Today we have said goodbye to Jumping Jack Flash, Elena and Andy who came out on a Monarch Flight but had booked their return via Thomson so have not be affected by the demise of the airline.  My sister was flight only but having checked with the High Commission she will be 'repatriated' on a flight which is now being covered by British Airways.

It has been amazing having Jack here.  It is the first time he has been on an airplane and so the first time he has experienced the heat of a Mediterranean late summer and all the differences that come with a holiday abroad and he has taken it all in his stride.  He has met family members who up until a few days' ago were merely strangers and he has charmed us and loved us and entertained us.  Elena and Andy may have been concerned about undertaking such a trip with a youngster but it has been absolutely magical seeing him interact with Great Granny and Great Granddad.

Their return flight was late afternoon and John took them to the airport as he could get them, their cases, Jack's pushchair and the car seat all in the Peugeot.  And, as Jack is clearly hugely attached to Granny (my sister Kaye) she decided not to go to the airport to see them off just in case it unsettled Jack and thereby the remainder of the passengers on the flight.  It was a good move because apparently he managed to sleep for three and a half hours on the plane which nowadays is almost the whole of the flight.  We are hoping that this has proved to be such a positive experience for the family (not least because we found such a great place to stay for which many thanks Helen Caplan and the power of Facebook) that they will continue to travel with Jack and that we might see them back here again at some point.

I had organised to have a haircut in the Mall and took Kaye along with me to keep her mind off the airport run.  We spent a while mooching around the shops and I took the opportunity to get a frame for the treasured photograph George has got of his father.  I hope he likes the choice of frame - I thought it gave the picture the sort of gravitas it deserved.

Kaye continued to have a look round the Mall on her own whilst I nipped in for my haircut which I have to say was long overdue although when I went to Ladies Lunch yesterday it was behaving and everyone said how nice it looked which is bloody typical just before it is getting a cut.

We returned to Mum and Dad's and left Kaye with Aunty Joyce and Uncle David. Mum and Dad are off out to a 90th birthday party tomorrow night so we are going to bring the others back to ours for the weekend.