Completion!

Scenes of celebration at Perry Hay & Co this afternoon

At long last, we're celebrating completion of our lease-extension at no.13.

We now have a substantially longer interest in the property and can now think about... selling it!

Off home now, to crack open a bottle of Appletize.

Eating with a lion

Tim is very excited!

He's going to have dinner on Wednesday night with Ian McGeechan!

For the benefit of all readers other than Tim's dad, Geech is a true legend of Scottish rugby and the British & Irish Lions. He was capped 32 times by Scotland and toured with the Lions as a player in 1974 and 1977. He was head coach for the Lions in 1989, 1993, the hugely successful 1997 tour to South Africa, and most recently the 2009 tour (again South Africa).

It's a charity dinner in aid of Wooden Spoon, and Toby's bank has taken two tables, with Tim firmly in the "potential client"/"hanger-on" category of guests. With any luck, as well as a free copy of Geech's new book "Pride Restored", Tim will be able to seek an audience with the big man and persuade him to join Quins as head coach before their season goes from bad to worse.

xxx

We celebrated our 1st anniversary on the 11th of October. So far so good!

We don't think we could have anticipated last year that by the time we returned to The Bingham a year (and a day) later, Jo would already be off the booze and goat's cheese. We had a lovely meal, taking advantage of a "two courses for £25" deal, which Tim ruined by ordering an expensive coffee and petit fours at the end of the meal. Yum. Great to see the place is as good as we remember from last year.

So, we made it to the Baby Show at Earl's Court, in spite of Jo having a horrid cold. Quite unexpectedly, we left with 20 nappies.

Maybe it was the great name, the idea of saving money or just how easy they looked (even to Tim), but we hope that we can stick with these and avoid disposable nappies as much as possible; although being around the messy bums of several nephews and nieces, we are under no illusions about how much hard work that involves! These things look pretty impressive, though: all-in-one and adjustable from birth to potty.

We really recommend going to see "Up", the latest Pixar Movie, which we saw last weekend. Visually stunning, colourful and great fun, and tinged with sadness too. The challenge is not to cry within the first 10 minutes - then you'll be alright!

We're planning a pub lunch in Richmond for a few friends on Sunday (few being the operative word, as so many now live outside London, have babies or are expecting babies in the next couple of weeks), and are keen to use up 8 more free guest passes for Kew Gardens before Tim's membership expires at the end of November.

Rachel and Toby's wedding

About time... here are the photos from Toby and Rachel's wedding.

As usual, click on the link at the bottom of this email to see the blog, and you can click on the photo to see the whole album (or the highlights, at least!)

J&Tx

Mini Reid (20 weeks)

Here's Jo's 20-week scan picture.

Mini Reid is a couple of weeks older now, and has taken to kicking Tim when he is trying to sleep at night. Didn't realise pregnancy was going to be uncomfortable for both of us (!).

xxx

Jodie and Sam's wedding

Hello!

Yes, we're catching up on the photo albums and blogging. As usual, click on the link at the bottom of the email to see this blog in context.

We've got loads of photos from Toby and Rachel's wedding in Cambridge, and more from last week's trip to Verity's house for Jo's birthday with Lucy, Tim, Poppy and Peter (thanks for the pears!).

In the meantime, casting our minds back to July, here are the photos from the wedding of Sam and Jodie - Jodie being Tim's old housemate from Durham. Lovely day in surprisingly good weather in Lancashire. Please click on the photo to see the whole album.

It's more DIY for us this weekend... The exterior this time. We're trying to get the windows up to scratch for estate agent photos and have just taken delivery of a new ladder. Jo might not be going up the ladder, though!

T&Jx

In other news...

The bathroom is almost finished, and the front door and porch have received a new lick of paint, thanks largely to Barry ("Dad"). The traditional Toblerone seemed scant reward for such hard work, but we think he enjoys it!!

Next up, a second coat of gloss here and there and then some work on our 1st floor windows and window sills. Then off to the estate agent for a HIP and putting the place on the market, with only a visit from mum and dad (Reid) and the Allebon/Secher wedding getting in the way.

Jo has refused to take it easy, which has admittedly help get all the work done. She's looking and feeling good and seems no more tired than Tim most of the time (but then, Tim is very tired all of the time...). It's a good excuse to go shopping for a new wardrobe, although Tim is a little confused at why this should mean two new pairs of shoes.... ;0)

Sport and things

Tim is competing in the London Duathlon in Richmond Park on Sunday 13th.

Please click on the photo above to visit his fundraising page.

After several requests, he has decided to accept sponsorship money from those who are determined to give it!

The Rosslyn Park XV season starts on Saturday 12th, but Tim is resting for the Duathlon. On 20 September, Lovells will be competing in the Law Society 7s in Richmond, but Tim and Jo will be in Cambridge, recovering from Toby and Rachel's wedding. The speech is in the pipeline...!

I want you to know that I have added my name to the NHS Organ Donor Register so that I can help someone else to live after my death.

Every year hundreds of people die while waiting for a transplant. I want to help.

I registered my wishes to be a life-saver on the NHS Blood and Transplant website. You can find out more about organ donation by visiting their site:

http://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/

Tim x

We owe you some blogs...

It's been a while since our last update. We owe you some holiday photos as well as pictures from Jodie and Sam's wedding.

In the meantime, did you know that an anagram of Tim Reid is "I'm tired"?

How did I get through 32 years before finding that out?