Sandra Ashenford reflects on the ups and downs of her week

OUR lovely family weekend away has been and gone, and we are all home safely, still in one piece.

This includes heavily pregnant daughter number three, who I thought might go as one person and come home as two.

Fortunately, this was not the case, and apart from a few twinges, she and her husband enjoyed a relaxing last holiday as a couple before they become parents.

The other grandchildren all had a fabulous time, and loved the facilities such as the pool and the playgrounds but were also really fascinated by the local wildlife.

Our villas had a tame squirrel and a friendly duck who came to visit every morning and evening, and were happy to be hand-fed fruit and nuts by the children.

Who needs television when you can look out of the patio doors at your very own wildlife show?

The more active amongst the family hired bicycles to whizz around the forest, some did the tree top challenge, and others got up close and personal with some birds of prey.

Some family members preferred to take advantage of the facilities at the spa, and enjoyed a bit of personal pampering, while I was very happy with a good book and a glass of wine.

On one evening we managed to dodge the showers to have a barbecue altogether, and on another evening we descended en masse at one of the restaurants All in all, we had a really fabulous couple of days, with time spent together as a whole family unit, and time to do our own thing.

Even the dogs very quickly forgave me for putting them in kennels for the weekend.

However, reflecting on such a happy time has made the events of the past week or so even more upsetting. I don’t usually comment on current affairs, because there are enough people out there already just waiting to give their opinions and to politicise the actions of others. But I was so saddened by the mass shooting in America and then the death of the MP Jo Cox, that I couldn’t write about a happy holiday and not acknowledge the terrible pain that their families must be going through.

My thoughts and prayers are with them all.