Will, Amanda, Jack and George: August 2007

Billy & Margaret

Squirrel hunter. The introduced North American Grey Squirrel has decimated populations of the native Red Squirrel in England and Scotland. Billy Wood, formerly of Cockburnspath near Eyemouth, Scotland is pictured above embarking on his aggressive campaign to re-establish populations of Red Squirrel in his back yard in Darlington, County Durham.

Billy & Margaret on the couch.

Oops - George presiding over Westminster from the tourist bus.

The Transmogrified Green-Thumbed Billy and his now famous Vegie Patch.
Corn's nearly ready.

Soft play area - where else?

It had been a while. Will first met Billy & Margaret in Darlington in 1984. They visited us before the arrival of George in 1999. We all vividly remembered the walk up Edward's Point when a Dolphin swam past close to shore. Also Billy and Will had fond memories of the flogging they gave Chomley and Red Nut Harper at Barwon Heads GC.

We spent three lovely nights with Billy & Margaret before heading to London for two and then 'home' to Barrhead. Highlights included Amanda and Margaret's shopping expedition during which Amanda purchased an unfathomably large new shoe collection at rock bottom prices. Also, dinner in a new Italian restaurant that was previously an indoor kids play area. Remnants of it still exist out the back so the restaurant owners can get the unruly kids out of the way...

Thanks Billy. Thanks Margaret.

Instant London

BUMBLEBEE TERRORISM STRIKES HEATHROW TUBE
A surprising number of Londoners were rendered entirely panic stricken after a largish bumblebee was found heading for inner London on a train last Monday. Many occupants of the carriage were chased from end to end until the bumblebee was shooed from the train by two young Australians somewhere near Clapham Station. The boys pictured above, were mildly amused by the incident. 'It's just a bee,' said Jack (10) of St. Leonards, Victoria. The Bumblebee has since been traced and questioned by Scotland Yard over trainee camps it attended in Afghanistan. Police have also collected the Bee's phone records and bank account details. No connection with terrorist groups has yet been established. The Bee has been released and is under close surveillance.

Covent Garden. Difficult to leave the street theatre. Boys loved the acts. Nice pasties from that shop on the corner too. Will bought a Fall CD at HMV - for those of you old enough and with obscure enough musical knowledge.

The boys had been asking the question, 'Is that Big Ben?' every time they saw a tower with a clock on it ever since we landed in the UK. Finally, the real thing was staring at us the moment we emerged from the tube at Westminster.

Peter Pan statue, Hyde Park. A family tradition continues. Mary held the rabbits ear in a photo taken by Dad in 1962. Jack climbed all over the rabbits head in 2007.

London Eye. This very big Ferris Wheel has become the world's largest tourist attraction, apparently. We were lining up with the rest of them.

The hop on/hop off tourist bus also came with a cruise down the Thames. Nice way to end the holiday.

Scotland, Bonnie

Great to see the Kotteks, seen here perched on the side of a hill above Falkland.

Old Uncle Harry painted this scene in St Andrews - without Jack & George.

Between running marathons (London, Boston, Helsinki), cycling everywhere around Fife and running the household like no household has ever been run before (I wish I had made a copy of the spreadsheet on the fridge), Michael has somehow found time to acquire a taste for the finest Scottish Malt Whisky.

Caryl too, committed in her role of saving the health problems of the universe through her unrelenting pursuit of microbiology at Dundee University which, I need to point out, includes ABSOLUTELY NO work with live animals, also seems to have acquired a taste for Scotland's finest Malts. In fact she was able to name and compare the relative merits of at least 17 different local whiskies. This may be an exaggeration, but then if we didn't embellish things a little then nobody would bother to read the blog.

The Kotteks are enjoying a fantastic life in Wormit, across the Tay from Dundee. However we require them back in Ocean Grove soonish.

George gets friendly with Heather.

Bruce and Cousin Anne contemplating their move from Seil Isle to Palmwoods, Queensland. It was great to see them again.

Bruce once again contemplating the move to Queensland, this time aided by a very peaty malt whisky.

Bruce and George studying Bruce's new toy. A very fast, very orange bike from Norway (I think). Curiously enough Bruce's Pyjama top is covered in Bumblebees. This clearly links him to events in blog post above. Should someone be informing Mr. Ruddock?

Darlington, UK

Durham Cathedral. St. Cuthbert sends his regards.

Pete Cartwright - once a devastatingly medium-paced medium pacer.

Amanda at Whirlpool fountain - Charybdis - at Seaham outside Kylie's favourite Spa and Hotel. Once the home of Lord Byron (the hotel, not the fountain).

Hike in the Yorkshire Dales. Ned in middle.

John Lister - ex Darlington, Durham & Derbyshire batsman and once talented fruiterer.

At the Darlington & Railway Athletic Cricket Ground.

Geoff and friends.

Darlington

Jack smacking the ball towards the same fence that his father remembers well. Devastatingly powerful West Indian tyro Clayton Lambert once hit Jack's dad's well aimed fast-medium seaming inswingers clean over that fence - twice - in the the same over.

I'd like to balance that by claiming that Jack's Dad first dismissed English Test Champion Paul Collingwood (ex-Shotley Bridge) then hit him for four to win the match on this very ground 12 years ago. THIS is the story that the kids know about.