I thought it would be great to take Braedon to a xmas fair. We had a quiet morning really just taking it easy and thought we would leave about 2.00 and we were all going to go including Nan. We caught a cab right into London so we had a quick walk to Hyde park.
It was very cold today - I was freezing and this time put my hood up on my head to keep warm. My feet - well they were gonners - iced up and I couldn't feel them at all. I felt like an eskimo with my hat on but didn't care it kept my head and ears warm. I also had gloves so they were a little warm.
It was very cold today - I was freezing and this time put my hood up on my head to keep warm. My feet - well they were gonners - iced up and I couldn't feel them at all. I felt like an eskimo with my hat on but didn't care it kept my head and ears warm. I also had gloves so they were a little warm.
We started off with a few rides and then had a look around all the stalls, most of them were German type in orientation with lots of German food etc. I didn't buy anything much except some lollies for Braedon from the lolly stall.
Braedon went on the big slide and I went on two rides with him and he also went on the big swing which went up a lot higher than I thought - he had a ball.
We grabbed dinner in the cafe and a hot drink and decided to leave about 10.00pm as it was so cold.
And yes it did snow during the night so I caught some photos of the snow the next morning.
'
I had always planned to do a tour or two while I was here and as the lakes district tour had just ended for winter I thought the Cotswolds would be a good place to start.
We had to get up really early and catch a train to the tour depot. It was freezing this morning and we ended up having two catch a cab as the the connection was late.
The Cotswolds Steeped in history, rich in heritage and awash with natural beauty, the area of England known as the Cotswolds is a charming blend of bustling market towns, sleepy villages, and breathtaking natural scenery.
Our first stop was Wood which boasts many charming streets, inns, and tea shops and is most famous for close proximity to the ancestral home of the Churchill family, Blenheim Palace.
Next stop was lunch in Burford, this thriving old wool town is built along a steep high street which leads down to a medieval bridge spanning the River Windrush. Burford is full of crooked little Cotswold stone houses, leaning walls and gabled cottages. We will stop for lunch in a traditional English pub in the village.
We also stopped at Bourton on the WaterOften called the “Venice of the Cotswolds”, this village is one of the most photographed in the region, with its traditional Cotswold villages, elegant low bridges, and picturesque Main Street.
It was really a on the bus off the bus sort of tour - always on the go and our next little villa ge was Stow-On-The-Wold - this is the highest town in the Cotswolds, whose market square testifies to its former importance. At one end stands the ancient cross, and at the other the town stocks, surrounded by elegant Cotswold houses.
Last but not least to end the afternoon we stopped a Lechlade for Cotswold Cream Tea. The small Cotswold market town of Lechlade is situated at the southern borders of the Cotswolds where Rivers Coln and Leach join the Thames. The team room overlooksthe River Thames, with a lovely view of the natural wildlife and the moored boats used on the river.
Well we returned to London around 6:00 pm and then caught the train back to Northolt - overall it was a great day - Braedon I think found it a bit boring so not a tour to take young children on.
I had to upload this photo as Braedon had a bad habit of peeping through the letter box in people's doors. Kept telling him not to....lol
We took a quick look at the Cotswolds motoring museum. Braedon found it interesting, but well I could take it or leave it ! We had a lot of fun exploring an old village that looked it was right out of a picture book.
Braedon seems fully recovered so we got up early and went straight into London, to Hamley's Toy store. I kn
ew Braedon would have a lot of fun here and we
just took our time and let him check everything out - he loved the bubble blowers and chased bubbles all over the place. These guys were out on the street shooting bubbles at everybody walking past.
ew Braedon would have a lot of fun here and we
just took our time and let him check everything out - he loved the bubble blowers and chased bubbles all over the place. These guys were out on the street shooting bubbles at everybody walking past. Braedon had a good browse and loved the dinosaurs and animals. He did have his hands full at one stage, a monkey, a glider, a key ring. 
I tried to explain that we don't have room to take this stuff home and that we can buy it at home (or most of it)., He was quite happy to put things back and I told him he could choose one thing. So it was a touch choice between Lego and a softtoy monkey and the Lego won out...
After he chose his Lego we went and had a coffee and BT had a icecream.
Next stop was the shops - I said to Braedon we had 
been in Hamleys about three hours and now he has to be patient while we look at the shops for a little while.
