Family Christmas

Because my family in London aren't all going to be together for Christmas day we had a lovely feast and present swapping on Saturday night. Perfect timing as we'd all just found out that our Pop had passed away. So it was an extra special time for us to all be together and celebrate family. A candle I lit for Poppa

During the day on Saturday, we went for a very chilly walk in Richmond Park with Mr.Henry Dover, who'd stayed over from Friday night.

A close up of some wood in Richmond park

Winter in Richmond Park

Henry, Sally and Lachlan - FREEZING cold!

Wonderful mud

my pop

My Poppa died yesterday.

It's a relief that he's not in pain anymore, but i'm really going to miss him.

Rest in peace poppa.

Welly Wales

Last weekend we went with a Carly to her family's cottage in north Wales. It was one of those perfect weekends where it was rainy, cold, no heating, muddy and musty. The only real luxury we had was heated mattress covers. It was COLD!! but so much fun! We got up there late on Friday night, Carly and I had already polished off a bottle of red, much to Lachie's dismay. It was pitch black and freezing cold in the house, so we drank some more (strictly to keep warm of course!) and lit the fire, not that it did much at this stage of the night.
Saturday it was raining heavily most of the day but we managed to rug up and go for a walk up the hill to see the sights. Carley's dad came up with some soup, cheese and bread for lunch and in the evening we pulled together an amazing roast lamb and tons of veggies.
Sunday we went for another walk. It started out spectacular and dramatic and ended with pouring rain. After another lovely roast of turkey we attempted to head home...

And this is where the story actually gets interesting - cruising down the motorway about an hour into our journey - the radio dies, and then the windscreen wipers, and then the lights, and then the car. Luckily it died near an SOS phone and in the middle of Birmingham. 45freezingmins later a tow truck came and dropped us and our gear at the central station where we had to clear out the car, say our goodbyes to our faithful old wren and train it back to London! In the mean time Lachie's beers somehow smashed in my handbag and my whole LIFE was covered in Belgium beers. We eventually managed to get back to London by about 1am, absolutely knackered and ready for our next adventure!!!


Some weird looking hairy donkeys

The Cute little cottage by the streamSally and Carley mud bashing

I also went to Wales the week before to watch the WRC - World Rally Cars - in action in the Brecon Beacon Mountains. Spectacular scenery but miserably cold and wet. No doubt there was still hundreds of crazy people standing in the forrest's and hills watching the racing.

4 times WRC World Champion Frenchman Sebastian LeobSome Sideways action in the FocusThe group of insane people who will stand on a hill in 2 deg conditions with sideways rain!Former world champion Petter SolbergShowing Cardiff how its done

london silhouettes

I've been really enjoying the london winter since i've been back. the low light, the naked trees the frosty clear mornings. i've also been really enjoying my new camera (thanks dad!), so thought i'd share a few.this was taken out our bedroom window this morning around 8:30 even all the puddles are frozen. brrrrspectacular sunrise and bright blue skies

some beautiful welcome back to london roses from lachie
loving my dried hydranges
really busy at work

Beer, Beer and more beer!

After going to Belgium 4 times now you would think I would be totally sick of it, absolutely the opposite! I'm eager to book my next trip there already. Any excuse to go and I'm off. The excuse this time was a boys weekend away with 5 mates. And it didn't let me down, or my mates! When you go to a place for a second or third time or fourth! Its always a better experience. You know where to go, what to do, all the best places. I know the place like the back of my hand now. Antwerp is easily still the best place to go. Funky and cool, easy to navigate and great bars. Brussels is dirty and gritty, but still has a fun side to it. There was lots of classic story's to go with this weekend and I'll let you in on one. To cut a long story short...After somehow losing everyone, I fell asleep on the train back from Antwerp to Brussels on the last train home very late, I woke up to a pitch dark carriage with no one about at 1am, looked outside and I was in the holding yards! The train was empty, locked and I was in the middle of no where. After a bit of quick thinking and a little freak out I found a nice large fire extinguisher strapped to the wall and smashed out the window and climbed out. Now having no idea what to do and wandering around for a bit I stumbled upon a guard who was finishing his shift, attempted to tell him what happened in hand signals, pleaded with him and he dropped me back on the main road. I found a cab, made it back to the hotel and everyone was none the wiser. Imagine, this is what they serve at a club!
Funky Man
Taking in the sights over Brussels from the Palace De Justice Hanging out in AntwerpOllie by the Castle - AntwerpThe reason I keep going back. The famous Kulminator. That's a 1975 La Trappe we are drinking!Cheers

