Wednesday: Had a lay in today. decided we were so savvy with London and U.K roads that we would venture back out beyond the M25, Just in case there was a problem, I spent 1 1/2 hours writing out the route to Legoland. Yep it lasted until the 3rd junction and got put in the glove-box. Mind you we didn't get lost, we found another way to turn around on the main road outside our door. It took us an hour to get to our destination and after choking at the price we entered what turned out to be one hell of an experience. we expected lego toys but not the rides they had, (a bit like rainbows end in Auckland ) we decided to take on the Loki's labyrinth first. to enter all you have to do is walk through the waterfall, as all adults know it will stop before you get wet, well this one dribbles on a bit, ensuring you get at least damp. After completing this we headed to the Vikings River Splash. watching the kids on the little water canons lining up to fire on the boats as they drift down the river it looked harmless enough. As we entered the Round tub we realised we were definitely going to get Wet, for a start the seat was soaked and as soon as we sat down so were our pants. a small waterfall drizzled us as we headed down towards the water canons, these are now manned by teenagers who were looking for wetness and so they drenched us. the rest of the river run was great fun until the big waterfall at the end of the run, this time it waited for us and dropped the lot on our tub. What a blast, and as we walked away soaked we came across a family dryer and spent 5 minutes trying to dry off. Other rides included the Spiders Web which is great for stirring up your stomach, then somehow i ended up on what was described as a fun ride, only to turn out to be a roller coaster. there was so much to see and do, whether you had kids ( which most people did have ) or not. we went numerous rides and finished up at the cities / countries of the world in Lego. I ended up taking another 260 photos which i will have to sort out when i get home.

Tuesday: 3 days to go before flight time. Today we hit London as touristy type people. Deciding the underground would not be a good idea until 9.30 we had cruizey morning and the headed in at 10am. Jacqui's been looking forward to this trip for some time so away we went to Madame Tussauds to check out the Waxy people. we were not expecting the way they were set out where you can interact with the models, I stood waiting to take a picture of Patrick Stewart when Jacqui told me I was waiting behind a waxwork photographer, did I feel a fool O yes. What an brilliant time we had, although we didn't do the scream experience which looked similar to the york dungeon we had previously done. the last part of Madame Tussauds was the 4D movie Marvel Characters was certainly a Wow factor show. The 2nd part of the day was spent at the Tower of London, I didn't realise how big it was inside, we came here in 84 but missed the opportunity to enter as we were late in the day and the Crown Jewels were in Australia having a holiday. This time we got the tour and the time to explore, although we still missed the chopping block in the top room of the White Tower. Time ticked by when we were told it was closing time. We spent a little time looking into the Thames and reflecting on what we have done during our holiday, I have to say Tower Bridge has never looked so good. On the way back to our hotel we stopped in Kensington for Dinner in a Restaurant we found on a side st. the food was good, as day turned into night we found the tube to our room. Tomorrow he head off to find Legoland on our last day before we fly.

Monday: Time for more Bye Byes as we leave Wokingham, up late so we missed Andy as headed off to work, we spent the morning with Sandra before heading off to find London, We knew it was east and was large so felt we would run into it eventually. 45 minutes later we found our Travelodge without to much stress. unpacked our bags as started to re-pack for the trip home,Ummm, our bags seem to have shrunk in the past 4 weeks. With tim.e ticking on the nerves started as we headed off towards London's Westend for Mamma Mia. Slightly shocked that we made it into the city unscathed we found a Italian restaurant for dinner  and off to the show. What a show it was, absolutely stunning performance that had the audience up singing and dancing as the show ended. Definitely worth going to. Unfortunately today was a photo free day but I'm sure we will catch up tomorrow as we head back to the city for our tourist day

