Got up. Got out of bed. Dragged a comb across my head. Cornflakes for breakfast. Went to get some fabulous pictures from Doreen copied so that we can bring them home. Everyone here has a scanner/copier etc. no-one knows how to use it except Les and he is too busy, so you will have to wait to see them.
Got dropped at Townend Farm and walked to Ulley. Had fish and chips in the pub there. Mother didn't. She says she is fished out. We saw cousin Jeff on the way. He stopped to say that he was going out and suggested that we take a walk around Ulley Reservoir until he returned. That took a lot longer than we thought it would, but it was really interesting. When we finally got back to Jeff and Maureen's we had tea and scones and a really long tour of their house (which is a wonderful old farm house that they have kept very authentic, but still comfortable). Then we had to see the garden, which is bigger than ours. By that time it was too late to see John, but they drove us home to Ann's and we stopped by at Townend Farm and made arrangements for Les to take us to see Ralph in Harthill on Sunday. For those who don't know Ralph, please talk to Melanie and Tim.
Party time tomorrow.
Grandad and Grandma
Friday, April 28, 2006
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Information for general consumption
Ok, I finally found a computer that I can use for a few minutes, but cousin Kenneth came just as I started this and kept us talking for a couple of hours, then Kathy (that is mother to some of you) had to read all the mail we have been getting (that is, all the mail that I decided to show her), so it is getting rather late, now. I will write as much as I can.
Since I last sent you any information we have travelled a long way. We went back to Northumberland after the soccer grudge match in Sheffield with cousin Les (it was great) and John decided that he should make a list of all the wonderful things in northern England that we should see and do. They took us to the Lake District (Cumberland) for a day. There are lots of lakes there, strangely enough. And rabbits. And sheep. It is a very beautiful place. For dinner there we had fish and chips in a nice restaurant by the side of Lake Windermere.
They were busy on the weekend because they have to tabulate all the information from all the racecourses and send their data to the newspapers and bookies and all. We took the Skoda (it's a Volkswagen) up the coast to Seahouses on Sunday and went on a boat ride to the Farne Islands. There were thousands of seabirds building nests; puffins, kittywakes, guillemots, razorbills, and shag (really, it's a bird! Honest!). We took an afternoon boat because that one was supposed to have a bathroom on board (we are big on bathrooms these days - I'm on a football tour, mother is on a bathroom tour). It turned out not to have one, but it didn't matter because we stopped on an island that had one. It seems a bit redundant as the birds do it everywhere. Anyway, we decided to have lunch before we went. Mother saw a cafe offering all-day breakfasts, so we went in. There was a big English breakfast and a regular one. The big one had two of everything; eggs, bacon, sausages, fried potato, black pudding and very greasy toast. Mother had that one because she wanted to try black pudding. I ordered the small one, but ended up eating most of her's, of course. Then we went on the boat ride. I'm glad it was a calm day, because that breakfast had my stomach thinking bad thoughts the whole time. We saw fulmers and great big gannets flying overhead, but mother really wanted to see puffins. The skipper said that there were thousands the day before, but we only saw three (actually, I only saw two, but mother claims she saw one dive down a nesting hole before I could turn my head - I was probably still thinking about the black pudding - and I believe her, of course). The skags and kittiwakes sat and posed on the cliffs just a foot or so away from us, so we have lots of pictures of them. There is a picture of a puffin, but it is on the top of a castle and it is hard to pick out. It looks just like another gargoyle (look that one up - castles are crawling with them and they are featured in Harry Potter movies).
After we got back from the boat ride we drove on, took a picture of another castle (the place is crawling with them and they are all, apparently, featured in those same Harry Potter movies). Further on we found our way to a far-out place called Ross Links, grass-covered sand dunes mounded by the wind just behind every beach. Dozens of skylarks fluttered and sang over us wherever we went.
We had to get back quickly, though, because J&J were taking us out for fish and chips and we didn't want to be late. It was a good job we had that walk to work off the breakfast, because there was a big plateful of f&c to wolf down.
The next day they took us to Earl Grey's castle at Howick Hall for afternoon cream tea (Earl Grey, of course). Apparently the earl had to open a tea room to pay for the castle. It takes a lot of cash to run a castle properly (that is why they rent them out so often for movies - such as Harry Potter).
