A few days in Manchester and some reflecting. UK trip Part 6

I thought that I would finish off my little mini series of UK trip posts with part 6.

I had hoped to blog during my trip but I was way too busy having too good a time! I did Instagram some photos so I suppose these last few blog posts have been about putting some words to the images. 

So my final destination was a couple of nights with friends in Manchester. 

If you read Part 5 and wondered about the answer to the last question - I did take a slight wrong turn off the M60 and was on the way to Chester via the M56! I do it every single time! I even recognised the little side road to do a u-turn to get back onto the right motorway.

Anyway, I pulled up within five minutes of when I planned to be there and was greeted by three little furry faces and waggy tails. Little Murphy was a welcome sight as he is now quite an old chappie and just keeps hanging on....and on....!

Those teeny tiny little legs now need a bit of help to get up the steps from the garden and it was a comical sight watching him stagger up the ramp. Amber got a little impatient with his doddery approach and would push him out of the way just as he got to the top. Keep going Murphy!

My first evening turned into a late night and I eventually had to drag myself away from the kitchen table. What an absolute pleasure it was to just sit and talk with old friends. Sometimes the simplest things give the greatest joy. There was a lot of sitting and talking and catching up on this trip.

I know that my last blog posts have been a bit repetitive with the story of - "went here, went there, ate, drank and caught up with family and  friends", but that's what I did! I completely indulged in it and it was wonderful!

I felt extremely grateful that I could take the time out to travel, to be there with my mum for her birthday and then have the luxury of some 'me' time to do as I pleased. How often does that happen....?

When I originally thought about this trip I toyed with the idea for quite a while. Mum's birthday didn't tie in with school holidays so I had to make a decision whether to visit for the actual date or just sometime during the year. The longest that I had been away from Sibs in almost thirteen years was 4 nights. How would I ever manage 4 weeks? 

After quite a bit of deliberation I made the decision that I wanted to be there for the actual birthday and consequently this meant a solo trip.  I had to work through my own mother guilt (it took a bit of time...) to eventually feel OK before I could then concentrate on getting a bit excited. 

I was excited to rediscover a little bit of independence and to get another glimpse of the person hiding behind mother, wife and worker.

I did find her, and I even quite enjoyed her company!

The morning after the late night around the kitchen table enjoying the best prawn risotto ever, I left the car and took myself off on the tram from the suburbs into the city of Manchester for a day of being a tourist. It was a bit of a contrast from the rolling Yorkshire Dales of the day before and there were lots of people and they all seemed to know where they were going and wanted to get there fast!

First stop for me was a coffee shop with free wifi where I tried to Facetime Australia. I say 'try' as there was so much noise and bustle that I was quite conscious that I was shouting into my phone. It wasn't a great look....

I pottered around the shops - some pretty fancy ones too. I also took my own advice whenever I'm in a city and kept looking up above the shop fronts.

Walking between Harvey Nichols and Selfridges I spotted this beauty to my left. The Old Wellington Inn is the oldest building of its kind in Manchester having been built in 1552. Apparently the writer John Byrom was born there. The Inn was sadly damaged during the Manchester bombing in 1996 and repaired and re-opened the following year. Now I don't see anything like that in Brisbane!

After a bit of retail therapy I indulged in some culture and mooched around the Art Gallery. Again, I often find that I love the buildings as much as the artwork and Manchester Art Gallery was no exception. 

After a full day it was off to a real pub for a quick drink before a meal at a local restaurant. (Yes, more eating and talking.)

The next day I took a walk around Fletcher Moss Botanical Gardens and had a look at the Parsonage. There were some cute cottages with pretty flowers in the front gardens and around the doorways and I felt that I was walking through a Jane Austen novel. I hope they didn't mind me photographing. 

This was quite a tranquil end to a fantastic few weeks. I really did try and savour every moment and make the most of my time.

I have written before about that feeling of disconnection when you first live away from familiar surroundings. (HERE) I don't think those feelings ever entirely go away. It does help that I am able to travel back home and re-visit all those important places and people though.

I guess it makes me realise that I've reached a point of understanding and acceptance and stopped trying to associate with just one place in the world.
I have two anchor points in different hemispheres.

On my first night home in Australia I opened a message from one of my oldest and dearest friends.
"Glad you're home safe. Whichever side of the world you are, there are those on the other side who miss you."

I have to write it in its original form as it sounds so beautiful in Welsh.

"Falch bo ti gatre'n saff. Pa bynnag ochr o'r byd wyt ti, ma rhai ar yr ochr arall yn gweld dy ishe"

I will admit to welling up when I read it. Having these two places I can call home does have its advantages but boy can it also mess with my head!