Chilled Out

I cant believe its already December, its dark by 3.45pm, the shortest day of the year is not far off and its almost Christmas! What a year. So much travelling and so much more fun to come. I cant believe that we made it out of summer with still a few penny's in our pockets. Just having a quick look back on all the post and all the places we have been over the past year and a half, its amazing!
This is our plans for the winter season. And it obviously has a lot of skiing involved.
Nov 23rd - 25th Belgium (Brussels and Antwerp) 4th time now, any excuse I'm there! - Lac
Nov 30th - Dec 2nd Wales (World Rally GB Wales) Brecon Beacons and Cardiff - Lac
Dec 7th - 9th Wales - Weekend away with Sally's Friend - Lac and Sal
Dec 22nd - 29th Austria (Seefeld - In the Tirol) Skiing over Xmas - Lac, Sal, Paul, Sharon, Lyndon, Mirellie
Jan 18th - 20th Italy (Rome) - Lac and Sal
Jan 26th - Feb 2nd Austria (St Anton - In the Tirol) Skiing - Lac, James & Chris coming from Aus
Feb 8th - 10th Belgium & Amsterdam TBA
Mar 1st - 14th USA (Vail, Colorado) Skiing - Lac, Mum, Camilla, Ed

hello and goodbye

it was quite an emotional visit home for me seeing my pop deteriorate so much even in the two weeks that i was home. but worth it more then anything else the world could offer me right now.
other then the pop visits i had pretty much the same experience as lachie. catching up with friends and family. i treasured getting know little scout some more. she's the brightest cutest funniest little girl i've ever met! and spending some quality time at home with my p's and in the pool. lovely.

old friend timmy scott. doing the movember thing. him, not me.

wee scout doing the auntie sally sunnies thing.

sisterly love plus one
the johnston-emmons butt-trio
loving the hydrandes
crumpets with liz schreiber
ry with his sort of stepson lachie
saying goodbye to my precious funny silly GRAND poppa

and to my generous lovable mumoshka

and to sydney...

Home and Away

Sal and I have been fortunate enough to have headed back to Sydney for 2 weeks. Sal unexpectedly headed home to catch up with her Poppa and family and our paths crossed for a week. I had the best two weeks I could of possibly had. Firstly I managed to catch up with all my family. Had a huge party at home for my brothers 18th, a party to top some of sisters in-famous parties! Spent quite a lot of time enjoying the house at Palmy, had great BBQ’s and nights out with my mates and finally to top it off, 30 degree days every single day!!! Oh and lots of steak!! Which is a delicacy in London. It had been a year almost to the day since I had been home so there was lots to catch up on. Sal is still there and is due back in London this Friday. What a view! from the balcony at Florida Road, a few days to enjoy paradise
I was a little rusty, i hadn't surfed in 1 year
Palm Beach ferry wharf
All my mates eating ribs at Hurricanes at Bondi Beach. So yummy!!!

Sam stacking it high
Chris, Ryan, Willy and Holtsy hitting up Bondi
All the gang settling in for a big one, what a turn out for a Thursday night!
Ryan, me, Rohan and DitchLittle Scout with mama and grandmaShe is so cute! and so grown up!

My bro James on the left getting ready for his 'Tight & Bright' 18th birthday party