After getting back to Alex and Ian’s home in Bexleyheath, it wasn’t too long before Callum came home from school after being collected by Nana Chris & Grandad Barry. It was lovely to sit out in the sun and enjoy a good english cup of tea. I don’t know why but the tea always tastes better on this side of the world…..Yorkshire Tea of course, it can’t be anything else.
Sitting in the sun, so pleased to get the compression socks off and back to bare feet
The bag of goodies was opened and gifts given, news caught up on and more tea drunk. We both managed to stay awake until 7:30pm local time before we crashed into bed for a good long sleep. And sleep we did only waking for a couple of hours in the wee small hours before falling back into a deep sleep.
Blowing a kiss goodbye as Callum scooters off to school.
We spend our first full day catching up on life admin, you know, washing, unpacking, sorting out bits and pieces.
The following day, Friday 17th May, we were busy in the morning cooking up a big pot of chilli ready for a family gathering the next day, lots of washing and pottering about in the garden. We are on grandparent duty this afternoon at school as there is a school fundraiser which involved lots of bouncy, inflatable, apparatus.
Lots of excited kids with parents plus generators equals lots of noise!
Some people were well organised with picnics, rugs and chairs. Callum met up with his best friend Noah and they had great fun together.
Tearing through the various apparatusCallum and Noah with their spoils at the end of the afternoon.
By the time we got home at 6pm, we were both exhausted, after all it’s only 48hrs since we landed and with body clocks not quite adjusted as yet, it is understandable.
It was never going to be easy, saying goodbye, even though we know we will see them all again in February it’s still not a pleasant thing to do. After sorting, packing and organising ourselves it was time to leave, heavy sigh. Alex & Callum took us to Abbey Wood Station, where we said our hoorays whilst trying to keep it quick and upbeat, nice try, didn’t work!! Oh dear, I’ve set myself off again just writing this!!
We took the Elizabeth Line to Liverpool Street Station, drying the tears and composing ourselves along the way where we then had to transfer to the rail network to catch the train to Stanstead. Yes, we are flying out of Stanstead this time rather than Heathrow, I have no idea how it worked out this way but it did. Whilst in an elevator getting from one station to the other, we struck up a conversation with a young mum and toddler, we were OK until she asked if we had grandchildren…..poor thing, I think she was just as upset at my blubbering as I was. Again, I composed myself as we boarded the very crowded train to Stanstead, we just so happened to coincide our journey with early evening commuter hour.
At Stanstead, the bottleneck getting out of the station was just ridiculous as there are no electronic gates and with just three staff manually checking each and every ticket the queues were very long, just as well we have plenty of time before our flight.
Yes we are in the queue to check our luggage in not at a nightclub!!
We were through into the airport and next was time to check in our luggage. Having checked in with time to spare we headed off through security where yes, I set off all the alarms, so it was off with the shoes and into the full body scanner where it seems I have two artificial knees, one artificial hip and a bra!! From here it’s through all the duty free shops, and no, we do not stop to shop, but head through to the food outlets where we find somewhere to have dinner.
Shall we go to Weatherspoons?
Indeed we did end up at Weatherspoons as none of the other fast food outlets appealed so Weatherspoons it was. We finished our meal and headed to the gate where we were soon boarding, the first leg is to Dubai, just a 6hr flight.
The flight was uneventful and we were soon landing in Dubai having had very little sleep apart from the odd cat nap. We were off the plane very quickly and loaded onto buses for a 20minute ride to the terminal. This airport is massive, I don’t recall the airport from our trip over but we must have docked at the terminal as we certainly didn’t have to catch any buses. It was off the bus and into the terminal to find our way to our gate but not before setting off alarms again going through immigration and customs, a quick check and yes, I still have two artificial knees, a hip and a bra! We don’t have any time to dilly dally as our next flight is boarding.
Off to walk, ride escalators, elevators and a train ride to our gate and straight to boarding, no time to stop not even for the loo. We were quickly boarded but then had to wait as two passengers hadn’t boarded and they were trying to locate their luggage to offload. After about 20minutes two young women sheepishly walked down the aisle and we were then on our way. Only 18hrs 50minutes to go! The flight seemed to take forever, I watched a movie or two before becoming bored with that, tried to sleep but to no avail, got restless legs, went to the loo a zillion times, exercised my legs and feet, all the while watching the flight path slowly inch forward. We arrived in Kuala Lumpur for a refuel stop where we have to stay on the plane (hurry up Emirates and bring back the A380’s so there’s none of this 90minute stop to refuel). A number of passengers alighted and we were then on our way again.
This leg of the flight seemed to last forever, as we crossed Australia from just north of Broome to Brisbane it seemed never ending, then the final 3hrs across the Tasman were really painfully slow then hooray I can see the Manukau Heads appear ahead out of the clouds.