I'm already saving up for the next trip!

Special friendships. UK trip part 3

Here's another snippet of my time back in my homeland.

After topping up the vitamin D, I headed back to Wales to spend some time with close friends. 

I feel so lucky, so incredibly lucky that I still count my school friends as my close friends. We may not see each other for a couple of years yet we fall back into such a familiar chatter of conversation that as cliche as it sounds - it just feels like yesterday that we were together. 

They are my cosy jumper and favourite pair of jeans friends.

The kind of friends that are always there, albeit thousands of miles away....

Those friends that you just feel so comfortable with.

The friends that are in all the photographs over the years. 

A few of these special people I have known since Nursery days - that would be when we were 3 or 4 years old! Not worth thinking about how long ago that was...! Others, I spent those crazy school days with and some of us carried on to crazier days at Uni together. 

So it has become a bit of a regular event that when I find myself back home we organise a get together. Four of us had managed an afternoon catch up the previous week (that was the tea, wine cocktails, back to tea afternoon I mentioned in an earlier post) and we planned a larger gathering for the bank holiday weekend. 

M has hosted these gathering on quite a few visits and this time it was from her new place. M made the move across the border to England to study and then began her working life in London. Some years later Wales called her home and she moved back. At first the family lived just outside the city and then more recently they have moved to a property with land. It's a dream place.

The minute I drove past the pub and up the lane I loved it. Not hard to see why.

spot the happy dog playing in the water bath.

Griff the dog came to greet me and he was in absolute heaven with so much space to run around, fences to jump, chickens to watch and sticks to carry. 

The kettle was immediately filled and placed on the Aga and the inevitable observations were made on how much the 'children' had grown. I use the word 'children' loosely.... they are beautiful young ladies.

It struck me during this particular afternoon that in the couple of weeks that I had been away from Australia I had almost exclusively spoken Welsh. I had reverted back to my mother tongue without a second thought. That was a lovely thought.

As the afternoon moved into early evening more and more people came and sitting around the kitchen table was the place to be. Nothing changes does it? More and more bubbles were poured, stories shared and phones passed around to scroll through photos.

Conversation was easy. We moved from family and friends updates and working life into the benefits of supermarket home delivery! At this point someone pointed out that this was rather a "middle aged type of topic" so we quickly changed the subject! That was possibly the time that there was a moment of madness when four of us girls decided that it would be a good idea to have a go at a dancing thingy with the Wii. Actually, in hindsight, I'm pretty sure that I had nothing to do with the decision and I just found myself in front of a screen, holding a white control in my hand and singing (rather than dancing) to 'Fame'! 

I think the under 18's in the house were in awe of the fact that we still had the moves....or maybe those looks were them being a little horrified at the sight of so much jigging and giggling!

The most worrying thing is the fact that it was all captured on video! It took a few attempts trying to re-watch the footage as the tears of laughter were blurring my vision! Please let me never see the sight of my behind like that again!!

Then it was back to the kitchen table....

Towards the end of the night we made it to the sofas. It was cheese and biscuits and singing time. My lovely talented friends had recently been on TV and I was treated to a showing of the programme. Biases aside - they were flippin' marvellous!

Next morning it was wellies on and I had a walk around the farm. I had already mentally moved into the barn next door to the main farmhouse when I was told about the potential for conversion...!

As we continued with the walk there was a funny moment when it was pointed out to me that I did not need to keep my eyes down as I trudged through the long grass - there were no snakes to look out for! 

So with another great weekend under my belt I left with some fresh hen eggs and a head full of wonderful memories to tie me over until next time. 

Diolch am noswaith arall o'r cyfeillgarwch gore. x

I've been home and now I'm home... UK trip part 1

Seven months ago I planned a trip - a secret trip.

Brisbane to Singapore, Singapore to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Cardiff.

I told a few key people and by some miracle it actually remained a secret. As a friend of mine said - "the jungle drums in the valleys can be quite loud".

My mum was celebrating a significant birthday and I thought it would be a good idea to surprise her. So on a Tuesday morning a few weeks ago I turned up on the doorstep with a "Hi it's me, please can I borrow £25 to pay Dai the taxi man as he doesn't accept cards or Australian dollars!"

The initial shock quickly morphed to utter disbelief that I was there and not on the other side of the world. We had teary hugs and I lost count of the number of times she said "I don't believe it"!

No time was wasted though, as a couple of hours after landing I was in the middle of a small family reunion. Mum was being taken out to lunch and so of course I now tagged along - bonus! It was a walk around the corner to a great place that was new to me since my last visit home. Such lovely company and thank you Aunty Glenys for a superb lunch.

