I'm still in bed I'm not bored neither is Mum and we're happy writing the blog. Dad's just arrived for breakfast and he's really happy to talk about planes and cars.
Julia came yesterday I was disappointed that she didn't bring any chocolate but the twiglets and juice were ok!! What about the sport gums?
Jeanette's looking as lovely as ever and has had her hair cut and kindly helps me with my food.
Sue and Joanna the physios are helping me today and Si's coming tonight.
Thanks for the offer Ewan-I really love South African Paal-don't forget the corkscrew!
Lots of Love
Ali x
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41 comments:
Goodmorning Ali.
Glad to hear that everyone is still looking after you so well; pity about the weather but hope it clears up soon and you are able to go for a spin outside. Sorry I haven't been able to pop over and see you recently but hope to put that right before much longer.
We are all thinking of you and love the pictures
love from us all at Lower Farm, Diana xx
Hi Ali
I won't forget the corkscrew! A little New Gen birdie has also mentioned that as well as Paarl, Gigondas might be another favourite. I'll see what I can do, buddy.
Stay strong
Ewan xxx
Hello Ali
I can't offer high class wines, but I do good line in Sloe Gin. So let me know if you want another delivery.
Only other thing that I can offer is some Dark Chunky Marmalade - ok so it didn't quite set properly but it is very tasty!
Zoe x
Good morning Ali
Great to read your blog today and to know that you are still being very well cared for, just as you deserve. Are you still making those nurses smile? Hope so.Have there been anymore soakings in the shower room?
You will have to post a photo of Jeanette with her new haircut on the blog so we can all take a look.
Do hope that your physio session with Sue and Joanna goes well and that you have a lovely time with Si tonight.
Sounds as though you should be getting some deliveries of wine sometime soon, don't drink it all at once otherwise a spin in Chorlton might really make you dizzy.
Keep up the good fight Ali and rest assured that we are all doing our bit in praying for you.
Please give our love to your dear mum and dad, Jeanette, and all the Rainback crew.
All our love and hugs as always
The Conways
Chris, David, Stewart, Jo, Freya, Sarah and Daniel xxxxx
Hello mate,
Sorry not to have written for a while, I don't know where the time goes. There seems to be nothing wrong with your taste buds and you are enjoying the odd glass of wine again. So I have this bottle 1998 claret, I forget what it is but it's a goodun, which I was wondering when to drink. Perhaps I could bring it over on Saturday and we could have a seriously educational tasting, or we could just quaff it! I also have a rare and expensive Irish Whiskey if you would like to taste that. Are we allowed to visit again?
The weather has been a bit mixed, to say the least but that should be good for oak tree.
Hope to see you soon. Keep having fun.
Marzie & Jo
Hi Ali
Sorry havent written for a while....have been in the New Forest for a few days. What delightful weather...not!!! Still made the kids sit on Avon Beach in kagools in wind and rain....pay back time from Childhood holidays in Wales.
Great to see that you are resting and being waited on!! and all you guys enjoyed Jeanettes bday.
Have a great time tonight with Si.
Happy Chocolate Eating and Wine Drinking!!!
Cat xxx
Good Morning Ali,
We continue to think about you every day. You look so smiley in every pic, its wonderful...you certainly are teaching us all to enjoy every moment..
Love Noni and Family, x
Hello Ali
I am very pleased to hear that you have got lots of people taking care of you - exactly how it should be :-)
All this talk of food, wine and especially choccie is making me hungry. It's 16:40 here in the office and definitley the time when one sneaks down to the machine to buy a kit kat although that does not sound as appetising as that choclate gue I have seen you writing about.
Enjoy your evening with Si tonight and hugs to you all.
Love Summersx
Hi Ali,
Lovely to hear from you this morning and that you are being looked after with lots of nice stuff! Say hi to your mum and dad and Jeanette, look forward to seeing the new haircut! Thinking of you all lots from a muggy Herts......managed to break my little toe at the weekend....walked in to the bed.....whilst trying to do too many things and my daughter screaming in my ear....I was the one screaming next! All fine though, luckily I think that toe has no feeling anyway, after being put in to a ski boot for so long!
