Family Pics Time

Here is a picture taken last weekend just before we left for the airport. Jason and Michelle with Rhys and Matthew, on the deck of their wooden home on the farm, near Craddock in KwaZulu Natal. We had a really lovely time with them at the farm and at the beach - I will post some more pictures of the beach and the kids, soon.

When you just want to get on a plane

When I get pictures like this that just came in early for my birthday (Saturday), I just want to get on a plane and head straight for Durban to get a hug in person. Real phew stuff I can tell you. Still, we will be with them all in April - counting the days.

Was that a 4 or a 6?

Future Proteas Material

Our grandson Rhys, at 2 years old, seems to me to have a pretty good eye for the ball. Mind you, cricket runs in the blood of his daddy's family, and in fact here he is using a little bat given to him by his dad when he was about four weeks old! He has a bigger bat waiting for hin to grow into, given to him by his great-uncle and former South African Cricket Captain, Clive Rice. He loves to play with his ball and bat. This photo was taken last month on the day we left Durban at the end of our holiday there. [Clive Rice info on Wikipedia]

Lewis who?

Watch out Lewis Hamilton, eat your heart out Michael Schumacher - for here come Rhys and Matthew Vaughan-Davies, getting in some early-years practice at the Midlands Mall raceway, in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. This clip was caught during our recent two week holiday with our two grandsons ... oh, and their mom and dad too ... on the farm. If you tap 29°25'8.44"S and 30°22'30.51"E into Google Earth you can find their farmhouse near Albert Falls Dam in KwaZulu Natal.

English Cricket Beware

So, today is St George's Day, which explains all the English flags flying in my street as I walked to work today. Pity then that England is no longer in the running for the Cricket World Cup. Thinking about cricket, a picture just in today reveals why England had better keep worrying about being beaten at its own game by South Africa for years to come ...

photo: Michelle Vaughan-Davies

Grandson, Rhys, imagining he is facing the best English cricket can throw at him

KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

Some great benefits from work travel

In the pool with Rhys at Peaties Club, near Albert Falls Dam, KZN

Last weekend I managed to squeeze in a couple of days to see Michelle, Jason, and their boys. It was a mad scramble off the Dubai flight to get my bags and catch a flight to Durban, but what a joy to get to see Rhys and Matt (oh yes, their mum and dad as well!)

Matthew - whose big blue eyes seem to be turning brown

Moo & Jason's boys

Michelle sent us this picture, taken today, of Rhys and Matthew. It will be a second Christmas for Rhys, and first of course for Matt. Boy, will we miss them this year!


This photo of Rose was from last night, as we spent a few hours walking around the town centre of Worthing, doing some late night shopping. It was not as busy as we had expected, and we were able to finish most of our Christmas purchases reasonably early.

Grandson #2 makes his entrance

Rose and I are very proud, pleased, and thankful to God, for the safe arrival of gorgeous Matthew Callum Vaughan-Davies. He is a brother for Rhys. Mommy, Michelle, is recovering well in the Midlands Medical Centre in Pietermaritzburg. Daddy, Jason, is over the realisation that he nopw has two boys to raise, and is as proud as can be. Rhys has seen his kid brother yesterday, but remains a little bemused by the whole thing. Michelle says he is quite different in appearance and character, after one day of having him. He was born yesterday, 7 September 2006, weighed 3.4 kilos, and measured 54 cm in length. He has lots of dark brown hair, and very large lungs judging from the sound he made when he popped out of Moo's tum during a caesarian section. We are looking after Rhys, which is a real joy.

Whose the apple of my eye, then?

This is without a doubt my favourite family photo from our recent (and lovely) break away. Proud dad Jason, happy mommy Michelle, and the most gorgeous baby (can't help the bias) in four-month old Rhys. He just cut his first two teeth this week.

Our holiday took us to Port Elizabeth, Morgan Bay, Munster, Umhlanga Rocks, Pietermaritzburg, and a final week at home with lots of family from all over. It included a family wedding (nephew Brett and Candace), kids and grandson (yep that's him in the pic) with us at a lovely cottage down the KwaZulu Natal south coast, a Christening (Rhys of course), and a daughter's 21st birthday celebrations (Ashleigh) ... no wonder I haven't had time or inclination to blog for a whole month!

My contribution to the gene pool

Picture by MDT

A first picture of three generations of our family together and introducing first time baby, Rhys; first time mommy, Michelle; and, first time granny, Rose. Picture taken shortly after Moo and Rhys arrived home from the hospital. He was 4 days old and more interested in sleeping than any of us! We had a lovely week down on the farm about 35 kms from Pietermaritzburg, mostly there with our new grandson of course, but we found time to catch up with old friends of the Zimbabwean diaspora too! More about that in another blog posting to come.

William Rhys Vaughan-Davies

Picture by Toni Fisher

Rhys entered the world on 19 May 2005, in Pietermaritzburg*, South Africa.

This picture was at a whole 7 hours old! What is he thinking? Born by ceasarian section, with his cord wrapped around his neck twice for good measure, he apparantly wasted no time at all in loudly proclaiming his presence. Michelle is doing well, and Jason is very proud. So are we!

What else happened on 19 May?

TE Lawrence, or Lawrence of Arabia, died of his injuries on 19 May 1935 six days after a motor cycle accident in Dorset. He was living under an assumed name and was a retired Royal Air Force mechanic! The Spanish Armada set sail on this day in 1588, not that any of us really remember! They wanted to gain control of the English channel and plonk the Brits, but bad weather delayed them and gave the English chance to organise and use their longer range guns to decimate the Spanish fleet. Oscar Wilde was released from prison on 19 May, 1897 after having a gay old time, and in 1967 the Soviet Union (remember them?) ratified an international treaty banning nuclear weapons from space.

And if you want any more, go here to the excellent pages of The History Channel.

* (one of these fine days we will wake up and find the name changed to Msunduzi I expect)