The next, and last day with the Whitleys, we drove down to Whitby in the Beamer. Good cars those Beamers. They get a lot more respect than the Skodas. It was a long drive, but worth it (because I didn't pay for the petrol at £1 a litre) for the fish and chips at the end of the day. They were even better than at Beadnell. That was partly because the restaurant, called Trenchers, has actual chefs who cook (if that is what a chef does - actually, chefs create, don't they) the fish and chips, and partly because of the wonderful bathrooms in the restaurant (gleaming in marble with cologne dripping from the dispensers - mother liked the bathroom more than she liked the fish and chips. Keri, you would love this bathroom, too). We had a great drive over the North Yorkshire moors and saw where 'Heartbeat' was being filmed in a place called Goathland (sort of like an English version of the 'Beachcombers,' but up on the moors, if you know what I mean). We visited a couple more secluded little seaside villages down long, narrow winding streets to the waterfront. Great little places. We never would have found them on our own.
Then back to our own little bungalow home to pack.
Yesterday we said goodbye to J&J at the Alnwick bus station and came to Wickersley. My cousin, Ann and her husband Ben picked us up and installed us in a very comfortable room with our own bathroom. Great digs, though having our own bungalow at Beadnell was hard to beat.
I don't know how we are going to exist with out the Skoda.
Today we found cousin Doreen who took us around the village to see all the changes, then down the Listerdale woods. The bluebells are just starting to flower. Before we leave they should be in full bloom. Doreen took us to a pub and we had pub grub (and my first glass of Stones). Then we went back to her house and looked at old photographs all afternoon.
There, I finished it. Before sunrise, too.
Please look after our little girls. Mother saw the pictures Polly sent and got all teary-eyed again.
Home in a week (mother's birthday).
Grandma and Grandad
Since I last sent you any information we have travelled a long way. We went back to Northumberland after the soccer grudge match in Sheffield with cousin Les (it was great) and John decided that he should make a list of all the wonderful things in northern England that we should see and do. They took us to the Lake District (Cumberland) for a day. There are lots of lakes there, strangely enough. And rabbits. And sheep. It is a very beautiful place. For dinner there we had fish and chips in a nice restaurant by the side of Lake Windermere.
They were busy on the weekend because they have to tabulate all the information from all the racecourses and send their data to the newspapers and bookies and all. We took the Skoda (it's a Volkswagen) up the coast to Seahouses on Sunday and went on a boat ride to the Farne Islands. There were thousands of seabirds building nests; puffins, kittywakes, guillemots, razorbills, and shag (really, it's a bird! Honest!). We took an afternoon boat because that one was supposed to have a bathroom on board (we are big on bathrooms these days - I'm on a football tour, mother is on a bathroom tour). It turned out not to have one, but it didn't matter because we stopped on an island that had one. It seems a bit redundant as the birds do it everywhere. Anyway, we decided to have lunch before we went. Mother saw a cafe offering all-day breakfasts, so we went in. There was a big English breakfast and a regular one. The big one had two of everything; eggs, bacon, sausages, fried potato, black pudding and very greasy toast. Mother had that one because she wanted to try black pudding. I ordered the small one, but ended up eating most of her's, of course. Then we went on the boat ride. I'm glad it was a calm day, because that breakfast had my stomach thinking bad thoughts the whole time. We saw fulmers and great big gannets flying overhead, but mother really wanted to see puffins. The skipper said that there were thousands the day before, but we only saw three (actually, I only saw two, but mother claims she saw one dive down a nesting hole before I could turn my head - I was probably still thinking about the black pudding - and I believe her, of course). The skags and kittiwakes sat and posed on the cliffs just a foot or so away from us, so we have lots of pictures of them. There is a picture of a puffin, but it is on the top of a castle and it is hard to pick out. It looks just like another gargoyle (look that one up - castles are crawling with them and they are featured in Harry Potter movies).
After we got back from the boat ride we drove on, took a picture of another castle (the place is crawling with them and they are all, apparently, featured in those same Harry Potter movies). Further on we found our way to a far-out place called Ross Links, grass-covered sand dunes mounded by the wind just behind every beach. Dozens of skylarks fluttered and sang over us wherever we went.
We had to get back quickly, though, because J&J were taking us out for fish and chips and we didn't want to be late. It was a good job we had that walk to work off the breakfast, because there was a big plateful of f&c to wolf down.
