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Published: June 27th 2010
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Friends reunite
A lovely evening spent in the company of many great friends and neighbours from Shefford. Both Kevin and I had a single flight each to use before the middle of April so were able to fix up a short visit back to the UK to see family and friends and to celebrate Hilary’s father’s birthday. We both had to travel on different flights and arrived in England 24 hours apart, at least we knew we were going to be returning back to Brisbane together!
We were able to catch up the news from Jon and Lou and spend some time with Isabel in Windsor before meeting up with the Sheila and Eddie, Annette, David and Nicola after a delayed start having got hopelessly lost in Staines! It was a lovely lunch where we were able to catch up on every ones news and meet Nicola’s boyfriend too.
Unfortunately we were unable to meet up with Lesley and Pete as she was ill so we went for a brisk, chilly walk around the lake at Windsor Great Park with Alex and Anne and a welcome hot drink, we had forgotten how cold it can be in April.
We collected our hired car after a night in Hersham on Tuesday morning and headed off down the
Hilary's Parents
A drive into the Hampshire countryside and a pub lunch. M3 to Winchester to see Hilary’s parents, Jean and Keith. The hardest adjustment to our moving to Australia is being such a long way away from all our family we do miss everyone, so when we visit ,it is important to make the most of every day. So after copious cups of tea and coffee and a trip to Marks and Spencers to buy mum some new clothes we also managed a trip out for lunch to a quiet little pub in the Hampshire countryside. It was great to see how well mum managed the outing and how much they both ate! Getting out of the house is such good therapy for them both.
Moving on to see friends in Shefford was wonderful we stayed at this great little B&B in Spring Meadows with all home comforts. We were also treated to a relaxing evening at the Donnington Resort to a spa and massage with our friends Jacky and Paul, most welcome after a busy week.
A trip to Reading for lunch and some retail therapy was just what the doctor ordered, there are just some things we have yet to find in Aus and miss so we needed to
Catch up with the Kelly's
Kevin has some competition with his godson's they are all getting to be taller than him! replace some favourite bits and pieces. Kevin also managed to meet up with Alfie his Godson and have coffee with Steve and Augusta in Newbury. Drinks and a chat with the Kelly’s in their garden finished off an action packed day.
On Saturday the sun was shining and the skies were blue so we managed a lovely walk up the hill in the village and enjoyed walking through the open fields and the daffodils and was reminded about the beautiful place we used to live in. We had a fantastic evening spent in the company of all our friends from the village at Nikki’s house exchanging news and stories and reminding ourselves of some of the funny things that happened to us all in the past. We all go back a good few years.
A return to Winchester to celebrate Hilary’s father’s birthday with a surprise lunch followed with good friends, Rosemary and Gordon, Marjorie and Nick who travelled up on three different trains. It was a very happy day and so lovely to see everyone remember the good old days, especially Jean who was able to recall many moments from the past.
Our final evening was spent with our
Best Friends
Nikki and Hilary enjoying a walk around the village on a beautiful spring morning. dear friends Beccy and Jeff and their family in Woking. We were able to share a happy meal together and hear all their news, they have all grown up so fast. What is so amazing is that no matter how long we have not seen each other when we meet up again it is as if we have only been away a week or two. True friendship.
The ten day visit flew by and we soon found ourselves heading back to the airport ready to stop over in Singapore unknowingly that the airport was about to be closed for the next eight days after the volcano erupting in Iceland and contaminating the air. We were so very lucky and left UK soil with three hours to spare, otherwise we would be telling a different story!
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