Where Did June Go?!
A birthday, a festival, two funerals of very special people and my July 'stack-a-day' challenge.
It is July 1st as I write, and it was June 1st the last time I wrote…a month has passed by and I’m not sure how! We had just been to Cornwall for a couple of days, soaked in the scenery and had a breather and it feels like ages ago. Since then there have been a few events, starting off with Tim’s birthday / our ‘almost 10 year wedding anniversary’ party!
My best mate, Claire outdid herself with the decor…60 Tim faces made into bunting which adorned the local brewery (the second time we have organized a piss-up in one I’ll have you know) along with balloons, a caption competition and more. This was alongside my ‘whimsical buffet’ which included flying saucer sweets, party ring biscuits and the standard sausage rolls etc…fun was the point, and fun was had.
Next on the agenda was the Isle of Wight Festival, Claire and I went last year and had a brilliant time so I wanted Tim to experience it too and I think he enjoyed parts of it after his ‘rabbit in the headlights’ initial reaction! It is a lot to take in, the noise, the crowds, but to see some incredible acts makes it worthwhile. Our picks of the weekend were definitely Midge Ure, who left us a bit speechless after his amazing show, Sting - music royalty, The Lottery Winners who we just love, The Cors and the Stereophonics amongst others. We also discovered some new names which I will definitely keep an eye out for including Pronghorn (who have been about since the early 90’s apparently … how have I missed them?!), ‘The Slates’ and ‘Mr Tea and the Minions’.
The garden has been going mad in the summer weather, although it feels like the weeds grower quicker and bigger than the actual plants we want. The beetroot has been ready and feeding us well for a few weeks now, I have been roasting and pickling it with more to come, we had our first cherry tomatoes the other day and the first Pentland Javelin potatoes of the season. The patty pan squashes and golden courgettes have been great along with the incredibly high yielding mini cucumbers which are still going strong after weeks and weeks…and we have an aubergine! The first time I have managed to get one to actually fruit! Very proud.
I am putting myself through a July challenge - to write a Substack post every day in diary form, we will see how THAT goes, if nothing else it will form a reminder of what July 2025 looked like for my own amusement.
And that brings us pretty much up-to-date, Tim had a busy weekend with gigs both days so that flew by, and I was working in the garden trying not to get heat exhaustion as it has been VERY hot here and very humid which I hate. July is looking to be busy again, the Tour de France starts on Saturday and as a huge cycling fan I will be in my element…go Team Visma / Lease-a-bike!
Last but not least, I said goodbye to two very special friends in June, two funerals of people who cared about me, who I loved and who I will miss always…I have cried more this month than I can ever remember. Andy Strange and Elaine Reynolds I’m not sure how to navigate the world without you in it, but I am richer for having known you.