Just a flying visit to make clear that I haven't abandoned the blog - or Olivia for that matter - but the small matter of a stack of marking that threatens to o'erpeer that Hilton hotel monstrosity, is preventing me from turning in my usual quota of overly wordy blather. Normal service will hopefully be resumed in a week or so, when I finally get half-term, but prior to that we have the occasion of the blog's - and Olivia's for that matter - first birthday.

Expect a myriad of lachrymose reflections on a year that has had more peaks and epiphanies than the preceding [number hidden by discreet cough] put together. In the meantime may your desire for Olivia news be slaked with this pic from last weeks duck feeding outing to Moses Gate. The phrase feeding frenzy had been nothing more than empty, cliched words until we whipped out the Sunblest and started lobbing it in. Those little beasts are feral! Olivia enjoyed it though.