Sunday has arrived along with it another farewell, this time Ginia and Glenn, holidays with family are great but there is always goodbyes to get through. Going by our track record and needing to be in Wokingham by 12pm to meet up with Andy for football, we decide not do the scenic route through Chipping Norton and instead hit the motorways. the choice was right as we get to there at 11.30. With Sandra dropping us off at the train station we head into Reading and meet up with Richard and get the bus to the Madejski Stadium to watch Reading play Spurs. We had a little time before the game to have a bit of a wander around Reading and see some of the historic buildings and sites, Jacs personal favorite - the statue of the lion on the memorial at Forbury Park. Richard arrived and it's off to catch the shuttle to Madejski.  Splashing the cash in the club shop before finding our seats for the game. So OK the result didn't go our way but we still enjoyed the atmosphere of a proper game of football with the pre-match hype, the roar of the crowd, the singing and the chanting, all quite spine tingling. At the conclusion we find O'Neill Irish pub and dissect the game over a beer and a meal. it was great to spend the afternoon with the boys. tomorrow we head to London for the last few days.

Saturday: Finally sorted  London accommodation with guidance from Glenn, starting our adventures today a little later after farewells to Kathleen and David, we headed off to Stratford upon Avon to check out the Bard and friends, the first of our stops was Mary Arden's house and Tudor Farm. Again we had found a little gem, we both had our pics taken with a Falcon called Zulu after watching the Falconry show. finally found a door way that even Jacqui had to duck through, The staff who are volunteers all dress in Tudor Dress and we had a chat with a leather and wood carver before heading onto Anne Hathaway's Cottage. Again we weren't let down, the cottage ! well more a house and gardens were wonderful, finishing in the sculpture garden and hedge maze. there were a few points in the gardens i would like to try at home. the historian gave us a great talk on the house and family, giving us the true facts to the tale. Unfortunately we ran out of day time to move onto William Shakespeare's home, as we had a date at a pub for dinner, never mind, we had a great day with what we saw. tomorrow we head away again. This time to Reading for a certain game of Football

Friday: Well the realisation of less then a week to go starts to sink in. We decide to change our plans and not to travel over the bridge to Wales, instead a little compromise, we traveled through Cheddar Gorge before heading north to work our way around Bath, The Gorge was stunning, while Bath was slow to get through again our travel times seem to be out by a few hours but we got to see some amazing scenery before arriving at Ginia's at the same time as Kathleen and David and spent the next few hours chatting and catching up. The pressure to find accommodation in London in 2 days time is now on so best get on with it.

Thursday: Up up and Away, up bright and early to miss the Traffic! Yeah right. We must be getting used to it now as we negotiate our way out into the countryside without incident. heading down to our first stop Stonehenge, I remember being taken their as a nipper and we able to climb over the stones, Not these days with so many tourists ( no we don't count ) It was Jacqui's first sighting of the stones and with so many people around there was something missing. onward we traveled, hunting down the elusive white horse of Wiltshire. I have to say it was a stunning drive through some beautiful countryside when a round a bend it appeared. Another first for Jacqui the Northerner. Snapping some pics and taking in the scenery. Back to driving and our destination of Wells, the countries smallest City. Upon arrival we were fortunate to get upgraded ( desk clerks don't like men crying at the thought of climbing 3 floors with cases ) therefore we got front and centre on the first floor with a 4 poster bed, Yeah for tears. With views of the Cathedral from our room it was a great spot. Out we go to see the sights, the Cathedral was amazing  and we got lucky when the choir decided to practice during our walk, the sound was incredible. Overlooking the town square, we were doubly lucky this time with an upgrade and Wells Night on the town. Jazz band, Rock concert, karaoke, jugglers and acrobats, food and beer stalls, after dinner in the hotel we went to our room and watched the jugglers and acrobats right below us. We decided we like Wells. Tomorrow we are off to Alcester to catch up with  Ginia Glenn Tom Kathleen and David.

