It’s SO hot.

 I’m suffering a bit & the other day wanted to go home!  Yes really. News from home is that one of the cats has been bringing in a pair of knickers every day!!! I have strong suspicions that it’s Billy! I also have a horrible feeling that they may be my (old) knickers I threw out while packing having bought new for this trip! I shall NOT own up if they are mine but can’t wait to see. 

We saw an absolute Frankie look alike at a beach café yesterday & stroked her for ages.

I also rescued a sea bird!  It was in difficulties in the rolling waves at Half Moon Bay & finally got thrown to the shore. Another woman & I were very concerned for the bird which I picked up (thank goodness I’ve had hens!) Roddy called out to mind its very sharp beak. We tucked it into the sandunes where it looked shocked & exhausted. It may not have survived but at least we got it out of the crashing waves.

Half Moon bay is stunning & the waves magnificent if you like body surfing which Roddy, Joe & Jess do! I chatted to my bird rescue partner on the beach.  Sadly the wonderful hotel at the bay was victim to two hurricanes & lies like a ghost in the corner. In the old days when I used to brave the waves, we’d go up for Pina Coladas & a swim in the pool after a battering in the sea !

Christmas in Nelson’s Dockyard was such fun. We were there four nights & made friends with people on the nearby boats – a lovely Danish family on one side whom we spent some time with and  onthe other the boat Discoverer used by the joint British services  with a variety of service men & women on board ( army, navy air force & a very muscular Royal Marine : ) from St Vincent !  Their Secret Santa was hilarious – presents like toy aircraft & boats, harmonicas - blow football etc. One of the men dresses as Santa & put on a voice not unlike the actor Jim Broadbent.

Later we were privileged to spectate their Olympic games which were cleverly thought up & had us in stitches. The commentator who had been Santa was now dressed up as the 118 David Wilkie man with an Olympic torch – a yellow torch passed round in slow motion. It was hilarious & gathered quite a crowd! They were wonderful neighbours & fully deserve their perk on a boat (after all, John Lewis has a boat for employees!) 

Later I cooked a chicken & regretted offering to as it was soooo hot. I did sauté potatoes & a tomatoes pepper & onions sauce. My reward was the promise of dinner out on Boxing Day which was lovely.

We went to the beach during the afternoon & late evening invited on to the Danish family’s boat. Their sons were fourteen & sixteen so each side of Joe’s age but so mature more like Jess’s age. Their English was superb & we had a fun time together for a few days. 

We also met another wonderful young man on another boat who regaled us with funny stories about his crossing here. The boat's owner has hung a joint of cured ham in the loo of all places but the loo was the only place the lad could escape to read for a few minutes so he would sit & read with the ham  (trotter still attatched ) dangling with the owner waiting outside the door to give him another job to do. So funny. He owns a hostel in Niece & has invited Jess to work there if she likes. I said if she doesn’t then I will!

Now we are back out at anchor in Falmouth harbour where the breeze makes it cooler. We hired a car yesterday & toured the island ending up for an hour at half moon bay. We stopped at a food stall & bought punnets of freshly cut banana, star fruit,  mango,  watermelon, local pineapple ( Antiguan Black ) & golden apple. It was delicious & just what we all needed.

 We have a quiet few days ahead. It’s Roddy’s  & my twentieth wedding anniversary on Friday & we will all go out for a meal. We will be going to watch the fireworks in the dockyard on New Year’s eve.  There is a New Year’s Eve pursuit race we had intended to join with some of our newly made friends but the weather forecast looks like being very strong winds & the joining fee is hefty & we are broke!!!

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