Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour

After being at home for a couple of hours to recharge the batteries and top-up the cat feeder, we left for the Red Lion Pub / Hotel in Radlett. We arrived at about 6:30 and checked into two very nice rooms. Cam and Clara were worried about staying in a pub but were impressed when they saw it. Cam and Clara had a very warm twin and Mum and Dad had a cooler double.

One GORGEOUS meal later - spicy parsnip soup was a revelation - we headed to bed for an early night so that we could enjoy the Harry Potter studio tour the next day.

Tuesday morning: up for 8:00, breakfasted and left the hotel by 9:15 heading to Warner Bros Studios for a 9:30 tour of the Harry Potter memorabilia.

 We had Butter Beer too

Such interesting information about the films and how they were made, such interesting information about the 10,000s of props, sets, visual and special effects.

The animatronics are A-MA-ZING.

London with the Martins

We left home at 10:00 and followed Andy to the Marriott Hotel in Cromwell Street in Knightsbridge. After some confusion about the rooms (can 4 people sleep in a room with 2 single beds??) we got into our rooms.



We walked to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park and had chips, pulled pork rolls and hot dogs for lunch - Clara had a sore throat and couldn't swallow the scratchy chips so she had candy floss instead!

We then had a wander and looked at some stall selling all sorts of interesting things - wooden tie! - and Cam, Clara and Dan had a ride on a very short roller coaster. Dan and Cam also had a go on a spinning barrel ride and Clara and Luke went on the dodgems.


Nicole at Winter Wonderland
 

We then had an hours ice skating at the Winter Wonderland Ice Rink. Also skating while we were there - Nicole Scherzinger with her friend and 2 small girls.

 

After that we had dinner at TGI Fridays before walking back to the hotel for a night cap and bed. We walked a total of 14.5 km today!

 

The next morning we had a HUGE breakfast before walking to Harrods for some browsing.

 

We left London at around 2:30 and we home for about 3:30 on Monday: However, the adventure is not over...



Merry Christmas Sprees.

Lovely Christmas Day, lots of great gifts - Clara's camera, Cam's GTA next gen, mum's scarf n top, Dad's self stirring mug and DVDs. Lots of food, especially as Graham was poorly and couldn't help us eat it :-(.  Hope you're feeling better bro.

Nice late afternoon walk, Doctor  Who and Eastenders. Altogether restful, relaxing and joyful.

Merry Chrstmas and God bless us one and all.

Yule Log

Done !

Clara's new football kit

Cupcakes - how apt!

Happy 80th birthday Grandpa John

We went to Grandpa John's 80th birthday party with some trepidation, knowing that Gramdma and Grandpa have so many friends and that they would want to invite them all so expecting it to be very busy.

It turned out to be a lovely evening, Cameron was the official photographer and both he and Clara managed to be their usual brilliant selves. Talking to everyone maturely and interestingly. So much so that Rhonda told us that our children were amazing and Guy told Grandma that they were both 'charming'.  What lovely comments - what lovely young people. We had nice conversations with lots of interesting people. We met Sophie's boyfriend Will for the first time and were duly impressed and saw Jospeh and Lucy for the first time as an official couple.

The cosmos also put on a Geminid meteor shower for the occasion.

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree....

Put the tree up today.  How festive do we feel.

Pianoforte level 3

Cameron undertook his level 3 piano exam on 6th December. Francesca took him over to Tunbridge Wells. Cameron didn't feel he had done as well as with his mock with Francesca. However, the results came through and he had achieved a merit, with 75%.

Cam's best song was Clocks, he got 22 marks out of 25 for this. Well done.

Cam's Level 3 certificate.