Monday 30th May

Another update I hear you cry? How come so soon, as usually all you lucky people get is 'once a fortnight'.

Having had an absolutely fantastic weekend with a medley of relatives I knew that all this bubbly happiness needed a release, plus when I get back to Jersey they'll be no time to blog the next part of the Big Adventure !!

We travelled down to a little village called Waterhouses, quite near Leek, and right on the border of Derbyshire and Staffordshire , it took us nearly three hours to drive down.The rest of the family relatives arrived soon after us, except for my eldest brother who had a nightmare journey and got tangled up in roadworks, car accidents and general bank holiday traffic. He didn't arrive until 7:30pm, and could only stay the evening as needed to head off to Devon the next day.

My sister being super organised had arranged a food shop order to be delivered on the Friday and had catered for every eventuality ! Another sister in law ( to be!) had made cookies and brownies, and AB had baked two key lime pies, and brought me some dairy free flapjack, mmmm .

The nephews had supplied some beers for the boys, wine for the girls, champagne drunk for all the 'celebrations' that we were celebrating and lashings of ginger beer ( actually pink lemonade ) for the children.

Saturday we drove a few miles down the road to Dovedale and all enjoyed a very pretty walk to Milldale some of us went half way, but most of us walked to the end and back , about six miles in total.

A BBQ cooked by my brother on the Saturday night fed all 15 of us, and accompanied by much laughter and the usual gentle (!) bantering that goes on in some close knit families. ( or put another way, taking the "mickey " out of each other) .

Sunday morning we hired bikes ( all bar the two dog walkers ) and set off through the Manifold valley..... Considering we were a motley crew of mixed ages between 7 and 70 (some more proficient on bikes than others - AB not ridden one for forty years). Some of us went half way to Thors cave , ( very interesting and a bit of a climb ) but four of us "hardcore" cyclists myself two nine year old girls and my nephews girlfriend cycled the eight and a half miles to the end of the track , which was quite busy with walkers, cyclists, and lots of small children, but also extremely pretty down by the riverside.

We felt we had earned lunch and cake by that time and we then made the return journey in an hour and ten minutes, so very proud of the girls and ourselves for our achievements. Seventeen miles and a good team bonding exercise :-)

Photos of the whole weekend and the 'last supper' to follow as my skills on adding photos to this blog still haven't improved...

Travelled back up to Middlesbrough with my sister this morning after saying a reluctant goodbye to everyone, and enjoying their hospitality overnight before flying back to Jersey tomorrow afternoon..... Before leaving again Thursday night for Gatwick.

Overnight stay at Heathrow and then loaded up with aspirin and flight socks bottles of water to ward off any ( more) blood clots we fly out to Hong Kong, and from there to AUSTRALIA ....Brisbane to be exact .

The MOE ( Minister of Environment ) put his name down six months ago to attend a conference and the forgot about it, wasn't going to go and then the other person who was supposed to accompany him couldn't go, so everyone said he MUST go and of course I saw the chance to jump on the band wagon, never believing I would ever get to see the other side of the world in my life time and although it's only for a week ( !) I am grabbing this chance with both hands.

A few minor concerns not only my high risk of DVT, but also MOE's gall bladder issues, he is booked in to have the operation the week after we get back on the 24th June, and it's just as well, as unless he has very plain no fat food he suffers.

I will be taking my iPad and so hope to post from the most easterly point in Australia , I am SO excited , and equally SO unprepared but sometimes that's good, I just feel like I need to experience life as much as I can, and although never having made the much talked about 'bucket' list going to New Zealand would be high up there, so Australia is a very good close second!



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