April 2022… a quartet of grandchildren: Jack (nine years), Jacob (eight years), James (six years) and Sophie (four years) came for a play day. Spring sunshine was on offer, so we spent much of the time outdoors where an impromptu picnic of ham sandwiches, cheese strings, grapes and orange juice was consumed with gusto.

     James had invented a new game. The idea was to throw your shoes in the air and complete a gambol before they came back down again. There was an extra degree of difficulty because the activity had to be performed with style and panache, and finished with a really cool body shape. Due to the fact that there were three competitive young males involved, it ended up as a fiercely fought competition.

     The lads were very good at the endeavour, but Sophie was at an obvious disadvantage due to insisting on wearing her favourite pink wellies for the occasion. I was hopeless at the game. My shoes came back to earth before I’d even managed to brace myself for the gambol. What made it worse… they hit me on the head on the way down, which is not a good look for a man of my age and disposition.

     Nanny was the sole judge for the competition and found it too close to call, so awarded joint first place to Jack, Jacob and James. They received a chocolate wafer each. Sophie won the most glamorous footwear sub-competition, and was presented with the same prize. I came last and received just half a chocolate wafer… there were only five in the pack, and Nanny insisted on the other half of the final one.

     Black clouds rolled in midway through the afternoon, so we retreated indoors where it was agreed that James should receive an accolade for the invention of such an innovative new game. He was allowed to hold my treasured stoneware beer stein aloft while everyone clapped and cheered. The lads then disappeared into the spare room with their tablets to hook-up in cyberspace and play the latest electronic zapping game. Nanny and Sophie snuggled on the sofa to watch ‘Frozen’, though Sophie fell asleep just as the film started, and I gave my vintage stein a quick polish before heaving a sigh of relief as I returned it to its place-of-safety in the display cabinet.

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shoeless garden frolics…

granddad removed

the smelly fox poo