Christmas at Lawty Towers

Here's a few photos from the festive season for you.

Remember first we had to work out how to make brioche, as that was to be part of Pen's Christmas Day Menu.

Ok the mark 1 version was really good. Viz-

but we had to make a toastable loaf for the main event. That required a bit more cooking so we tested it for ages till it was done in exactly 45 mins!

A few days ago we zipped into town wih Leighton, Deborah and Kaitlyn to "Glow" the carol service at the Vector Arena where we joined the thousands to sing carols by the light of glowsticks. everyone had one of some colour or another, quite a sight! So we were "carolled out" on Christmas eve and after our day of relaxation awaiting Santa

we went out wet for the traditional pub meal at the "Western Lights" Good value. We were in great form but unfortunately a hard week at the Vets put paid to Jenny Cozens. The rest of the Cozens Clan were only slightly damaged by their busiest day of the year. Funny that, who'd have thought it.

Christmas day morning was outside again here we are with Irene our Chinese home-stay tucking into the breakfast menu

Soon it was time for the festivities as the Gosnells and the Soulsbys turned up for dinner

Starters:

Yummy platter of nibbly delights

Home-made breads & virgin olive oil dip (totally...c/o Big Rich)

Mains:

Roast turkey with stuffing, served hot & with cranberry sauce & gravy available

Ham from the bone, served cold with a selection of mustards available

BBQ meats (cooked to perfection by Big Rich & L8n) with tomato & HP sauces available

New season potatoes in mint & butter with baby peas & carrots julienne

Green salad & new season tomatoes off the vine (most organic leaves freshly picked from the garden) with home-made French dressing or Seriously Good mayonnaise available

Dessert:

Merry Christmas pudding (like our Grandson calls it) served with hot custard (upon demand) & DEFinitely icecream

Trifle

Home-made fruit mince pies

Chocolates & nuts

Beverages:

BYO (although there will be Big Rich's home-brew ginger beer, home-brew dark ale & a selection of red/white wines available)

Please bring fruit juices of your choice

Lawty Towers (Christmas....BRING IT !)

They brought some barbecue stuff to augment the dinner, Leighton was the prawn expert!

Kaitlyn had a fine time but we had to barrier off the stairway

There was a fair amount of relaxation

And everyone seemed to be taking better photos than me, maybe it was the ginger beer!

So it was late afternoon when they left and we went for our exercise in the park. What a wonderful couple of days

The park was still in red and green festive colours

And other shades too

And in the cool of the forest, remember the track?

And of course we had lots of lovely presents, books, magnificent leaded glass box, sparkly angel, pashmina, perfume, lovely crafted jewellery..etc etc Thanks everyone, So good to us.

Anyway the holiday continues. Tomorrow off to the Coromandel for some sun, surf & sea air.

Pen's Birthday and stuff

After our sojourn in Melbourne we had one weekend at the beach and actually swam!! well the water was totally calm and incredibly clear and not too chilly so we had to really. The weather was kind so we took our usual ice cream walk along the beaches like this: Kuaotunu And this Finally Pen's birthday weekend came. Well it was a low key time really, Penny insisted she had her present, the red leather jacket, in Melbourne. But anyway for the first day, Saturday, I found a couple of magazines for her that seemed really good and we went out to lunch. I thought we'd wind up in a cafe that I selected but we must have been late for there wasn't a great range. Off we went to the Pub just down the road instead, cos we were in Ellerslie and the Cock and Bull there is excellent. In the evening we had a barbie for Tom and his family. He is in the last days of a 2 year stay with us. We presented him with a "graduation" certificate from "South Auckland". The next day it was a bag of an assortment of confectionery to go with the mags. THE birthday was Monday so I presented the book "Open" Agassi's story, Pen is into tennis of course. Unfortunately she had to go to the teaching farm, but I baked some biscuits Viz:- As you may know biscuits are not my speciality but they worked out OK. We still have the Antipodean Champers for later in the week! Fortunately the book worked out too as there's silence in the lounge, must be reading! Other things happening are our new home-stays. as you know our year having Shane and then Tabatha went really well and the house was to empty right out when Tom finishes school. Of course this was in the master plan but other things, like Jemma coming over, or all the Houghtons simply haven't materialized. anyway a little note came through the letterbox from a local language school seeking placements for overseas students (read Asian). we went down to check it out and now we have a diminutive Chinese girl, Irene and another appearing in a fortnight from Korea I think. So there you are. the income from them will off set our travel costs for the near future as I expect we will be zooming to the antipodes in 2011 (OK and Australia too, Paula). While we couldn't stand 40+ temperatures like Sydney or being flooded like Cumbria, we could just do with a complete day of sunny weather right now. Auckland springtime can be a bit dull. One day soon though it will switch just like a light coming on. we can't wait!

