Oh my goodness!

I think the weather from the UK has followed me to NZ! It's nearly 11am, the sky is pitch black, I've just had to turn the lights on and - you guessed it - it's CHUCKING it down! Very gloomy indeed! Although it is winter here I suppose. Yesterday was a complete contrast - beautiful blue skies and pleasantly warm in the afternoon (about 16 degrees I think). Heigh ho.

Well - it's about time I put some of my UK photos onto this luvverly blog - so here goes.......

My first day was spent out and about in the town I left a year and 8 months ago - Rugby - the home of the game! And here is Pete the bear outside Rugby school, below the statue of William Webb Ellis - the guy who picked up the ball and made a run for it!

And here's Pete in front of the nearby roundabout with the Webb Ellis Cup celebrating England's win and getting ready for this year's World Cup.

We had a lovely time messing around in Rugby ( including my friend and I getting confused in the shopping centre lift, ending up pressing all the buttons by mistake and daughter getting told off by an old man in a wheel chair due to us having to stop at every floor - including going up first instead of going down - oops!).

A few days later, I had a fabbie barbecue with the girlies at M's house (thank you very much for your hopitality - looking forward to seeing you next year). We had a great chin wag and natter and the chocolate trifle was to die for! Hi girls - hope all is well your end!?

The Strongbow is mine - have missed a good English cider!

Hi L! I remember you taking Corrie off me kicking and screaming at Playgroup and telling me to just "Go!"......

Hi M - sorry it's so dark! I also remember when you took Adam off me at the sports centre creche when he was a teeny tiny baby sos I could go off to aerobics! Gosh scary how time flies!

Here are the culprits - tired bro and sis having a relax!

Well, after this lovely catch up, it was off back to mum's for a family get together - during which I was sunburned! It was a really pretty, typical, warm England summer's day.

It was great to catch up and to see everyone. Lovely to see my nephew and neices too.

Next it was off up north to Gateshead to visit our geordie friends Mary, Roy and Andrea. We had a lovely natter in their garden, followed by dinner at one of our fave Indian restaurants (oooommmmm) and then a fabbie shop with them the next day in the Metro Centre!

It was great to see you all again!

Here's the winking eye bridge over the river at night. We visited there after our very BIG Indian meal and methinks there were also lots of gas emitted there too by a certain 4 ladies! Ooops - a bit off task here.....

Anyhoo - I'm getting a bit bored of downloading photos now - so I'll carry on at a later time - it takes blooooomin ages.....

Back in NZ, it has now stopped raining and the sun is starting to peep through the clouds. It is 12.38 and I really must get a shower and do some school work for tomorrow - poops.

NZ is still the same - it was very exciting when we landed cos I saw and understood the whole area below me this time - the views were beautiful! Could see the sparkling sea, Botany shopping centre, Rangitoto Island, Howick, Beachlands and Maraetai - lovely.

The ads on the radio are still quite funny - the latest one to take me by surprise is the one that comes after the traffic news - Something about a non-surgical vasectomy if you don't want a bigger car! Only in NZ eh!

Tara fer noo - more updates later.

Byeeee

x Sue