Holm House

One of the things that I love about going back home is the fact that I can walk most places. Down through the park to the sea front, round the corner to the shops, across the road to the railway station to take me to the city. I have lovely memories of wrapping Sibs up in blankets, putting her in her pushchair and bumping her down the dolly steps in Windsor Park, past the little aviary, maybe a stroll along the pier and then up the hill the other side. It was all still there - so wonderfully familiar.

Windsor Park

Winsdor Park Aviary

The pier has however had a bit of a face lift recently and I have to say looks rather grand now. In fact the whole of the prom looked better than I remembered it. Maybe the blue skies and warm breezes made a difference as the last time I visited it was dark, grey and cold during December. The Bristol channel is always a mucky brown though, whatever the weather!

My first week home was spent doing everyday things. I will admit to getting rather wide eyed at the mundane, and if anyone saw me in Waitrose oohing and aaahing at things on the shelves - I apologise. (I was also a bit the same in Tesco and Marks and Spencer food hall!)

I stocked up on the essential under garments in M&S, bought some new shoes, paid a visit to Thorntons and had 'proper' fish and chips....twice!

I drank coffee and champagne in equal measures and ate half my body weight in real Jaffa Cakes...and that was just in the first few days!

Three wonderful friends came to see me a few days after I arrived and we spent the afternoon chatting and reminiscing. One of my favourite memories of this day was the speed in which we seemed to move from cups of tea to wine to cocktails....but then back to cups of tea! Maybe we are getting older and more sensible?

This little fellow came to visit most mornings during breakfast and would scamper around in the back garden. I managed to take this shot through the window just before he flew back up the tree.

I enjoyed walks up to the coffee shop in town and strolls along the promenade. It was all quite full on but also quite relaxing. We met up with some extended family one afternoon with some aunts that I hadn't seen for some time. Again, there was champagne....

The Saturday before the big birthday my sister and family travelled to Cardiff and we met up with Mum's closest friend and her two girls. Her friend had just passed the same birthday so it was a double celebration. It was an afternoon of pure joy and my sides were aching from all the giggling. You know that group of people that laugh a bit too loudly at everything? Well that was us!

During the lunch we told my mum that she was being taken away for a few nights to a little island in the sun for a girlie holiday. More champagne please!

Before she could think of packing we ended the Saturday with a family meal. Good job it was a two minute walk from the house as I was fit to burst by the end of that day.

So that was my first week away. A wonderful catch up with very important people. I was busy on top of busy but it was a good feeling flopping into bed at night knowing that I had filled my day.

I think that flute was stuck to my hand...!

I have always slightly regretted never recording and blogging about the last trip that I made home a couple of years ago. It's nice to have some words behind the photos to trigger the memories. So I'm rectifying that regret by capturing some of this one.

I'll be off to The Canaries next, then a few days back in Wales before heading up the M5 and M6 up North on a road trip. Care to join me?

Can something become too precious?

Christmas 1982 I was given a special gift. 

It was a silver welsh lovespoon on a chain that my grandmother gave to me.

I have worn this lovespoon for the last thirty one years...

I have just had a moment there - a moment where I doubted my maths! Thirty one years? Surely not?

Anyhow, as I said,  this lovespoon has been with me all this time. Throughout my school years tucked under my pale blue regulation blouse; through Uni days; moving away from home; moving back home; getting married; becoming a mother and eventually moving across the ocean to Australia.

I don't wear it everyday, but it is my default piece of jewellery.  As the years go by I love it more and more, and this is where the problem lies. My little silver lovespoon is becoming too precious that I am beginning to get a little wary of wearing it.

The other week I just had a feeling that I hadn't seen it for a while. I checked the couple of places where it should have been. Not there.

I searched high and low. I turned drawers inside out even though it was highly unlikely that the spoon was anywhere near there. I could feel a bubble of panic, maybe even fear that I dared to think that I had lost it.

I left it a few days and searched again. Nothing....

I re-lived the previous few weeks. Tried to remember the clothes that I had worn. I recalled how I almost lost it once when I was olive picking a few years ago when the chain broke but the lovespoon stayed safe and tucked itself into my clothing.

Still nothing.

I even scrolled through some photos and tried to piece together when I wore it. Major panic when I saw a recent one of Sibs and I in Auckland with the lovespoon around my neck....!

