The Weigh-In & Race

Only the essentials

Tomorrow I leave behind my family as I travel south before flying out of Heathrow on Thursday. I've spent the last couple of days packing and re-packing everything I'll need over the next few months to try and make it fit into my rucksack. With a rucksack that's only 25 litres there's a scarily small amount of stuff I can take.

Somehow, that pile in the picture manages (just about) to fit into the rucksack. Total weight is 9 kg which is about on target, and with added water will reach 11 kg.

For a comparison, before and after, I weighed myself to be 81 kg; largely thanks to driving everywhere, less visits to the gym and numerous and frequent visits to the Sainsbury's sweets isle. Just as I was coming to terms with having a 32 inch waist, a fitting for the suit for me mate's wedding determined that I needed 34 inch waist. I'm hoping for these numbers to have reduced by the time I get back, but we shall see.

The finish line

It was my last day with my family, and it was also my last day in Lymm. Every Easter Monday is the Lymm Duck Race, and I went along for the first time in years. I bought 3 streamlined, highly trained racing ducks and took up position at the finish line to watch my victory. Congratulations to whoever won (ducks 308, 993 and 127), because it wasn't me. Maybe next year.

I Do

Groom and Best Men (L-R: Jon, Me, Mike, Bennett)

Reading: The Owl & The Pussycat by Edward Lear

One of my final duties before I depart was to act as a best man (one of three) for my best mate. On Thursday 5th April, Mike and Vicks Boden (née Fielden) were married at Rookery Hall.

Absolutely stunning night. Vast quantities of alcohol were consumed and there was plenty of 'dancing' done by everyone. Really good to see the groom's father really embrace the 'tie-round-the-head' look. Not a single bad thing occurred, other than the dubious dancing and the 'Come Dine With Me' film crew asking the groom to be quiet for a few minutes before the ceremony.

In the morning at breakfast, there was a disturbing absence of Mr Bennett. Couple of phone calls and we eventually got hold of him (paraphrased a little here)...

Mr B: Yeah, I'm fine. Slept in a cupboard though.

Me: Oh, really?

Mr B: Well, I think it was a wardrobe to be fair.

Me: So you made it up to your room, saw your massive and very comfy bed, and thought 'nah, that's not for me, the wardrobe - that's where I want to sleep'?

Mr B: Must have done, because that's where I woke up.

Me: Alright. 

Mr B: At least I took the ironing board out the wardrobe first.

Me: Jolly good.

Mr B: I'll be down soon, I've just got some tidying up to do.

Me:  Tidying up?!? Hold on. Your track record for getting drunk and then needing to tidy up isn't the best. What are you tidying up, and again, with that in mind, why did you sleep in a wardrobe rather than your bed?

Nobody's entirely sure how Mr B's bar tab came to be over £200 either, but it perhaps does help explain the wardrobe.

Congratulations to Mike and Vicks, and my thanks to Jon and Bennett (best men), Ashley, Charlotte and Andy (bridesmaids, near enough), Pauline (bride's Mum), Stephen and Linda (groom's parents) and the staff at Rookery Hall (with a special mention to Jane) for all their help and organisation in making it an incredible evening.