If my group of Beteckers are reading this again - a big THANK YOU for your lovely card and comments. I miss you too!!! Hope all the interviews and stuff are going well. Sorry I accidentally deleted your comments - so you'll have to send me some new ones to add to this post:)

Here are some pictures from last weekend and our visit to my home county - yes - I'm an ESSEX GIRL at heart;)

We were there to see 'ol' blue eyes' on tour
(and please don't go telling me he's dead - coz I've seen him - full size, in colour and walking on the stage):)

The Cliffs Pavillion - at Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex - a brilliant venue - especially on a wonderful sunny day like we had on Saturday.



Looking out onto the big, blue Thames estuary with a cold glass of white wine? Yep - very 'us' ;)



Unfortunately, the first performance was cancelled due to a technical hitch - but I managed to run to the box office (when all the oldies were reaching for their walking sticks) and got the last few tickets for the evening performance. Luckily we were there early as the stupid man had written 8.15pm on the tickets when actually it was an 8pm start. It was an excellent show - and I'm not even a particular lover of Sinatra-stuff (J is of course - born in the wrong decade)- but his story was really well told and the technology they use was amazing - he really came alive - so much so, that the dancers on stage we actually a bit of a distraction to watching him sing! fantastic choreograpy....



So, anyway, we had an unexpected afternoon walk along the seafront - along the pier (the longest in the world you know - 1.33 miles) - we took the train back as the wind was blowing a hoooley!
After a wonderful lunch (plus two bottles of wine) at the
Fisherman's Wharf restaurant we ended up at Leigh-on-Sea (which is slightly more upmarket that the amusement-park, candyflossy "saaffend"...



We found a good and friendly fishmonger cooperative (Mmmmm.. wild sea bass: mental note to stop there before we headed home) and stopped for a drink at the seafront bars. Shame that we would have to miss the reservation at the Boatyard restaurant (voted the best fish restaurant in the area) - but actually it didn't look that brilliant a place after all. And the reviews aren't very good. The woman at the reception was not at all friendly:( somaybe it was just aswell we weren't eating there. Its a bit of a Michelin food desert round here:(



Little did we know (and much to J's excitement) the international annual airshow was on and during Saturday there was lots of rehearsing in the skies above the cliffs and the seafront was beginning to fill up with all kinds of RAF and Army lads on roadshow-type lorries with banners. Shame the weather closed in on Sunday - but that's England for you (it was a bank holiday after all):)








Does he think he's in Crete or something? This is the Thames - not the Med' you know!!







Nice hat Dad;)