I tried to convince myself that it would just show up. (I do denial pretty well)

Last week I was packing to go away for a few days and as I was throwing some toiletries into a bag I spotted a small black velvet drawstring pouch. I tentatively peered inside and there was my little silver lovespoon. It had made it back from Auckland.

So I wore it when I went away again last week and then the same thing happened. I couldn't find it a few days later. Not in the little black pouch, not in the other obvious places.

I rang the hotel - nothing.

Maybe my luck was running out?

This morning I found it tucked in the corner of the jewellery roll that I took away with me. The same jewellery  roll that I looked through - twice.
I actually whooped out loud!

Is this just a sign of a busy life? Of having a brain that it crammed too full of end of year lists and chores that I can't think straight?

Or have these near misses been a sign that I should place this necklace away in a drawer, lock it and hide the key??

I have thought a bit about it this evening. I have thought about how much I love my silver lovespoon necklace and how it often makes me think of my grandmother.

I thought about how devastated I would be if I did ever lose it.
But the strongest feeling came when I really considered not wearing it again.
It felt like I was about to lock a bit of me away.
Dramatic?
Maybe....

So I'm going to continue to take great pleasure in wearing it and in enjoying the link it gives me to my past. It's a bit like deciding to live the moments. There's no point wondering too much about the 'what ifs' in life - just make the most of it whilst you have it.

Wish me luck in keeping it safe for the next thirty years and beyond!

When a bit of home comes to Australia

You know that feeling that you get when life is happening at full speed and you have a hundred and one things that you would love to sit down and blog about but your days just merge into one and the moment seems to get lost?

So much has been going on around here - good stuff.

Stuff that I so wanted to record on this blog but time slipped by.  So I am going to indulge and go backwards. Spend a little time capturing a few of those moments that have been making my memories...

I went to Sydney last weekend.... and so did thousands of others!

I went to watch the third and final test of the British and Irish Lions v Australia. I was fortunate enough to watch the first test in Brisbane and it was great being part of the atmosphere that a Lions tour brings.

Being Welsh I was brought up watching rugby. I was a child in the glory years of the 70's when Welsh rugby was at its best. Seeing as the British and Irish Lions only play in Australia every 12 years it was no surprise that I was keen to watch them.

We even had the chance to go and watch some players train one afternoon and Sibs got to meet some of them. 

She was keen to share her knowledge of who's who in the team.

A good friend of mine is a primary school teacher in a small school in Wales and her year 5 class have been following the Lions tour and learning about Australia at the same time. We got one of the Welsh players to pose for a photo with a personal message to the class. They were thrilled (understatement!). A few days later we arranged a Skype call with them and the children were so excited. It was lovely to be a part of it. There we were on a Monday evening chatting in Welsh to a classroom on the other side of the world - magic!

thank you Alex Cuthbert

It was a bit last minute, but some tickets became available for the final test in Sydney and in a very unlike me manner I decided to grab the opportunity and go.

If I though the Brisbane match was amazing, Sydney was something else - it was really special being a part of it.

Walking along George Street in Sydney on Saturday afternoon was incredible. It was full of the most glorious of Irish, Scottish, English and Welsh accents. There was even singing on the train on the way to the stadium courtesy of some Irish lads. Everyone wanted to chat, everyone had a story to share about their adventures following the rugby.

It was reported that there were around twenty five to thirty thousand British and Irish fans inside the stadium with many thousands without tickets  outside soaking up the atmosphere. Even though the Lions fans were probably outnumbered 3 to 1 they easily produced the most noise. I have never heard anything like it in a rugby game.

There are plenty of reports about the rugby game but here's a story that I want to share...

I'm sitting in my seat about half an hour before the game starts just enjoying the people watching. I'm surrounded by Australian Wallabies supporters all decked out in yellow and there is one empty seat to my side waiting to be filled. Next minute a red jersey appears and makes his way to the empty spot.

I have a red scarf on and he immediately strikes up a conversation along the lines of "Where are you from then?"
We exchange the safe "I live in Brisbane but I'm from Wales" chit chat and it turns out he lives in Singapore and is also from Wales...
"Which part of Wales....?"
We establish that we originate not too far away from each other and then it gets interesting.

(You can see where this is going...?)

He tells me where his family farm is and I tell him that I have really good friends who farm in the same place and we quickly come to realise that he is the first cousin of some very close friends of mine. So close that we both had received messages that day from the same person commenting on the rugby game that we were now sitting next to each other watching!

Oh my goodness...out of 83,702 I was sitting next to someone that I had a connection with.

We took the obligatory phone photo and it was sent across the world to share.

Even though I am thousands of miles away from home, every now and again I don't feel too far away...

