To the UK and back

We left Garachico on a Thursday morning and travelled across the island by bus to the airport, arriving in Luton at midnight. After a long taxi ride we finally made it to Heather's house in Hornchurch around 1-30 am. It was brilliant to see both of our daughters and their families looking well and happy.

We also enjoyed a great day in London with our friends Liz and Nick, who came up from Somerset to meet with us and visit Borough market and enjoy one of the free exhibitions at The Tate Modern.

After a very enjoyable week, a lot of it spent looking after our delightful, happy and ever smiling granddaughter, Freya, it was time to take the train up north. 

We spent a great week with the oldest member of the family, Scruffbag's mother, Pam, who was fast approaching 90. We spent the day of her birthday along with some of Scruffbag's siblings and their families, in Whitby, on the north Yorkshire coast. This is an old childhood haunt of mine and a place where Scruffbag and his family spent many happy holidays.

We were also treated to a fantastic meal in a lovely setting by my brother and his family on the Thursday. On Friday we went to Saltburn, where I was born and where Scruffbag and I lived for many years when we first met, to stay with our friends Sue and Mally. The next day was party day. The whole family assembled at The Cleveland Tontine for Pam's birthday celebrations - a very posh high tea.

With speech by David Shallow and a chance for a photo of the oldest and youngest members of the family.

Then it was back to Saltburn for fish and chips followed by a pint on the seafront

Another train journey the following day and our final week in London with the girls. Again we looked after Freya and again it was a pleasure and a privilege. Wednesday was her first birthday and Heather took the day of work and the four of us went for a picnic in Upminster Park followed by a visit to the ice cream parlour.

Our friends, Brian and Yvonne made the trip down from Colchester on Thursday to see us and we had a good time catching up. Good to see them looking so well.

The celebrations for Freya's birthday were held on the Saturday in Heather's garden with an amazing cake made by our eldest granddaughter, Lauren, and her boyfriend, Jake and lots of babies enjoying the garden toys and their parents enjoying socialising.

oys.

A great day which lasted well into the night. All too soon it was time to say goodbye to family the next day and fly back to Garachico - a very sad time as on the next phase of our travels it may be a long time before we see them again. Thank goodness for Skype but it is not the same.