Hope to catch up with you soon Ali, think you or your mum may haver called the other day. Love to you all and a good evening. Sally XXX
Hi Ali
Sounds like you had a nice day planned. I hope it is going well.
I have been running round the woods on Royston Heath with my boys. Picnic in the rain - great fun!
Take care
Clair and Martin
Hey mate
Hope you are doing ok today. Glad to hear the hair is coming back! Bring on the mullet!
Hector
Ali,
Hope you have had a good day despite this miserable rain that never goes away. At least your little oak is being well watered - great start in it's life.
Found my husband sheepishly renewing his Arsenal season ticket when I came home today, naughty boy! Payback time comes in the form of retail therapy (if he can spend a ridiculous amount on football then I certainly can due justice with my visa card too!) Hope they do better next season if he is going to keep throwing money at them!
Well, on a dull day like today, one needs some humour - how about a bit of Life of Brian to cheer us all up? So many good clips but this is my favourite...little clue: "Are there any women here today?"
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=R_hlMK7tCks
(hope this link works as I'm not very good with technology)
Enjoy,
Keep smiling,
x
Hi Ali!
Nice to hear that they're all looking after you.
I have been looking back at my (plentiful) collection of HVSU photos.
They are in faded scrapbooks complete with cryptic felt tip comments that don't make much sense to me now, eg "Jeremy Finch tries out a Simon Rainback-style inspection" (probably rude),"Dick Marshall tries to kill us all" (probably true)and "Another great singalong with Ewan" (sorry, made last one up...)
Much of my scouting experience seems to involve wet t-shirts, boys with odd haircuts in very small shorts, bottles of martini/cinzano/pernod or other strange alcoholic choices and Ewan playing guitar...
...so some things never change.
Take it easy Ali and keep smiling,
thinking of you, your family and all those others who are reading your blog and sending so much love,
love Jane Whitham
Hi Ali aka the best babysitter (only as we managed to get away with allsorts!). Now that was a very long time ago! and if i can remember correctly it stopped too quickly. Just thought i'd send you our best wishes for the Clark's.
Sounds like you have got all the ladies running after you as normal. Mum is currently down in falmouth visiting tommy, who is at uni down there. And as normal i'm busy working working working (sure i must have picked that up from dad). So how much did you end up insuring your legs for?
Lots of love, Karen, Buster, Lucy and Tommy Clark. xx
hey ali
just wanted to write you another quick note to say hello and to ask if you had met any characters like Bubbles DeVere recently?? I have just got back from visiting my mum who has been in hospital since January and I had a sneaky chuckle as there was a lady wandering around in her nightdress who just reminded me of Bubbles De Vere Darling!! She didnt quite have all the pins sticking out of her neither was she flashing anything she shouldnt but i remember you used to be into Little Britain...
Remember not to throw any guinea pigs out of any windows or feed ducks tins of baked beans, even if you have had a few glasses of the South African wine!!And bags of sport gums??Have you tried the new Creme Egg Bars??Think they are caled twisted or something like that - very tasty!! Not encouraging you or anything but it was the first choccy bar i went for when i got home last week!!I was impressed - the uk is so much better than france for bars of chocolate!
Anyway will stop banging on and hope you enjoy your evening - and feel strong to do something good tomorrow with Jeanette and your family
big hug to you
lots of love
jane xxx
Hi Ali,
Just want to let you know that we are still following your blog, logging on most days from Coventry now instead of Méribel (the scenery is just a little bit different....!!)
Great to see all your recent photos.
Full of admiration as always for you, your family, Jeanette and friends,
Love Harriet and Martin xxx
Hi Ali
I have been looking at your blog for the last couple of weeks. A contact told me that you are in need of wine gums.It just so happens that I have a shipment coming in of the real good s**t. Woah Mama. I can let you have a stash. No fee. I like to get um good and hooked first.It's on its way via an inmate. You ain't seen me right.Cockachumpey
Hey Ali,
What excellent messages you've had today - been giggling like an eejit while reading them.
