Jason's cousin Kerri and her lovely family dropped in for a visit yesterday. On their way from a holiday in Sydney back home to Brisbane.

As you can see they were lucky enough to experience some of our Soggy Sawtell weather.

... as usual click the image to get a 'biggerer' version.

It was so nice to catch up with you all. Thanks for taking time to come see me. I love yooz all - and it ain't the London Heathrow alcohol talking.

Zaida and I drove up to Zeal Monachorum on Friday and had a wander around the village. I bought a little historical book by Ann Adams about the area. My partner's family hailed from this little village before emigrating to Australia.

Afterwards we drove down the road to Drewsteignton. The sun was shining and it was a truly fab English summer day. We went for a walk following the public footpaths up meadows and down into verdant valleys. The hedgerows were abundant with blackberries, sloes, damsons and cob nuts. We saw huge ancient ramshackle farm buildings built using massive timber beams and wattle and daub. One old building was so buried amongst the trees and foliage it had become part of the woodland.

A walk like that really makes me want to never leave.

I'm at my Mum's house. I love my Mum, on Wednesday we made Damson Jam and visited Dartmouth.

Dartmouth was, as usual, beautiful. They had just had their Regatta so it was heaving with us visitors. We visited the Royal Naval College and tried to find any evidence of my Grandfather's time there. Unfortunately there was no grafitti carved into the bike shed ballustrade's.

It reminded me of the Egyptian tombs, a past glory that has since been thoroughly cleaned out. One of the staff did kindly let us have a brief look at some passing out parade photo's from 1918. Grandpa Jock could have been in this photo (see below), the names were all blurred out so it was impossible to tell. I wonder if he was the bloke down the bottom right who seems to have been pasted in from another photo. I know he was supposed to return to Sandringham to complete Army training...

I spent last weekend with my youngest brother and his family.

I was a little exhausted by the time I arrived in Newcastle. Joe, my sister-in-law Jo and my two lovely nieces, Eve and Rose all looked after me.

We went for a lovely walk around High Spen and saw some fabulous mushrooms. Joe had seen Bear Grylls the day before so I imagine Bear'd have snuck out of the bushes and eaten them before the day was out.

We also went for a swim (in the local pool) on the Sunday followed by a fantastic Chinese meal and a wander round the streets and shops of Newcastle.

I am so glad to have seen where my brother's family live.

Last week I visited my mate Jason Saunders and his family. Jason has an acquired brain injury and so life is pretty hard for his family.

Jason's son, Zak has grown into a fabulous lad, and I'm not just saying that because he has great taste in cool bicycles, which he has - Zak was working hard out in the rain with Martin for most of Friday morning. His little sister Zoe and I played lots of energetic games. I think she has a very promising career ahead of her as the next Jackie Chan.

I wish Australia was about where the Isles of Scilly are, so that I could spend more time getting to know Zak and Zoe.

Jason's partner, Wendy, his mum, Jane and her partner Martin have done a great job of raising the children and holding together the family. If there was some kind of National Award scheme for women and families who survive in adversity then they all deserve recognition, a massive prize, adulation and a bloody huge golden medal, each. It was lovely to see them... yet so sad to leave.

On Wednesday I drove to Brisbane to go to my brother-in-laws wedding. It was a small sweet wedding in the registry office and they both looked very happy. Evan's old Taekwondo teacher, Fab and his wife Debbie were there with their cool 6yr old son called Brandon. I hung out with Brandon and one of Steves old workmates, Renee. She was very good at making sure I got a few photos. Renee even got a couple of Steven and Sophie with me, despite my camera being crap.

Afterwards we went to a great little Singaporean place round the corner and got fed to the gills. I always enjoy visiting Brisbane it holds lots of fond memories for me and, something I find really hilarious, it seems so exciting and vibrant after living in Sawtell. Yes, Brisbane - the big country town.

Whilst Brisbane flooded we got a tail end of the cyclone. Which meant rain. Jessica and Allie, our climate refugees, along with Jason, Cheri and my boys decided it was a once in a lifetime opportunity for a Jelly Fight. As Jay said, 'these things only come along once so you should make the most of them'. So he took the kids shopping and came back with about 30 packs of Jelly crystals. I think he cleared out woolies' supply.

That made about four buckets. Meanwhile over at Jimmy's they had been making Jelly, too, so that was the venue. Anyhow so they had a Jelly fight at Jimmy's place. Here are some snaps Cheri took with the underwater camera. Apparently it was all over in about 4 minutes. Looks like fun though.

My Pa sent us this drawing a few years ago. We all love it, Father Christmas clutching a bottle of Spingo...

It's a bit less crude than what I was thinking of posting here...

My Pa emailed me today. He is freezing cold down in Gunwalloe I expect a fair few of you are feeling a bit nippy. If it gets desperate there is a nice shed for sale across the road from me. We could put in bunks and probably fit thirty or so poms to a room.

I was up at 5am this morning (too warm to sleep). I went for a canoe trip round the south headland and islands off Sawtell. The sea was calm with high still clouds. We saw a ray and a huge school of fish. As well as some terns that Cameron chatted to ... and a moth.