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Plus 8 and raining when driving in. Actually it was pissing with rain and starting to blow a gale!

Arriving back to London at 4.30 yesterday afternoon to face a slight change of temperature.. Dressed for summer weather not ideal. Then the usual Friday night traffic to remind me.

What a fabulous 2 weeks. Great to have family time.. something I have never done before..All three of my children together with me for more that 48 hours was something I will never forget and 2 weeks I will treasure for many years to come.

It was down memory lane in Sydney.

Lunch with Max Whitby at one of Sydney best fish restaurants Catalina's. .. It was day when Harry probably learnt more about my past than he had heard before as Max and I virtually lived in each other pockets to best part of a year while running a restaurant in George Street.. Plenty of interesting stories!

I also spent an afternoon at Inglis Sales where Harry works watching him in action, and viewing how they sell their horses.. Again there was plenty to talk about including the awful welfare issue of ex racehorses and their treatment after the track..

The Australians have a problem when it comes to finding new homes for their ex racehorses as their equine life there is so different from ours..Hunting, hacking Team Chasing or ROR they don't have.. Anyway thankfully we are very good at looking after ours..

Talking about that.. Yesterday Peter Kerr, along with Mark and Melinda Laws, Iain and Angela Bell, Karen Masters and Peter and Fiona Woodhall visted their old horse Knockanrawley who is enjoying a new life with Mat Gingell in Norfolk.

Moving on..

From Sydney we spent 4 days in Bryon Bay. Excellent place and plenty to do.

Bizarrely we found ourselves staying within 600 yards of my brother in law Pete Mordaunt’s elder brother .. Richard and Diana have lived in Bryon Bay for some years..Drinks

We were joined for the whole trip by Clover Wootton, Harry’s cousin and my niece..

It was a very special time and now that Korean Airways (who were excellent) dropped us back in London it is now just great to be home and back with Mrs B who has been ably looked after by Katie Hanks and her mother.

Clare has had many visitors over the last 2 weeks and although not totally exhausted from all the entertaining she looks far better and stronger than when I last saw her.. Recovery continues, although slowly

While I have been away Mat and the team have done Thorndale proud.

Yesterdays runner First Flow probably should have won.. He was looking good until he screwed badly at the fourth last and landed awkwardly. He jumped right after and looked like he must have pulled a muscle..He finished second to a very good horse..

First Flow seems fine this morning..

David Bass was in this morning.. Yes back to normal.

Debbie Hanson was here third lot to see her KBRP horse Shinobi.

Shinobi, who was heavily advertised here on my Horses For Sale page in August and September won his first race for us at Exeter while I was away.

We have four runners today..

Wetherby we run Diamond Gait and Mon Palois and at Ascot we run Thibault and Vinndication

Tomorrow we head to Huntingdon with El Presente and Carlisle with Two For Gold and for my thoughts on all their chances please click here.

Have a great weekend.. Watch the Rugby and come on England..