Lucy's mum

She is such a photogenic cat, I couldn't resist sharing this picture. Lucy's mum and brother were very curious when we held a wake for her in their garden, but they didn't seem to mind too much. In fact, her mum Xeni was behaving beautifully for the camera. Lucy was almost identical except short haired, and a little plumper (that's the polite version). The house is so empty without her....

Picture catalogue

As we were so busy packing up to go travelling last year, we missed a whole batch of pictures and stories from other places we'd been, so I thought I might do a little retrospective travelog! Places we really think you ought to visit! Well, our favourites anyway!

First up, Barcelona. I'd read all about Gaudi in my architectural history books but nothing can compare to actually seeing it in the flesh. We didn't make it inside the Sagrada Familia, the queue was miles long! But we did manage to get a tour of his Casa Mila La Pidrera with the most amazing roof and chimney structures.

In celebration of Lucy...23/3/1997-3/4/2009

After a short but incurable illness, we reluctantly said goodbye yesterday to the last of our three cats. Lucy was 12 years old, chosen by Emma when she was a toddler, and has enjoyed her last year as an "only cat" after being a late addition to our two boys, Stan and Ollie. We had a wake for her today and she is buried in the family plot in Alan & Dorothy's garden - they threw her a lovely lunch in their fab new kitchen, and Alan had prepared her a white granite headstone. We are all very sad and lonely, with only Bill the dragon for a pet for now. This is the first time in 18 years we have been cat-less...

We raise a glass again for our beloved friend, minx and bed-hogger - cheers Lucy, we will miss you...