With a bit of overlap with some of the photos from Gregory's 6th birthday, but there's method to my madness as this is Easter Sunday, which happened in 2020 to be the day after Gregory's birthday. But it's a completely separate event, of course, and there was therefore another wave of present opening in the lounge (you can still see Gregory's collection from the previous day in the background). Books and, of course, chocolate are the order of the day. (The Slime book may have been from Aunty Katie.)
A few days later, we are out in the garden looking like we're trying a science experiment for school - the classic dropping of Mentos in Coca Cola. My recollection of this, such as it is, is that it was a little underwhelming, and a far cry from the industrial-sized explosion from Wreck It Ralph.
Gregory seemingly found the contents of David Walliams Slime to be intense and shocking.
Things come thick and fast at this time of year, and before long it's Nana Sue's birthday. That isn't immediately obvious from the cover, referring to "your [sic] the Queen" (although Nana Sue does - or did at that time - share a birthday with Queen Elizabeth II). He does appear to have got hold of some Lego head stickers...
...which is more evident from the inside. There is less doubt as to the intentions here, ranking Nana Sue as the best Nana ever. No small achievement that, albeit a bit subjective.
Well, the forthcoming weekend was meant to feature my friend Rob's stag do (somewhere abroad - can't remember where), as well as the Schofields coming to stay to watch the Back To The Future show. What actually happened was the bed getting taking over by the kids at 7.30am on the Thursday. Not quite the same.
Naturally we filled the time with playing some cricket in the back garden. Gregory is starting to look ever more the part.
The next morning, Gregory is either trying to speak to the spirits or wondering why the sky is so blue and the weather so lovely (we were still continuing with the freakish good weather for lockdown, making gardens the most sought after feature forever more).
Later that day, and just because you can't see anyone any more doesn't mean you can't have fun. We've got the football nets, a sun-shielding tent with what seems like a towel cover, some plastic bits and bobs in a bucket, and the sprinkler. Less hassle than a paddling pool to set up but endless fun when the kids repeatedly run past it.
Sometimes when you need pizza, it's time for I Knead Pizza. We'd earned it after all that fun in the garden.
This is featured as it is one of the longest books I am aware of. I had ordered it for Gregory as the story of the "prequel trilogy", i.e. the ones written after but set before the original trilogy from the 1970s and 1980s. What I hadn't quite appreciated was it's aggregation into a single volume, which numbered well over 900 (but alas not quite 1,000) pages. It also featured much of the obtuse language of the Star Wars world which made it trickier to read (certainly out loud). We shared the load (parents and child), but eventually after many months we got through it.
It's May Day, everyone! Rather than seek out a Maypole, we instead head to the local park to practise some basketball with a netball. Who will catch this? We'll never find out. Perhaps neither.
With a lack of power, Gregory's tactic was, if I recall correctly, to crouch down and throw the ball underhand and upwards. Again, the tension as to whether this will go in the net is palpable.
I can't really explain this other than to note that it seems like Joe Wicks has started dressing up on his workout videos and encouraging children to duel with swords. Or lightsabers.
I can't see that this was something received for Easter, so this may be the very belated completion of a birthday present, but we're into May so I'm comfortable it doesn't belong on the previous page.
Later that day, we head to the garden for a fight to the death with lightsabers.
In what could be a microcosm of the madness of lockdown, Gregory thrashes around on the floor, perhaps playing some extravagant air guitar, or perhaps wondering when life will get back to normal.
Still on the same day, the kids perch on either arm of the armchair. My guess is that, with Lynne possibly holding a pad, we are playing one of Jason Manford's lockdown quizzes, which were good fun.
Perhaps a shower and some mirror admiration going on here. His hair is slicked down.
A couple of days later, and Gregory's hair is a bit less slciked down. They seem to be both sticking their tongues out at having received a magazine each. It's what passes for excitement at the moment.
I referred earlier to Gregory's attempts at getting through this 900+ page book, and here is the evidence. A bit of a way to go.
The nice weather must be continuing, as shown by Gregory tucking into a lemon-flavoured Calippo.
Whilst playing football with a small plastic ball, which almost looks deflated, Gregory gets into a great position for kicking the ball (I'm most impressed with my camera timing if I'm honest).
The next day, with the sun still shining, we are once again outside and enjoying some ice-based snackage. Also featuring: cricket set, my shadow, some chalk shapes and a lot of beer boxes ready for recycling. Pretty much the standard combination.
Whilst there isn't a lot to do, let it be said that it can be an extremely relaxing affair in the garden with the reclining chairs and a shady spot from the relentless sunshine (not that anyone was remotely complaining - it was a godsend).
