Christmas on steroi_s 🧑‍🎄🎅🎄🦌🛷

[OATEK]

...
I now get Brit Christmas Pantomimes.

Oh no you don't ?

 

[Pushka]

Oh no you don't ?

Oh yes I do. It's behind you.

Yesterday and the day and evening before were quiet. Feeling a bit shabby with a cold so stayed in mostly but did a catch up with UK son and had lunch in the next door Holiday Inn sports bar. Good food and not too expensive. That night the hotel had snacks and wine. Not really hungry.

The beer is actually mine!


Collected hire car the next day in the adjacent hotel. I'd checked the day before so knew all was ok. Today computer says we've booked for the day an pre paid. Ah, nup. Oh yes. The girl I'd spoken to the day before came over and sorted him out. . They said we could upgrade to an automatic, trouble was it was a Mercedes and an extra £50 a day, which would make it double what we'd booked, and not including insurance. We said no. Came dowm to £40 a day, we said no and their last offer was £30 but we still declined. But it had GPS! We knew we could use the iPhone and we found out it had CarPlay. Kept the manual. It's a nice new Citroen and larger than expected. We'd been told there was scratches on the bumper but as we'd taken out complete cover he said not to worry about. So of course, we photographed everything and found other damage.

Soon we were on the road. Fine weather. And traffic not too bad at all. Few trucks. For some time we were sent country roads, don't know why, but it's like this.



18 months ago we stopped at this American diner. About 20 miles from our destination. We were early for Airbnb check in so we visited again. They have the best ever milkshakes.



The airbnb is described as eclectic. So many stairs but similar to sons house in Tunbridge Wells. It's right next to the pub, the pub owns it. We are having dinner there tonight apparently. Last night the adults of the Christmas lunch (we and DIL's parents) went to their local Indian restaurant for a meal which was pleasant.

We are awaiting son and DIL to drive from Tunbridge Wells to here, which is Sleaford in Lincolnshire. So not much to do today but will do a walking tour, much to MrP delight in this cold weather. . Visiting Tesco for one of their shopping bags - bought heaps last time, they are the best and even when grocery shopping people ask where they can buy them.

We have a VPN set up to stream Aussie shows and tomorrow morning at 9am we will watch the Channel 9 Carols by Candlelight.

 

[Pushka]

So we’ve just returned from a thorough tour of Sleaford. Its part of larger Grantham where Margie Thatcher was born or lived

Busy Saturday morning. . It’s been raining a lot recently.




But it’s past solstice so spring on the way. No need to put the bulbs in the fridge here.





There’s no gap under the bridge.



Cobblers Shop!

 

[Pushka]

So into the supermarkets for price check. On booze of course






This aisle was packed and so couldn’t take many photos.

And now we’ve had a break from the arduous walk and off to Tesco.

 

[MARTINE]

So into the supermarkets for price check. On booze of course
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This aisle was packed and so couldn’t take many photos.

And now we’ve had a break from the arduous walk and off to Tesco.

Such helpful unit pricing too..
Bottle of 750ml costs 50 pounds/unit price 50 pounds per 750ml bottle

 

[Pushka]

Such helpful unit pricing too..
Bottle of 750ml costs 50 pounds/unit price 50 pounds per 750ml bottle

Marvellous i'nit.

Last part of the walk.

This is the queue to get into Tesco this arvo. The car park entrance is about 250' away.


Grand home, a duplex methinks.



Always a church.


From Remembrance Day.


High waters. A few sandbags about.

 

[Pushka]

Note to self. Don't make a Christmas Day video after visit to the pub. It seems we have done a playschool, one that the kids will like and the adults will be in fits of laughter.

 

[Pushka]

Well, have just woken up after our first UK Christmas. It's rather different but then I guess every family Christmas is different. We are struggling with it starting to darken about 3.30pm. By 5pm its almost like winding down for sleep, but it's only 5pm. A long way to go. The internet is down at the home, no streaming here currently and the lady of the house as even used a pending death of her husband on a twitter tirade with their provider. He isn't of course, not more than any of us but it seems to help. Well, after a week they still have no landline, no mobile, nor internet. I'm using Optus which links to UK3?

So we arrived around 11 am for pancakes for breakfast which was lovely. Bacon, pancakes and maple syrup always a winner. Then as the sky starts to darken from 2pm . Its games time. I now understand the charade and games thing at Christmas here. The first round of games this arvo was trying to guess a series of categories from clues. The idea being making it easy for people to pick but I tried to make it fun by making it cryptic. Or irrelevant. But apparently that's against the rules . The kids had already opened mountains of presents from around the world and the lounge room was awash with toys. Around 4.30 pm it was lunch time. Pigs in blanket. Roast turkey. The usuals. Plenty of alcohol. We were staying over the night. Will drive back later today. Then a clear up, more alcohol but I'd stopped by then as I just wanted to sleep. It was 7pm . The kiddies were packed off to bed and I was sooooo jealous. A bath and bed. Bliss. Not for me.

