TOMMY’S HOLIDAY CAMP

Dear Alice,

Well another week, another dollar and one very tired Tristan following his school camp to Lake Macquarie. He arrived home on Thursday exhausted, coughing, spluttering and covered in about thirty lumpy mozzie bites. Needless to say he had Friday off. It did him the world of good and he was back up and running for his important basketball game on Saturday morning against a very strong Barker team. Despite soaring temperatures and dazzling sunlight, he and his team played really well on the school’s newly refurbished outside court to win 35 – 19.

Elliott has also been coughing and spluttering all week. His poor over-worked mother has of course still found the energy to fuss all over him playing ‘nursey-nursey’, something she rarely does for me! He merely grumbles and groans back at her, in a manner suggesting this ‘mild cold’ may yet still prove terminal. He has however written a drama script, which resulted in us receiving the following letter from the Head of Drama:

“Dear Stephen and Henrietta,

Your son Elliott, has been identified as a student who demonstrates a special talent in creative dramatic writing. The school would like to offer him the opportunity, at our expense, to attend the Annual Drama Script Writer’s Residential Camp next week at Chaldercot Conference Centre…” Well done Ell!

I barely had time to put my puffed-up chest back in my shirt, when Tristan, not to be outdone, also wrote a script for his camp’s final night entertainment – ‘Red Faces’. He was very excited on his return, to tell us that his little group had won first prize!

So, the Contiki European adventure tour is now all booked for you. Not sure I’d fancy the camping aspect of it… but then I may have overdosed on European campsites as a child. These days my idea of camping has to include valet parking, but I can certainly see how it might be fun for you. Camping in Venice will be interesting! Do they provide water beds? Actually your mother is quite jealous of you and would love to come along too. Fortunately however, she no longer meets the age requirement…

Monte has to go to Terry Hills on a Wednesdays now. Same intellectually disabled patients, just different venue. A few years ago, following a fire, their building had to be practically rebuilt. Disaster struck again a few a weeks ago (during the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in fact), when torrential rain flooded the place. A major refit will again be required and while insurance issues and building work are carried out, they’ve temporarily relocated to Terrey Hills Community Centre. I have to honest, it’s not the same… it now feels like attending some really weird youth club. On a positive note, because it’s open-planned (it’s basically just a hall), it does allow for a few of the guys, the ones that can walk (well sort of), to enjoy taking the Mont-ster Boy for endless walks around it’s perimeter. As he’s trudging round he often shoots me over a look that seems to say “What the?”. But, ever the professional, and like some old friendly donkey giving rides on a beach, he just plods obligingly along by their side. I’m sure he’d rather do this though than be vomited on. He’s such a good boy.

I have the Tropfest DVD for you from Saturday’s Herald and will post this to you on Monday.

Love : Dad