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31/07/2010 - duly booked on BA, with a window seat – at 22:55 – off I flew......

01/08/2010 - Sunday – All on-time – arrived Heathrow 05:05AM – Gary and Brittsy came to meet me at 07:00AM and we went off to Kingston. Quiet chatty day at home, then lunch in lovely restaurant (The Dysart) in Petersham – roast Beefs all round - and then a walk in Kingston (through the park), then Boaters Inn pub evening right on the River Thames – and early to bed

Some of Brittsy's art and green-fingers -

02/08/2010 – Brittsy had got us booked into a campsite (Senlac Wood near Battle/Hastings) for 4 days of Inga/Brittsy/Papsy bonding... Brittsy and I drove from Kingston, Inga from Cheltenham, where she'd been organising all aspects of the upcoming wedding. She arrived 4 minutes before us... checked in.. found a site/plot and erected the big tent. Around 18:00 sitting there chatting, a family arrived nearby set up their tent... we were to hear more from them... we went into nearby Battle for dinner Dal Maestro (Italian) then around 22:00 back to the tent.. where after I'd got to sleep - the new arrivals were about to have a loud argument, which caused lots of friction amongst other campers – lots of shouting and threatening, police were called..etc.. etc..

03/08/2010 – Brittsy said she wasn't going to stay camping after such a night, so we de-camped, got a refund and together with a number of other families – searched for alternative sites etc... We went back into Battle and over tea/coffee found a lovely B&B Spring Farm, Northlands, Bodiam – springfarmbodiam.co.uk, where Nicky was a lovely host

– what a brilliant change from the previous night!!

After getting settled – we were straight out again – to Rye.. a walk around and found The Mermaid pub for drinks and dinner...

back to B&B for a good night's rest..

04/08/2010 – Big fry-up breakfast – then off early to Bodiam Castle – enjoyable time there – nice bright day,

We wanted to see Hastings – rubbish (basically it had changed to a cold miserable day) so we headed for Brighton – walked along the front, up The Lanes – lots of activity, good place – then drinks and dinner at Havana restaurant.

05/08/2010 – A Continental breakfast this time – and out again... this time to Battle Abbey and the guided tour of the 1066 battle-site etc...

Very well done – and we had sandwiches/soups etc... there.. for lunch.. Back to B&B and tried to be clever – 600 yards up the road was a nice looking restaurant – The Curlew (we are The Curleys) so walked there – only to find they were fully booked up... Jumped in the jam-jars to Robertsbridge and a great pub/restaurant www.thegeorgerobertsbridge.co.uk

06/08/2010 – Pay for B&B by cheque and up off and away – to West Malling – Andrea and Marc (he not there – working), Tabitha, James, Brian and Vonnie and the kiddie-winks Amelie, Poppy and Tilley – all ready for some shampop and a lovely BBQ – a great day – many thanks to all the Stoaties for a super location and food... I leave my camera there (Inga finds it and gets it back to me... soon) - Brittsy drives me home to her house, Inga stays the night with Andrea/Marc... me into bed around 23:00

07/08/2010 – Good old Gary, wakes me around 05:00AM and drives me to Heathrow, to meet Janet – feeling hung-over – find Janet at Meeting Point... go to get Hire car (have booked an Automatic Passat)... they don't have any – give us a Landrover (turned out to be very nice). Drive to Glasgow.. traffic not so bad – but (making good time) then SatNav says “congestion ahead” - program around it?? – takes us about 100 miles out of our way – up the M65 then the A682/65 and re-join M6 at junction 36 – we ignore subsequent (they seemed to peak towards the end of a driving day) “program around congestion requests”. - get to Travelodge in Glasgow – eat in.