I did promise Braedon a ride of the river cat (I remembered promise at Greenwhich) and we caught the river cat from Embankment across to Waterloo and then up to Tower Bridge. 
The sun was just setting, howeve the photos didn't do it justice.
Next stop was something to eat as we hand't had lunch, although Braedon had maccas after Hamley's.
We stopped at a place called Witherspoons which was a old pub at Tower Bridge. We caught the train back at about 8.00 and got home about 8.30.
Today was a quiet day - no photos today - Braedon is resting up as I think he is worn out and a bit run down. Mum has smuggled barley green into a purple drink bottle with apple juice and he hasn't twigged on yet.
Caught up with the washing, downloading photos, emails, orders....Went and done some shopping for Linda, mum and I went and left Braedon at home as he didn't want to go out.
So that's about this for this entry...
Caught up with the washing, downloading photos, emails, orders....Went and done some shopping for Linda, mum and I went and left Braedon at home as he didn't want to go out.
So that's about this for this entry...
This morning Braedon did not want to wake up - he had had another nose bleed during the night however not as bad as the other night.
When he did wake up he wanted a drink of water and next thing I new he was sick - lucky not in the bed but on himself - I grabbed a towel until he had settled down and put him in the shower. He didn't look to good - and we were wondering whether he would be up to travelling home to London.
We took him down to breakfast even though he didn't want to eat he had a small bite of toast and thats about it. I took him back up to the room and he slept until 10.30. When he woke up he felt much better. We were all packed ready to go so we checked out and headed to the station.
At train was due at 12.05.... the trip back was quite good much better than on the way down. We changed at Wolverhampton to Burmingham and then to Euston station.
Today we were going up to Annette's for dinner at about 12.00. We had a bit of a sleep in and went up about 11.00am. We all went for a walk first along the prom - Braedon tok this photo he is getting quite handy with the camera and often takes photos. I took a few photos of the piers - little pier which was now half under water and where Braedon and I had walked the day before while the tide was low. The tide was in now and it was interesting to show Braedon where we had walked when the tide was low.
We then we took Nan up in a taxi while Linda went and saw Roy's mum for a little while.
It was very cold outside and raining and so we were all quite happy to stay indoors. The kids had a great time playing again.
Annette cooked a very nice baked dinner and at the end of the night I set the camera on timer so it would take a photo of all of us. It was very hard to get everyone to focus and look at the camera. However we managed one in the end.(Sort of)....lol
The afternoon tea party (sort of like a lunch) was held at the Bellevue Hotel on the promenade. We were a little early and was raining (yet again) while we walked up. The kids were so happy to see each other again. I must admit I didn't know many people there but was introduced to everybody. I met 3 vicars nan had known over the years. Lots of Nan's friends and old neighbors and of course family was there.
Another busy day for everyone, Nan and Linda got their hair done yet again while mum and I stayed at the hotel and just had a easy morning. I did take Braedon for a walk and we had alot of fun climbing down the stairs from the promenade down to the beach and under the pier, at high tide the little pier is completely covered in water and the big pier is unreachable so it was quite fun going all the way down and watching Braedon play, it was a bit nerve wracking as the sea was still rough. It is hard to imagine that the whole lot is under water and the sea up to the top of the wall at high tide.
Mum had told me seven generations of the Williams family (nans maiden name) had walked along the Aber promenade.
These photos were taken with my mobile phone as I did not have the camera with me. As we were exploring Braedon fell over in one of the sea puddles and was drenched. So we turned around and headed back to the hotel so he could change. The rocks are all covered with slimy chunkys of seaweed so it was very slippery, He wasn't really worried about being wet and cold and he had a bit of a a laugh afterwards.
Today we took a bus to the Craft Design Centre - Wales where they showcase welsh arts and crafts. Artwork by local artists and celtic jewellery. There was quite a lot to look at but really nothing caught my eye so I didn't buy anything.We stopped and had a coffee and then went for a walk through the town. Very quiet with a few locals around, most of the buildings are very old and it's a typical small village.
After walking for about an hour we caught the bus back to Aber - these roads are very narrow and often the bus and a car trying to pass would need to reverse a bit to let the other one pass.
