United Kingdom

Sunday 25 September 2005

Before we hit the road we met Carmen and David and their two lovely daughters. It was great catching up with family news. We travelled all day visiting Holt and Cambridge only finally running a camp site to ground at 8pm near Oxford. It was a delightful spot on the Thames River. A beer and fish and chips at the Barley Mow pub next to the site completed the day.

Greshems at Holt

Gaivs College, Cambridge

Kings College Chapel, Cambridge

Saturday 24 September 2005

Today we headed West through Uppingham with Rhys Kemp as a great host and guide for a tour of Uppingham School. Patsy was impressed that the staff had their own pub, an ex-Public House. He and Jacque are very settled and happy. We then visited Great Yarmouth and doubled back to Dereham to stay with Jane and Don Campbell. We met Richard, Buster's son, Donald, Jane and Don's son and spoke to Trevor. We had a lovely evening.

Rhys Kemp

Petersborough Cathedral

Don and Jane Campbell
David and Carmen

Friday 23 September 2005

We moved on to have lunch with Veronica Garland in Derby who is a fund of information about old St Andrews past pupils and staff. Then onto Chris and Liz Madeley in Sutton Coldfield for a great evening with a terrific meal cooked by their Canadian friend Zazz. Once again it was a joy to exchange memories and news.

Veronica Garland

Chris and Liz Madeley

Thursday 22 September 2005

Saw Vera Garland for a really great lunch and much remembering. She has a wonderful terraced house which is in fact two houses joined up to make one large place. Then onto Stockport frantically looking for a camp site and not succeeding. We found Anthony and Linda Stronge's place at about 5.00pm. We then went round to Vera Stronge's place and brought her back to Anthony's for a huge supper, a couple of drinks and a lot of remembering. Vera kindly let us stay at her place, a great little two bedroom flat. It was a fine day meeting all these old friends.

Vera Garland

Anthony, Linda Stronge and Family

Vera Stronge

Wednesday 21 September 2005

Headed off for York where we stayed at a great little camp site on the outskirts. We then hit York for a walk around the Minster, the Shambles and the wall. Bought sweets in an ancient sweet shop. Contacted Vera Garland in Methley and Linda Stronge in Stockport and teed up visits. A cheapish pub meal finished the day.


Tuesday 20 September 2005

Spent the day driving round the Lake District. Took in Kendal (mint cake), two Troutbecks, the Derwent and Borrowdale, an old stomping ground of ours. Spent the night at our camp eating chicken legs and blue cheese, the 'chippy' had closed at 7.30pm. God, it was like being back in Queensland!

Troutbeck 1

Between the two Troutbecks
Troutbeck 2

Borrowdale

Monday 19 September 2005

Left the Race Course campsite and motored south around Edinburgh and down the East coast to Newcastle before cutting across to Carlisle and south to Sedbergh where we just caught Sue Garnett literally as she was leaving for the first leg of a trip to Slovenia. We had a beer together and heard about her latest exploits in Sedbergh which included a BBC TV programme she took part in and several plays produced locally. The camp site was delightful with our tent next to a small brook.

Susan Garnett

Sunday 18 September 2005

Took the A83, A82, A85 to Perth to meet up with John Napier from Malawi days. He boards with his friend Moira and rents his flat in Stanley. His daughter Janice is a lawyer, his son a body-builder and Helen working in accounting somewhere.

Car and Tent at Perth

Saturday 17 September 2005

A great breakfast followed by a trip to Tarbert to get flu muti for sandy's cold. The wedding ceremony was at 2pm with a non religious celebrant from the local government officiating. Fay seems to be a great girl and Chris, although a little cherubic, is his old cheerful soul. Dave and Doreen seem exactly the same with a few wrinkles. Anthony looks the same and is about to leave a lucrative job in the Foreign Office to take up a post as a sort of secretary to the Archbishop of Canterbury working at Lambeth Palace for a pittance! The wedding breakfast began at 5.00pm with festivities, including short speeches going on until 1am.

CJ and Fay Ball

Sandy and CJ Ball (The Groom)

Stonefield Castle (The Venue)

Sandy and Anthony Ball (Brother of the Groom)

Patsy and Anthony Ball

David Ball Junior (son of Anthony)

Friday 16 September 2005

We used Don's phone to get the best price for car hire and after a walk to Maxwell Park in Glasgow we walked into the Central station and caught a bus to the airport to pick up our car. Took the route over the Erskine Bridge to Stonefield Castle. As we arrived the dreaded Ball arrived in the car park of the hotel as well. The meeting with Doreen and Patsy running towards each other was classic MGM. Great room, the best so far on this trip!

Thursday 15 September 2005

Sandy took in the Helsinki sporting museum Paavo Nurmi, Lasse Viren then we took the airport taxi (20E) to catch flights to Copenhagen then on to Glasgow. People in Glasgow were very helpful and we made our way by bus and taxi to 134 Kenmure St with no trouble at all. We sat on the steps for a while before Don Hargrove and tenants came home and let us in. Got to bed at 12.30am.

Don Hargrove