Day 17 - Sunday 12th August

We didn't wake up until after 8am and that was probably only because we heard Amelia's voice as Nicky was getting her out of bed. It's hard to figure out why I should get so tired while I'm on holidays.

Before breakfast I went for a walk for about an hour and ended up at North Finchley at a shopping centre. It was another nice sunny day with a little cloud and a light breeze that made it feel cooler - until you go for a long walk.

After breakfast, Nicky and John wanted to go to the gym and so all five of us set off in the car. It turned out that their gym is in a sporting complex at North Finchley where I'd been earlier this morning.

The sporting centre seems to have something for everyone: outdoor tennis courts, indoor tennis courts, indoor pool, outdoor pool, squash courts, gym and a large Costa cafe. Nicky and John discovered recently and became members. Even Amelia is a member. The centre is labelled "David Lloyd" and apparently is part of a chain of such sporting centres.

Suzy and I looked after Amelia while Nicky and John were in the gym. This was easy because the complex has a "soft play" area for kids. This consists of a cafe with, tables, chairs, armchairs, TVs (showing the Olympic men's marathon) and a children play area.

The play area consisted of a two-level climbing structure with netting and perspex sides. The flooring was soft matting and netting. It is a hit with the kids that gives parents peace of mind.

Next we had lunch in the cafe in the complex and took Amelia home for a sleep. Nicky needed a sleep too.

Later in the afternoon, we all went back to the David Lloyd complex so that Amelia could have a swim in the pool. John and Nicky played with her in the outside pool.

The electronic system in the car seems to be playing up and John suspects that it might be caused by a problem with the battery. This means we'll need to take it to the service station on Monday to get it fixed. It would be a problem if the car broke down when they were rushing to the hospital.

For dinner, we went to beer garden in the Bald Faced Stag pub which is only about 200m from Nicky and John's place.

We got home in time to put Amelia to bed and watch the Olympic closing ceremony on TV.