The next day they took us to Earl Grey's castle at Howick Hall for afternoon cream tea (Earl Grey, of course). Apparently the earl had to open a tea room to pay for the castle. It takes a lot of cash to run a castle properly (that is why they rent them out so often for movies - such as Harry Potter).
The next, and last day with the Whitleys, we drove down to Whitby in the Beamer. Good cars those Beamers. They get a lot more respect than the Skodas. It was a long drive, but worth it (because I didn't pay for the petrol at £1 a litre) for the fish and chips at the end of the day. They were even better than at Beadnell. That was partly because the restaurant, called Trenchers, has actual chefs who cook (if that is what a chef does - actually, chefs create, don't they) the fish and chips, and partly because of the wonderful bathrooms in the restaurant (gleaming in marble with cologne dripping from the dispensers - mother liked the bathroom more than she liked the fish and chips. Keri, you would love this bathroom, too). We had a great drive over the North Yorkshire moors and saw where 'Heartbeat' was being filmed in a place called Goathland (sort of like an English version of the 'Beachcombers,' but up on the moors, if you know what I mean). We visited a couple more secluded little seaside villages down long, narrow winding streets to the waterfront. Great little places. We never would have found them on our own.
Then back to our own little bungalow home to pack.
Yesterday we said goodbye to J&J at the Alnwick bus station and came to Wickersley. My cousin, Ann and her husband Ben picked us up and installed us in a very comfortable room with our own bathroom. Great digs, though having our own bungalow at Beadnell was hard to beat.
I don't know how we are going to exist with out the Skoda.
Today we found cousin Doreen who took us around the village to see all the changes, then down the Listerdale woods. The bluebells are just starting to flower. Before we leave they should be in full bloom. Doreen took us to a pub and we had pub grub (and my first glass of Stones). Then we went back to her house and looked at old photographs all afternoon.
There, I finished it. Before sunrise, too.
Please look after our little girls. Mother saw the pictures Polly sent and got all teary-eyed again.
Home in a week (mother's birthday).
Grandma and Grandad
Saturday, April 22, 2006
England up-date
Hello family. We miss you. We are back in Northumberland with John and Judith until the 26th, then on the Ann (Turner) and Ben Bennett's in Wickersley for the last 9 days. We had a great two days in Durham and at the birthday party at gibside, there is far too much to tell, so we will save it for when we get home. The whirlwind two days with Les and Molly at Town End farm in Brampton was also special. Sheffield U. vs Leeds was good. We will be seeing L&M again next week.
Everyone is giving us the royal treatment, especially J&J. dinner with them every night. We went on a day trip to the Northumberland Lake District on Thursday, with a little side-trip to Hadrian's Wall. All the towns are the names of Cumberland streets (except Allen). Yesterday to Holy Island. Football at Newcastle today (mother is going with Judith to Alnwick castle). Fish and chips tonight. Probably Edinburgh on Sunday or Monday. They won't let us open our wallets.
Please send more pictures of all the little girls and keep reminding them of Grandad and Grandma over and over again so that they don't forget who we are. We were very glad to hear that Katie is doing well and gaining weight.
Have to go. John needs the dial-up.
All Our Love
Grandma and Grandad
Everyone is giving us the royal treatment, especially J&J. dinner with them every night. We went on a day trip to the Northumberland Lake District on Thursday, with a little side-trip to Hadrian's Wall. All the towns are the names of Cumberland streets (except Allen). Yesterday to Holy Island. Football at Newcastle today (mother is going with Judith to Alnwick castle). Fish and chips tonight. Probably Edinburgh on Sunday or Monday. They won't let us open our wallets.
Please send more pictures of all the little girls and keep reminding them of Grandad and Grandma over and over again so that they don't forget who we are. We were very glad to hear that Katie is doing well and gaining weight.
Have to go. John needs the dial-up.
All Our Love
Grandma and Grandad
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
just a short note
April 18
We have been computer-less for the Easter weekend and have done lots, but that will have to wait for another time. I will just give you a quick outline.
We landed and went to stay with Kathy's relatives in Waltham Cross near London for a few days. We got to see a lot of the countryside and all the relatives.
