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Good evening, Aristophanes!
Thank you for the tip.
I almost never read novels but I have looked up the book on Goodreads and Amazon and it is highly regarded. So, yes, I shall locate one.
The copies I see are published by Loyola University Press.
I liked James Michener's novels, Alaska, Chesapeake, Texas, etc.
I am awaiting a non-fiction book from Stateside.
"Five Families" by Selwyn Raab. Hope it is good.
And thank you again, sir!

Rosalind, good to hear Mr A has put you you on to good reads!
I am a kindred spirit regarding cricket.
I do not even know who was playing today!
But, as long as the cricketites are content....!

Hi, Rusty!
That's good that you had a good day! ( TWO tubs of ice -cream.....?!)
Yes, funny how parents/ grandparents are "allowed'' to pay for things.... ..!
I think the boys must be as tired as I am - they were asleep within minutes of their heads hitting their pillows!
A good job- we have another big day planned for them tomorrow.
We are taking them to a farm out Wimbledon way. I haven't been there before but am told it is an interesting place to visit. It is apparently an 'educational ' farm? I'm not sure quite what this entails? I'll let you know after we've been!
They have animals ( some of which can be petted - the boys will love that!)) a riding school, gardens, a café etc....
Sounds worth a trip?
And...... we shall go on a tram! not only one tram, but two each way!

Hello, Elle.
They were not very big tubs, d'ye see?
The girls are very good with me.
They always let me pay!
And they got money for the pictures!
I will be on short commons for the rest of the month!
I hope the farm is good. And the trams.
I think Edinburgh re-introduced trams at a bewildering cost.
Another great idea I have had is for your husband and you to take the boys camping, in a tent, in Kent!
Are there any foresty kind of things not too far off?
You mentioned the "Home" counties.
I found out quite a bit about them in Google.
It was interesting.

Morning, Rusty!
I love my grandkids to bits, but I do wish they came with volume control and on/off switches! or at least could be programmed not to make any noise before 5.45 am!!!!
I am an early riser but prefer that not to be at 5am!!!! but hey, we wouldn't be without them.....! it's all good fun!
We've got a lovely day for our farm visit. My friend is taking the dog out this morning ,and keeping her for the day ( as dogs not allowed on the farm) so I am free to deal with the children and get them organised. We shall aim to go out about 9.30am.
Sleep in a TENT? no, thank you! I like my creature comforts! I've done my share of youth-hostelling in the past, and we always go self -catering, renting a house/ cottage when we go on holiday, but shower blocks and toilets are definitely 'not my scene'! I like my own bath and toilet 'under my roof' so to speak!
What are you going to do today? Any more outings with the girls?
Is your weather good? it's warm here already!

Doglet and Elle
Pleasebeware of bamboo! I love the black stemmed one and my sonbought me one for a birthday; quite expensive he said. In spite of being billed as non-stoloniferous, it spread into the lawn. So I dug it up and put in a large fibreglass container, which it split. It took me a long time to get rid of all the shoots that kept popping up.
I also put a different kind on special offer in the front garden. It has spread everywhere, including into my neighbour's hedge. I can't dig it up (too tough) and only glyphosphate seems to do any good killing it.
I think children love camping and I'm trying to convince myself I really will do it.......

Hi, Ros!
I will pass on your warning to my daughter but I don't even know what 'stoloniferous' means?! I think they will be glad if the bamboo spreads well, within reason though. She is trying to camouflage the railway line at the bottom of her garden (BR have chopped down the trees that previously hid the railway from view!)

hi elle
My bamboo is in a large container but our next door neighbour has a wonderful hedge which is about 6ft tall but has not spread,our hedges are all laurel they always look good and the birds love them.We ave a flock of long tailed tits at the moment,they seem to like fat blocks and are spending most of the day chatting and flitting about.Our dogs dont seem to know which direction to poo in!!! Enjoy the day out

Stolons are underground shoots, so the plant keeps popping up everywhere. The bamboo spread under a twelve foot (?feet) wide patio area, and the shoots pushed up the heavy slabs even after I had dug up the parent plant!
But I can see bamboo would make a good camouflage and BR couldn't say the branches were dangerous!

There are two types of bamboo, clumping and running.
I hope it is the former that I have planted next to my patio!