So more games. This one was a 60 second one, draw 10 things listed on a card then hand it over for someone to guess. Now, this was an issue. You got points for the number of correct guesses made on your drawings and also points for your correct guesses. I didn't like the rules as they seemed pointless and that means I go rogue. At one point it was crying in laughter at the drawings I had to guess, the person drawing it was the keeper of the rules. So bad. I came last.

The Brits love their chocolate. I have never seen so much chocolate consumed.

The evening ended, I slept really well surprisingly then woken just before 7 by the 2 year old twins. And now, rinse and repeat. Sans presents.

We will drive back to the Airbnb later today. Pack up. And depart tomorrow for an overnight at Heathrow (Weds night). Then off bright and early on Emirates to Dubai where we will spend NYE.

Dare I say it's bright and sunny here this morning? Rain washed out the cricket a tad I hear?

 

[Pushka]

Staking our claim. Son will keep it for next year.

 

[Pushka]

So I guessed the time based on how I’m feeling. 7pm. Time to go. It’s completely dark. It’s cold. It’s - 4.30 pm.

 

[love_the_life]

It's funny but when we were in the UK in early January one year, the getting dark early didn't worry me as it just felt like late night shopping but we found the dark mornings the real pain - just couldn't get going.

Sounds like it was a great Christmas though not sure I could have managed the games.

 

[RooFlyer]

 

[VPS]

It's funny but when we were in the UK in early January one year, the getting dark early didn't worry me as it just felt like late night shopping but we found the dark mornings the real pain - just couldn't get going.

Sounds like it was a great Christmas though not sure I could have managed the games.

I liked the short days and it was always light by the time I got up

 

[Pushka]

I liked the short days and it was always light by the time I got up

Europe was 8.30 am for sunrise.

 

[Pushka]

Well we left at 9.45 am for the two hour drive back to London. It was raining today and obviously lots of rain overnight.

Traffic light for a start, then busy, then outright horrid. Map turned red. But people drive so well over here. I didn’t see one instance of stupid driving. So courteous. Will always acknowledge a change with a wave and will always let you in. Nice surprise. And so many cars stopped on the way for the pee break. I gave MrP the look. If I can’t then you can’t.

Handed the rental over at 2.30 pm. Ran into the hotel we’d stayed at in a dash for the toilet with the rental guy calling out. ‘ Toilet’ we yelled. He just nodded.

Saw a guy preparing for hunting on the way out. Camos. Shotgun. Beagle.

Yesterday in the garden. We had a lunch at around 3.30pm just as it was getting dark. . We were leaving once the mum and twinnies left. They were just starting to get to know me after three days. MrP could just wave to them before they’d run away. . Our grandies are a bit more noisy than they are.




Pigeon won.

Its Engerland.

 

[Pushka]

Staying at the Hilton Garden Inn at T2. Flight leaves early morning from T3 so going to do a quick check later this arvo. Then up to the bar and drinks and dinner. Haven’t eaten anything other than some Cadbury chocolate since about 24 hours ago.

Cadbury chocolate tastes like it’s meant to taste in UK. Not like the compound style rubbish we get in Oz.

 

[Pushka]

Really enjoying the Hilton Garden inn. Food is excellent. Spicy and tasteful. Indian crew.
As for the bar on the 14th level - AFF heaven.





And even the Roo.

 

[Seat0B]

Cadbury chocolate tastes like it’s meant to taste in UK. Not like the compound style rubbish we get in Oz.

Seat Son’s ex-GF (who was English) also used to comment bout the different taste of Cadbury chocolate in Dubai. According t9 the company response to her letter of complaint (yes really), there is in fact a difference of ingredients for hotter climates, allegedly so it doesn’t melt in transit/storage. She hated it too. I can only assume we get the “hot climate” recipe here.

 

[Pushka]

Seat Son’s ex-GF (who was English) also used to comment bout the different taste of Cadbury chocolate in Dubai. According t9 the company response to her letter of complaint (yes really), there is in fact a difference of ingredients for hotter climates, allegedly so it doesn’t melt in transit/storage. She hated it too. I can only assume we get the “hot climate” recipe here.

Yes. But now they’ve made it even worse recently due to well, cost cutting.

 

[Pushka]

After a good sleep in the Hilton Garden an early alarm at 5.30am - reckon I was asleep by 9 anyway, this early sunset still doing me in, we walked around 15 minutes to EK check in. Easy check in, priority security - nothing out of bags today and body scan. Quite a queue as the sole scanner was stopped while a most painfully long search was done. It was the operator. They finally opened a second scanner and they were doing four to the original scanner one.

Simple to find EK lounge and it was very nice. Excellent breakfast buffet and everyone quietly enjoying themselves. Quite a few coughs though. We’ve just got over one so


We were all quiet until - a loud local and two kids came screaming into the buffet. Hands on everything. Blocked access. Loud talking. Those who’d finished moved away. We were in the quiet area and could hear when more of their party joined them. Please don’t be seated near us…..least it’s not a night flight I guess.











This was delicious.



Carp photo but the bird just arrived just near us.



It’s taken me 30 minutes to write this post. Still loading the photos. Internet poor again. Hope it doesn’t turn out a dup again.