From there to Cheltenham. More relatives. Stayed with Michael and Sheila Cheeseman. This time Cravens on the other side of the family. Got to find yet another branch of the family on Kathy's dad's mother's side in a little church in Inkberrow, Worcestershire, John Savage, once the High Sherriff of Worcestershire. Unfortunately he died nearly four hundred years ago. His full-sized effigy, carved in alabaster lies on a carved bed of stone above his grave inside the east wing of the church. Michael took something like 150 pictures which we have on a disk. We will get some popcorn and show them sometime.
From Cheltenham we went to Northumberland and stayed from Wednesday to Saturday with John Whitley, my childhood friend, and his wife, Judith. They put us up in one of their houses in the little village of Beadnell on the coast. After a couple of days of sightseeing (castles, kipper factories, the usual stuff), we left most of uor luggage and were driven to Durham to meet up with the Cheeseman's again, who took us to a Craven reunion, Sylvia Cheeseman's (nee Craven) 90th birthday party in the banqueting hall, no less, on the estate of Gibside, near Durham. There we were wined and dined for two days, staying over at Sylvia's sister Marjorie's flat across the river from Durham Cathedral and Castle.
The Cheesemans (again) offered to drive us to Sheffield as they were taking their son back to the University there. Instead they drove us right into cousin Leslie's farmyard in Brampton-en-le-Morthen and let us out at the farmhouse door.
That was yesterday. We had good farmhouse grub and a walk this morning to Thurcroft, surprising Uncle Ernest and Aunt Lily. I am off to the football match tonight with Les while Kathy does the milking.
Tomorrow we are going back to Northumberland (and another football game) on a bus to continue our visit there for another week before returning to South Yorkshire for the last 10 days of our tour de football.
It is not always easy to find a computer, so we will send another message when we can.
We have been computer-less for the Easter weekend and have done lots, but that will have to wait for another time. I will just give you a quick outline.
We landed and went to stay with Kathy's relatives in Waltham Cross near London for a few days. We got to see a lot of the countryside and all the relatives.
From there to Cheltenham. More relatives. Stayed with Michael and Sheila Cheeseman. This time Cravens on the other side of the family. Got to find yet another branch of the family on Kathy's dad's mother's side in a little church in Inkberrow, Worcestershire, John Savage, once the High Sherriff of Worcestershire. Unfortunately he died nearly four hundred years ago. His full-sized effigy, carved in alabaster lies on a carved bed of stone above his grave inside the east wing of the church. Michael took something like 150 pictures which we have on a disk. We will get some popcorn and show them sometime.
From Cheltenham we went to Northumberland and stayed from Wednesday to Saturday with John Whitley, my childhood friend, and his wife, Judith. They put us up in one of their houses in the little village of Beadnell on the coast. After a couple of days of sightseeing (castles, kipper factories, the usual stuff), we left most of uor luggage and were driven to Durham to meet up with the Cheeseman's again, who took us to a Craven reunion, Sylvia Cheeseman's (nee Craven) 90th birthday party in the banqueting hall, no less, on the estate of Gibside, near Durham. There we were wined and dined for two days, staying over at Sylvia's sister Marjorie's flat across the river from Durham Cathedral and Castle.
The Cheesemans (again) offered to drive us to Sheffield as they were taking their son back to the University there. Instead they drove us right into cousin Leslie's farmyard in Brampton-en-le-Morthen and let us out at the farmhouse door.
That was yesterday. We had good farmhouse grub and a walk this morning to Thurcroft, surprising Uncle Ernest and Aunt Lily. I am off to the football match tonight with Les while Kathy does the milking.
Tomorrow we are going back to Northumberland (and another football game) on a bus to continue our visit there for another week before returning to South Yorkshire for the last 10 days of our tour de football.
It is not always easy to find a computer, so we will send another message when we can.
Monday April 10
April 10
We are in Cheltenham. Mike and Sheila are looking after us very well, but Mike has to do his work on the computer and send it to New York every day, since his boss thinks he is still in New York, designing subway stations. We have to keep out of Mike's work-room, where we sleep, in the day-time, so that he can work. Except that he is so jet-lagged (he only got back on Sunday) that he falls asleep over his computer.