A loving big sister lends her younger brother her cap and gives him a big cuddle.
And that will do for now.
A break for Christmas (in real life, not here) and I'm ready for some more action. In fact, it's my own birthday action. Here we have my birthday card from Gregory, with some drawings of chips and chicken tikka from Mumbai, our favourite local curry takeaway place at the time (it came under new owners a year or two ago (in early 2025) and has changed names twice in that period).
Thankfully it was a lovely day on my birthday so we went into the back garden to play cricket. It looks like Gregory has made good contact with an agricultural mow across the line.
I had taken the day off work to make the most of my lockdown birthday, so we headed to Platt Fields (I think). The overgrown field wasn't perfect for football but we gave it a go.
In keeping with the birthday card that Gregory did for me, we did in fact order a Mumbai takeaway for tea. Gregory seems to object to me taking a picture of him eating chicken tikka and chips (the so-called Mumbai chips were coated in a spicy seasoning and were a cut above your average chip) .
I'm not entirely sure what prompted this roar from Gregory but it's pretty scary nevertheless.
In Things To Do During Lockdown Part 342, Gregory pays close attention to what appears to be some pretty meticulous colouring. This is actually the Whitsun bank holiday Monday, but who's counting?
The sunny weather continued into late May, so outdoor lunches became the norm. He is tucking into boiled egg and toasted soldiers, accompanied by some olives and cheese slices (I'm guessing gouda, as he used to have the sliced gouda a lot).
Continuing the theme of things to do in lockdown, I set up the snooker table, which was a joint birthday present to Matt and me in the early-to-mid-1990s. Gregory hasn't quite got the hang of what to aim for yet it seems.
Ah, that's better. Despite being of a decent height to get right behind the ball, he is playing upright with a raised cue, although that in part might be due to my Boardman CX bike leaning against the wall. (Obstacles are a feature of playing snooker in the outhouse.)
Later that day, I fire up the barbecue, having cleared away some of the fun things to the right, although the sandpit is still out. While Gregory waits for the food to be cooked, he makes do with a tube of Pringles. A fitting way to end the bank holiday Monday.
On the Friday, I take a half-day holiday (why not, it's sunny) and we get some takeaway pizza from Domino's. Obviously these pages always make us seem like we have an unhealthy diet, but you don't see all the really, um, healthy meals that we have in between. Anyway, Friday night pizza in the garden is a great idea.
Satiated with pizza, it's time to get the tunes out, which Gregory obviously appreciates (evidence of some sprinkler action in the background, and an abandoned croc).
More moves, with a bit of singing perhaps thrown in.
Just in case you were wondering, we also have breakfast outside sometimes. These appear to be alphabet shapes...
...followed by a croissant. Wow, what a treat!
We'd had a family quiz in early April, and this was the belated follow-up, hosted by the younger Barlows. It says that Sophie was one of the hosts, but she was a few months old at this point so probably didn't write many of the questions.
There were five teams, as you can see, as well as the hosts. No idea who won. The stress of the quiz seems to have forced Matt into meditation mode.
Later that day, it was evidently time to get the water balloons out.
Gregory attempts a catch - I wonder how it went...
Ah, not so well.
A scene shot between the lavender plants. Not exactly sure what is going on in the paddling pool, nor why Daisy is wearing a shower cap.
It's important, when engaging in a water pistol fight, to stay low.
No idea what game Gregory has set up here, but it basically looks like we have emptied the utility room and garage of all the play things that we can find. And that's fair enough.
And of course we reward ourselves for all that activity (not that there is much evidence of me having done anything, although to be fair Strava suggests that I went for a lunchtime five mile run with the temperature at 21 degrees) with a takeaway curry from Mumbai. No bags of salad, though, please.
It's the last day of May and, while we should have been flying to EuroDisney in Paris, we were instead staying at home to enjoy the Festival of Stuff, starting at the very precise time of 12.35pm. It's hosted by Daisy and Gregory, but I can't imagine there will be more than two other people turning up, such are the lockdown guidelines. But it's sweet to pretend otherwise.
Later that day, it's time for more water balloon action. Gregory attempts to catch one again but alas it does not quite go to plan. I took the photos in spurt mode to capture a whole sequence of shots (so it wasn't amazing timing by me, in case you were wondering).
For whatever reason, it looks like there is going to be some downstairs sleeping arrangements in place. Gregory busies himself with the foot pump, albeit using his hands.
