“Pigs”, I replied. “Pigs are easy to draw – they are basically three concentric circles" and proceeded to draw three concentric circles, added a curly tail, legs and a face.

“Can you draw anything else?” asked CS3 – surprisingly unimpressed by my artistic talent.

“I can draw birds” and drew a few more random shapes that sort-of looked a bit like a bird.

“That looks like a turkey. Can you draw a robin?”

I highlighted the breast with a red pen.

“But what animal is the easiest to draw?” she asked.

I thought for a moment, then remembered: “A fish”

We’ve had a busy couple of weeks. We had a day trip (well, afternoon trip) to Brighton. It was a day that started bright and sunny but got cooler and cloudier as the day progressed. I wasn’t bothered – I hadn’t put shorts on! No casting of clouts for me till May is well and truly out (and probably quite a bit after that).

Despite the weather, there were quite a few people sat on the beach – huddled in overcoats and drinking coffee to keep warm.

We went on the big wheel, and walked along the pier and had a cup of coffee to keep warm.

After digging the hole even deeper and larger, I managed to get to the roots of the tree stump I’ve been trying to dig up. My newly-acquired pruning saw did the deed, and I was able to get the stump out.

It’s come round the “live entertainment” time of year again. A wind band two weeks ago; Simon and Garfunkel tribute last weekend; Pirates of Penzance next weekend and One Man Two Guvnors the following week. Anything to avoid Britain’s Got Talent!

The S&G act was really good – two very talented musicians / singers. Simon and Garfunkel are one of those acts that I forget just how old the act is. I tend to think they are late 70s not mid to late 60s!

This song brought back memories of my sixth-form days. We associated different peers with attitudes of the different animals.

My cousin was in the area at the weekend so we caught up with her and family. They were on a mini-rugby weekend and playing at the local club, so I cycled down to say hello on Saturday. Then Sunday evening, CGF, CS3 and I went over to their campsite for a few beers and chat round the fire.

It was good to catch up – we tend to only see each other and family gatherings where there isn’t usually time to chat much. She’s probably the cousin we saw most of when we were kids, as we were a similar age and lived close enough that visits could be done as a day trip rather than the overnight stay needed by other rellies.

There was a drainage problem at work last week. All the drains from our building blocked the previous Thursday – toilets, sinks, kitchen, the lot – and water was backed up. As it was a non-working Friday, nothing happened over the weekend. When we came in on Monday morning, the smells from the various pools of stagnant water had combined to give the areas the aroma of a urine-daubed stairwell in a multi-storey car park. That was the good bit. It gradually got worse and by mid-morning was positively reeking.

Eventually workmen arrived and, after sealing the area with quantities of hazard tape, cleared the blockage.

Guess what – it’s blocked again today!

Meanwhile, a building has been being demolished opposite our office. This has provided some quite entertaining viewing – amazing how much force the plant can use to demolish a roof, yet how delicately they can pick thing up.

And Leicester City has topped the league. My two tenuous links with Leicester City are that it is the closest major club to The Aged’s, and that I almost went to university there (it was my second choice, but I got the grades to go to my first choice).

Leicester city museum has a Lowry painting – possibly V.E. Day Celebrations. I remember being impressed that red-blobs when seen close up are buses and trams when viewed from a distance (and you can tell the difference).

And talk of art bring us back to where I started