Anyway, we were encouraged to go to Gloucester (Gloster) today and went there on the bus. At the cathedral we joined a tour of old people (you know - over 70's) and got in with the rector, or....oh, I don't know what he was.....says he carries this bloody big cross at the services....looks like a heavy thing. He said someone carried it at the last coronation. He knows everything about this cathedral and unlocked some tiny doors and took us down underneath where it is damp and smelly. There are huge Norman arches and pillars down there supporting the rest of the cathedral. Back upstairs we were told about the stained glass windows (there are about a million of them) and who made them and who told them to make them and who paid for them, etc, etc, etc.
Then we got to the good part. That is the Harry Potter part. Apparently, they made a lot of the movies in this cathedral. We saw where Harry and Ron hid from the monster troll.....I got a picture of Kathy washing her hand in the lavatoire (no, you naughty people, that's a long stone trough whre the monks used to wash their hands), then another picture of Kathy peeping around a big wooden door with a gargoyle on the other side ( if you look carefully, it is in 5 seconds of one of the movies.....minus Kathy. I can't remember which movie ). I took a photo along one of the cloisters where Harry and his friends were escaping from.....someone? Anyway, you won't recognize it because they flooded it in the movie. Just go see the movies, Nick. I'm sure you will recognize all the places.
After that we went and ate genuine Cornish pasties for lunch. Naturally, since we were in Gloucestershire (Glostershire) many miles from Cornwall they were a bit stale, but nice, though, since they were half-price.
We went back to Cheltenham on a double-decker bus. It took a while to convey to the Italian driver tht we were new to the area and wanted to know the fare, but in sign language we finally got it straight and we paid and went up to the top. We sat in the front seats, which we soon regretted since he drove that double-decker like he was still in Rome. Whoa, those roundabouts can really make those buses sway.
Back in Cheltenham we woke Mike up from work and he took us to rescue his daughter from her place of work in a place called Stroud. Rosie, you will like the next part: Mary had to be rescued because she had lost her car keys in her parents house the day before. They searched everywhere for those keys. It was a great ride through the Cotswold Hills, along narrow lanes and through tiny sandstone villages. When we got back we all searched the house from top to bottom (all four stories - the place is only about fifteen feet wide, but very tall - one mother-in-law lives in the attic, another in the basement). Mike finally suggested that she try the car, only to be ridiculed. "Dad," she said, "don't be silly. The car's still here. Someone would have nicked it by now if I had left the keys in it." He persisted. She reluctantly relented and found the keys in the ignition. She then boldly phoned her boyfriend (who had given her the car) and told him that the keys were found under the cushions in her parents' couch. We will see if he swallowed that story when we see him at the partee at Gibside on Saturday. I can see Kathy blurting out the truth after a couple of ciders and alienating herself from the family forever.
Off to bed, now. We have to go out again tomorrow so that Mike can snooze through some more subway station plans. We might go to Oxford or Stratford for some more culture. Or I'll get a few bitters in and see if there is any footie on the telly. Kathy might not go for that, though.
On Wednesday it is off we go to Newcastle, home of the Geordies and the Newcastle Browns.....some sort of relatives, I understand.
Kathy's back is still acting up a bit, but I think it is just an act, because I am still carrying all the bags
Cheers
Phil and Kathy
We are in Cheltenham. Mike and Sheila are looking after us very well, but Mike has to do his work on the computer and send it to New York every day, since his boss thinks he is still in New York, designing subway stations. We have to keep out of Mike's work-room, where we sleep, in the day-time, so that he can work. Except that he is so jet-lagged (he only got back on Sunday) that he falls asleep over his computer.
Anyway, we were encouraged to go to Gloucester (Gloster) today and went there on the bus. At the cathedral we joined a tour of old people (you know - over 70's) and got in with the rector, or....oh, I don't know what he was.....says he carries this bloody big cross at the services....looks like a heavy thing. He said someone carried it at the last coronation. He knows everything about this cathedral and unlocked some tiny doors and took us down underneath where it is damp and smelly. There are huge Norman arches and pillars down there supporting the rest of the cathedral. Back upstairs we were told about the stained glass windows (there are about a million of them) and who made them and who told them to make them and who paid for them, etc, etc, etc.