Wednesday, phew this travelling, so much to see and so little time. never mind UP and away, first stop rather bizarre but to the cemetery we go, the great bone hunt was on again, this time with luck we discovered a couple of names for dad to chase history on, who knows whether they belong to us but they are in the right area. Then off to Portsmouth to finally meet Jo and new baby Winnifrid Elizabeth and catch up with Richard, it was great to spend a little time with them, the cost of travelling around the country is not long enough times with family. never mind, short is better than nothing. We went to the docks and had a little time in town for lunch before getting lost on the way back ( not me driving this time, hey Sis ) back to Bracknell for dinner with Andy and the kids before collapsing back at base and Bed. tomorrow we head to Wells and the start of our last week in the U.K. and a action packed week it is.

AAaaaah. Time is a ticking and we are finding it a little hard to keep up with the blog but here we are with Tuesday eventful activities. A part from the normal getting lost there and back we had a day at Brooklands Museum, on paper we thought it would fill in a couple of hours but the reality was 6 hours and pushing to see everything there was to see. Jacqui thought it may not be her thing for a whole day but loved it. School holidays were over and we pretty much had our own personal tour guides in each exhibition.All volunteers and all very knowledgeable. First up "Buses"   horse drawn, tramlike, open topped, single and double deckers ! Brilliant! Next "Planes".  Having a virtual flight on the Concorde as part of the 45minute Concorde experience was brilliant only to be topped a couple of hours later with a sit in a Harrier Jumpjet for Steve. Next " Cars, Motorbikes and Cycles". Probably had the least amount of time to spend here, but still some amazing rides to see !!

Monday. up early and away we head on our search for Pork Pies at Melton Mowbray and a cruzie trip south. Ha ! not quite. Trish's instructions of left, left and 3rd exit on the roundabout sent us north not east,was yesterday a fluke Trish or did i mishear. By the time we had realised the traffic had kicked in on the motorway so we sat and edged our way towards those Pies. not sure how we did it but unwittingly taking the wrong exit turned out to be our saviour, and with clear roads we made it to the pie shop. onward we trundled, finally taking a stop for a cup of tea in a Rockingham, a lovely village setting. deciding a change in direction we headed towards Henley and another stretch of the legs, half hour look around. Jacqui then put the map book away as i challenged myself to remember how to get to Reading and me Sisters place in Wokingham. Driving straight to Caversham and calling into the cemetery and Grandad Blake. then onwards through Sonning, Woodley and finally Wokingham. I only got caught out in the estate where Sandra lives, mind you i got lost in the same place last time. Caught up with Andy Lisa and the kids before they headed home. Tomorrow we hope to get to Brooklands Museum.

Sunday. Up we get this morning for "Trish's Mystery Tour" although I must say after learning the reputation my beautiful cousin has for getting lost I have to admit Steve & I were both a little nervous !!! I guess that the good thing about mystery tours it really doesn't matter what your final destination is, it is supposed to be a surprise ! AND I have to report that Trish new exactly where she was going and how to get there and not a single wrong turn !!!! I just don't know what they're all talking about Trish. The drive was gorgeous, through the tree canopies, Matlock Bath and Matlock, we love this stuff !
And what was our final destination "Chatsworth House". So magnificent ! It just took our breath away. It surely was a time of opulence, but also of great beauty. It seemed like every room we went into was more stunning than the last.
Then it was off to Raj and Helen's for dinner, good food, good drink and great company. We haven't laughed so much for ages, thank you so much, and thanks to Abigail and Jess for reminding us of the games we can teach our Zoey when she gets a bit bigger !
All in all we had an absolute blast in Derby, special time, special people xx
Tomorrow it's up early & off we go to Wokingham to catch up with Steve's family.

Kirkby Lonsdale

Saturday. after an interesting nights sleep in the banana bed, it was time for a shower, unfortunately to have a shower i had to kneel in the bath, the shower was more of a hair wash shower, not what we were expecting. all in all i wouldn't be advising anyone to stay at the Cherry Garth hotel. yes it was close to town but that was all it had going for it. after brekkie we hit the road and head towards Derby. first stop on the trip was the sleepy hollow of Kirkby Lonsdale. A lovely little village and worth stopping. we found a shop that Marc would love. army surplus, unfortunately no gas masks  for sale.

