Great photos guys. It's so good that you're doing some once-in-a-lifetime activities while you've got the chance: Make the most of every minute.

A Mary came out of hospital today and is looking well (black eyes aside). Chris scored a try during the rugby festival in Dursley today and thinks their team came either joint first or second so he's happy.

Nothing else to report really but sending love as always xxxx 

Hi Ian!  Just to let you know we enjoyed your latest batch of photos.  It certainly looks as if you are all really enjoying your adventures. We feel quite envious!  Bet the under ground caves were awesome! You'll have to enlarge on it all when you come home. Take Care. Love N & P xxx

P.S LOVE the picture of stroud and proud in the sand!!!! xxxxxxx

GUYS!!!

wooop! how are you all! miss you guys very very much! looks like your having super fun times! you all look so brown..... please bring me back a tan, im soooooo pale! you best be taking loads of photo's and having a super amount of funage! miss you guys! dont forget me! lots of stroud/loughborough loving! xxxxxx big kisses xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hey everyone!

Hope you are all well? We have been having a pretty quiet time down here for most of the week until on tuesday we decided to book ourselves in for some black water rafting for saturday afternoon! Then, however the other boys discovered they were playing rugga and unfortunately we couldn't go so we rang them up to cancel but instead they managed to fit us in yesterday (wednesday). So we drove up to Waitomo, took about 3-4 hours to get there, got kitted up (i'm sure you'll see the photos) and proceeded to abseil 35 metres down into a dark wet cave. From here we walked through a small tunnel and then had to zipline in the complete dark (no headlamps) with the only light coming from the glow worms below us. We were then given large rubber rings in which we floated down the cave river caterpillar like, and looking up at the ceiling it was like looking at the stars, actually quite surreal haha. After swimming through the tinniest gap in the rock possible and much frolicking around we eventually dragged ourselves up 3 waterfalls to arrive to the surface blinking, as the rain hit our eyes. ( It had actually been raining hard all day so we were all quite relieved to be underground for most of it. It was an awesome experience though and something that is pretty unique to that set of caves so we're all really glad we did it. The boys are playing another game on Saturday, this time for the men, and once again i am reduced to the role of camera man! (i'll try and get some better shots then i did of the last game for you all) We start work again on Monday, that is if the apples have decided to ripen themselves so we should be able to replenish some of our lost coppers. Missing you all

The boys xx

Hi Ian!  It is a week since we posted a message so thought we'd better let you know you are not forgotten! ( As if!!!) The weather is glorious- wall to wall sunshine! Can stand any amount of this. We have been "pottering" in the garden this-morning.   It is lovely to see the Spring bulbs etc., poking their heads above the earth.  How is your collar bone?  Is it still painful? Did I dream it, or did the boys have a match this week?  If so, how about some info? You will probably have heard that England did quite well on Sunday with a win over France.  Let's hope they can keep it up for Saturday against Wales! Love and good luck to you all. N & P xxx

Oh and I forgot to add my little reminder to Gem's - DON'T FORGET MOTHERING SUNDAY - THIS SUNDAY, MARCH 18th !!!

Hi Ian! Where are you?!?! Have you forgotten all about us?   Hope all is going well and you are finding something interesting to do while you have a bit of spare time, without spending all your hard-earned of course.

Bit worried about the Speedo situation - foolishly, I was thinking that you had a pair each, but I understand NOT....

Was at Tinkley Corner for Sunday lunch - shame you missed it, definitely up to the usual standard, nearly a whole jar of apple sauce used! Can only hope that you have acquired your Mum's knack of cooking excellent roasties - we will all be looking forward to sampling your cordon bleu when you return! Had to laugh  at Auntie Maggie's message re photos of food - she's right of course! However, can;t laugh too much, my family are just the same - when we went to Cornwall last year for my Dad's birthday we spent the whole week either eating or talking about food - planning the next meal, discussing the last one etc.  And I will confess to you all that WE also took photos of it - and the empty plates afterwards!

