Birthday weekend.

It's been my birthday weekend a time when I get to do what I like with the family. On Saturday morning I had a smashing Durham Woods and city centre walk in the rain all on my own . Very nice and the River Wear was flooded so there wasn't a duck in sight . I've got a bright red case for my tablet and slurping coffee in Starbucks whilst having a read felt very trendy! Back to the family, then off to Newcastle for an urban ramble in the bright sunshine. Lots of new buildings going up so very nice. We stuffed our faces at a Chinese Buffet spot in Newcastles' Chinatown. After getting home we watched Ghostbusters and slurped Diet Pepsi. On Sunday we visited my Mum, who was well and in the evening Fiona and I went to an organ recital at Durham Cathedral which was also broadcast live on Radio 3. The music was wonderful particularly the very modern and atonal Paul Hindemith piece. I love atonal music. Very jazzy but without the rhythm. Durham Cathedral full of organ music is gorgeous. In a cumulus cloudy dusk we wandered the Durham City streets hand in hand until we got to our favourite romantic cafe, the Rouge Cafe, and enjoyed the ambience.  Today, not wanting to stop the weekend good time, I took Miles to the train station 'cos he's off to London to flutter his mathematical eyelashes at the National Mathematical Institute to try and get £25,000 out of them for his teacher training in September. He's already got the standard training bursary of £20000 but if he can show the London lot he's got great mathematical chops and is into teaching they give him 5 grand extra. Go Miles!  After dropping him off I went for a walk in York, which was in the rain at first, but then bright hot sunshine burst through. I saw a couple of Red Kites on the way back at their roadkill restaurant where the A59 crosses the A1 and they looked magnificent. Well, the fun is over and I've got a stack of songs to write this week, placements to be applied for for my Teaching Assistant course and a great family to love to bits. A very nice weekend!