08/08/2010 - Sunday – This is it..!! Janet to see Scotland.... Janet insisted on “seeing Scotland” - I asked her what she wanted to see - “Scotland”!! - I told her it was full of mountains, and heather and would probably be cold, raining and miserable.. she insisted on “seeing Scotland”... we have breakfast in a Little Chef on the road to Loch Lomond... all very nice along the Loch,

 than after a couple of hours – we're on the Glen Coe road and Janet says “OK seen enough mountains now!!”. That's it as far as she's concerned... Scotland – done!! I'd got all of this day and all of the next 3, planned for “sightseeing the Highlands” - Whoops!! We carry on th Oban – very busy – don't know why – have Pate and drinks in Caledonian Hotel – then back to Travelodge – off out again – trying to find a restaurant in Glasgow that's open on a Sunday evening – fail miserably – but we do find a nice Pizza Hut..... Sunday evening in Glasgow – dead and alive!!

09/08/2010 – On Tourist Guides of the city, there's the Green Tour – we were going to drive it – but we never found it.... - Janet did however find The Forge Retail Outlets – very happy to find Primark and Marks & Sparks.. Drove around looking for The Tall Ship – found it – as it closed at 17:00... dinner back at Travelodge...

10/08/2010 – Drove to Edinburgh, stopped in at Thrifty Car Hire in airport to sort out where I was returning the Land Rover to – easy.... Into City Centre – the Fringe has already started – millions of people milling about – lots of street artist/musicians etc... parking very difficult – found multi-storey near Waverley Rail Station. Spag Bol in small cafe – walked up Royal Mile – Princes St... back to find Travelodge – missed turn went miles in wrong direction, smaller room bigger menu...

11/08/2010 – Last day in Edinburgh – to Royal Yacht Britannia – very well done.. Hop on/off Bus Tour... then up to the Castle – rip off – 15 pounds each – great views... and crowns/scepters exhibition – too crowded and not all that good... Raining, cold (did tour of Holyrood Palace – tried to get on the “under the Royal Mile” tour – failed – all booked up... back to hotel.

12/08/2010 – Up early – returned hire car – there had been an “incident” at airport – so millions of people – EasyJet to Gatwick – pick up National Skoda car – went to Swindon outlet mall then drove to Ross on Wye Premier Inn (much better than Travelodge) – Fillet steak in Beefeater next door – very happy.

13/08/2010 – Drove to Helens Manor to see if any help needed getting place ready... Inga and Ben in attendance – and lots of “helpers”... all under control – so we drove to Ledbury – changed money (with lots of difficulty at HSBC) – then lunch in pub on High St.... walking along... “MIKE!!” - its Sebastian, Tara and Harald and later Michael and Gisela – lots of chitty chats – they looking for food too – left them and drove back to hotel for a rest before a big meet up in the Talbot Inn in Ledbury – didn't drink and drive – good chatty evening – back to hotel by 23:00

14/08/2010 – Breakfast, miserable day – stayed in – watched TV until wedding time.... Registrar and guests in room in Manor House, Ben very emotional – great!! Inga very happy, laughing.... outside for piccies, then drinks, then to barn for roast pig lunch, speeches – James (best man) – very good... Inga also insisted on having a say!! Then Barn dancing, taxi home at 23:00 – and 1 hour later Inga's dress caught a candle and started burning... they had to roll her on the ground to get flames doused – dress ruined... but luckily not much other damage...

15/08/2010 - Sunday – Janet had found an outlet mall about 1 mile away from out hotel – Labels – we had toasted tea-cakes there, some sightseeing – Eastnor Castle – looks medieval, but was built in 1870's – lovely sunny day – good walks around the grounds and the castle itself... drove to Hereford – dead on a Sunday evening – sat outside a pub – then to Ledbury – Olive Tree Italian restaurant with Brittsy, Inga and Ben – good place!! Home to Ross on Wye. Only to find we'd been invited to drinks/get together with Germans – but hadn't checked our phones... shame..

16/08/2010 – 10:00 – out to Labels for brunch – chat with Filippina sales lady, buy loafer shoes for me, 3 quarter fill up with petrol – 53:00 quid – to Clearwell Caves – not all that grand – but interesting... lunch outside – lovely and warm, bright sunshine – lots of wasps... drive to Ross on Wye, then Lydney and Tinterne Abbey – popping into and out of Wales - visit Market House – everything closing... do some Sainsbury shopping – back to hotel by 18:15 – then dinner etc..

