Deva Aquathlon April 2013

We all piled into the car nice and early to make it in time for the pre-event registration.

Instructions, advise were coming thick and fast...I started to feel nervous for the girls!!

Julia was first up, she had to swim two lengths of the 25m long pool...she did so well given she has only just mastered this in her swim class. On the second lap I was wanting to get in and do it for her, she was trying so hard and was really tired. I was a bit of an over panicked mum and started to be concerned that the lifeguards might not do their job...I was so relieved when she exited the pool!! She calmly put her trainers on and took off! She ran so well and over took a few.

Sophia had to wait a long time before her event, which is never good for your nerves. She cheered Julia on and then her friend. Finally it was her turn. She was in an age group where she was the youngest so she had some strong competition. She had to swim 10 lengths and then run 1600m. As always she put in 110%, what a big effort and great result.

Julsey now 8! - An Adventure Party

Julia is quite particular about what she wants, and with party plans in the air everything had to be carefully negotiated with her.

Julia with McKenzie looking for clues. This is the main street in Mancot which backs onto our street. Our library is just beyond the phone booth on right.

We settled on an 'adventure party'...all the invites went out and I was hoping that not everyone could make it simply because if the weather was poor I didn't want everyone inside.

We started with an adventure trail around the neighbour-hood, following on from this they all had to find a treasure map in the garden and then decode that to find the treasure...lots of fun had by all.

Team Sarah, first to complete puzzle and then off! Holly soo pleased /relieved she could join in!

LtoR Ben, McKenzie, Julia,William, Rose, Sophie, Holly, Sophia, Jessica, Megan

Julia chose to have a picture of her good friend Charlie on her cake. She loves this photo.

We are very proud of our JULES!

Cant believe that Julia is now 8, she is a very conscientious, determined girl. She loves her friends and sisters and does really thoughtful things for them. 

Stratford upon Avon and Julia's Birthday

For Julia's birthday we all went to the movies in Stratford upon Avon. We went to "The Croods" which was a great movie with a caveman family moved on by an erupting volcano. It was a typical family event with popcorn and lollies.

Sue was more interested in the streets of Stratford. We of course checked out the birthplace of William Shakespeare before venturing down the other streets. The central area has been kept as it was in the past. 

The drive back to Chester (home) was a slow one. The GPS took us off the motorway just north of Birmingham which suggests congestion on the M6 near Manchester. I think we were all pleased to be home by the end.

One thing we had been really surprised by, is the amount of rubbish just left on the roadsides in England. It seems that  the nearer you get to the center of the country the worse it gets. I suppose the Welsh have too much pride in their land to let this happen. We've travelled in many countries now and have never seen anything so obvious and ignored.

The Roald Dahl Museum and Meeting up with the Sheads

We have only two days of our adventuring left and just wanted to start chilling out a little. You may have caught the story in the papers but here we are in the North West of London in April and its snowing this morning. Every day the news says its going to warm-up in three or four days time, but as the weeks have gone on this has just been pushed out further and further.

We left the lodge later than usual and met up with the Shead's at Ashridge Estate. It was actually 0.5 degrees. We met walked around for about an hour and headed for an indoor location. We all decided on the Roald Dahl museum in a nearby village. It was great to catch up with other kiwis and especially one's we knew. We exchanged the typical school and English experiences we had had. Alexis was enjoying his new school and a chance to express his love of football, Dani is now a fun loving stay at home mum and I can't believe Abbey is two. 

The museum was good with a well detailed and presented area of Roald's life. The kids got to fill a question and answer form on his life. I was surprised he had been an ace flight pilot in World War 2. Sophia really enjoyed her wizzpopper drink in the Twits cafe afterwards. By and large it was a chilled out time and a chance to catch up on any news we had heard from home.




From here we drove north-west for about 60 miles. It was supposed to take about 80 minutes but ended up being 130 minutes with the motorway at times coming to a stand still. But it was the traffic heading south that I felt really sorry for. Eight miles of a parking lot on the M1. Stationary cars and trucks going nowhere. I don't know how they cope around here.  

Warner Bros. Studios, the making of Harry Potter, and loving it!!

This was our one big expenditure theme type park for the holiday. The day before we drove from near Salisbury to Hemel Hempstead. We stopped at Basildon-park a National Trust house with beautiful grounds. It was a final opportunity for the kids to do another Easter egg hunt and for us to enjoy a little sun in the country. The house is from the 18th century and has been used in a number of movies including parts of Pride and Prejudice. 

We made it to Hemel Hempstead in good time and after a few small issues around parking settled in. Initially we tried at the front only to be told by residents that parking for the lodge was at the back of the building. Another car was trying the same thing straight after us. You would think someone would put up a sign. Then it had metered parking but the lodge could not give change. Come on how hard could this be.

The next day the kids woke up with great expectation. It was only a 10 minute drive and before we knew it we were queuing in line to enter. Unfortunately they had some lighting issues in the great hall so the queuing lasted a little longer than usual. Still a chance to raise expectations and anticipation. 

