Bob's Your Uncle

Where Has the Time Gone?

Nearly a month since our last post and we are winding down our time here in Oundle. We have not
taken many photos of the house we have called home but will do so before we leave in four days. In the meantime, here is one of our back "garden" that is pretty typical of our daily life - with no dryer, there are clothes on the line more often than not. Since the East Midlands experienced an official drought this spring, we had plenty of sunshine to dry the clothes quickly.

Two highlights of the month included a Stewart Family reunion hosted by Mike's cousin Andrew and his family. Gill prepared a fantastic lunch and then the sportier crowd gathered in the garden for American football and then rounders (British softball). Carol's cousins Cindy and Mary arrived that same weekend and joined us for the party. We went to Warwick Castle, Cambridge, and the beach at Norfolk to give them a bit of the UK outside London.

Brothers

First Cousins

Second Cousins

Run, Andrew, Run

Cindy and Mary enjoing the game

A trip into London yesterday to the VandA Museum of Childhood was as much fun for the boys in getting there as the museum itself (maybe more). Trains, tube, platform 9 3/4...

Jack has finished at one playgroup and came home with the crown for "Special Helper" because he earned it virtually every day he was there and they felt he should keep it. Ian earned his 25 meter swim badges in front and back stroke and has finished his first year in school by learning to read. Both adapted to life and routines here in the UK and some of you will notice a few English expressions have crept into their language. That said, they are excited about returning home - as Jack has repeatedly said, "We are visiting our cousins but we don't live here."

School ends on Wednesday and that afternoon we will close the door to our cozy home here for the last time. We head to Legoland for a day (the boys have been waiting for this treat for at least two months and mention it several times a week), then camping on a farm in Normandy - check it out: http://www.unlitaupre.com/

We will finish with a day or two in Paris, return Andrew's faithful car to him and head home via London on July 15. Mike is already planning his first project on the VT house!

If It's Tuesday This Must Be York

Mid-term Break just ended and we had a fun, spontaneous week with a trip to York, Alnwick (site of castle used in the first two Harry Potter movies), Hadrian's Wall, Edinburgh, St. Andrews, and the beaches of Norfolk. Carol managed to work two days in London while the boys explored Holy Island and England's northern coast.

York was a large Viking town 1400 years ago and the city hosts a great museum that recreates Viking life in England. Medieval streets (resembling Diagon Alley, as Ian pointed out) and a huge train museum were other highlights of our visit.

Alnwick (pronounced an-ick) Castle is by far our favorite castle - beautiful structure with an impressive history, spectacular landscape, fun activities for the kids, and an amazing tree house restaurant. From Alnwick we traveled through rural Northumberland to one of the fort sites along Hadrian's wall. The countryside was rugged, remote and gorgeous.

A quick journey to Edinburgh and St. Andrews before heading home for some rest before joining our cousins at the beach and a (brief) swim in the North Sea.

A crowd gathers to watch the tide roll in and cover the road to Holy Island of Lindisfarne.

Tracing the steps of the Romans at the Housesteads Fort along Hadrian's Wall.

Alnwick Castle

Cheesing it up.

Edinburgh Castle was the one of the residences for the Stewart kings and queens but the audio tour told us that the castle was their least favorite residence due to the harsh weather on top of the old volcano. We were there on a sunny day and it was still windy, very windy and ccccccold.

The remains of St. Andrew's Castle. Yes, that football traveled with us from NJ.

Together Again

Liz and Brooke Truslow came to visit last weekend - great to see friends from home!

Kudos to Brooke for handling jet lag like a champ - off the plane and straight to the playground, a pub lunch, and a birthday party. Notice the crustless sandwiches (choices: jam, cucumber, and ham) and tea for the parents.

On Sunday, a trip to Kirby Hall and another pub lunch.