17/08/2010 – Plan is – to drive to Brittsy and Gary in Kingston.... be there around 17:00 – BUT Janet still wants to visit Outlet Malls... we go to Bicester (very busy) – nice Italian lunch, then back to Swindon Steam Mall – then raced at 80 mph up M4... missed the South Circular turn off, also went over Star & Garter hill instead of around it, meet up with Gary/Brittsy in Boaters Inn around 20:00

18/08/2010 – Janet and I walk into Kingston – good place – lots of pedestrian walkways.... Janet finds Primark – very happy... Brittsy joins us for lunch – I take Janet to Heathrow – lots of jams and hold-ups – nearly missed the flight... me back to Brittsy & Gary for Trout Salad – lovely – Janet SMS's “all OK”

19/08/10 – Gary to work, Brittsy to Yoga – around 12:00 I drive to Brian & Vonnie.. get sandwiches on the way - arrive 13:30, Von cooks dinner – Penne/Broccoli – very nice.... watch TV until 23:30

20/08/2010 – Breakfast chitty-shat – then off out to Swan in West Malling for lunch GBP 48.38 – very nice... then to Tabitha and James for take-aways (Chinese and Indian) and silly games.... James was still on Gardening Vacation/Leave – before joining his new company in September..

21/08/2010 – Chatted all day with Brian & Vonnie – didn't go out, Von makes Moscow Mules (cocktails – vodka and ginger beer) – shepherds Pie for dinner with a bottle of Rioja

22/08/2010 - Sunday – Late breakfast, Brian and I on bikes to Asda – then out with Brian and Von – to the seaside..?? No!! miserable weather – stop off at a pub for Ploughmans – good!! Then home to BBQ (special little arrangement – light it – and forget it... very good..)

23/08/2010 – Drive to Brittsy to get there around 14:00 – sandwiches on the way Clacket Lane services again - Super Omelette with Spinach for dinner – in bed by 22:00

24/08/2010 – late start for me – Gary to work – Brittsy and I go to see Gary's Big Project, amazing – knocking 2 flats into one – lunch was a Cheeseburger in South Ken, back home – lazy.. soup for dinner. GBP 6.30 Day Travelcard.

25/08/2010 – Lazy day – Brittsy working from home...

26/08/2010 – Off to visit Mark Wilson and Christine in Bletchley – lots of traffic, but SatNav finds the way no problems... Lots of reminiscing about Ealing Tech days – Mark has a couple of piccies (one in Brugge) which he said he'd scan/pass on... a good day – out to lunch at Flying Fox – 2 daughters.. and a Plane-Spotter – been all over the world spotting...

Back to Brittsy and Gary – then out to Lou and Rich – a lovely Lasagne in their house in Richmond... a really enjoyable evening – thanks!!

27/08/2010 – To Maureen & Geoff in Bracknell – arrived a bit early – and upset Maureen's plans a bit... chitty-chat – and off out to lunch at Beefeater, then to Sainsbusy's to meet Maureen's daughter Helen

28/08/2010 – Plans are – Inga & Ben arrive back from honeymoon in Greece, we decorate lounge for “Happy missed Birthday” for Inga – and 2 bottles of Shampop, and we have a table booked at Jamie Oliver's restaurant in Kingston... alas plane is late – we miss our booking, go to dinner in Carlucios – very nice!!

29/08/2010 - Sunday – Inga & Ben on Li-Lo – we're up by 08:30 watching Greece piccies – they zoom off for another wedding in Kent... we go for long walk in Bushey park watch cricket – lots of deer etc... pub lunch near Hampton Court. Brittsy and Gary organise a convoy – to get me (hire car returned OK) and onto plane leaving around 21:25... all goes well – all checked in – tearful farewell.. Watched Avatar on the plane – rubbish – turned it off and watched the little map!!

30/08/2010 - Home by 18:00 on 30^th, Janet still in KL – 3 days of jet-lag begin.