he was quite tough but admits to being very shaken by it all. Apparently her mum’s twin died of this condition aged 40 so now the family needs to be screened too. We are so thankful for the NHS and all the immigrant doctors and nurses - she’s seen no one yet in authority who has English as first language.

I had to cut Mr C’s hair before our black tie dinner at Carol and Phil’s.

Here we all are !