Tia graduates with MA in Creative Writing and New Media.

Tia, Eyal and I met the Burmans and Dinah and Verity at the Space museum in Leicester.  A wonderful experience of space travel!!

Keith, Dinah, Verity Joseph

Joseph in Space suit in the gallery.  Tia, Eyal, Keith where we waited to enter hall.  No rain!!!

IMG_0845 de Montford university hall

 

Lunch with graduates and Prof Sue Thomas and Prof Kate Pullinger (I read The Mistress of Nothing)

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Tia and Eyal’s house in Mill Hill redecorated

After a long but most comfortable flight with big seats and lots of leg room on Emirates (excellent food and service and power for laptop) I was delighted to see Tia at Gatwick.  After  easy train ride (easy change at Farringdon) we arrived in Monterey Close. But only for 3 minutes because I had to go to the chemist for an excellent massage with Nicky.  I returned to the house and Tia had a hot foam bath ready.   It was a great beginning of the recovery from 24 hours travel.
Exterior Monterey Close 40 inch samsung tv in bookcase 40 inch new TV in the bookcase.
Lounge with new couch that becomes a bed in old diningroom Thick curtain makes bedroom private.
The large sofa bed is comfortable for 2 people.


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More Scottburgh

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Nancy took this photo of the braai.

Nancy took this photo of the braai.

Dam in ScotLaura's new dress in my flat.

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More Kwa Maratani

Ian, Amy, Zoe, Kate.

Ian, Amy, Zoe, Kate.


Ian, Amy, Zoe and Kate departed on Sunday.  It was wonderful that they came down for the weekend.
The girls were delighted to meet their cousins Laura and Joseph.

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On Sunday, Steve and Mieke lunched with us. It was great to see them looking so well and happy.

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The zebras grazed on the veld next to us. Gnus and warthogs came and went.   

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We lunched in the park and enjoyed the drive especially when we saw the Rhinos.

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20090827 Last dinner in Scottburgh

We enjoyed the last dinner at the Spur.  Laura and Joseph loved the playroom.

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Joseph at the playroom

Joseph at the playroom

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20090827 Durban visit to Ushaka water world.

When it rained we travelled to Durban to visit Ushaka waterworld.  It was wonderful on a wet day but would be even better on a sunny day.

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20090824 Scottburgh

I met Keith, Nancy, Laura and Joseph in Scottburgh with Sevreen and Jack.  We had 2 flats opposite the beach.  The sunny days were spent swimming on the beach and the one rainy day we drove to Durban.  Sev  and Jack enjoyed a braai with us after the beach.   The children made friends and packed a picnic to enjoy in the garden with their new friends. Brian Price joined us for dinner at the Bistro.

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Sheffield and Bamburgh

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Tia, Eyal and I departed from Mill Hill at 5.30 pm on Thursday to meet Dinah and Jason at Sheffield. It was dusk when we arrived but we drove past lovely old and new buildings to Millenium Square to dine at Piccolino’s. It was wonderful to see them and to hear that Dinah is pregnant. Baby due 15 Feb 2009. They are still shocked at the idea. Sheffield is worth another visit.

We slept in a Travelodge for £30 a room. It was clean, plain and good value.
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This was a wonderful stop in the country for breakfast in a beautiful sunny garden with views. We would love to stay for a couple of days.

The drive towards Bamburgh was delightful rolling hills of farmland. The rain came down so we met Jeanette and Scott Robinson, Jessica, Oliver, Tatum and Scarlet at Seahouses in a place that had an excellent playroom for the children.

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So began a lovely party which lasted until we said goodnight at 10 pm. Seahouses is a small fishing harbour and we saw the flat which Scott has just bought overlooking the harbour. They want to do holiday lets on it but the rules do not allow it.

We drove the couple of miles to Bamburgh Castle where Jeanette and family stayed in their beautiful apartment in the castle. Paulo, Ben and Gracie from Marlow joined us at the Victoria Hotel in the High street.

After finding our pretty rooms in this rabbit warren of an hotel we met in the pub for early dinner. The rain stopped and there was a lovely garden in which the children played races and always let the toddler Scarlet win!!!

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Then the highlight of the visit was to go to Bamburgh Castle where they have a large apartment on 3 levels with wonderful views over the village and sea. There are only 160 residents in the village. So it is really quaint and small. It was well worth the drive to get there and I hope I will return for at least a week.

Jeanette and Scott live in a village, Skirpenbeck, which is outside York. Yorkshire seems a lovely place to be. It is near the Lake District and Bamburgh.

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Kwa Maratani animals September 2009

At the Kwa waterhole again Mother and baby Elephants at the water hole almost every day and once 4 times on 1day

Veld in front of the cabanas.

Swimming was super. Our youngest swimmer.

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Wonderful day at Valley of the Waves, Sun City.

Big waves are soon to come. Laura and I tmbled in the big wave.

Keith, Nancy, Laura and Joseph and I enjoyed a super warm winter day in the Valley of the Waves at Sun City.

Lazy river. NANCY

IMG_0665 5 wonderful waterslides in this pool

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