Daubeney Middle School and Leeds Castle

After a week off with car problems I was finally back on the road for a visit back to Daubeney Middle School. This was my third visit in three years to this wonderful school and they enjoyed it again this time so much they have asked me back again already for next year. Sounds good to me!

I got up very early and was on the road to Bedford by just after 4am. I managed to navigate the mass of roundabouts past Milton Keynes and, after getting somewhat confused by a temporary one way road section I arrived at the school at about 7am. I decided a snooze in the car for an hour would be a good idea, which is exactly what I did. Just what I needed. As ever the school was great - lively kids ready to laugh at all the jokes in the right place and some of them had a great depth of Tudor knowledge.

The afternoon session seemed to fly past so quickly and after the gents had snatched victory in the jousting finale I was soon on my way. But not home! I drove down to my parents house in Essex to see them both. Mum and Dad have both been a bit under the weather lately, my father suffering from a long lingering summer cold and my poor mother suffering with a nasty bout of food poisoning. It was still nice to see them. After lunch the following day I headed down to my sister and brother-in-law's house at Stockbury near Sittingbourne. On the Wednesday evening I was appearing at a Banquet at Leeds Castle near Maidstone. Sadly, before I got a chance to go to the castle, my sister and brother-in-law's dog Toby, who had not been well for a while, was taken quite ill during the afternoon, was taken to the vets and sadly had to be put down. It was a very sad house for the afternoon. The evening banquet was good fun and the guests nice and lively, but the whole evening was nearly ruined with a long delay because of speeches that was driving the head chef and butler demented. They were so sure the food would be ruined, but some brilliant work by the waiting staff managed to save the day. I left at about 9.30pm and headed back to my sister's for a bottle of wine and sitting up and watching "The Fifth Element" on TV.

This morning I left from Kent at about 10am and arrived home just after 1pm. I took Amanda and James out to lunch in Ilminster and then it was back home for paperwork!

Friday I am appearing at a medieval banquet in Clapton village for the local Round Table group. Then on Monday I am appearing at Taunton Castle as part of the Taunton Westival. Busy busy.