Old haunts and Isle of Wight

Spent the weekend on England's southern shore, first to see Mike's old neighborhoods and school on Hayling Island, then a stop at the Royal Navy Museum and on to the Isle of Wight. On the way, homage to Jane Austen. Another glorious, sunny weekend in the UK.

Jane Austen's home for the last eight years of her life. Her childhood home was torn down in 1820.

And a view of the village (Chawton)

On Hayling Island, near Mike's second home in the UK.

HMS Victory in Portsmouth.

Collecting rocks (notice the pocket) on Ventnor beach on the Isle of Wight.

Bonchurch chapel built in 1070.

Civil engineering project on Shanklin beach on Isle of Wight.

A Lot to Cover

OK, we have been remiss on posting updates. The most common theme in recent questions from family and friends was the Royal Wedding - did we go (no), what was happening here (people made it a holiday weekend), how many items to do we have with Wills and Kate's faces (two), etc.

In summary, we had a low-key Royal Wedding celebration. The day was declared a bank holiday here and schools and many businesses were closed - expect Oundle School (sound familiar?). It was Mike's first day in the class he is teaching so we stayed put in Oundle. He was home by 10:45 - just in time for the first glimpse of Kate and The Dress - not sure it mattered to him. Before the wedding, most people here seemed more interested in the fact that they had a four-day weekend (Monday, May 2 was the May Day bank holiday) than in the wedding. That said, Jack's playgroup had a "fancy dress" party the day before and he got a commemorative mug (item 1 with Wills and Kate). Ian's school had a picnic and celebrated by wearing red and blue (no uniforms). And in the end, even the non-Royalists seemed to enjoy the hoopla.

Since we didn't go to London, here is a photo of the local bridal shop's Royal Wedding display (those are glittery strips of the Union Jack on the bodice):

Jack dressed and ready for his playgroup party:

It is hard to believe we have been gone for 1.5 months. Realizing we needed to schedule weekend activities, I bought a 99p Royal Wedding Calendar (item 2 with Wills and Kate). Our recent activities have included a "point to point" horse race where Mike bet on the winning horse three races in a row (and then we left before his luck ran out), several great playgrounds (Burghley House Garden of Surprises and Barnwell Park), our first (and probably last) monster truck show, a long walk in a beautiful forest carpeted with bluebells, and a trip to Oakham (home of another boarding school and castle grounds dating back to 1100s). And there was Mike's pilgrimage to Woolsthorpe - birthplace and childhood home of Sir Isaac Newton, complete with the apple tree. No joke, it was a pilgrimage! I am hoping for a stop at Jane Austen's home on our way to Portsmouth this weekend.

A little bit our of daily life. Our neighbors have a four-year-old boy and five-year-old girl and have become fast friends with Ian and Jack. Emelia and Ian scooter to school together with Jack keeping pace and the moms race walking to keep up. I head into London several days a week. The commute is long but manageable. Jack goes to a local playgroup three mornings a week and a daycare for two full days. We can walk to the schools and all the shops which is fantastic except on those occasions when I buy too many groceries. The school buildings are scattered throughout the town and kids pass through the center of town on their way to and from classes (which means quick stops into the local bakery and coffee shop). Mike's aunt and uncle live in town and have been taking great care of us, including babysitting until late hours so we could enjoy an adult dinner party. Today Ian and Jack started their weekly cricket lessons.

Holding owls at the truck show. These owls were rescued by a group called Berkley Owls which holds public education events at fairs and schools.

In the stockades in Oakham after misbehaving at lunch...

Oakham Castle's Great Hall built in 1180:

Woolsthorpe:

Laxton Jr.'s 6th year class in front of The Tree!

Dingley horse race reminded me of the Piston Cup with the spectators' cars parked stadium style up the hill. Can you see the horses just in front of the line of cars?

Full English breakfast - yumm.

I am not a birder but can't help be impressed that pheasants wander along country roads, peacocks torment diners at the local pub, owls woke us up the other day, and kites fly low overhead in search of food.