Settle

onward we travel next stop was to be Settle, a market town and very busy. a toilet stop and a look around, and again we took to the road. this drive was always going to be a test both in working our way through large towns and doing it in a decent time. after getting lost in Halifax and confused in Huddersfield we finally gave up the smaller roads and found a motorway south to Derby. Finally arriving at Trish's place at 4.30. Neil and Angie were also there along with trish's friends Raj and Helen and kids. what a wonderful way to finish what was quite a stressful journey south, hitting the pit at 1am. tomorrow we are checking out Derbyshire

Drumlanrig Castle

Penrith

Friday. After a good nights sleep and a all you can eat breakfast we farewell Scotland as we head down to the Lake District. Tommy gave us instructions to keep us out of Glasgow city and this we did but still missed a exit and spent 25 minutes driving around the Paisley area until finding our bearings and got back on the motorway, once again going the long way. I have to say that for most part this drive was pretty boring, we did find a little place with great kerb appeal. Drumlanrig Castle, a drive of 1 1/2 mile through wooded roads before a 300 mtr approach to the castle was stunning. A cup of tea and quick look as the castle opening season finished 2 weeks ago and on we went. next stop was the market town of Penrith which looked lovely but was confusing to a visitor. it took 30min to find a park and the information centre. we were looking for the Rheged centre a  underground shopping experience but gave up in frustration and headed south to Kendal and to Windermere  where we stopped and checked out the town.Very nice but very busy,our destination was Ambleside and we arrived by 4.30 and collapsed on the 3rd floor bed which after a nights sleep we call it the Banana bed. Had dinner in town at Queens Hotel sampled their local Ale, very nice, good food and a slow walk back through the lovely village. Saturday we drive down through the Peak District to Derby to catch up with Trish.

Thursday. The day had arrived that not only Jac's and I but Tommy and Elaine had looked forward to. The day of the Steam Train ride to Mallaig on the Coast. Unfortunately some thing else also turned up, Rain Rain and more Rain, the idea of walking to the station was abandoned and a Taxi ordered  and off we headed to catch the train. The ride was enjoyable with sounds and smells of the steam engine working its way to the coast. On arriving at Mallaig we stumbled upon the Steam Inn, where a warm fire hot food and a cold beer awaited. It was unfortunate that the weather was a wee bit damp but the trip was well worth it and we certainly enjoyed our 2 days with Tommy and Elaine. Before we knew it the trip was over and after the farewells we were on our way to Dunbarton. What a stunning drive through the Glencoe mountains even with the strong winds and rain. arriving at our hotel at 6.30 a new premier inn hotel with a restaurant sitting alongside. a one night stop and away to Ambleside in the lake district.

Wednesday. Again we stumbled on a little gem in the place we stayed the night. Columba house might not be the modern flash place for most to stay, more a blast from the past. Myra, our host calls you by your first name and has a great sense of humour, very quick with one liners. to get to it you go off road and a dirt track but still only a 5 minute walk into the town, not that there is much there. After a hearty breakfast we followed Tommy as we headed in the direction of Fort William,, with a slight detour out of the way to Invergarry, stopping at the monument to the Commando's. Along with the statue was a memorial garden where relatives have put items belonging to those that died in active service. It brings it home to you when you see some of their ages being the same as our boys. For a monument in the middle of nowhere it was incredible to see the constant flow of people coming and going including buses,

Onward we travel back the other way to Fort William, at the base of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Britain, I have to say we were surprised at how small it looked compared with what we are used to seeing in N.Z.. Off to town we walk and get as far as the first pub, a nice drop and a bite to eat before a wander round the shops and then back to the BandB to check in and un pack. In the evening we went into town for dinner at another pub called the Tavern, good food and conversation. before heading back we called into the 3rd pub for the night called the Grog and Gruel for a night cap, a Whiskey Liquor we have never heard of called Glayva,it was rather devine.
Up early tomorrow as we go looking for the Hogworts Express to Mallaig and then onwards to Dumbarton

