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Our three week whirlwind UK visit left us exhausted, homesick, happy, sad, ponderous and all that. Watching the jubilee celebrations added to our collection of thoughts about where we are and what we want to do.
So of course I distract myself, make cake and decorate the mantle. Sponsored by Emma Rafter, we have the wondrous cake topping, paper chains, ribbon and tin. Marks and Spencer biscuit tin and a union jake kite - a gift from a friend quite a while ago. Anything red, white or blue fits as does my newly acquired jubilee mug. I've changed the guard and put up postcards I've kept from sent from Blighty, even dug out some pictures of landmarks and top spots. Great British Anthems played and the neighbours came for afternoon tea with the aforementioned cake.

Paper chains and ribbon from my sponsor
Tin from Marks and Spencer

The Union Jack Kite completing the scene really

Victoria Sponge, thank you Jamie

Jet lag and a week at work clearly showing on my face, but I battle on and make cake

The wonder that is

Ready for afternoon tea

Just one more for good measure

Afternoon tea - yes sunny and warm in winter Auckland

Half eaten cake but the Queen hangs in

Is this helping the quandary, I don't know.

Day Nine

Really only nine days, wow. But this is the first time I'm on my own. Well on my own is not quite the thing, but I'm travelling on a train from Chester to Darlington.
Nine days in and I haven't looked at a box or bit of furniture to 'sort'. That starts this afternoon. I feel a cleansing coming on.
The train takes me through places I have never heard of, so this trip has turned into a school type project as I make notes and comments about the stations we pass through and the wise observations of a 40 something woman who had been thrown into a cauldron of mindfullness since getting into the UK. So rather than deal with that right now, random train stations it is.
First up is Hellby, clearly a station proud of itself, as you roll in you notice it's a bit special. It's the winner of the tidiest station award 2011 but proudly displays all it's previous awards.
Frodsham is next and is under some renovation - is it trying to keep up with Hellby down the line - conjours up images of interstation on rivalry.I digress. Frodsham is the gateway to the standstone trial ( my train scribbled notes are a bit dodge and that could be sandstone though. Either way this is also the station to use for getting to the Weaver Valley Regional Park.
Runcorn East is a little nondiscrept with no handy signs or titbits of information. Warrington Bank Quay is not as posh as it sounds but I do start to get glimpses of canals which I rather like. The best I can come up with for Earlstown is the colorful railings on their steps and bridge. You pull into Newton-le-Willows with an view over the town and here at last some beer carrying football fans get onto the train. You'd think with a name like Newton-le-Willows they'd be a story, it has a 2 lonely platforms but not a lot else. Manchester Oxford Road next which means this journey is nearly over.
I'm treated to chimneys and yellow fields and as I passed through these previously unheard of towns my mind wonders about the people who use them, what do they do, why use the train, where do they live, are they happy, what are their dreams, what do they have for lunch.
Pulling into the city of Manchester there are tall impressive looking buildings but I need to find my next platform and take the wonderful sounding transpennine express.

A postscript: taken me far too many days to complete this, so day nine is now 13. As for posting, that will be day 24 then!

Up and out

We made it, the last minute hiccups have to be seen in a positive light. So we land safely, have the bestest hug from my dear brother and head to the coast.
We wake and walk. We may have packed poorly.

In the planning

I do like a list, or a plan, or anything project like really. So with only two weeks to go we have a plan. We went round the houses with the possibilities and then the discussion of van hire/storage/shipping, which to be honest we haven't really resolved nor have we worked out exactly how Duncan will get the wardrobe to Folkestone from Darlington, but heh. It will work out, it will change and you know what, that is fine, because as much as I like a plan, I also enjoy a bit of chaos and challenge.
There is much to be done and many people to see, and I get a little tired if I think about it, so I hope we folks understand.

The Trip

1 - fly in land Heathrow 1615 (clearly the flight times (see fly out time) are why the  flight was the cheapest)- stay at mums

2 - up to Folkestone - Dover castle with Dad Shelia, Jane and kids - stay at Dads

3 - day in Folkestone

4 - Canterbury with Dad and Shelia

5 - day with mum

6 - divide and conquer

Adam - gets to Darlington

        KT - gets to Birmingham for wedding at 3pm (need somewhere to stay)

7 - KT gets to Ellsmere port 

8 - with Di

9 - train up to Darlington - sort stuff out there 

10 - drive to The Lakes

11 - at Lakes

12 - back to Darlington 

13 - Drive south - stopping at grandads en route - stay Hastings (Jayne or Lizzie)

14 - sort stuff out at Lizzie's - ?meal out with work guys

15 - couple of days in Hastings

16

17 - 

18 - 

19 -   

20 - 

21 - flight out - need to be at Heathrow around 6pm - sorry should have thought that flight through a bit better! 

At some point between days 17 and 19 we'll get to see and stay with the wonderful Emma, and there is car hire in there somewhere which Adam has totally under control. 

I have goodies to bring back for folks, and my reading organised, a wedding outfit (that is warm weather dependent), so almost sorted then.