This was such a busy week as we unpacked from our summer holiday, spent a few days getting organised and then went to Liverpool for a very busy couple of days. As I write this we are all relaxing and recharging after a brilliant trip away.

I seem to have done so much this week, but all of it has been very enjoyable. Last Saturday I attended a memorial service for a very special man. I knew him through running, but the service showed what an incredible and humble man he had been in all areas of his life, always there to help others and respected by so many. He had been one of the founders of our town’s running club and this was how I got to know him and his wife, whom still remains one of my running buddies. The club started about 20 years ago, and he took us newbies out and coached us to run. It was a testament to him that so many of us still love running and were there at the service. It was a beautiful, peaceful experience. It was not a sad service but one of celebrating his life, with songs, speeches and an afternoon tea, a beautiful event.

Normally we are not at home this week, as we traditionally took our summer holidays on this week. This was when I worked at a different school with slightly different holidays and it’s taken a few years to create a new schedule. This meant we were home for the first time in many years for the Lifeboat week. We took part in the annual duck race and then I ran in the Lighthouse Loop race. I generally don’t do races, so I was a bit nervous, especially as it’s hilly but I surprised myself by enjoying the experience and it’s on my to do list for next year.

This week I have also been playing with my new Garmin watch. It was my birthday present as I become more focused on my running, working towards the half in October. It is soo fancy, I haven’t worked out all the features but am loving what I have discovered. It does help that I’ve done a load of steps this week, so my stats are looking pretty decent.

Since we’ve been back from holiday, Mr S has been busy tidying up the garden and picked a whole bucket of fresh potatoes from his veggie patch. I love having home grown food on the dinner table.

After my summer holidays, I decided it was time to streamline my wardrobe and used the selling platform on Vinted. OMG, I’m impressed, I’ve sold lots this week and made a nice little pot of money which I spent on treats in Liverpool. I also won £30 on the lottery, something I very rarely do and this too went to the Liverpool pennies. Talking of looking after the pennies, I had a proper grown up meeting with a pension adviser this week too. It seems all is on plan for retirement at 60.

And so onto Liverpool which again was an epic trip. I love Liverpool, the music, football and culture. It’s one of my favourite cities and did not disappoint on this trip. As soon as the football fixtures came out and the first game was away in Liverpool during my holidays it was a no brainer that we would be going. My daughter joined us too as she too is a big fan of the city. We wanted to make the most of our time and to get there for Fri lunchtime, we had an early start, the 6.30am train which meant a 4.20am alarm call as we’re around an hour’s drive from the station. Amazingly the buzz of the city meant it’s only today, back at home that the tiredness is showing, we were full of energy in Liverpool, the vibe is contagious! After a nice lunch together we split as a group with the boys going off to Anfield and the girls to Curiosity Quarter. This is such a quirky, fun attraction, tricks, puzzles and experiments to question your senses and very worth a visit. We then did a quick reccie of the shops and pottered around, collecting a pickie tea from M&S and snacks for the morning before a quick change and out again for a night in Liverpool. The atmosphere was awesome, we headed down to Matthew Street for the live music, football and dancing and enjoyed every minute. The boys returned home excited and emotional about the match, it was a loss, but one which showed promise and hope for the coming season.

On Saturday morning, I headed to Princes park. I can’t miss the opportunity of a new parkrun. This summer has been one of trains, planes, automobiles (and ships, metro and buses) and thanks to the Mersey travel app I was at the park via the bus in good time. It was a great parkrun, flat and in a beautiful park. The walk back to the hotel with a freshly brewed cup of coffee from an indie cafe in the warm sunshine was just a wholesome moment. For the rest of the morning, the boys went over to see the new Everton stadium whilst the girls did some serious shopping. I think for the proximity, number and size of the shops, nowhere comes close to Liverpool as a shopping destination and we had a great time visiting favourite shops and making a few purchases. I bought my first Christmas present, a special souvenir of the match for my son. My Christmas 2025 planning has started! Our train was around 5pm and we rolled back home just before midnight, very happy and content with our days away.