NZ Diary

A description of what I get up to in my new life Down Under

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Here I am again....

I'm baaaack! How youse all? We're good!

Just got back from seeing Transformers (robots in disguise, more than meets the eye!). It was great fun - I like Bumblebee best.

Weelll - I suppose I should finish the photos from the UK - here we go..........




Here's Corrie at the whalebone arch in Whitby. We were intending to go to York after Newcastle but changed our minds upon hearing that something was going on in them there parts - so we tootled off to the seaside instead - and I'm sooo glad we did. What a pretty place! It was a bit like a fishing town/village in Cornwall. Yummy fush n chups too!


There's the abbey in the distance.


And here's the famous Captain Cook (complete with seagull on head). It seems that Whitby is where he began his seamanship training! I had no idea. It was cool to find out though - especially after my previous visits to Australia and living in NZ, where his name is all over the place on the maps and areas I've been to!




















Here's the inscription on the bottom of the statue:















After pottering about enjoying the sights and sounds of Whitby, we made our way to the Tourist Information where a very nice lady found us a bed for the night a bit further along the coast in Scarborough. Her charge was the princely sum of 2 pounds! So, supplied with a map and girly stuff, we made our way onwards - to be there by 6pm sharp.

It was a very nice B&B indeed. Very friendly owners. However, I didn't like Scarborough quite as much as Whitby - a bit bigger and brasher I guess. There was a HUGE hotel on the seafront - very grand indeed!


We set out that evening fully intending to see a movie, but ended up at the wrong cinema at the wrong time - so we had LOADS of fun in the arcades! It was great! Spent ages on the 2p
machines trying to dislodge all the coins and win such coveted objects as a pig keyring (complete with telescopic pen when you pull its head off) and a Dr Who wallet. We must have spent a fortune in 2p coins - but IT WAS WORTH IT!


Armed with our spoils, we spent a delightful hour on the Bingo! Me and Cos with all the old biddie! It was a hoot!


The next major outing was the one we were all waiting for - and that was the graduation at Oxford - I loved it - every minute.............








This is Keeble College - our B&B in Oxford! It was great staying in the student rooms cos you got to eat in the dining hall - so beautiful and old - full of history - I wonder about all the famous people that have eaten there over the years..... and then there was me! LOL!

Gorgeous dining hall - this is where we had breakfast and dinner each day!



Here we are in the morning - nearly ready to go - Corrie was wearing her little gown (used for exams and eating dinner in the hall etc) until she graduated - then she marched out of the hall in her big one and we all clapped!
Here're the proud grandmas!

Whilst Corrie was getting ready for her graduation (ie being told what will happen and what to do), the gran'mas, aunty and uncle were taken by the lovely Will to Blenheim Palace and Kev, Adam and myself went for lunch in the Exeter dining hall - what a grand place to eat - we had never been allowed to eat there before - and now here we were being served with salmon followed by strawberries and cream, then coffee. Wines to too.




Isn't it amazing! There's a portrait of King Charles (the first, I think) up there somewhere. Also on the right hand side at the back in the wood panelling is the door mentioned in the first Phillip Pullman book - I'll say no more! Can't wait for the movie - it's coming out soon - got Nicole Kidman and the new James Bond guy in it! (I'm so good with names).


Here we are with the beautifual graduate! I think this is taken outside the door of her first living quarters at Exeter College. She was in the main quad building on staircase 6! Tolkien and Pullman attendedExeter.
After the graduation, we went into the Dean's garden, where their certificates were given to them personally by the Dean and we all drank champagne to celebrate!

Here's Will, Edward, Corrie, Adam and Celina.


Corrie with the Dean - she was lovely and so petite too!



I love this piccie! I think I did really well to capture all of those hats mid air - and everyone looks so happy too!

And on that note, I shall stop waffling on about our trip to the UK - suffice to say that there are tonnes more photos - lots of our trip to London too - but I'm so fed up of downloading photos - it takes aaaaages!
So - mum and co - I will download them today and send them to you!
Well - it's Sat 11.50am and I'm still in me jammies doing this blog and housework in between photos downloading (that's how long it takes!). Hoovered the whole upstairs, made lunch, done 3 loads of washing.......hey ho!
Well tara fer now and I'll start nattering about stuff soon.
x Sue