Tuesday and the time to move on has arrived. After an emotional farewell with Audrey and Eric we headed out of Newcastle and north to Kingusse in Scotland. With words of warning ringing in our ears not to go into Edinburgh city. It was an easy exit without getting lost this time, with blue sky's and sun shining we worked our way north. Although we did not plan  to stop until Perth, this changed when we came around a corner and the Abbey Ruins at Jedburgh came into view. it took nearly an hour to take in this stunning ruins and learn some of its history.
Once again the road signage problems reared its ugly head and before we new it we were in central Edinburgh on a 1 way system wanting to go the other way. It took 40 minutes but finally broke free and found the forth bridge, the rest of the trip was was easy with good roads and flowing traffic. We got to the sleepy hollow of Kingusse and the Columba house Hotel. We were met by Tommy and Elaine and spent the next 6 hours in the bar and restaurant with Jacqui and Tommy catching up on the last 35 years.

Monday and we have been here 1 week. Today we were  "Blakeys on the Buses" and caught the No 98 and went in to town to spend some time with a crowd, and no we were not let down by the people of Newcastle. and Yes we did enjoy our day. We had forgotten the sights and smells of Newcastle with the Grainger Market, the smells of open air butchers and fishmongers, people calling out their businesses to entice you in. Managing to negotiate our way around Eldon Square, we found this fella in white just "standing around" !!

The thing about "Eldon Square" try as you might you never can come out the same way you went in !!
Off to "Greys' Monument" where people were sitting in deck chairs sunning themselves and watching the Paralympics on a giant screen. Yep ! I did say DECK CHAIRS and SUNNING !! The sun has been following us wherever we seem to go !
Starting off down the hill we opted to go and visit my bridge, (really the TYNE Bridge, but it will always belong to me, just something a bit special about this place, mebees it's me geordie comin oot !)
Finding a sports shop or two for Steve and finishing off our bit of shopping for today, we decided a well earned rest was in order, so off to catch the bus back to Audrey & Eric's. Another lovely evening and
chat and it's off to bed earlyish, Scotland tomorrow !!!

Sunday. Quiet relaxing start to the day. Got on Skype and caught up with N.Z. and then we went to the Metro Centre for the best part of the day. still an amazing shopping centre and still confusing as to where you are. got Jacqui's wedding shoes and had a good look around, as you can see from the video clip there are things for the kiddies to keep them amused, this along with the little train and roller skating and I'm sure there was stuff we missed. from the centre we went accross the road to a retail park and JJB's sports and picked a few items. then deciding to get lost again we went for a drive heading back to base and came across Sunniside again then out to Jacqui's old school at Byermoor. 9 years ago we took the boys and it was locked up , this time was no different but we did however have a chat to the caretaker Terry Jubb who then spent an hour with us and took us through the school, it made Jacqui's day. tomorrows our  last day in Newcastle and we will be going into town for the day

Saturday and day of catch up with family. Get together due to start at 1pm, so after a quiet morning chatting at the table with Audrey and Eric we decided to pop down to Whickham to check out the shops. I decided that i had waited long enough to have a cheese and onion pasty from greggs so away i pop to get some. As the pic say i lost one of them. after a look around we went off to Karen's house to Party. Hmmmm Jacs here, who ate all the pasties ?? Blakey did ! Why Aye Man !! Ok so back to Karen's and what a wonderful afternoon, one after the other the family came in the door, so wonderful to see them all, the Geordie lingo came to the fore, just naturally flowed out the gob !!  Thank you and much love, miss you all already, but rest assured  I will be stalking you all on Facebook and Skype. Particularly looking forward to Tekkin a Toby doon the way !!