Limes Farm, Farthinghoe & Silverstone, Thursday, 29th May, 2014.

Warning: quite a long blog intro.

Vicky bought Dave a Silverstone circuit tour as a Christmas present but 'cos she wasn't well at that time we have had to postpone it until now as this was the first suitable date Silverstone could give us.

Every time we drive to the circuit we pass this intriguing Tea Room and farm in Farthinghoe but never have time to stop there. With the circuit tour not being until 2:15, we have ample time to pop in and sample some….ahem…...tea.

The tuna mayo on wholegrain option.

The greedy-gannet ham, eggs, and chips option.

Time for a little stroll around the farm and the village.

Meeting the pot-bellied piggies.

The countryside.

This is what fresh air can do to folk.

Vicky said: 'Look sexy'. 

Insert yer own punchline here.

It's Thursday and the bins are out in Farthinghoe.

The bins are out on a Thursday in Worcester too.

Is it the same everywhere then?

What do binmen do for the rest of the week?

Olde motor outside Farthinghoe Primary School.

Buttercups. 

In a field.

Wasn't this used in 2001: A Space Odyssey?

We are now on The Tour and are at The Wing.

Some chairs, not being used as such right now.

The ceiling of one of The Wings' exhibition rooms.

Maldonado. Behave yerself!

The F1 Drivers Briefing Room.

The Timekeepers Room complete with litter bins in mysterious location.

Howard with the spoils of victory.

Dream on mate.

That Ray Skontrole-fella and the youngest member of our tour group monitor the monitors.

In the Workshops now.

This is 'Ferret'. He's in charge of the circuits single seaters.

Phil, one of Silverstone's Driving Instructors and our Tour Guide this afternoon, 

explains The Hypersonic dual-seater-thingy.

What is it about Vicky and Ferraris?

The Tour is supposed to last two hours but it took nearly three this afternoon. Phil is an enthusiastic guide and there's a lot to see. Most of the bits we'd seen before, so we haven't blogged everything.

Blancpain Endurance Series, Silverstone, Saturday, 24th May, 2014.

Carol's been at it again: forecasting plague and pestilence 

throughout The Midlands and The Sarf for today. She's been at it for days, she has.

It's a wonder anyone ventures outside.

It rained all the way to the circuit. We'll give her that one. The journey took slightly longer as a result. Two raincoats each (both with hoods) and the big umbrella are required for the walk in gentle rain to the paddock for a swift cuppa tea in the cafe, a visit to that Ray Skontrole-fella for a programme and then, at 12:40, the Pit Lane Walk.

By the time we do all that, needless to say, it is barely spitting.

We saw you at that Donington Test Day-thingy! The car didn't run that day but it's ok now.

Steve Tandy - Generation Bentley Racing Team driver - has a quick chat and gets his photo taken.

With The Pit Lane walk being just 15 minutes long we need to work as a team. So the olde-fella plods about at the start of the Lane whilst Vicky sprints up to the far end to work her way back to the exit in the middle and the chance to spot the Ecurie Ecosse BMW Z4 already being prepared for Qualifying.

Black Falcon Mercedes drivers (sorry haven't worked out exactly who they are just yet) return from the Pit Wall having checked out the going. Verdict? Hmm, tricky, it's still damp-ish.

Wanted: fully qualified race engineer with a 'can do' attitude prepared to dive in at a moments notice to solve problems. Folk with dodgy backs need not apply.

If you love the colour purple you must be in heaven right now.

12:45pm. On the way to the loos before taking a few action shots of the GT's. 

Completely stopped raining now. Not even spitting. And it's getting very warm an' all. We've got too many coats and umbrellas! Cowin' Carol.

12:55pm: Cowin' safety fencing Pt I.

The M-Sport Bentley Continental GT3 hammers out of Copse.

1:15pm: Cowin' safety fencing Pt II.

Walked under the tunnel now to take some shots of things moving right to left.

Thiriet by TDS Racing BMW Z4 thunders into Copse.

OK, that's enough of that. Need to get back to the Paddock Cafe for lunch (lamb hot pot for David and baked potato and beans for Vicky).

2:15pm-ish: 

Formula Renault 2.0 NEC teams assemble prior to going out for their first race of the weekend.

Ben Barnicoat (GB) - Fortec racing.

Seb Morris (GB) - also Fortec Racing.

Even steering wheels are gadgets nowadays.

Jorge Cevalles (MEX) - yet another Fortec Racing-fella (are we getting commission from Fortec?).

They must be the only ones that do (unless it's a Bank Holiday).

2:45pm: Formula Renaults nipping down to Becketts.

Team mates by the look of 'em. These two are the Finnish-fellas Leopold Ringbom (41) and Lassi Halminen.

2:55pm: Cyril……..er, sorry……we mean David, is giggly with excitement due to the now dry and warm environs of an almost sunny Silverstone, and light-headed and knackered thanks to all the coats he's having to carry (not to mention camera-stuff).

C'mon Vic. That's enough of all that racing-malarky. Time to go and see what the Lambo drivers are up to before they go out on track.

3:10pm-ish: every corner you turn is full of umbrella girls promoting the sponsors products.

Your watches are how much?!

If this Lambo-driver was Irish we'd suspect that he'd be called Tim O'Tay but he's not, he's an Italian-fella by the name of Eduardo Piscopo and so he's entitled to have very clean hair.

At an International event sign language is everything. Here's one that needs no translation.

3:55pm: Too fast shutter speed Pt I:

Strolling back towards the car park as two Lambos thunder down The Wellington Straight 

(from the air).

4:00pm: Cowin' safety fencing Pt III & Too fast shutter speed Pt II.

Another Lambo on The Wellington Straight (from ground level).

That's it. Off home now. Lovely and sunny now. Be pleased to chuck all our clobber (thanks Carol) into the boot.

Should be back home just in time for the Monaco Qualifying on The BEEB.

Another excellent Silverstone Saturday done and dusted.

Evesham Cats Protection, Sunday, 18th May, 2014.

Straight in at the deep end with a thorough clean out of the pen belonging to a new mother 

and her two kittens.

'I'll 'ave it!'

Dinky's not in the mood to be messed about by balls rattling about at the bottom of summat.

Ziggy catches some rays.

New mother (not the one above) and three little squirmers.

The tale of the tail shall forever remain untold.

Remember the pen of the cat and kittens that Vicky was cleaning out so thoroughly in the first picture?

Well, the mother's not having it. She is outraged!

I'm too sweet to be messing about messing up our pen. 

'I'll leave all that malarky to me Mum'.

A few hours later back at HQ it's time for Emlyn (for it is he) to have one of his regular grooming sessions at the hands of Vicky.

After just five minutes (if that): it's better out than in!