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!!!

Home Sweet Home Pt2

On the way to my parents from Darren's parents we paid a visit to our house in Hucclecote!

And then we were welcomed back to Hatherley:

'Welcome back' banners.......

.......asnd Union Jack flags!

I spent a wonderful afternoon catching up with Donna and her two children Mia and Luca.  Mia was our bridesmaid when she was 3 and it was lovely to see how she had grown in to a beautiful young lady about to start senior school.  They made me a lovely afternoon tea!

Catching up with Karin and Chris Morris over a curry:

An afternoon at Pitville Park with Sophie and her twins Liam and Phoebe:

Mum and I went to Gloucester, had lunch at Gloucester docks and did some shopping at Gloucester Quays:

I was able to catch up with the first friend I made in Cheltenham and to meet the 2 additions to her family since we went away:

We had an early birthday meal for mum at the Royal George at Birdlip

I am so pleased that I managed to catch up with a very dear friend, Margaret:

Sunday lunch at mum's:

September 2nd was mum's birthday so we spent the day in Cheltenham shopping, with a break for lunch!

Fish finger sandwiches at the Slug and Lettuce!

And in the evening we went to the Harvester!

And then there was cake!

Friends from our old gym had a bbq for us which meant we got to catch up with everyone:

and they treated us to some ale that's definitely not for Aussies!

As our holiday was coming to an end, it was time to say goodbye to my best friend Luce:

And spend a last afternoon in the sun at mum and dad's:

The day before we left we spent time with Mabel and Kieran:

before going to say our goodbyes at Darren's mum and dad's - cue a photo shoot at Emma and Dan's:

Followed by another at my mum and dad's:

We had a hectic but brilliant 3 weeks catching up with so many people, and it was very hard to say goodbye to them all and get back on a plane to Oz.  We are very lucky to have such a wonderful family and friends who made us feel very welcome - as if we'd never been away (except the kids seemed to have grown up overnight!).

Thanks! XXXX