The writings of Max Robinson: LOVE

Which bit did you enjoy the most ?

ALL OF IT !

A quote from young Tiler, seen standing next to me in this picture.

Tiler, yesterday ran our ADOPT A DINOSAUR table. Thanks to his efforts forty-five dinosaur toys who have lived a lonely existence in a box at the back of a cupboard now have loving homes.

He will never get him to touch that snake. The Mayoress of Milton Keynes whispered to me.

OH YES HE WILL ! OH YES HE DID !

People started turning up to yesterday's frog challenge while I was still setting everything up. It is now 2.39am on Sunday and while I am typing this blog messages keep popping into Facebook. Since yesterday afternoon we have over TWO HUNDRED.

Wrigglies Exotic Pets was packed throughout the day.

Packed with people YES but that is not what I am talking about - IT WAS PACKED WITH LOVE.

I began my day driving up to McDonalds. Maureen fancied a pot of porridge to start the day and I am addicted to hash browns. I had to park up while the porridge was cooked - not a problem. The duty manager came out and started to apologise for the delay. No need for that the delay was a maximum of two minutes. He looked at me and paused before saying I know you I think. I'm not sure where from ?

Then he smiled and said: I've seen you on the Internet. This lovely young man had found

OurRebekah. He had seen pics of me and recognised my ugly face. For myself that aging ugly face is blushing, for OurRebekah I am swelling with pride.

Pride ? I was close to tears when this man appeared and introduced himself to me. I saw what you were doing on the net and thought I would come up and say Hello.

One of my former students, Simon.

We had not long been open when Simon appeared and kicked the love factor to a higher level. THANK YOU SIMON.

During the afternoon a car pulled into the car park and the drive gave me a thumbs up.

Another of my former students, Chris and his family, came to supervise my holding the frog.

Chris is seen here on the right of the picture. It has been thirty years since I have seen Chris. To have him there with his wife, daughter and son was wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. THANK YOU to all four of you.

By the way, Chris, your lad won our fun game to give No Name a name.

Your children were pestering you all day to buy an exotic pet, I think your resistance was tested but now your family has this little guy to live with you.

Seen here supervising one of several challenges to hold the frog is a very, very dear friend of my family - Daphne.

Have you noticed Daphne and Chris's son are wearing Sheffield Wednesday colours.

We started a guest book yesterday for people coming along to OurRebekah events to sign. Ahead of the frog challenge I printed and pasted the e-mails received prior to the event.

An extract from one reads: We all wish you every success moving forward and if I can be of any further assistance please let me know. TREVOR - Director Sheffield Wednesday FC.

How many directors of how many football clubs do you know who would take time to send a message like that to a little group like ours ?

One of the display boards we had outside the shop pictured the love Sheffield Wednesday FC is showing to us.

Trevor, just tell the boys to stuff Leeds United this afternoon will you please.

Meet Tony, seen here below with Mayor David and myself.

Tony is a radio presenter on Secklow 105.5. Before yesterday he and I were Facebook friends. Now we are friends in real time and space.

Tony and his wife. seen on the right snapping a quick selfie will be having lunch with me later this week to chat about something special OurRebekah is planning for Trevor and the boys at Sheffield Wednesday.

Guy Mitchell and Singing The Blues are about to be taken to a new level !

Hi Ho Sheffield Wednesday.

I heard about what you are doing, we stayed in Ronald McDonald House Southampton so I thought we would pop along.

That was a lady who chatted as she enjoyed the cakes Maureen had baked for the day.

Here's the incredible and loving Mayoress of Milton Keynes, Susan, cuddling a skunk. YES I did say a skunk.

Nobody knew yesterday, I only found out at the end of the event, the skunk still had its scent glands in place.

Ooooppppssss !

Good job OurRebekah has public liability insurance in place ! NAH we did not need to call on it. He he he.

There were times during the day when this little bundle of fur came close to stealing the show.

Here she is again on the shoulder of Ann. Ann is Tiler's Mum and actually started OurRebekah last May.

She, Tiler and her husband Mark worked tirelessly all day to
make the event a success.

Here's another and special picture of this special friend.

I thought I had a mind that was always full of ideas but those Ann's husband Mark ran past me yesterday were on a higher level all together than anything I have so far come up with.

Mark we are going to make them work ! THANK YOU. What a special guy you are.

OurRebekah has been running since May when Ann set up the fun run which is happening on Sunday 15th October. We do have some projects running and have so far raised in excess of £1,300 for Ronald McDonald House Charities but yesterday was the first actual on the ground event we have had.

A high standard has been set for everything to follow. A VERY high standard. The day was packed with people, the day was packed with fun, THE DAY WAS PACKED WITH LOVE.

Here's our Mayor with that skunk, was there anyone at yesterday's event who she did not give a cuddle to as she put love into what we were doing ?

Over TWO HUNDRED photographs were taken yesterday. I think I may have to speak to our website hosting company to buy more space on the Net in order to publish them. What you see here are just a few pics. What can you see in each and every one of them ? EASY question to answer - LOVE ! L-O-V-E - Love.

Another picture of our Wonderful Mayor seen presenting shop manager Ro with the OurRebekah smile of the month award for September.

Every time I speak to Ro he inspires me. His knowledge of animals is beyond belief and surpassed only by his love for them. Every minute of the day yesterday was packed with Ro's infectious personality.

Ro you are an incredible guy - THANK YOU.

Within the guestbook is a message from Libby, the Ronald McDonald House Manager in Birmingham. Libby THANK YOU for that kind e-mail.

At the beginning of every Sheffield Wednesday game the PA system blasts a song, that PA system is drowned by the crowds as they sing HI HO SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY. I have nicked the anthem which Sheffield Wednesday nicked from Jeff Beck in the first place to put this together for Libby and her team

I found myself skipping about yesterday singing in my head HI HO HOUSE THAT LOVE BUILT ! Actually I think I sang it out aloud once or twice.

I have a plan to rerecord the song - NO not with me singing. Tony has the same idea. Hey once we have have chatted about Sheffield over the main course let's chat about this while we eat desert. Can I play the air guitar ? Can I do that if I promise not to sing ?

3.44am - I've been writing this blog for more than an hour yet I have not mentioned the

WRETCHED REPTILE.

Here he is !

When Ro said he was going to get a BIG frog for me to hold as I conquered my phobia I knew he was not joking but just look at the size of this creature.

I could never, ever have believed that I could have held him, not once but many times during the day. I don't think he liked me very much, he kept kicking at me with his back legs.

Heck he is a beast of a frog isn't he ?

I am going to print this blog and send it to my mother, next week she celebrates her 90th birthday. She remembers so clearly the day sixty years ago when that frog jumped out at me in the garden and started my life-long phobia. She will not believe these pictures. I am not sure that I do.

So how did I manage to hold that wonderful creature ?

How did my life-long fear fly away on the wind. NO I am not scared of frogs any more.

How did it happen ?

You can see it in every single picture can't you. That word again LOVE.

The Wave of Love was packed with surfboards yesterday. Our first on the ground OurRebekah event has set a VERY high standard for all to follow

When we take on The Three Peaks Challenge love will be at the top of every mountain.

When we run across The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco Love will be cheering us on.

When the doggies walk in The National Trust's Gardens at Stowe there will be love in every blade of grass.

Chatting with former student Simon I asked him what he was now doing for a living. I'm an account executive he said.

Former student Chris owns and runs his own business. I joked with him that the when the work stops the paperwork begins. The expression on his face said everything.

The accounting skills of my two former students put together could not measure the love from yesterday. In money terms we made a total of £313.62 for Ronald McDonald House Oxford but the money means nothing compared to the love.