The Glums ; Finks Holiday : Day 1 in the Big Brudder House

It's holiday time, The Finks are off on tour with The Glums. We call them the Glums but they are anything but glum. there's Mrs Glum (terrific cook), Mr Glum or Bambi (chronic clumsiness, all round nice guy), Marsha (surrogate daughter of mine), Bambino (tall, great SOH) and Glumdog (young wire haired fox terrier).

A 240 mile journey took about 5 hours, as we came off the M6 at junction 36, the scenery changes, the sky widens and the fells rise up to meet it. I'm home. Cumbria.

I wasn't born in Cumbria, I'm a Southern softie. My parents, Nanny and Shouty Grandad are Cumbrians and I've been visiting the county ever since I was born. I have always felt an affinity with the area, I feel calm and rested after only a few hours in the fresh salty air. "Where the mountains meet the sea".

My Aunty Joannie, who owns the static caravan at Haverigg, kindly allows us to borrow it. At the back you can see Black Coombe (1970ft), at the front, the sea. It's beautiful.

We explored the beach, took photographs (I have a new camera which I'm learning to use) and enjoyed the sunset. In the evening the kids went to bed in the tent and Bambi - ever competitive - challenged Mr Fink to an arm wrestle. (Bambi and Mr Fink have a long history of of good natured rivalry, usually with Bambi ending up injured or coming second.)

I video'd the arm wrestling match but can't upload the video as the connection here is too slow. They locked hands at the dining table and started to strain. All of a sudden there was an organic sounding 'crack' and Bambi screamed. It appears Bambi has badly strained a tendon or muscle.

Oh mum you are so funny

Mr Fink's mum, Astral, popped in to see us this afternoon. Later on Mr Fink took her back to her sister's house, (Aunty Joanie). A few minutes later my mobile phone rang. It was one of those calls where the other party has accidentally dialled the first person in their contacts list.

I could hear Astral chatting to Auntie Joanie about her day - all nice things of course - so I shouted down the phone, "Astral, you've dialled the phone! Hang up!" I then heard her say, "Joanie, I can hear voices!"

Once she realised we all had a good laugh about her ability to hear voices! Who needs a mobile phone.