Saturday 25th September

The four of us get up early and eat a modest feast of Tesco croissants, drunkenly purchased last night, before heading out to the countryside to see my mum and stepdad. The weekend there is likely to take the form of a Man vs Food eating challenge - such is the stepdad's devotion to quantity in the kitchen - so we don't want to fill up too much before hitting the road. We jump in the car around 10.30 and head out of Edinburgh towards Gattonside, a small village near Melrose, in the Scottish Borders. The journey is enjoyable in Jim's car, especially due to the fact that the sometimes-used alternative bus is a surefire sickness-inducing vehicle; winding down the narrow lanes of the A7 at gut-churning speeds yet still somehow taking about six months to reach its destination.

We arrive safe and sound at around lunchtime, just in time to take delivery of a couple of the most enormous (and delicious) breakfast rolls ever constructed - featuring sausage, bacon, egg and fried potato. A breakfast/lunch like that needs significant walking-off, so after watching a chunk of the disappointing and very-12.45-kick-off Man City v Chelsea game (City win 1-0 through a Tevez goal, ending the 100% start to the league but changing little at the top thanks to Arsenal going down 2-3 at home to West Brom later today) we head across the Tweed towards Melrose.

The few other people heading the same way as us on this beautiful, autumnal afternoon, are also on their way to the Melrose v Glasgow Hawks rugby match in the centre of the village. I've been to a game here a couple of years ago; and while I'm no rugby fan, it's a beautiful setting to sit and watch some live sport, with the Eildon hills in view. Melrose seem to do well against Glasgow and run out convincing winners (again, I know so little about rugby that my match report doesn't even stretch to remembering the score).

After the match we walk up through Melrose and down past the ruined Abbey on the way home. We don't have long to sit around before dinner is served, but we pass the time by slobbing around in the living room and trying in vain to complete the Scotsman crossword.

Dinner is predictably massive (involving chilli nachos, ribs, chicken wings and fajitas in delicious abundance) and there is plenty of wine to go around for us younger revellers. After a game of Scrabble and the mandatory X-Factor viewing, the parents head to bed while K, Jim, his girlfriend Steph and I finish one last bottle before bed. Life's nice out in the country - especially with a trained chef on hand and a house full of booze and food!