We met up with Linda and Nan and then had a quick rest before heading out to dinner. Tonight for dinner we went to alittle restaurant called Harry's. The food was really very nice. It was empty when we went in but by the time we left the place was full.
We got back to our room and I went downstairs to connect to the internet. Unfortunately this it where it works best. I later found out that I could actually sit in our hallway just one room away. So once I figured this out, towards the end of our stay you would find me sitting in the hallway on a little step just outside our room peering at my computer.
Well I was downstaris working on the computer when Linda came down and told me Braedon had a nose bleed and she thought she should let me know. So I went back upstairs to see if he was OK. I was in for a surprise as the our bed was covered in blood, and on white sheets it actually looks alot worse, there was blood everywhere. Mum and Linda had cleaned him up and he was laying on the sofa lounge not moving incase it started again. Don't know what set it off, however the rooms are centrally heated and so hot at night so maybe he is overheating or something.
After we settled him down we started working on the 2nd collage, as Linda wanted another for the 2nd birthday celebration, so there I was at it again cutting and sticking photos down. It didnt't take as long this time.
After it was finished we called it a night. At night we can hear the sea crashing on the beach and in the morning you can see the rising swell of the sea from the bed - sometimes it makes me feel queasy even though I don't get seasick at all. However the sea is so rough looking at it from a bed makes it worse I think. It doesn't look to bad in this pic however sometimes it was very stormy and rough looking.
Our first day in Wales we went down to breakfast at about 8.00 am. After we breakfast we went out to walk along the esplanade. I took some photos and Braedon wanted to collect shells and go for a swim. Hmm not likely too cold. It’s about 7 degrees here during the day
Linda and Nan went to see Roy’s mum who hasn’t been well (96) and mum, Braedon and I went to have a look at the old Welsh Museum, there was quite a lot of interesting things to look at. The museum is the old. It used to be an old theatre an
d mum remembers seeing shows there during the 1950’s. .
Next stop was lunch at a little cafe. We all had a hot chocolate and something light to eat.
From here we walked the Arts Centre at Aber University. There was not a great deal there , not as much as we thought and it was pouring rain when we left. We caught the bus and headed back to the hotel. We had a bit of a rest before we headed outo t get some dinner.
We went to the Kings Hotel, Prior to the pub it used to be a hall where the youngs one hung out. It had a gaming arcade and a dance floor upstairs. Prior to this it used to be a Hotel called the Waterloo. The Waterloo hotel burnt down in 1933, My Nan’s mum used to work there and a few days after it burnt down she went back there and found some chunks of glass which was part of the glass ball room floor. This glass has since been donated to the museum... pictured above..... we didn’t see it on display however, this link has some interesting history about the history. I Know my mum sent me a good photo of it actually burning so will have to find it...
An early start today as we were heading off to Wales. It was so hectic before we left as we had to organise a taxi to Euston station and there were six of use running around trying to make sure we had everything, locking the house up, plus it was raining, trying to fit all the luggage in the back of the taxi plus a wheelchair was a tight squeeze but we managed.
We arrived at Euston station which was about 40 mins by taxi, and 40 pounds which in our terms is about $100 dollars. It’s very hard not to convert everything in your head and think it’s highway robbery but that’s the cost of living here plus wages are a lot higher I think.
There was a problem with the booking as Linda had booked mum’s, mine and Braedon which was fine, however the booking for Linda , Roy and Nan did not register on the machine so we needed to go to the booking office to see what had happened. It was not registered at all on their system so they needed to book tickets and pay the fares again. Linda was given a number to ring to check why the booking had not gone through.
Anyway we finally got on the train which was quite full. It pulled out on time and went quite fast compared to trains at home. We were going to change trains at Wolverhampten , however when we arrived we were told that the train to Aber was cancelled and we had to catch a train to Shrewsbury for a connection to Aber. Well we caught this train OK, however when we got to Shrewsbury we were told there was not train but a bus. Now the bus was full so we were given a taxi (minibus) to travel on the rest of the way. No cost!. The only thing was that it was freezing cold in the cab, and we were very squashed. It got dark very quickly and it was raining so we didn’t really see much on the way..... Braedon fell asleep on the way. All up took us seven and half hours instead of the normal five.