I hope you've had another great day. Weather here has been rotten. Spectacular thunder and lightening in the night and very close all day so I wasn't terribly well and couldn't wait to get home from work then got a lovely phone call and have felt right as rain ever since. Must be the Rainbow effect again.
I hope you enjoyed the footie tonight and all your visitors today. After the numerous mentions of fried breakfasts, I'm definitely going to have to have one this weekend - there's a great little place near us that does massive mugs of tea to go with it!
I hope you sleep well tonight and wake up rested and relaxed. Make sure you keep drinking lots of fluids (not just wine!) to combat this muggy weather.
Lots of love
J-A
P.s. Creme Egg twisted bars are the mutt's nuts!! The chocolate is thick enough you can suck the middle out without it collapsing into some kind scrambled egg type arrangement. I once put a whole Creme Egg in my mouth in one go. Anyway, once I'd got it in, as it were, I couldn't get it out again. I couldn't get any leverage to bite it, so just had to wait for the damn thing to melt. Unfortunately, I couldn't actually close my mouth either so it was a all bit messy dribbling out of my mouth, down my chin etc - you get the picture. Don't go there - waste of a good Creme Egg. I always was sophisticated.....
Ali, what you do have to try is a Cadbury's Spiral and hot chocolate. Bite both ends off the Spiral then you can suck the hot chocolate up _through_ the Spiral - oh yeah.....
Time I went, I think, before my Mother disowns me completely.
J-A
Hi Ali
Well - like me, you're probably trying to remember what a Simon Rainback style inspection is. 'Auntie' Pauline (Ballan) cleared out her dining room last week (admitting to me it was the first time in 26 years she had had a proper tidy in there - sorry Pauline!) and found a whole load of Venture Expedition films, all on Cine film! A project now is to transfer them all onto DVD which will be a bit of a mission. I'll update the blog when I've started doing this so you could combine a glass of Eubes's plonk with a viewing of Werfen '89, or Adelboden '90! Ah - how the good times roll. I think there's still some lasagne left over from Ireland '88 in the freezer too that needs eating......
Take care of yourself, and don't do anything I wouldn't do.
Hi Ali,
Shona and I are now back in Scotland after a long drive back. I think that Henri (our dog - just in case anyone else is reading this) was sad to leave Chamonix, I know that I certainly am. Anyway its great to read your latest blog and know that you are getting such wounderful attention and lots of food!
Take care, Derek & Shona (& Henri)
Dearest Ali
From some of the blogs above a clear picture has been painted of just some of the highlights of your earlier years; sounds like it was lots of fun. You have always continued in the same light Ali and always brought fun, happiness and smiles in abundance to everything you've have done and in doing so have enriched many peoples' lives. You still continue to spread your magic and we are sure after reading all your blogs we will all strive to do better,to lead our own lives as you have done. You are bright and shining star in a less than perfect world.
The sun is trying to shine today and it shouldn't be quite so wet so do hope you can get out today for a spin in Chorlton.
We tried to ring your mum last night and left a message but will try again sometime.
You are constantly in our thoughts and prayers and we wish you a happy day today.
All our love and hugs as always to you Ali, your mum, dad, Jeanette and all the Rainback crew
The Conways
Chris, David, Stewart, Jo, Freya, Sarah and Daniel xxxxxxx
Hello mate,
Did you see the footy, watched it through one eye as I was too drunk to focus with both... Anyway JT scored so he is a happy little lamb now and that makes up for missing the pen ! ! Hopefully your smashing down the wine and thats making the days free and easy. I have a bar of Kendall mint cake with me at work, I won't send it as you will be bouncing off the walls with all that suger, anyway bad for your teeth...
Keep blogging son.
Dizz
Ah, happy memories from Mr Finch of HVSU expeditions past, where tomorrow's dreams started with yesterday's bread! Zinal, where Mr Talbot lost his marbles; Lochgoilhead, where Beryl lost the recipe book ("and that's a bonus"); Anzère, where the girls lost the Lobster; Ireland, where Karen lost her front teeth; Werfen, where Stephen lost the fight against Lab Beagle; Adelboden, where the locals "lost" a flag, Lochgoilhead again, where Catherine lost the feeling in her foot thanks to a jellyfish, Marignac where Lucy lost her vir..., er moving swiftly on!