We're into Whitsun week where the kids are ostensibly off school, but really it's hard to tell the difference a lot of the time. Gregory seems to be getting himself into a Zen-like mode.
He is fully committed to meditation while I am still working, but it's nice to work outside. Daisy presumably took this photo.
Ah yes, here we go, "sleepover" time, although it's not even 5pm and clearly bright outside (clearly just practising for later). He appears to be watching a band called The Dream in a boxing ring singing "We're gonna make it shake tonight."
This is later in the evening, so he's got out of bed to go and pick some strawberries. He is very much relishing tucking into this one. It does look juicy and ripe. I say "pick strawberries" - hopefully this was home grown.
Gregory then gives me a look to say "enough with the photos already". "But if I didn't take these photos, this page wouldn't exist," I might say now.
And we'll stop there.
After a bit of a delay (since the last update, I mean - I appreciate that I am writing this when Gregory is 11 years of age. What can I say? Life comes at you fast.), I'm back. Zoom calls were the order of the day - I think this is maybe Daisy's Brownies session, and Gregory is joining in.
Talking of video calls, it's time for the next instalment of the Allen-Barlow-Schofield quiz series. It was our turn to host and, as part of the epic quiz I had put together (even if I do say so myself), both Daisy and Gregory had written their own rounds. This was actually the last such quiz we did, perhaps because it was a hard act to follow - who can say? (The same also happened when I used this quiz, minus the rounds submitted by the kids (since the personal references would be lost and it was long enough without) - that was the last work-based online quiz hosted.)
This is where Gregory had some sort of dance routine to show people, much to their amusement (or bemusement).
Fully kitted out in his England kit, Gregory prepares to smash the ball straight at me. Well, ideally slightly to the left or right of me and into the net I am standing in front of.
That's enough football anyway - time for some air guitar.
So it seems that lockdown is over (for now, anyway) as Gregory is wandering to school.
A careful concoction of meringue, yoghurt and berries for Gregory's dessert.
With the weather set fair once more, we popped over to Waterdale for some distanced chat.
The next day and the cheeky chappy is looking to do me with a move. Probably.
It's actually Father's Day today, and here are the cards - Gregory's on the left. I like the inclusive message "Hope we have a great time" - it's not just about me, after all.
This was before school on the Monday. No harm in getting a bit of exercise before the work starts in earnest. There's certainly some bounce in the trampoline.
I appear to have taken a couple of days off work - the Monday above and the Tuesday, on which we went to Chester Zoo. Not quite sure why the kids weren't in school but it was fine to go to the zoo. Confusing. Perhaps there was an inset day. Anyway, the cool kids are in town, as is very evident from this photo.
It's educational at Chester Zoo, of course, and also a little depressing at times.
Time to pause for some lunch on a random bit of grass. It was pretty busy, I think, so not many places to sit. But the grass is fine.
Gregory: taller than an otter stood up. His belly is struggling to hide his freshly consumed lunch, as was often the case.
Time for some banteng action (said no-one ever).
More posing, this time in front of a rhino.
Daisy has obviously got her hand gestures well practiced. Daisy seems to be going to school in non-uniform (assuming she is at school). We appear to have stopped outside Dylan Lester's house.
At the weekend, Gregory is being very helpful by hoovering the door mat in the kitchen. The burgeoning cleaning help that he was never really materialised in later years.
Daisy had started at cricket training at Heaton Mersey Cricket Club but, due the pandemic (allied with the harder-to-control nature of younger children), he would not get a go just yet. So back to the back garden it was. He looks the part with his floppy hat on, though.
There seems to be a raiding of games going on here, as Lynne and Gregory play Perfection, where you have to put the shapes in the right place with limited time available. There's nothing like acting against the clock to get the nerves on edge.
I'm not quite sure whether Gregory is showing off his fringe or his Star Wars T-shirt. He's got a bit of the Dumb & Dumber look going on here.
Now this, to me, is what cricket is all about. I think I had actually been watching some Test cricket during the day at Rob's, and then Daisy had cricket in the evening. It was a Friday evening, and it was sunny, so it was very rude not to get a beer.
Gregory in his role as lookout post, perched on the arm of the sofa.
With restrictions relaxed, the Schofields came down for a visit, particularly since we are approaching Lynne's birthday Gregory is reading what looks like a huge book (my guess is that it is the Star Wars trilogy - episodes I to III in one single paperback). Avis fulfils an important role as bookmark holder. And still the sun shines.
For Lynne's birthday, it's time to make some cake. Gregory gets stuck in with some sugar pouring.
And there we will pause.
Back to the Secret Portal.