Archive for October 2006
Thursday, 19th October 2006
Put your pens down please
Yes, it’s over. At least for the time being. On Monday morning I took my latest Open University exam on State, Economy and Nation in nineteenth-century Europe. The exam went very well and all that revision certainly paid off – I hope.
So I have approximately 4 months to enjoy study free before I resume in February.
Yesterday I had a very interesting day as I visited HMP Whitemoor in March, Cambs for the Family Friendly Prisons challenge that Action for Prisoners’ Families run each October. Together with a couple of other visitors I was given a tour around the prison establishment to see first hand the workshops, education dept, gymnasium, chapel and one of the wings. It was quite emotional especially as my two other visitors had loved ones on the wing. For them, to be able to visualise where their loved ones lived and worked each day is so important. “I always imagined that everything was grey” said the mother of one of the inmates. It was a true honour to share that moment with her and I don’t mind saying that it brought a tear to my eye. Later in the day I got the chance to meet her son and to watch them share just a few precious moments together. I was also privileged because HMP Whitemoor is a high security prison and therefore it was the first time that the prison had run an extended family visits day and to open up the establishment for us to visit beyond the visits room was groundbreaking. In fact, we were the first civilians to have ever been shown around the prison.
For more information about Action for Prisoners Famiiles click onto www.prisonersfamilies.org.uk . I have been working for APF for over 4 years now on a part time basis and have learnt so much in that time about the needs of prisoners families. You can find out more by looking at the website above.
That’s it for tonight but be sure to keep a look out on the bathtimeblog as I’ll need something to do until February.
Posted by Daddy @ 8:49 PM
Wednesday, 4th October 2006
Sushi, sushi, you think this is about sushi?
My latest blog entry has been written as a tribute to our great friends Jon and Nick who entertained us wonderfully over the weekend. We had a lovely time, visiting the Science Museum on Saturday when we took Isaac on the London underground for the first time (not that he looks excited by it).
On Saturday evening however, Heidi and I experienced sushi for the very first time. What great fun. Nick and Jon assembled all the various bits and pieces and away we went, spreading rice over seaweed, laying salmon and vegetables delicately on top before rolling it all up with the sushi mat. Once we cut the strip up it looked great and thankfully it tasted great as well.
Incidentally, just in case you think I’ve gone completely bonkers, the title of this latest blog entry will go over your head unless you’ve seen the film Monsters Inc.
Despite Heidi’s look of horror she enjoyed the sushi feast immensely whereas the artistry in making the food was just as exciting. It was just like playing the Generation Game.
On Sunday we had another enjoyable, and thankfully a more relaxing day when we went for a walk around Forty Hall in Enfield. Nick and Isaac took it easy most of the way as you can see.
It was the first time that we had seen Nick and Jon’s new flat which they moved into when they got married in April. It is a lovely welcoming home. Nick is Isaac’s Godmother however Jon was barely on the scene when Isaac was born. Nevertheless, having had sufficient time to vet Jon’s character and worthiness for the job, Heidi and I decided that we would be honoured if Jon would be Isaac’s Godfather; a task that Jon duly accepted. We know that Isaac is in very good (and strong by the looks of it) hands with Jon and Nick praying regularly for him (and contributing towards his trust fund, a side issue that we forgot to mention at the weekend).
Heidi, Isaac and I had just spent the previous few days in Ross on Wye, staying at Nick’s parents house. They kindly offered us their home whilst they went to somewhere more exotic. We had some lovely days in the Forest of Dean, cycling one day and going for a wonderful walk following a sculpture trail. If you fancy having a look at the trail then click on the link below which has pictures of most of the sculptures.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/91913958@N00/sets/72157594314443292/
Isaac rode on the back of my bike in his own seat for the first time. He loved it. What a cool dude.
Well that’s just about it for this blog entry, after all I only have 9 days to go before my exam. Trust me I have been revising since I last wrote to you.
Posted by Daddy @ 7:37 PM
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