Then we got to the good part. That is the Harry Potter part. Apparently, they made a lot of the movies in this cathedral. We saw where Harry and Ron hid from the monster troll.....I got a picture of Kathy washing her hand in the lavatoire (no, you naughty people, that's a long stone trough whre the monks used to wash their hands), then another picture of Kathy peeping around a big wooden door with a gargoyle on the other side ( if you look carefully, it is in 5 seconds of one of the movies.....minus Kathy. I can't remember which movie ). I took a photo along one of the cloisters where Harry and his friends were escaping from.....someone? Anyway, you won't recognize it because they flooded it in the movie. Just go see the movies, Nick. I'm sure you will recognize all the places.
After that we went and ate genuine Cornish pasties for lunch. Naturally, since we were in Gloucestershire (Glostershire) many miles from Cornwall they were a bit stale, but nice, though, since they were half-price.
We went back to Cheltenham on a double-decker bus. It took a while to convey to the Italian driver tht we were new to the area and wanted to know the fare, but in sign language we finally got it straight and we paid and went up to the top. We sat in the front seats, which we soon regretted since he drove that double-decker like he was still in Rome. Whoa, those roundabouts can really make those buses sway.
Back in Cheltenham we woke Mike up from work and he took us to rescue his daughter from her place of work in a place called Stroud. Rosie, you will like the next part: Mary had to be rescued because she had lost her car keys in her parents house the day before. They searched everywhere for those keys. It was a great ride through the Cotswold Hills, along narrow lanes and through tiny sandstone villages. When we got back we all searched the house from top to bottom (all four stories - the place is only about fifteen feet wide, but very tall - one mother-in-law lives in the attic, another in the basement). Mike finally suggested that she try the car, only to be ridiculed. "Dad," she said, "don't be silly. The car's still here. Someone would have nicked it by now if I had left the keys in it." He persisted. She reluctantly relented and found the keys in the ignition. She then boldly phoned her boyfriend (who had given her the car) and told him that the keys were found under the cushions in her parents' couch. We will see if he swallowed that story when we see him at the partee at Gibside on Saturday. I can see Kathy blurting out the truth after a couple of ciders and alienating herself from the family forever.
Off to bed, now. We have to go out again tomorrow so that Mike can snooze through some more subway station plans. We might go to Oxford or Stratford for some more culture. Or I'll get a few bitters in and see if there is any footie on the telly. Kathy might not go for that, though.
On Wednesday it is off we go to Newcastle, home of the Geordies and the Newcastle Browns.....some sort of relatives, I understand.
Kathy's back is still acting up a bit, but I think it is just an act, because I am still carrying all the bags
Cheers
Phil and Kathy
Cheltenham
April 9
I hope you don't mind this being another mass e-mail. I don't have much computer time. That is, I can actually take as much time as I want, but the people downstairs are drinking up all the red wine while I am writing this.
We had a wonderful time with Kathy's mother's relatives in Waltham Cross: a day in London, football game at Tottenham (Spurs won), walks in the park, Chinese food (English style), ALL the relatives, scotch whisky, bitter beer, bacon and eggs, blackbirds, thrushes, English robins, blue tits (no, Darryl, that is NOT a dirty joke), ruined abbeys, bagels (actually that one is quite funny: we went down to Victoria Station to check out our bus tickets and Kathy needed to go to the bathroom. We went upstairs to this food court where there was MacDonalds, Burger King, even a Tim Horton's, and more. She went in the loo (that's what they call it) and came out again saying she needed to pay 20p, which we didn't have. I bought some bagels at an American bagel stand and asked for 20p change. They didn't have any because everyone else needed to go, too. They were all out of twenties. In other words, Kathy couldn't pee because we couldn't find 20p. We finally went downstairs to Boots Chemists and bought something else, got our 20p and Kathy just made it in time to avoid a major crisis in Canada/UK relations). Doug and Maureen have been wonderful. They fed us and we weren't allowed to do anything....until Doug ran out of scotch. Then he didn't mind me going out and getting another bottle. We did sneak out a couple of times and went to a well-known US-based coffee joint (which will remain nameless) to get our caffeine fix. Tea is fine, but doesn't have the kick.
We caught the bus early this morning for Cheltenham. Arrived early afternoon. Met by Mike Cheeseman (Kathy's distant cousin on her dad's side) and are presently going through the same difficulties. Lots of food wine and beer and no-one will let us pay anything. Tough life.
Kathy's back is improving. We went for a three-hour walk this afternoon and she feels very little pain. I hope this keeps up. I'm tired of carrying all the bags.
