Family time
We were very fortunate to enjoy time as a family all together over the holidays in Aspen. Joan and I were joined by Holly, Freddie, Sam and Bellie, as well as all five of our grandchildren for a truly magical break.
A good friend very kindly invited us to stay at his beautiful estate outside Aspen. It has gorgeous rivers running through it, stunning fishing lakes, fantastic tobogganing and a cosy home in scenic land.
I taught Artie how to play chess. He’s loving it, having won every game (when should I stop letting him win?!)
The grandkids all learned to ski and there were lots of fun areas and installations around the slopes, making it just perfect for learning the ropes and having fun.
It was great for me to go skiing with my kids as well. It felt brilliant to be beating Holly and Sam – until I saw the footage and realised they were letting me win!
We also took the kids fishing, something I used to do with my father back when I was a child. There was a delightful moment when Artie said, “this is the best day of my life!” after he caught a trout, which just melted all of our hearts. (And, of course, we put all of the fish back in the lake.)
It’s so important, if you’re lucky enough to have the opportunity, to take a break and spend quality time together as a family.
Now it’s back to work for the new year, which may just be the most exciting one yet. We’ve got so much to look forward to in the Virgin family, from Virgin Voyages to Virgin Orbit, Virgin Atlantic to Virgin Hotels – not to mention Virgin’s 50th birthday (and yours truly’s 70th!)
Happy 2020 everyone.