We arrived at our Hotel the “Marine Hotel” got settled in our room which looks right out over the ocean, the ocean is very rough and we can hear the waves crashing on the beach. Next on the agenda was dinner and we thought would go down to the restaurant to get some dinner as we all starving. We no sooner sat down to look at the menus and the fire alarm went off.... We had to evacuate the building out onto the front area of the hotel – right opposite the sea and it was freezing cold and very windy.
After 10 mins we were given the all clear to go back into to the hotel and the restaurant. We sat down again and ordered our meal. Braedon was starving and tucked into sausage and chips.
So that was our day today. ...
We arrived at Euston station which was about 40 mins by taxi, and 40 pounds which in our terms is about $100 dollars. It’s very hard not to convert everything in your head and think it’s highway robbery but that’s the cost of living here plus wages are a lot higher I think.
There was a problem with the booking as Linda had booked mum’s, mine and Braedon which was fine, however the booking for Linda , Roy and Nan did not register on the machine so we needed to go to the booking office to see what had happened. It was not registered at all on their system so they needed to book tickets and pay the fares again. Linda was given a number to ring to check why the booking had not gone through.
Anyway we finally got on the train which was quite full. It pulled out on time and went quite fast compared to trains at home. We were going to change trains at Wolverhampten , however when we arrived we were told that the train to Aber was cancelled and we had to catch a train to Shrewsbury for a connection to Aber. Well we caught this train OK, however when we got to Shrewsbury we were told there was not train but a bus. Now the bus was full so we were given a taxi (minibus) to travel on the rest of the way. No cost!. The only thing was that it was freezing cold in the cab, and we were very squashed. It got dark very quickly and it was raining so we didn’t really see much on the way..... Braedon fell asleep on the way. All up took us seven and half hours instead of the normal five.
We arrived at our Hotel the “Marine Hotel” got settled in our room which looks right out over the ocean, the ocean is very rough and we can hear the waves crashing on the beach. Next on the agenda was dinner and we thought would go down to the restaurant to get some dinner as we all starving. We no sooner sat down to look at the menus and the fire alarm went off.... We had to evacuate the building out onto the front area of the hotel – right opposite the sea and it was freezing cold and very windy.
After 10 mins we were given the all clear to go back into to the hotel and the restaurant. We sat down again and ordered our meal. Braedon was starving and tucked into sausage and chips.
So that was our day today. ...
Yae! Finally some sunshine. Although we couldn't go out early today as there was a photographer coming this morning from the local paper to do a story on nan and take a photo for two.... He was due to come at 10.00 and he did. Took a couple of photos of nan on her own and also us with here. He left about 10.30, so by the time we got out of the house it was about11.00.
We caught the train to Bond St where we changed onto the Jubilee line which would take us straight to Canary Wharf. I had that canary wharf was an interesting place to visit from a friend of Linda's.
Canary Wharf contains the UK's three tallest buildings. This photo here are not the building though.
The interesting thing about Canary Wharf is the light rail that runs between all the buildings. We caught the Light rail train from Canary Wharf to Cutty Sark station. We walked to Greenwich pier and then took a few photos looking out to the sea and the HMS Belfast.
We would have liked to see the Cutty Sark, however we knew that it had been almost destroyed in a fire during 2007. So this was out, however I wanted to take Braedon to the maritime museum and Observatory.
We walked up the Thames Walk toward the Old Royal Naval College, and this is where I took many photos. The college is the great baroque masterpiece of English architecture, and located in acres of landscaped grounds on the River Thames.
The Painted Hall reminded me a lot of Rome.
The Painted Hall is decorated with stunning paintings by James Thornhill, and is part of the King William Court. This was planned to be the hospital's dining hall. The Painted Hall was not used and stood empty until January 1806, when the body of Admiral Lord Nelson was brought here to lie in state: he had been killed at the moment of his victory over Napoleon's fleet at Cape Trafalgar.
Next it was onto the Maritime museum. Looks small from the outside however is quite big and we did not do it justice. Braedon was not as interested as I
thought he would be, it depended on what area we went into. Some bits were more interesting to him than others.
We had a quick coffee in the cafeteria and a look in the shop and then it was onto the Observatory. It was already getting quite late and a walk through the grounds took us up a steep hill to the top.
Our first stop was the Peter Harrison Planetarium.