Much like most theme parks or mass people entertainment we were herded into various rooms. Firstly for a presentation on why the movie's were made, then another larger screen movie syn-opting what the eight movies were about. Finally we came to the main room, the Great Hall. This is a real treat and the actual room used for the movies. Very cool and intricately designed. This

is an awesome experience if you have read all the books. We spent as long as possible checking out all the house uniforms and of course the teachers table at the far end of the room.


After this point we were able to just roam around the various exhibits split into two large building separated by an outdoors courtyard. 

The first building had most of the Hogwarts rooms included. Harry's Gryffindor room, house common room, Dumbledore's office, a moving staircase, various classrooms and much more.


If going do the broomstick ride, decide on whether to buy photos before hand. It was an enjoyable experience and we all laughed with each other as we watched on a screen. However, even though I mentioned we wouldn't get photos I was outvoted once in the gallery foyer.

Outside in the courtyard we had to enjoy a butterbeer although the kids didn't like the froth. We also hopped into Ron's flying car, tried to board the three story "night bus" and walked across the wonky bridge used in the last movie.

The last building has Diagon Alley which was awesome. The exact street and all the artifacts in the shop windows. Julia wanted to buy a wand but unfortunately the shop wasn't open for business.


They left the best exhibit for last. That was a reduced size massive model of the castle and it's grounds. The detail was amazing and again it was used in the movies. Watch out in the exit as you come in to the paraphernalia shop. The prices match the expense of the place and you can easily spend more than the initial entry prices.

Durdle Door, Stonehenge and Avebury

After being in London and travelling for a number of days we probably should have taken this one easy but with limited time and booked accommodation we forged on. We have seen a great deal of the southern country side now and it is surprising how flat it is.

We headed to Dorset to Durdle Door, Sue's choice of the day. This is the Jurassic coast line near Lulworth. It was worth the 90 minute drive. We haven't seen much of the natural beauty of England but this certainly ranks up on the world stage. 

From the car park high up on the surrounding cliffs we walked down a long path. Near the bottom this involved a steep decent onto the sandy beach below. There are a number of caves around the bay which Sophia and Julia loved to explore. Luckily they were very short.

It was nice to just go for a walk and enjoy the natural surroundings. Its been a while since we have done this and it is quite relaxing.





Next we went in search of Sophia's favourite for the day, Stonehenge. Sophia had seen a documentary recently and was able to give us a running commentary. It was run by the English Heritage. We were treated with respect as we have a membership card. I believe the staff are all voluntares and with the masses of crowds certainly have a hard job. They must fund the rest of their country wide operations from this one place with a mass of money being paid by so many foreign tourists.

Last time Sue and I came we only stood at the fence line to view. Getting much closer now the atmosphere is quite real. Just to stand at the nearest point and observe the massive rocks planted there over 5000 years ago. Apparently they were dragged from south Wales 200 miles away. The rocks were literally planted and a third of each lies in the ground.

Holly was not quite so taken by the place and marched off looking for the exit. Usually we have to drag her along or carry her but I think all this walking is paying off for her fitness.

Our last stop was my favourite, Avebury. Located twenty miles north of Stonehenge. It is 4500 years old and less of a tourist destination as it is more spread out so it is impossible to charge people. After various groups took away some of the massive rocks Alexander Keiller purchased all the surrounding land in the early 1900's re-erecting some and replacing

others with smaller stones. The original had a dirt wall and ditch still seen today. There is a massive ring of rocks surrounding a smaller ring of rock on the inside. Its also know for the children's TV series "Children of the Stone".

Portsmouth Royal Navy Museum

It was nice to leave London and head out towards the south coast. We left on a Sunday morning so the traffic was easy and we reached Portsmouth after only 90 minutes. The signage in this country has something to be desired. No sign for the museum only an entryway in a long wall. The locals must frequently be asked where it is. It's like, they are concerned that there will be to many signs everywhere. This is a frequent frustration throughout the UK. 

The museum is great. Expensive but well worth the money. We started by walking through the HMS Warrior. An 1860's navy warship. Iron hulled but set up in old style inside. It had cannons in all directions but apparently never fired a shot in anger.

Next we went on the harbour cruise. This was made interesting by the navy ships docked. I was especially taken by the short aircraft carrier. They were used for the harrier jets. It was just an opportunity for us adults to chill out inside while the girls sat outside. Holly inevitably made a number of friends. One lady got concerned as while moving to the upper deck Holly wanted to go with her similar aged daughter she had made friends with.

After the cruise we went down the dock to the museums biggest exhibit the HMS Victory. This was Lord Nelsons vessel during the battle of Trafalgar. It didn't disappoint. We were able to view every part and deck. Its amazing how low the sealing is in the lower decks. Can't be any more than 1.5 meters. The captain's cabins were very posh and gave us an idea of the hierarcy on a ship. We only lost Holly once when the girls were trying to find the spot where Nelson was shot by a French sharp shooter. It was part of an Easter hunt. Holly went off down the decks exploring.

We only saw about a half of the museum and spent three hours. Its well worth a look.

We finished the day by visiting a National Trust manor. Most of the National Trust properties have an Easter egg hunt over the weekend. Couldn't believe the crowd. The girls loved it and received the inevitable egg at the end of the day. I had to purchase mine.