Celebrating with the Birthday Booy!

 

This year for Darren's birthday we celebrated by going to the Meat and Wine Co on the South Bank for a posh meal!

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

MotoGP 2013

Spring in Melbourne means the sporting calendar starts again with my favourite event - the MotoGP at Phillip Island.  We were a man down this year because Mark and family have moved back to the UK, but we still had a great day.  Phillip Island is quite exposed and the weather has been 'unpredictable' in previous years, but we were lucky this year and the sun was shining.

Cue lots of photos of motorbikes.......

Lyla's Angels

Our friend's baby girl Lyla was recently diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, so Darren and I took part in the 2013 Melbourne Marathon Festival as part of a team - LYLA'S ANGELS.

We hoped to raise much needed funds for the Cerebral Palsy Education Centre (CPEC), so that Lyla, and many more children who have Cerebral Palsy could benefit from the amazing support and help provided by CPEC.

So we sweated it out and completed the course through the streets of Melbourne, finishing with a lap inside the world famous 'G!

We were honoured to be a part of this amazing race and helping a great cause, and I'd like to thank all our supporters who helped to bring our fundraising total to more than we could have imagined.  To date Darren and I have raised $925, and the team has raised $12,331.

Home Sweet Home Pt1

After four years, a trip back home was long overdue and because it's such a long flight we decided to do it with class - Business Class!!!

Melbourne Business Class Lounge

Glass of Bollinger to start the journey!

Roast Chicken for dinner!

Silverkris Lounge in Singapore

Fully flat beds!

Silverkris Sling!

15 inch TVs

We were welcomed home at Darren's parents, where we stayed for the first 10 nights.  For Bill's 11th birthday, Emma and family hosted a birthday bbq:

And so the competition begins.....

Cheers!

Grandma takes on Bill......

Compliments to the chef!

It was a good chance while we were back to try snacks we can't get in Australia!

It was lovely while we were back to catch up with friends that we've missed.  I had a lovely afternoon catching up with Toni and Vanessa - great friends from Bournemouth University!

And spent a wonderful afternoon with Luce in the beer gardens:

And an evening out with the ladies that I used to work with at Vertex...

...while Darren caught up with his old triathlon training group

We were also able to attend the wedding reception of Ainsley and Anthony, and spend a night at Puckrup Hall where the wedding reception was held.  Ainsley is the daughter of Darren's godmother.  It was also Jackie and John's wedding anniversary so two reasons to celebrate!

We spent a lovely Sunday with Loopy and David at the Boathouse in Tewkesbury:

August 26th was John's birthday and Emma and family hosted a birthday tea which my parents also came along to:

Darren gave a speech he'd completely forgotten to plan!

Father/daughter competition!

Bill and dad started playing in the daylight....

........and only finished due to poor light!

10 nights had flown by and it was time to do the change-over to my parents for the last 10 nights!!!