UK visit - Part 4: Hello Durham/Goodbye UK

While Adam winged his way back to Vermont, his folks delivered me (Jayne) safely down to Durham for a few days with family and friends before I had to head back across the Atlantic too.
Mam T had cooked up a feast and we had a lovely lunch before Mum and Dad L headed back down the road to Devon, stopping off to stay overnight in Tadcaster with Adam's Uncle Malcolm and Auntie Angie.

Mum and Dad L with Mam T - Dad T had already had to leave for a bit of a late start at work

I managed to have a good and well overdue catch up with bestest buddy Claire, and her two lovely kiddies Eve and Baby William. It's a shame to have missed Andrew but I s'pose someone had to get some work done. ;) THANKS Clairey for coming and getting me, and trundling us to yours and back again. It was wonderful to see you and to at least be able to try and catch up with everything... so much has happened! Loved the laughs, especially when you laughed so hard you looked like you were driving round the round-about with your eyes closed... EEEKS! I can't remember what was so funny now, can you?? Reminded me of that time in school when we'd nipped down to Durham one lunch time (probably to get a new top for the next school disco or summat) and for some reason we ended up stranded in the middle of the road with traffic on either side of us and all we could do was clutch each other and laugh - can't remember what was so funny that day either!? We really ought to be more careful, especially since we're all grown up now and everything. :))

Anyway, here are a few shots I managed to squeeze out of the camera before it's battery ran out of juice altogether...

The delightful Princess Eve in her splendidly appointed (and very pink) bedroom. Such a cherub and so grown up since I last saw her.

Baby William kicking back in his cot - it was such a pleasure to meet him, finally! Gorgeous.


William and his Mammy, Claire.

A nice cuddle with Auntie Jayne... aww.



Also on the social calendar was dinner with Mam and Dad T, Nana and Auntie Minnie at The Hobson, who by the way do the most enormous dumplings we've ever seen. Yum! Can't get mince and dumplings over here, and certainly not with proper chips either. Actually, the pic below is Dad's dinner - I had mash with mine of course... mmmm, I love mash I do!

Mam T with Auntie Minnie (my Nana's sister if you were wondering)



Dad T with Nana... unsurprisingly (not) with her eyes closed, as always! :)

We were quite stuffed and hadn't even finished our dinner but decided the steamed ginger pudding and custard couldn't be missed. Pretty good it was too - one bowl, five spoons!

Pondering over the picture round... We'd had such a lovely time we decided to stay for the pub quiz. We won a bottle of wine in the raffle, some free booze tokens for summat else and a few quid for coming second... Bonus!

Next was a visit from Auntie Ann, and we were treated to lunch out courtesy of Uncle Joe, who didn't come along for fear of too much girly talk. He's so wise, tho I was sad to not see him. Thank you both lots and lots. It was so nice to have each other all to ourselves for a few hours. As Auntie Ann said to me it doesn't happen very often these days. Great chats and so good to see you Auntie Ann... wondered where my 10p mix-up was mind... Teehee! Probs cost about a quid these days. ;)

Me and Auntie Ann, having our nice healthy lunch of salad and tuna sandwichs... although the chip in Auntie Ann's hand gives away the bowl of chippies hiding behind the menu... Rumbled! Well, it was a treat.

So, next was a visit by Mel. What a lovely surprise that she decided to drive all the way up from Liverpool to basically have a cuppa, have a chat, walk her doggy and then head back home! Thank you Mel - it was so lovely to see you and it couldn't have happened if you hadn't driven for three+ hours there and the same back again. HUGS to you.

Mel and Mr Darcy

On my last day in Durham I had another lovely surprise in the form of Kirstie, who drove all the way up from London to see me, and to spend the rest of the w/e with Claire and the family. THANK YOU Kirstie! It was such a treat to see you - it's weird how it always feels like just five minutes since we all sat down for a gossip, even tho it's been way too long really. Hope it won't be too long til next time... maybe our next trip back will take us via Heathrow and then we can see you without you travelling the length of the country... we may even invite ourselves to stay with you - aren't you the lucky one!! ;) Anyway, I'm sorry my camera battery gave up before you arrived - it would have been lovely to have a new piccy of us girlies together.

So after another lovely day spent with Kirstie and Claire and the kids it was soon home time and time for yet more sad farewells. Boohoo. It never gets any easier. Mam picked me up and then it was a mad panic to get packed and head back up to Glasgow ready for my flight back.

Mam had booked us into a hotel right across the road from departures so it was nice to get there, have a good sleep (ish!) and not to have to rush too much in the morning. Got all checked in, headed back to the hotel for brekky and then met up with the Garvens who'd driven in to wave me off... more boohoos when it was time to go through security.
:( Even Willie did an on-time wave (it seems he normally does it five minutes after someone has gone...), and Wee Jim voluntarily gave me one of his lovely cuddles. Aww...sniff... :`(

Not that it makes up for the traumatic goodbyes, but I got to fly back business class (on air miles of course), so I was soon feeling more relaxed about things once I got that welcome mimosa down!

Thankyou everyone for making our trip back so enjoyable, and for making it possible at all.

Lots of love all round and see you again soon we hope.

Some specific big thank yous not mentioned here already:

To Katy and Jim for the airport runs, other trundlings and looking after me/us all so well. Much appreciated - we can't wait to return the favour whenever you head Stateside.

To Wee Jim and Willie for being so adorable and everything else that little nephews should be.

To Mum and Dad Lock... we're wondering how many miles you clocked up this time, and the split between Rosemary driving and John driving? Seriously, thanks so much for travelling us about almost literally all over the country. Made the whole trip possible in so many ways. Looking forward to Christmas with you!

To Mam and Dad Thompson - thank you for all the trundling too, and for sorting the airport hotel, and for getting us set with a UK cell phone for next time (actually, Adam has it in Ireland right now... send us the bill!) and for everything else. Looking forward to Christmas with you too!