Christmas Fun!

So Phil and I decided to start a new tradition this year... making our very own Gingerbread House!

This is it almost finished... Once it's in Honiton we'll make the people and Reindeer stand up!

and the finished product:

We finally took it to Pete and Leslie's for their Christmas leftovers Party and at the end of the evening Gill took a knife and began to demolish it...

There were photo's... but I haven't received them yet.

London and Sharon's Birthday party...

Sharon's Karaoke Birthday Party at Bamboo Noodle Bar was absolutely brilliant!

We spent Sunday with Shiro wandering around London...

Looking at Christmas lights!

and other things... like Lamb Testicles(Phil just had to take this pic)

and look at all these birds... pretty awful to see them like this ...I like my birds plucked and packaged thank you very much!!

and then it Snowed...

And so we get snow which is apparently early this year... It's freezing cold but pretty if you take a moment to let a snowflake land somewhere where you can study it!

not a lot of snow but enough for now!

Flipping Freezing cold!!

it was 1 degree C last night and we woke to the sound of people scraping their windscreens to remove the ice!

Aren't the frozen spiderwebs pretty?

Whatever this was was dead long before...

the grass...

the weeds!

Nottingham

Phil took Friday off and we drove 2 hours to Nottingham to change my licence to a UK one!
Saw lots of Cooling towers on the way...

we stayed the night with Dave and Mirren. Dave and Phil went to School together all those years ago...

and on Saturday we went to see the Caves of Nottingham - This is where thousands of people sheltered during the second World War. They're really amazing. Some were dug recently and some date back about 1500 years and more!!
They're made of sandstone which apparently and amazingly can withstand bomb blasts - the blasts actually make it stronger!

W H Smith

A whole section dedicated to Tragic Life stories...

It's getting cold!!!!

It was -3Degrees C last night... here are the pics to prove it!

First the Ice on the Plant tray

Then the frost on the lawn...

Weekend in Poole

Beautiful Heidi...

Here are Christopher and Phil playing on the Wii...

and of course the wasgij we did!

Bonfire night in Birdlip

Birdlip is a tiny village. They had the Bonfire on the school fields. Lots of Parents and kids!
Yummy Mulled wine kept us warm while we wandered around the field in the dark waiting for the Fireworks and watching the Bonfire.

The Fireworks were pretty great!

It rained earlier but on the way it stopped and it also waited for us to get home before starting again!!

Day out in Dummer and Micheldever Forest

Drove to Dummer to meet up with Heather and Karyn.

Had a lovely walk with Heather getting us a wee bit lost in the forest...
Then Lunch at the Northbrook Arms where we met up with Candice and James.

Beer

This is a little Seaside town. Very Pretty!
We went for a walk along the cliffs in the wind - it was howling but otherwise really great!

Forest of Dean - Puzzlewood

Puzzlewood is a magical place! A great place to wander and get lost...

Forest of Dean - Family day out to Little Dean

We had the family join us at Abbey Hotel for Friday evening.
Saturday we headed out to see the cats in the forest. Then to Little Dean to wander around some lakes.
It was really quiet and there were lots of great things to photograph!! Like Slime Mould!

and Hairy worms...

Wimbledon Common

Phil and I went to London and stayed with Karyn and Heather for the night. On Sunday morning we went for a walk on Wimbledon Common - NO WOMBLES!! I was very disappointed! Then made a lovely lunch for Candice's birthday.

Gloucester - Eastgate Food Emporium...

There are the Friendliest people from the Fishmonger to the Spice and Tapas guy who always throws in a couple of extra goodies for me (including marinated cloves of garlic he wants me to eat whole followed by chewing on a cardamon pod... The taste of it(the cardamon pod - haven't attempted the garlic yet!) eaten whole is not entirely pleasant - though Phil says my breath smells ok... )

This is Black pudding in case you didn't recognise it...

Gloucester Farmer's Market

This guy looked like he was posing for me!!
The yummiest food! This Gloucester Dripper is very bad but also really yum! More than a bite or two is too much though!

In and Around Gloucester

Gloucester is interesting - sometimes pretty, sometimes quite rough around the edges...

Gloucester Cathedral - 27 August 2009

This is where some of the Harry Potter scenes were shot!
It is an amazing building - parts of it are about 900 years old and older!!

I loved the gargoyles and had to get photo's of them just for Fiona!!

Winchcombe Country Show - 31 August 2009

What a great day out!
Got the Steam train form Cheltenham Race Course to Winchcombe, then Toddington and them back again.

The Show was great - Lots of Tractors!!!

But also good beer and Funny dog races!!

Week end in Knysna... - 01 May 2009

what a fun week end! Thanks Mike, Cordia, Teia and Alwyn!!

Lion's Head - 28 June 2009

I haven't been up there for a really long time an it was worth it!!

Phil's birthday in Kirstenbosch - 27 July 2009

What a fun bubble filled day!

Farewells to Friends and Family

Hermanus weekend away - 31 July 2009
An amazing week end atHigh Season Farm in Hermanus! Thank you everyone for coming and enjoying a really chilled Week end!

Contact details for those who want to return!
(Quentin: qfmitchell@telkomsa.net / +27 28 314 1507 / +27 76 4811 994)

Family Braai - 9th August 2009
Craig and Brenda came down for the long week end!! So great to see them!

And to spend time with the rest of the Family!!