See you tomorrow, Ali, with bottles and corkscrew in hand!!
Stay strong
Ewan xxx
Hey Ali,
Woohoo sunshine!
LochGilphead - we have a learning disability activity centre there that gets hired out to Scouts, guides etc - I wonder.....
I've decided to start wearing a stetson to work and as I must be a Gun for Hire. My boss has loaned me out for another secondment starting on Monday - I only just got back last week from the last one! I've just spent 30 minutes in the boardroom with two people fighting over my time! Anyway, it's all very flattering but do I get to go home on time as a result - do I heckaslike!
Am trying to book some flights to Cornwall to go and visit the elderly as I haven't seen them since Easter and I need to check they are behaving themselves. They don't usually so why they'd start now, I don't know.
They both send you lots of love and hugs though. Mum says she'd blog if she knew how but her rotten daughter won't go and teach her. Shocking behaviour!
Hope you have a lovely day and enjoy Ewan's wine. I think you should take some to go with chocolate too, Ewan.....
Lots of Love
J-A
Hi Ali,
Sorry we haven't written for a while - we're still thinking of you all a lot.
Remember when you and Jeanette came to visit us and met our goats, well we've added 4 chickens (for sunday lunches) 2 laying hens (we get 2 or 3 eggs a day) and 2 baby ducks that the kids have named Christmas lunch and Seconds! We've also adopted a baby fouine which fell out of the ceiling one night. The translation is a stone Marten (whatever that is)! It looks like a ferret, squirrel, cat thing. So if anyone knows what it is, please let us know!!!
Thinking of you all a lot.
Lots of love
Suzanne, Laurent, Matilda, Bobby, Lucas and our farmyard menagerie X
Hi Ali
Well, we had 3 goslings at my dad's the other day...but they got eaten by a fox :(
Rest well honey, and i'm afraid £cockachumpy" above, is my sister...she had a couple of glasses of wine when she wrote that :) She has been following your blog.
Looking forward to seeing you
Lots of love
Rachel xxx
Dear Ali - reading all the blogs is like a history of HVSU - it must be time for a re-union- they always used tohappen five minutes after you had all returned to the Butts after an expedition! Would love to see the vidoes that Jeremy has unearthed.
Love to all from Liz & Keith xx
Good morning Ali & co,
A lot of happy blogsters today, good reading. Sounds as though you're being well looked after as ever and still eating for England.
It has been said many a time that wine is good for you and it appears that you have taken this to heart. I first heard that said when I was 15 years and haven't left it alone since. Caused only mild infractions of the law, falling off the back of the stage at 'Gang Show' and a few unplanned swims. Then of course there was beer ..... enough said.
Still up to my neck in work and the crappy weather in Italy isn't helping one bit!
Keep strong and drinking to your health.
Big love and respect,
Dicky M.
PS: Jane, I didn't try to kill anyone really, I was just toying with you!
PPS: Ewan, can you blog your phone number so I can chose a good Italian bottle for Ali please?
Dicky, it's 07968 898074. Spero che ci vedremo fra poco, matey!
Everyone else, for all your wine needs, go to www.thewinesociety.com.
(Ali, I'll pay you the going rate for posting URLs on the blog! ;-))
Stay strong
Ewan xxx
Tell Jeremy Finch from me, that if those films ever see daylight I will sue !
L x ;)
Thanks to Ewan for providing us with a 24 wine hotline to text our orders to..
Thanks to Dicky M for reminding me of his drunken fall from the back of the stage at the Gang Show - still makes me laugh..
Thanks to Linz for attempting to stop publication of the expedition films (and why did they all have an Enya soundtrack?)
But enough of that - Simon what on earth is a Simon Rainback style inspection - thousands of bloggers want to know? !!!!
hello mate.
sounds like your still sharing my first love to, food you got to love the chocalate's
im off to verbier for the summer tomz and i can't wait to get out there.
well keep fighting and i will be in contact very soon
love you loads
gassman
Hi Ali,
Isn't the blog enlightening today? I'm learning so much. At Marignac someone called Lucy lost her viridity and J-A's idea for drinking hot chocolate through a Cadbury's Spiral is inspired! I can't wait to get to the UK next month so that I can try it.
