Amy Guys this sounds AMAZE!!! Cannot wait to get to Auz now after hearing all your stories :):) sorry for lack of commenting recently...been super busy as my SLO year draws to a close - had my last visit to a school yesterday! Ails - I'll be in Cambridge until end of August, so will definitely see you to catch up when you get back. Massive love and hugs - so glad you're having such an awesome time - and just be safe when riding those elephants! Anna - pictures of Ails on her bum, please :) xxxxxxxxxxxx

Lois Ailsa - good to hear you're safe after the elephant trek! Have you any hairy spider pictures? Special anniversary today..... Amy - will you be sad to leave Cambridge? Is London the next destination?

Amy Lois - yes, sad to leave Cam in one sense, but super excited in another. Am off to Australia for the year - flights to Perth booked for September 10th. After that I literally have no plans at all! So maybe London (I may well try again for masters/PhD places), but I'm just going to see what this year brings. Hope all's going well with the Cambridge job and hopefully see you in the next few weeks when Ails is back! xxx

Mx Brilliant blog and what a time in Australia - feel quite envious. Sounds really exciting and you're still packing such a lot in.Mnay thanjs to Lyndsay and family! Meanwhile - we have had the wettest June since records began and have just had our injections for dengue fever etc etc. Chris has booked train to KL so arriving there at about 3pm on 23rd July - a long way off and lots of adventures in store for you both before then! Nana visits next week to go to Hampton Court flower show. Love m

Kerry G Anna! Sounds like you're having an amazing time, and your blog is keeping me very entertained while I should be doing work :-) loving the pictures too, can't wait to catch up and hear all your stories! xxxxxxxx

Zandre kate - Wow heather. These are some of your best. My fav's: the last shot (the coorls are stunning); her standing on the street with the black jacket; and the one with the red heels walking away! Love them all and you!

Lyndsay Welcome "Down Under"...........from your blog I can see you have had enough training and developed the required resilience to survive a week in Janes bedroom! No need to worry re insects, have spent the weekend spraying moretian (kills all spiders) did spare the wee huntsman who is really part of the family now, we will intorduce you to him when you arrive in ACT. Love the blog, you have both been very busy! See you soon Lynds (Ninis)

Lesley Thanks gals! Great blog! Jealous of camping in monument valley and of keys and of lots of other things too! Fascinating that you explain the Alamo - must be an age thing, suspect everyone, but everyone, over age of 40 knows what the Alamo is - from the western movies. Meanwhile, in other news....Sandy is in Bulgaria with 10 other teenagers. He texted back on day 2 that he needed more money.....I can only hope that this predicament has reduced the chance that he will come back with a badly executed Bulgarian tattoo. Louise and the newly formed Aberdeen Uni Synchro Club competed in their first comp - the Scottish Club Championships and did very well. They reckoned that as they are the only team comprised totally of over 18 year olds they can do some riskier routines and are considering a Rocky Horror Show themed routine next time....! Mum/Nana got 95% in her last OU assessment, including full marks, repeat, full marks on the section on Plato. As much of an achievement is that she has mastered the electronic submission of the assignments! So doesn't have to wait for Geoff or Sandy to come home to help her! Louise, I and two others completed the Edinburgh marathon relay - which was great fun and gave us quite a buzz. We are meant to be doing a half marathon but I think that might involve actually running between now and then and thus is far from certain! Geoff fine - will be more relaxed when S returns home safely from Bulgaria! Look forward to speaking to you when you arraive safely in spider land! Love fae Lesley

Yasin Helene13th December, 2011 2:18 pmForget London. Whatever monument/memorial to be built shuold be housed, I think, at Stratford. In fact, the entire town, itself, is a memorial to Shakespeare, sans an official stone monument. The hundreds of people who tour his boyhood home every day and walk along Henley Street are a living reminder to the impact this one man had on theater.HeleneP.S. Thanks for identifying the illustration and quote.

Mick VH Looks like fun girls, glad you are having such a good time. Drive carefully and watch the speedometer! x x x

Mark Van Haeften you are OBESSED with sweet tomatos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alice 'The Best' Van H Yeah watch the speedometer.. You may just end up with a $400 fine and 50 points on your New Zealand driving license! And you have missed ALL the season finales. They are good. Espesh The Mentalist. Have fun kids