We are missing everyone; especially 3 special little girls. Please let us know how they are doing without us. You big girls and boys can write to us, too.
Got to go. There is a special on the Queen (she always has a capital letter, here) on the telly and everyone is gathering to watch it. Can't miss it.
Phil (Dad)
I hope you don't mind this being another mass e-mail. I don't have much computer time. That is, I can actually take as much time as I want, but the people downstairs are drinking up all the red wine while I am writing this.
We had a wonderful time with Kathy's mother's relatives in Waltham Cross: a day in London, football game at Tottenham (Spurs won), walks in the park, Chinese food (English style), ALL the relatives, scotch whisky, bitter beer, bacon and eggs, blackbirds, thrushes, English robins, blue tits (no, Darryl, that is NOT a dirty joke), ruined abbeys, bagels (actually that one is quite funny: we went down to Victoria Station to check out our bus tickets and Kathy needed to go to the bathroom. We went upstairs to this food court where there was MacDonalds, Burger King, even a Tim Horton's, and more. She went in the loo (that's what they call it) and came out again saying she needed to pay 20p, which we didn't have. I bought some bagels at an American bagel stand and asked for 20p change. They didn't have any because everyone else needed to go, too. They were all out of twenties. In other words, Kathy couldn't pee because we couldn't find 20p. We finally went downstairs to Boots Chemists and bought something else, got our 20p and Kathy just made it in time to avoid a major crisis in Canada/UK relations). Doug and Maureen have been wonderful. They fed us and we weren't allowed to do anything....until Doug ran out of scotch. Then he didn't mind me going out and getting another bottle. We did sneak out a couple of times and went to a well-known US-based coffee joint (which will remain nameless) to get our caffeine fix. Tea is fine, but doesn't have the kick.
We caught the bus early this morning for Cheltenham. Arrived early afternoon. Met by Mike Cheeseman (Kathy's distant cousin on her dad's side) and are presently going through the same difficulties. Lots of food wine and beer and no-one will let us pay anything. Tough life.
Kathy's back is improving. We went for a three-hour walk this afternoon and she feels very little pain. I hope this keeps up. I'm tired of carrying all the bags.
We are missing everyone; especially 3 special little girls. Please let us know how they are doing without us. You big girls and boys can write to us, too.
Got to go. There is a special on the Queen (she always has a capital letter, here) on the telly and everyone is gathering to watch it. Can't miss it.
Phil (Dad)
Day 3
April 7
Went into London today. Booked to Cheltenham on Sunday. Going to Tottenham tomorrow. Having a great time.
Dad (Phil)
Went into London today. Booked to Cheltenham on Sunday. Going to Tottenham tomorrow. Having a great time.
Dad (Phil)
Day 2
April 6
Jetlag. Spent the day with Doug and Maureen in Waltham Cross. Mother finished her assignments from Doug Fish. She photographed a lot of buildings. Saw Waltham Abbey and the grave of poor old Harold who got the arrow in his eye and lost the battle of Hastings. We got the English point of view. We might go into London tomorrow.
Dad (Phil)
Jetlag. Spent the day with Doug and Maureen in Waltham Cross. Mother finished her assignments from Doug Fish. She photographed a lot of buildings. Saw Waltham Abbey and the grave of poor old Harold who got the arrow in his eye and lost the battle of Hastings. We got the English point of view. We might go into London tomorrow.
Dad (Phil)
got here
Apr 5
Hi folks. We got here safely and have spent a lovely afternoon with Doug, Maureen, Karen and Richard, near London. Your mother seems improved, so we might take a trip into London in the next day or so. By the 9th or 10th we should be off to Cheltenham.
I will check e-mail as often as I can.
Hi folks. We got here safely and have spent a lovely afternoon with Doug, Maureen, Karen and Richard, near London. Your mother seems improved, so we might take a trip into London in the next day or so. By the 9th or 10th we should be off to Cheltenham.
I will check e-mail as often as I can.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
What do you think?
Hi Mom and Dad,
I made this so that if you want you could have your own website for your trip? Do you think you will use it? It's not very hard, and I can help you!
Love from Rosie
I made this so that if you want you could have your own website for your trip? Do you think you will use it? It's not very hard, and I can help you!
Love from Rosie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)