We touched down at 12:23, taxied to the terminal before disembarking. It was a quick exit through immigration via the electronic kiosks, then off to collect our luggage which promptly came through. I must note here that no other flights were in sight so the airport was particularly quiet. Pick up a bit of Duty Free that we had paid for on our outward flight all those months previously, and yes it was a bargain! From there it was through customs where we had declared food (remember all that liquorice?), a quick tick from them before our bags are X-rayed then it was a pass from the sniffer dogs and by 1pm we were outside waiting for Antony to pick us up. That’s the quickest we have ever exited through an airport. And a big thank you to all the welcoming staff members from customs to immigration, your smiles and “welcome home” were really appreciated. And an even bigger thank you to Antony for picking us up and having us to stay, we really appreciate it.
Antony drove us to his home but not before a quick stop at the supermarket for some essentials; milk for the cuppa and some gingernut biscuits to go with the tea, as well as some Vogels bread to have with Vegemite. We were at Antony’s by 1.45pm where we quickly removed the shoes and compression socks (they become quite uncomfortable after two days of continuous wearing), unload the car of all the luggage, and have a welcome home cuppa. After catching up on news we both headed for the shower, then it was time to run a couple of errands but oops, our car isn’t going anywhere as it has a flat battery. We did get it going after jump starting it off Antony’s car but the following morning it was completely flat again. Oh well, a new battery it is.
I lasted until 5pm before succumbing to sleep, apparently Roy managed another hour or two but that meant we were both awake at 4am the following morning. Never mind, we spend the next couple of days getting ourselves reacclimatised before heading to the Bay of Plenty to be reunited with our home.
Although we miss our UK family desperately, it is nice to be home in Aotearoa.
After an epic dinner at Fallow the previous evening, we were having another dinner celebration but this time at home with Ian’s family as a farewell for us. We decided on a Spanish theme for the evening which was easily sorted with lots of tapas to start with followed by a prawn paella, a chicken potato and chorizo dish along with lots of sides. It was a great evening with everyone enjoying themselves.
To finish off the evening, I had devised a devilish “taskmaster-style” task for everyone which consisted of guess the icecream flavour. I had mixed vanilla icecream with a number of different flavours….the faces of the participants were priceless as they tasted and tried to guess what was in the ice cream. There were proper ice creams for the children and they helped me by being the wait staff for the task.
The flavours were: 1.Roast Pork, Yorkshire pudding & gravy 2. Chili con carne & rice 3. Christmas pudding. 4. Pasta, sauce and Parmesan 5. Strawberry & yoghurt. 6. Marmite & Crisps (aka chips in NZ). And yes, they were still talking to me at the end of the evening!!!
The Denny/Vannini clan.
We can’t thank everyone enough for making us feel so comfortable and part of the family and particularly to Ian, Alex and Callum for putting up with this pair for the past 5 and half months. It goes without saying that we miss you all but we look forward to seeing you in February.
Eeek, where has the time gone? It’s time to get a move along and get a couple more museum visits in with Callum before it’s time for us to pack up and leave. So we are off to the Science museum, walk, bus, train, cab, walk, repeat.
Callum and grandad on the train.In the cab (my selfie skills are not improving)
We had a great day exploring the museum, we started off in the area that has activities set up for preschoolers which Callum just loved.
Water activities with wheels, chutes and channelsPlaying with the giant rubber Lego style blocks
Someone was getting a little hungry so we went upstairs to give him lunch. We were somewhat surrounded by lots of schoolchildren on an outing and it became very noisy, time to eat a hasty retreat. After Callum had his lunch we went back down to the preschool area as he said he wanted to go back to play there.
Lunch timeBuilding a tower, but can I build it taller than me?Yes I can!
Off for a bit more of an explore around the museum however it was soon time to head back home before the afternoon commuter rush but first Roy and I needed a bite to eat. We walked down the road to grab something, we must have worn out Callum as he was fast asleep in the pushchair after two minutes! We ate our very late lunch then hailed a cab to take us back to Paddington Station, Callum slept the whole way back to the station which was just as well as we were held up for 20minutes getting out of Hyde Park as protestors had blocked the road. Callum woke just as we got to Paddington Station ready for the journey home.
The following week and we were all off to the Docklands museum on Alex’s day off. The weather has become quite autumnal and we had to break out our winter coats that we keep in London.
On the train wearing the winter coat
Off the train at Canary wharf and a short saunter to the Docklands museum.
Seen opposite the museum
We had booked a time slot for the play area so we had plenty of time to wander through the museum and do one of the other activities for children which requires you to find small toy rats hidden throughout all levels of the museum. This meant we had a good look at everything on all levels searching for the toys. Once we had found all the rats, it was time for us to head to the play area.