My contribution to the theme of reminiscing... your one word text message to me right as England went out of the World Cup in 2006. Too rude for the blog but it began with F and ended in k. Summed the moment up perfectly and I still laugh when I think about it. Though I assume that someone else got hold of your phone and sent it. Ali doesn't know any rude words like that Mrs Rainback. Honest he doesn't.
Best thing about today? My friend Marie has just been to see me to tell me... she's pregnant! And it's twins!!
Keep on quaffing. Love
Michelle x
Hi Ali,
Sorry I haven't been on for a few days, been away with my wife and kids... I can't believe Ewan remebers all those special events on the HVSC trips, I cerntainly remember Adelboden (flags and the magic sink in the bar - Chris Dalton) Not too forget I mention it again the 'Rainback Rain Dance'...
Sounds like you are getting into the vino nicely - keep it up, nothing better than a few wines!!!
I see that it is not possible to come and visit you at the moment, so stay tough mate... and hopefully I will come and see you soon..
Think of you as ever.
Craig xx
Hi Ali,
Great to hear that you are still enjoying the best of lifes pleasures, chocolate (My favourite) and wine (Mo's favourite)
I have to agree with JA and the Caburys Creme egg twister, it is the best!!! You just can't beat a good bit of dairy milk chocolate.
At the end of this season, we went out for a meal with Tim and Lisa Jackson, after Tim and Mo had had 2bottles of very good red wine, Mo decided to ask me and Lisa what would we choose, chocolate or sex? both of us didn't even hesitate, CHOCOLATE! I think that him and Tim were not too happy!!!
Mo has now managed to get the very small piece that he had lost to his helicopter, and guess what, he only found the bit he had lost a day later! At least he is now happy flying and crashing it again!
Enjoy the sun if it stays out and don't forget to talk to your oak tree, it is meant to make them grow more or so my mum says!
Lots of love,
Sally and Mo
Wow, I too, although a little nervous would also love to know what a Simon Rainback inspection is / was!!!!!
As always all the comments have been fantastic and yet again proves what an amazing and influencial time in our lives that was and continues to be.
Please do keep em coming as it really does give Ali, myself and countless others something to smile and be happy about.
Lots of love
Si
hey ali,
sorry I haven't spoken to you recently, very busy with the baby and work etc..........
got number 2 on the way in november! oh shit.
seems you haven't lost your appetite! most of your comments seem like the f word.
great to hear you're feeling a bit better.
keep your pecker up
love andy karon and poppy Bowern x x x
Hi mate,
Off to the Emirates tomorrow to see a bunch of blokes who really do know how to perform - Bruce and the E Street Band. You haven't got your new best mate Theo's number handy have you, so I can get into the VIP bit?
Catch up soon, Big Man.
All my love,
Philip X
Dear Alistair,
reading the blog as always, thinking of you & your family.... thinking of Jeanette.
Got asked to leave a temporary job in Cannes Hospital today... very hurtful & bad for self confidence..
Best thing that happened today... Got asked to leave job in cannes... no ladders tomorrow!!! Great!!!! Surely God has greater stuff waiting for me...
Our prayers are with you & Jeanette & all the Rainback clan
God bless
Steve - Cagnes sur Mer
Hi Ali,
I know you get a lot of these things, but I am passing this on to you because it definitely worked for me and we all could use more calm in our lives.
By following the simple advice I heard on a Medical TV show, I think that I may have finally found inner peace.
A Doctor proclaimed the way to achieve inner peace, is to finish all the things you have started.
It clears the clutter out of your life.
So, I looked around the house to see things I'd started and hadn't finished. So before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of shhhardonay, a bodle of Shhraz, a butle of vocka, a pockage of Prunglies, tha mainder of bot Prozic and Valum scriptins, the res of the Chesescke an a box a chocolets.
Yu haf no idr who fkin gud I fel.
Peas sen dis orn to dem yu fee AR in ned ov inr pece.
hic
Nikki & Matt xxx
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