Congratulations to the British and Irish Lions team and supporters for a great tour with a special 

llongyfarchiadau i'r bois o Gymru!

Some holiday planning

Do you like where you live?  

I had a chat with someone this week about choosing a place to live and bring up a family. 

It was a choice between Australia and Europe.

We spoke about the wonderful outdoor opportunities and health benefits of Australia. We touched on the  culture and proximity and such diversity of Europe. We thought about the cold, damp, dreary 'get me out of here' feelings of Northern Hemisphere Winters and then the fuzzy hair, 10 cold showers a day Summers in Queensland. 

There was no conclusion....

Well, maybe there was?

The conclusion was that there is no perfect place. 

We make the best decision based on our circumstances and the opportunities that we can take at that time.  I am grateful that I was given the choice of where to live and for now I chose Australia.

I enjoy the benefits that it gives, but  I feel that my real fortune is the link that I still have 'home'.

Every now and again I feel the need to strengthen that link and head back. I have written before about not wanting to let go of my history -  HERE and HERE.

Travelling and experiencing different cultures is an education far beyond the classroom. Yes there is the disruption of moving home and I'm sure for those that are constantly on the move there are numerous challenges. However, the chance to view life through a different lens is a real opportunity. 

So where am I going with this? 

Oh yes, -  flights have been booked and we are heading back home for Christmas!

Yes, it will be cold..... yes it will be grey....it might even snow - but I CAN'T WAIT!

There are so many things on the list of things that I want to do, places and people that I want to see it's almost daunting....but very exciting. There are theatre trips planned and booked, there are visits to old haunts up and down the length of the UK from the Lake District to London.  There's Paris, Amsterdam and anywhere else we can fit in....

In anticipation of a Christmas in Wales my girl has been fishing out her Welsh books and brushing up on her vocabulary.

We are flying through the re-cap of colours and days of the week and basics of naming things around the house but the daily struggle at the moment is the pronunciation of  "CH" and "LL".

We can be in fits of giggles when I try and correct her pronunciation for "cyllell" (knife). It's so difficult to try and even attempt to put into words how to get your tongue to the top of your mouth, behind your front teeth and then as your say "L" you need to blow! See how hard it is?

The other morning just as I was getting ready for work I could hear some strange noises from her room then she marched into the bathroom, looked me in the eye and without muttering another word just came out with a very slow  "cyll - ell". She has perseverance - I'll give her that!

She has set herself a goal of learning the words to the Welsh National Anthem. Her original goal was to learn how to say 'Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyllllandisiliogogogoch' ....we're working on it!

So I am in deep planning mode now.

How to fit about 5 months of 'stuff' to do into 5 weeks?

 I can think of worse things to do with my time...

Family Treasures

A box of goodies arrived here this week. 

A box filled with precious things that once graced the tables of my family some generations ago.

Bridgwood china dinner service

My lovely mum had wrapped and sent over some treasures that were gathering dust in her attic so that I could have the pleasure of owning a little piece of the past. 

I remember some of it....

Duchess tea set 'Rosebud'

 This delicate little tea cup and saucer above belonged to my grandmother. It's such a pleasure to drink out of it. I used it for my evening cup of tea a couple of nights ago and I was transported right back to my grandparents kitchen....
I remember the tea pot that they used and the tea caddy (never tea bags), the milk that came in a bottle from the milkman, the exact cupboard where the biscuit barrel was kept , even where the not so secret chocolate supply was hidden in the pantry! It's amazing the power of one little object on the memory.

I don't recall this exact plate, but I do remember being on holiday in Dorset  as a child and visiting the Poole Pottery shop. I bought a small china dolphin brooch....I wonder where that went? I have a memory of a few bright orange and mustard yellow pieces in our house - very 70's!

Royal Albert 'Blossom Time'

 This beautiful set dates back earlier than the 1970's, and I should do a bit of research and find out when it was produced. I love the fact that the handles of the little tea cups are so small that you can't fit your finger through and have to pinch it - very lady like.

This is just marked 'Staffordshire' and is extremely delicate.

Sibs is convinced that some of this china is from the Jane Austen era! 

Denby 'Natural Blue'

Then to finish off - I also got some new Denby cups, saucers and plates for everyday use.

Now I have to find some space to store and display all this gorgeous stuff!

And in other news....Twmff is still recuperating. He alternates between resting in the sunshine on top of the desk in the study and escaping to the linen cupboard. He has a little pillow on the desk and his own mat in the cupboard....not spoilt at all then?? He's being a little trouper and takes his medicine daily and there is some improvement. His rather pathetic hopping on three legs is now more of a limp.