Callum intently loading up ships and trains in the miniature dock area.Sliding down the super fast slide in the soft play area.Loading up the ships hold…too much on one side and it tipped, a great balancing game. Callum loved this game, and once he had loaded it all up, we then had to unload it all ready for the next person.
I have to say that this is one of the best museums we have been to particularly for children to explore, it is very well laid out with lots of interesting displays including interactive activities dotted throughout. Once we had finished our time at the museum, it was time for some lunch so we headed to a pizza place along the Docklands foreshore in one of the old warehouse buildings. This area has undergone extensive rejuvenation over the past few years and is now a vibrant mix of offices, restaurants, cafes, museums, and apartments.
Pizza for lunch for us allAfterwards we played table footballBoys versus girls…. apparently Grandma isn’t very good at this game 😜
Another couple of museums ticked off the list, until the next time.
The first time we came to London we were surprised to see a fox casually walking down the road, admittedly it was a quiet road. Since then we have seen them intermittently even in Alex and Ian’s back yard.
This time however we have seen many more, probably because we a living within 200 metres of a large wooded area Bostall Woods. Since arriving 6 June we have seen them quite frequently so here are a few pictures taken at the back of our house.
These first few are of a lone fox seen early morning around 12 June
Quite unconcernedSpots me through window but continues to prowlThis one was spotted on the neighbours back shed and was there for a good two hours just relaxing
The following two pictures and clip are from 27th of July.
They appear to be from the same litter just having fun at the our houseAnd his/her’s offsiderIt’s time to play!
In between trips away, days trips, and the usual daily activities we’ve been busy doing what most grandparents do, being as “helpful” as possible.
Barry and Roy were tasked with sorting out the roof on Callum’s playhouse. It was a two man (grandad) job they said.
Barry & Roy at work.
It was a simple job they said and was completed quickly. Not like the other job they had replacing the plug mechanism in the bathroom sink that then required multiple trips to the local plumbing shop, with the owner Steve and Roy now on first name term basis. It seemed that lots of plumbing bits were required and pipe work had to be changed as the original job was a bit of a botched one. But over a few days of fiddling, it was finally sorted.
Another day and we took ourselves off to IKEA in Greenwich, just because we can and anyone who knows me knows how much I like organisation. Whilst there we thought we should try the infamous meatballs, purely for research purposes of course.
Meatballs for us bothAnd a few purchases may have been made….the van will soon be organised beyond belief!
Another day and we took Callum into Bexleyheath for the morning. First stop was for a hot chocolate and a cookie. Although I’m not sure that he will get through the mountain of marshmallows and cream that were on top. In fact in the end I removed all the toppings as he doesn’t like sweet stuff, and certainly isn’t keen on marshmallows.
Churrrr….this looks good.
From there we took him to the library where we browsed and read a few books before selecting the take home books and catching the bus back home.
Just lying here chillin’Back home and reading with grandma.
Another day and a local farmyard visit this time to feed a few animals.
Callum and grandadFeeding the sheep
And another day Callum had to help grandad hose down the deck after some foxes had left their calling card.
Helping grandad wash the deck.
I’ve done a bit of baking with Callum but forgot to take any pictures as it’s difficult to manage baking items, sharp utensils, a 3yo, a hot oven never mind a camera as well!
Halloween activities at nursery
There’s been plenty of other activities and trips out and about which I shall write about soon. This is just a small sample of what keeps us busy!
Real time update: As you may have noticed I am about a month behind with blog posts…I am getting there albeit very slowly. I blame not enough hours in the day, doing lots, being easily distracted and then completely forgetting what I was doing previously.
However, things are happening in the real world. When we arrived in the UK back at the beginning of June; the Queen was celebrating her Golden Jubilee, Boris was, well, let’s just say that Boris was being Boris. Now just a few months later we can look back and see that we have had the death of the Queen and subsequent funeral, changes of Prime Minister/Leader of a Party, said party in turmoil with subsequent economic ramifications that affect everyone leading to the death of British Politics and it’s anyones guess as to when that funeral may be. We won’t mention Brexit but there are serious lessons to be learnt.
Meanwhile, we are winding up or is that down? ready to make our way back home before not before cramming in a few more experiences. I’m trying not to think about leaving too much, for many reasons; 1. I hate goodbyes 2. The packing 3. The looong flights ahead 4. the subsequent unpacking 5. the restocking and replenishing the fridge and cupboards, 6 sorting out Drs visits, 7. Organising any R&M required. But on the positive side we can look forward to Alex, Ian and Callum coming to visit in Februaryand in between we will catch up with family and friends and go fishing to restock the freezer. We can also look forward to summer weather, fingers crossed.
Thank you so much to everyone who has made us feel so welcome and making this trip very memorable. We are already looking forward to the next visit!
