Sunny Carnoustie

We have had a lovely week - golf, beaches, family, gorgeous food and delectable gins. Genius.

Wednesday we went to a practise day of The Open at Carnoustie which is just down the coast from Montrose. We could have gone to a competition day but they are so expensive (£80 each!)  and rammed with people so you end up getting all hot and bothered and don't see that much anyway.

The practise day was perfect: only £25 each, plenty of room to walk the whole course, great views of the players on the course and the driving range, no queues. Spot on.

The evergreen German golfer, Bernhard Langer. In his 60s but still playing great golf after several decades as a pro. I remember watching him play out of a tree when I was a kid in the 1970s! He used to wear well lairy bright clothes - checked slacks or all red outfits!

The guy witb the brolly is the European Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn, he was clearly missing playing this week judging by the swings he was making with the umbrella.

The famous (infamous) Barrie Burn on the 10th hole. Great to see it in the flesh.

A fantastic American golfer and true gentleman, Matt Kuchar. He came second in The Open last year.

A former Masters winner from Australia, Adam Scott.

Westie (Lee Westwood)  is one of our favourite players. He's from Worksop on the other side of Sheffield. Shame he supports Forest though as evidenced by the head covers...

This is Westie belting a cracking shot down the middle of the 14th.

Chris Woods. We watched him win the European PGA at Wentworth a couple of years ago. He's huge - 6 foot 8!

Mattie Fitzpatrick from the Hallamshire GC just over the hill from us in Sheffield.

And our last look at the Barrie Burn before we headed back to the station, tired but happy!

My niece has really looked after us this week. We were knackered after our big day out so she and her boyfriend Craig (who had only just back from the rig) walked the dogs for us, fed us and left us to collapse in front of the telly that evening. We were more sociable later in the week but that was all we could manage on Wednesday.