We had a couple of nice sunny days in the middle of September on the west coast of Ireland where I live, a welcome bonus after what was a pretty damp squib of a summer. (Most summers in this part of Ireland are fairly grey and drizzly, it has to be said.) So the Shan clan hit for our local beach in Ballybunion, an hour's drive from where we live -- and for the first time in 2 or 3 years, Granny and Grandad Shan came with us!

My dad, as I think will be very clear from these photos, absolutely adores Dante and Gaia, and given that I didn't go into the baby-making business until my 40s, they're very lucky to have a fit and active grandad -- he's in his late 70s, but is probably in better shape than ME! He had a great time playing with them, like he used to play with my and my brother 30 or 40 years earlier, and it's a day that I think we'll all remember warmly for a long time to come.

There'll be a few more photos from the day trip next week, including a shot of the rarely-spotted Granny Shan -- she's a bit more on the sedate side than Grandad! :-)

The November Shanville Monthly COMPETITION closes to entries at the end of play tomorrow (Monday 9th). There are some incredibly cool, rare prizes up for grabs -- don't miss this one!! Click on this link for more info: https://www.darrenshan.com/news/shanville-monthly