It was all very interesting. Unfortunately Braedon hell asleep - I must admit it was quite peaceful and serene in there as the dome from the inside is huge and looking up from our seats looked like a huge turquoise circular bowl. The starry London sky is not visible due to all the pollution. However they change that to depict what it would be like if there were not smog over London. Quite a remarkable difference.
During the evenings, the position of the Meridian Line is often marked by a green laser in the sky. I managed to get a reasonable shot of this although it was a bit blurry. It was all shutting to quickly for my liking 6.00 so we had to leave.
PS... Definitely a place I want to come back to and explore a bit more. Maybe even before I leave as I did promise Braedon we would catch the catamaran back to London on the Thames but by the time we got back to the wharf the last one had left. Whoops - he was not impressed so we had to catch the tube.
We caught the train to Bond St where we changed onto the Jubilee line which would take us straight to Canary Wharf. I had that canary wharf was an interesting place to visit from a friend of Linda's.
Canary Wharf contains the UK's three tallest buildings. This photo here are not the building though.The interesting thing about Canary Wharf is the light rail that runs between all the buildings. We caught the Light rail train from Canary Wharf to Cutty Sark station. We walked to Greenwich pier and then took a few photos looking out to the sea and the HMS Belfast.
We would have liked to see the Cutty Sark, however we knew that it had been almost destroyed in a fire during 2007. So this was out, however I wanted to take Braedon to the maritime museum and Observatory.We walked up the Thames Walk toward the Old Royal Naval College, and this is where I took many photos. The college is the great baroque masterpiece of English architecture, and located in acres of landscaped grounds on the River Thames.
The Painted Hall reminded me a lot of Rome.
The Painted Hall is decorated with stunning paintings by James Thornhill, and is part of the King William Court. This was planned to be the hospital's dining hall. The Painted Hall was not used and stood empty until January 1806, when the body of Admiral Lord Nelson was brought here to lie in state: he had been killed at the moment of his victory over Napoleon's fleet at Cape Trafalgar.
Next it was onto the Maritime museum. Looks small from the outside however is quite big and we did not do it justice. Braedon was not as interested as I
thought he would be, it depended on what area we went into. Some bits were more interesting to him than others.
We had a quick coffee in the cafeteria and a look in the shop and then it was onto the Observatory. It was already getting quite late and a walk through the grounds took us up a steep hill to the top.
Our first stop was the Peter Harrison Planetarium.
The planetarium cone is one of the single largest uses of bronze in the world. It is made from nearly 250 individual plates welded together and patinated to look like a single piece.
The shape of the cone is related to the stars and is unique to its location in Greenwich:
The
north side of the cone is aligned with the point in the sky perpendicular to the Greenwich local horizon (zenith)
The sloping southern side points towards the north celestial pole (Pole star). The angle of the slope is 51ยบ28'44", equal to the latitude of the Royal Observatory
The top of the cone is sliced at an angle parallel to the celestial equator
The planetarium is aligned with the local meridian (north-south line)
The shape of the cone is related to the stars and is unique to its location in Greenwich:
The
north side of the cone is aligned with the point in the sky perpendicular to the Greenwich local horizon (zenith)The sloping southern side points towards the north celestial pole (Pole star). The angle of the slope is 51ยบ28'44", equal to the latitude of the Royal Observatory
The top of the cone is sliced at an angle parallel to the celestial equator
The planetarium is aligned with the local meridian (north-south line)
Inside the cone is Europe's first digital laser planetarium projector, which allows the audience to look into space looking back at Earth.
It was all very interesting. Unfortunately Braedon hell asleep - I must admit it was quite peaceful and serene in there as the dome from the inside is huge and looking up from our seats looked like a huge turquoise circular bowl. The starry London sky is not visible due to all the pollution. However they change that to depict what it would be like if there were not smog over London. Quite a remarkable difference.
During the evenings, the position of the Meridian Line is often marked by a green laser in the sky. I managed to get a reasonable shot of this although it was a bit blurry. It was all shutting to quickly for my liking 6.00 so we had to leave.
PS... Definitely a place I want to come back to and explore a bit more. Maybe even before I leave as I did promise Braedon we would catch the catamaran back to London on the Thames but by the time we got back to the wharf the last one had left. Whoops - he was not impressed so we had to catch the tube. 
