Boys on Bournemouth Beach III

August 13th: It's coming to the end of our holiday. I never really get an opportunity to take a morning stroll, because mornings are medically intensive with Reuben and we're always rushing out to school or therapy or the hospital. But, this fine morning, I take Callum down the short stroll from my sister Anne-Marie's house to the Boscombe Bluffs and down the zig-zag to the beach. The daytime crowds are nowhere to be seen and it is delightful having the beach almost entirely to ourselves, save a few families setting up their beach huts for the day and a family of hassidic Jews who are making the most of the cooler weather before the hot sun sets in whilst dressed so smartly. Callum filters sand through his fingers, studies it, crunches on it, and somehow seems to enjoy the texture of it in his mouth. The sand is very fine and clean. It's a lovely time for photography: 9am in high summer.

Aurora Joy

I want to make a special note here in honour of Aurora Joy, Aged 10, my sister's daughter and my goddaughter. She did a great job babysitting Callum and helping me look after the boys. She was like a little nurse for Reuben, donning gloves, helping with suctioning, getting supplies, calming Callum in the garden swing, giving him a bottle or feeding him breakfast and sincerely wanted to learn. She now has a great vocabularly of American Sign Language. Dining al fresco in Joe's garden, when we needed something, she'd eagerly run up the stairs to get it for us and she never asked for thanks or praise. An accomplished pianist now, I've already shared the photos of her and Callum playing piano together. I challenged her to a game of chess on my brother Joe's chess set that he's had since he was a boy. I haven't played for years, but certainly loved learning to play years ago on this same chess set. Joe's a bit of a chess master and on watching the 2 of us play, remarked, "Well, I've never quite seen a line up like this before", wondering why we hadn't castled or in fact, done anything along the lines of traditional chess playing. Castled? Forgot about that one. He'd gently coach first Aurora, then seeing Aurora was actually doing rather well and just 2 moves from check mate, then coach me out of tricky situations and becoming hooked at the same time. The game ended in me knocking my king over in defeat as Aurora had my queen and I had but my king and 2 porns standing!

How fitting her name Aurora Joy: A school captain and much respected schoolgirl, sweet, bright, engaging, beautiful and charming, Joy is something she brings in abundance to our lives. Love you darling goddaughter and niece.

See how she's grown in 2 years since Anne-Marie and Aurora came over in 2007.

Boys on Bournemouth Beach II

Boys on Bournemouth Beach I

Mama & Callum's footprints in the sand. I took the same shot with Reuben exactly a year ago. Oh! how Callum loves the sand, planting his face in it, studying it, filtering it through his fingers, crunching on it.

In Auntie Geraldine & Uncle Mark's Garden

My sister Geraldine and her husband Mark live in the heart of the Essex countryside, surrounded by rolling fields and farmland on a single lane historic and protected road, where passing cars must pull to a layby for oncoming traffic. Their home is one of a handful of Regency homes and farms in a tiny hamlet. You wake to the sound of cockerels in the early hours, watch sheep and horses graze from the bedroom window whilst the morning mist dissipates. The garden's awash with peacock butterflies and bumble bees busy on English lavendar. They've both worked hard to create such a lovely sanctuary. As Mark says, he feels like he's on holiday when he comes home and for Geraldine, it's a wonderful respite and half a World away from work in the City of London.

In Nana & Grandad's garden: Lavender & bumble bees

The swing on which I could happy swing all day with the boys. Callum absolutely loved it and a slight tilt would send him straight to sleep, especially when curled up in Nana, Grandad or Cousin Aurora's arms.

Nana & Grandad's Garden: Pink geraniums

Dad, if you were wondering what happened to that beautiful basket of pink geraniums, eh, here's the culprit caught pink handed. Sorry!

Family of food lovers

My sister Geraldine, an accomplished horse rider, guitarist and graphic designer

My brother Joe, stick thin, 6'4", eats like a horse, a teacher, painter, writer and intellectual

Dad takes his role as somelier very seriously, but ah, we missed out on his speciality, the bbq!

Callum gets his fair share of food and drink

Joe, my sister Anne-Marie, a Registered Nurse specialising in Opthalmology (that's eyes!), Mama and a less than calm Callum. We all went out shortly after this was taken to my brother Pete's gig and Callum was left in the hands of Mum, Dad and Aurora. The next morning, I asked Aurora how it went with Callum. She slipped her finger across her neck. Enough said. Callum was really struggling with separation anxiety at the time.

My brother Joe and Amanda, both secondary (high) school teachers

Food, wine, music, beer and salad days in my Mum and Dad's garden. Geraldine and Mark made a gorgeous spread of shrimp, cherry tomatoes and basil with fresh spaghetti.

Family of music lovers

Callum with big cousin Aurora (10)

Auntie Anne-Marie (Mama's sister)

Cousin Hannah

My family have always been huge music lovers which I've mentioned many times before. Hannah may look a budding pianist, how fitting she is at the piano, but I understand this was her first attempt at playing. My sister Geraldine is a great guitarist. My brother Pete's been the lead singer of a rock bands, currently Undercover, for a quarter of a century. We were fortunate to have a night out at one of his gigs in Colchester, Anne-Marie, Joe and I and didn't stop singing and dancing all night to Stones, Oasis, Undertones, Clash and Arctic Monkeys covers. The net result of his was me suffering from tinitus for the new few days.

Auntie Geraldine's Bathroom

What gorgeous light in their bathroom!

Nana & Grandad's Garden: Flowers & birdbath

I truly delighted in spending time in Mum & Dad's garden and so did the boys, whether rocking on the swing or crawling on the soft and oh so-green grass. The weather was a real mixed bag though, typical of the UK, and would change from gorgeous sunshine to driving rain. At the time, Callum was going through separation anxiety and would not take too kindly to me being out of sight. He may look angelic here, but as Dad says, his voice could "empty a stadium". Mum and Dad take such great pride in their garden and Dad will spend endless hours in it working his vegetable patch, redesigning parts of the garden or tending to his plants. As I said to Mum at the time, I could quite happily spend every day rocking one of the boys in the swing, so peaceful was it to do so.

Bird bath with cobwebs