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South Yorkshire - UK
Sam's & Libby's Highlights & Impressions
• We've loved entertaining Mason (Olivia's very cute 8 month old boy)
• The old brick & stone houses
• Lovely home cooked food - in variance to our US McDonalds (burger & chips) diet
• Cute dogs
• Museums & activities
• Playing Wii!!! - at Kate & Dave's
• My sleepover at Olivias' with Mason (Libby)
Hi All from South Yorkshire and the UK
Note our mob ph No for UK & Europe (+44) 7770 749646
Twelve years ago we left South Yorkshire and the UK to return to New Zealand to start a family and re-establish our NZ careers so our return and stay here with Kate & Dave has been full of nostalgia and memories from a time when we used to live & play here before.
Our US - UK flights were quite successful in that the kids managed to get more sleep than on our initial leg … oh and the noted fact that the stewardesses on BA are just that and not the shameful 'questionably happy' (gender uncertain) replacements found on Qantas flights these days.
Our arrival in London on an unexpected bank holiday weekend Friday afternoon brought back all the memories of what we had left behind ... 1½ hours stuck in traffic on the M25 (aka the world's largest carpark) as we battled with 20 million Londoners leaving home for the weekend and 5 hrs to drive the approx 200km to Yorkshire #%*?!.
We've loved meeting young man of the moment - Mason (Olivia's 8 month old boy) and both our kids have spent absolutely hours besotted with and humouring him.
We've been off on various adventures ... walked some of the familiar old tracks and jaunts around the village and countryside with the dogs - Harley & Max.
Watched Dave play veterans rugby at his Hemsworth Rugby Club against Scarborough - a feature of which had to be this old bloke of 77 years who not only stumped up to play but who propped in the scrum, was lifted in the lineout and who refused to wear 'golden oldies' shorts preventing him from being tackled as in his own words he's "no woosie!!" ... oh yeah - aaaaand he suffered a stroke 4 years ago aaaaaaand although his wife suggests he should consider giving the game away he always finds his gear washed, pressed and boots shined ready for his next ... aaaaaand Martin Johnson is rumoured to be looking at him for England for next years rugby world cup!! ... well maybe just one little stretch of the imagination in all this but seeing is believing - so keep those boots oiled Marty there's hope for you yet.
We've visited historic York; learnt about being hung, drawn and quartered in the dungeons; meandered about the old streets known as 'The Shambles'; visited the archeological Viking dig at the Jorvick Centre and done York Minster Cathedral too.
Another day trip took us to the popular coastal location of Scarborough where we managed some sun shine although the outdoor temperature didn't make it above 10 deg - had a walk along the beach at Cayton Bay where a few mad surfers were out in full length wetsuits, gloves and booties, and two very mad children swam in togs!!! … on this occasion not our own!
We've caught up with loads of friends and faces from the past and in typical Yorkshire fashion been warmly welcomed and wined and dined every step of the way - Reg & Beryl, Suzanne & Alec & the 'old' netball team, Lynn & Phil ... too many highlights to individually mention and being here for Kate's birthday on Saturday was special itself.
We've taken possession of Dave & Kate's motor home and have been organising it for our European travels - at 7 metres long and with two king size beds it's an absolute palace when one compares it to the VW Combie van that some of us travelled Europe in not so long ago.
We've had various issues getting our UK banking sorted but we are now set to depart UK for the Netherlands on Thursday's overnight ferry crossing from Hull to Rotterdam and into the land of tulips and Heineken as we 'toodle' off on the next leg of our adventure.
Keep the messages coming ... we just love hearing from you all and all that's happening at your end ...
Till our next blog ... it's over & out from US on our OE!
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