Christmas family get togethers

Why is it that within a few days of Christmas, it all feels a long time ago, and we are now gearing up for the New Year? We have spent much of the last week on the road, travelling back and forth to London and the M40 has become very familiar to us. But we have also had some lovely times with both sides of our family.

Early on Christmas Day, five of us, plus presents, squashed into the car and headed down to Chalfont St Peter to spend the day with Andy's sister and family. Their spacious bungalow was beautifully decorated for the festive season:

They also had three different trees, spread around the house:

The table was fabulously set for 12 people with gold and red crackers:

And we ate a traditional Christmas lunch of roast turkey with all the usual trimmings, followed by Christmas pudding:

But as often happens on Christmas Day, when we have enjoyed a large dinner, the creatively decorated Christmas cake, wasn't cut into, that day:

Even the Tibetan Terrier, Archie, joined in the fun:

We had previously planned to stay in London at Adam's flat for a few days, but due to some of us having colds we decided to return to Walsall the same day, leaving Andy's mum at his sister's for a few days.

It was lovely to spend a couple of days with just the boys, catching up with all their news. My mum came over for dinner one day and then on Friday we had my extended family gathering, over at my younger sister's house in Chase Terrace. Although it was overcast, the rain held off and we wrapped up against the biting wind as we walked round Chasewater, a large reservoir used for watersports. Andy missed the walk, as he had had a very early start to pick up his mum and return her to Walsall.

We then watched a slide show of my neice's round the world trip, earlier this year, exchanged gifts, shared a meal and played a very complicated game - a modern version of the detective game Cluedo. We were able to take our dog, Lady, with us and she really enjoyed the long walk, plus another short walk 'round the block'.

It had been my older sister 's birthday the day before, so she blew out one candle...

...and Andy blew out the other one. (I was amazed that I managed to catch the action!)

Then yesterday (Saturday) we took Adam back to London, calling at his previous flat to pick up several items that he couldn't carry on the underground.

On our journey through Central London we passed Nelson's Column...

...with South Africa House behind it.

We then passed the end of Downing Street, where the Prime Minister lives...

...and saw Big Ben in the distance:

Part of the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben is actually one of the bells, but most people think it is the name of the clock tower.

The Houses of Parliament are huge ornate buildings, also known as the Palace of Westminster.




Our route then followed the River Thames...




...crossing the Vauxhall Bridge, with the modern MI6 building on the left (home of fictitious character James Bond):




This strange piece of modern architecture, in Vauxhall, which represents a launching pad, reminds me of the unfinished elevated road in Cape Town:


When Adam first moved to London three years ago he lived in a first floor flat, in Stanmore, which is the last station on the Northern Line (Black line of London Underground map). After a year he moved closer to the city, to Highbury, into a shared house overlooking the Arsenal Football Club stadium.

The next move was only a short distance away, to Islington High Street. This is just outside the Congestion Zone for vehicles driving into Central London who have to pay a fee. This second floor flat was above a shop and Adam's room was on the third floor. Then in July he moved south of the River Thames, over the Vauxhall Bridge, to a spacious ex-council flat, on the third floor. Again, this is just outside the Congestion Zone.




He certainly keeps fit carrying his bike up and down four flights of stairs every day, not to mention the cycling around London, which is free!