Auntie Mary thrashed Chris, Barb & me at Blokus (curious game played with what appear to be cubes of jelly !) although I must admit that there was just a leeeeetle - um... shall we say LOOSE interpretation of the rules! Chris won as well, being far more competitive than some of us. Although board games do tend to bring out the worst in all of us, I feel!! 

Chris and I were delegated the task of assisting with some literacy work for school - I am devastated to learn that I know positively NOTHING about English grammar and sentence construction etc. Was flummoxed several times by the vocab and had to keep asking Chris what things meant!! Have come to conclusion that my education (though long) has been woefully lacking in essentials! Not sure that I would do well in SATS...  Good thing that I am of rapidly advancing years and therefore in no danger of having to take them!! Now wondering whether 'and therefore' is strictly correct usage of connectives and whether they are adjuncts or conjuncts... (May have to go and lie down in a darkened room for a while until overheated brain stops chuntering..) And I never knew that these little dots... were called ellipses (possibly spelt wrong! Or should that be wrongly? I feel that it probably should.)

Anyway, probably best if I stop wittering before everyone comes to conclusion that I have lost what few marbles I have been clinging to, so wishing you all the best, hope you're having fun and being good boys (if you're not, please don't tell me!) Lots of love, Jane / GM xxx

hey boys!! finally got onto this website..got the address from mags and alan.. how handy i love it.. and the photos are great i am really jealous. bar nine is not the same without you. but am pleased your spreading your hunky love around the beautiful country of nz.. have the best time and hope all the rugby goes well.. make sure joshy noah and dan are behaving them selves if you see them xxxxxxxxx love al x xx x

Stanley nervous, but I've explained to him it is only young beef called Stanley that you eat ~ so he's looking forward to your return with less trepidation. Girls performed well, but impossible to play decent netball on warm sunny days ......with 100mph winds coming straight off the sea! Having said that, no hairy mammoths in sight. 9th/10th nationally. Have informed my Head that even the staff at Roedean seem to be able to afford Ferraris (think it was a parent, actually, but no harm in trying). John Newns very disappointed that no 6th formers were in sight ~ took his long lens just in case (Roedean = extremely posh, wealthy girls' senior school in Brighton). He noted that he could never take a netball team because he would be arrested for saying things like "take your tracksuit trousers off ....." to Year 8 girls ...or any schoolgirls really. Nicknamed my darling captain TomTom as she was asked at Chievley Services where we'd come from. "The North" ....Another budding female driver in the early formative stages ~ VERY proud! 'England' and 'exciting' can now be said in the same sentence ~ how about that? Screamed at the TV several times (reminding me of my mother, sorry ~ NOT sorry, she was one in a million) making Stan rush in to somebody's rescue, only to find it wasn't brother&sister fighting but a demented woman in a chair, pretending to write reports. Glad to hear the NZers awed by Jimmy's pace and that your presence was noticed in the pack, Will. Stick in there, Boys, and together. Life's a bit like a rugby match sometimes. Hope Ian's back on the pitch soon and the apples ripen slowly. Missinumorethani'lladmit xx

Just watched the match on the television and feeling happy!!

Hi boys, Just a little message from sunny Nympsfield. It's been lovely today and it really seems as if Spring could be around the corner. Chris went to Noah's and played football on the common this afternoon. He was totally exhausted this evening as we had Noah here to sleep last night and I don't think they actually slept much at all. Friday night sleepovers after Scouts take me back a few years Ian!! Joe is working at a ski resort at the moment and enjoying it but not earning huge amounts from what Katie said.

Am going to email Lilla now. As I said on the 'phone, she has your number and intends to make contact. It was great to hear her and catch up on their news. 

We're having A Mary, Jane and Gramp for lunch tomorrow. Chris has training from 10-11.30 am so that should fit in well. I don't think I've told you that Karin is coming to stay on March 22nd. She's coming with the exchange and we're really looking forward to seeing her and taking her out and about.

Will speak again soon, take care and have fun.xxx