Monday 5th September. Grandma and Grandad are off on an adventure with Callum, we are taking him to the Natural History Museum in London to see the dinosaurs. But first we have to get there, it’s a walk to the bus stop, catch the bus to the train station, then train on the Elizabeth Line into Paddington Station, then a London black cab to the museum. Phew, it’s a mission.
Bus and train routeTaxi ride through Hyde ParkOn the bus, reading the paper on the train, in the back of a London cab
We had waited until schools returned after their long summer break before we ventured into the museum to avoid the crowds, as it was, it was still extremely busy.
Callum doing his best dinosaur impressionChecking out the geological exhibits Dinosaur skeleton Blue Whale skeleton on the main hallGiraffes This is what fascinated Callum the most, the moving roaring T Rex exhibitSomeone was enthralled for ages
We spent a good hour or two looking at all the exhibits, a little bit of sensory overload for a little man so we went outside for a break.
Callum and Grandad playing hide and seek
Back inside we found the clock from the CBeebies shows Andy’s Dinosaur Adventures and Andy’s Prehistoric Adventures that Andy uses to travel back in time to see dinosaurs.
Andy’s clock….and no, we had no idea about this either until we came to London. Fortunately I’d been to the CBeebies Proms a month or two ago, so I knew all about it!
For those not in the know, the CBeebies is the BBC’s children’s channel and Andy is one of the presenters.
It was time for lunch so we headed down the road to find a pub for lunch. As we sat eating our lunch another family came in and sat at the next table, it turns out they had just arrived in the UK that morning and guess what? They live in Auckland! Although the dad was English, and the mum German, they had lived in China but now reside in NZ. We ended up having a lovely chat. Small world!
Lunch at the pub
After lunch we had a bit of a wander before reversing the mornings travel arrangements to head back home. Callum had a fantastic day, he really enjoyed the exhibitions and he was so good for us too. The next museum trip is already in the planning but first we have a few adventures of our own to go on. Mission accomplished.
There’s a bit of a joke going on with our UK family about the fact that Roy and I have never been to a Weatherspoons pub or a Greggs café, remarkable really considering the numerous times we have been in the UK. We will see how that plays out over our remaining time here.
We needed to get a few chores done so we headed off into Bexleyheath, spotted both said establishments and just had to take a photo of them both and tease the family that we may venture inside one or both venues.
The above mentioned establishments
No, we didn’t go into either of them, however I’m sure we will at some stage though. Whilst we were meandering through the Main Street we heard a little voice calling our names. Really? Are we hearing things? Who could it be? We eventually saw who it was, it was Beth, Ian’s niece who was in town with her grandparents and sister.
Top: Roy, Chris, Beth & Olivia, bottom: Bernice and Barry
We had a cuppa and a chat with them all before we headed off on our separate journeys to complete the days shopping. It’s a small world!
Another day and Roy goes out with Alex & Callum, along with Sam Beth & Olivia to Mudchute Farm. As I’d been here just a few weeks ago, I stayed at home catching up on a few things whilst the others went out for the day.
Roy and Olivia feeding the goatsAlex & CallumLeft: Beth Olivia and Callum on the DLR train, top tight: Callum with grandads hat, bottom right: lunch at the pub
Another day, and an another outing this time to Swanley Park with its playgrounds, miniature train, lakes with pedals boats and more.
A happy day out and about.
Tomorrow we are taking Callum out for the day on a big adventure with grandma and grandad, but you’ll have to wait for the next exciting episode to read about that!
We had no sooner arrived back from our few days away when we were off out again, this time to see a show at the Orchard Theatre. The show was BIG, based on the Tom Hanks movie and put on by the Orchard Theatre youth group.
Ready for the show to beginAlex, Chris, Bernice & Roy ready for the show to start
Roy and I went along with Alex and Ian’s mum Christine for a very enjoyable night out. Earlier in the day Roy and I had been round at Chris’ to help her with a jigsaw she had been struggling with. I must say it was a very hard puzzle but we managed to move it along a little but we promised to return in a day or two to hopefully complete it for her.
The following day was the annual summer BBQ that Julie & Brian put on for the family. I had offered to make dessert so Callum and I made a pavlova, a plain vanilla pav and we topped it with lemon curd, cream, mango slices and passionfruit. It was delicious too….and I forgot to take any pictures of making, decorating or the completed article so you will have to take my word for it that it was probably one of the best I’ve ever made!! Must have been the 3yo assistant who gave it its specialness.
Everyone relaxing in the shadeDennini (Denny/Vannini) familyCallum with grandma and grandadRoy and AlexThe Dennys showing us how it’s doneFun and games for allGroup photo
It was a great afternoon and evening, wonderfully hosted by Brian & Julie, thanx for the great afternoon and evening, we had a blast.
And as promised, the following day Roy & I went to finish off Christine’s jigsaw puzzle, a few hours later and it was done!
The Vanninis' Manoeuvres 