Holiday in Melbourne

Well off we went flying again! We booked on line as usual but found, would you believe, that when prompted to check in on line, that we were not together but on opposite sides of the plane! More, it wouldn't let me change it. Fortunately the check in people at the airport were great. Biz class upgrade! Great start to the Holiday.

After the Airport Shuttle it was a mere few mins walk but it was late when we checked in at the apartment hotel, Oaks on Collins so we just made ourselves comfy and complained to the management about a few things.

First thing we did was to spend most of Sunday at the Queen Victoria Market. The weather was poor, cold and showery so it was just the place (covered) to mooch around. The star find of the holiday, Penny finally got her red leather jacket waited for for so long at a really bargain price. I even got a new pair of moccasins to replace those 100 year old now my painting ones.

That evening off we went by tram to Toorak to have tea with Vicky and family. had a great get together. also there were my namesake cousin Richard and wife Juliet and two of his kids, Alice soon off to UK and tiny Amanda? Other cousin Sally was there too. We had great conversations as usual but was sad to hear that my uncle John back in sussex had died recently.Aunt Alice apparently was taking his passing badly. Unfortunate that we hadn't heard of this before although it happened a while ago. Later on Sally who doesn't drive insisted we share a taxi home, a bit more salubrious return than the tram.

Next day we travelled by train out to Lilydale the west end, To the foothills of the Dandenong ranges almost in the area of last year's fires. You wouldn't think so today! see the river in flood below Mavis and Pen on the bridge at Warburton.

Unusual sight in Melbourne. Note the park benches. we went just around the corner a bit and had a great afternoon tea.

then we went off to Mavis' new place for the early evening get together. Here's Mavis and Steve over the wine bottles (aperitifs only)

Soon it was home? again to our "Studio apartment" in town on the 15th floor.

Next day we went to the new development called "Docklands".

A tiny bit similar to the Auckland downtown Viaduct. Except that is the large shopping precinct

And the brand new stadium. where the grand final was played on Sunday. Don't ask why there is a cow in this tree.

looking back toward the city

and along the waterfront. The rucksacks didn't come back empty from that expedition, lots of sales on. We walked quite a distance that day, right back up to the centre. lovely views sometimes of the old buildings meshed in among the high rises.

Between Bourke St and Collins.

I think this was the day we started our routine of the Sauna before tea.

Wednesday we walked along over the Yarra river to the South bank (Big and new) development and along the riverside

then along to the gardens

and finally to the Melbourne art gallery where we met and had lunch with cousin Sally.

Then we wandered back past Flinders St Station, along the tiny back streets

(And a shop that seemed to sell only soup! Never got back to it though, next time!) then along back to home and the sauna.

Thursday we thought better go to the DFO centre tacked on to the Southern Cross Station just down the road. Penny was directed there by those shopping buffs back home. Penny was into power shopping by now so that didn't last long, so off we went to the other end of town. Note that I have only mentioned trams once so far despite the city being jam packed with them. The reason is that although you can get on free tourist ones, walking is only marginally slower, so that we were free to browse wherever we went so browse we did.

The Block arcade for example.

by late lunchtime we were at the Carlton gardens where we had our packed lunch. we bypassed the elaborate Exhibition building and this time went for the adjacent museum. It was quite good, especially for the youth. Had a rather unusual section on the mind. coffee and munchies there were the priciest yet. We oofed it all the way back to the other end of town to the supermarket to top up on our supplies before again hitting the Sauna before tea.

Friday up early to see Vicky and Douglas again.

They have a gorgeous glassy extension to the house which is lovely to be in.

They spend a lot of time here, though Douglas has his own study for writing and his watercolours and Vicky has her oils room

and a lovely garden too. Vicky has put a lot of time into that over the years.

First thing Douglas was determined that we went out somewhere. Being 96 we had via Sally tried to dissuade them from undertaking some cross town picnic thing that doug would quite easily organise. Anyway we went with Douglas to the Botanical gardens. driving with Doug is a bit of a challenge. they have an enormous old Jaguar which I have driven on previous occasions but today we went out in the smaller round town car which I notice had a number of small scrapes and bumps. Straight out of the driveway on to the main road I realised why, but we found our destination without too much adrenaline in our systems. Only Doug came as Vicky has had some recent challenges and finds hill walking difficult. nevertheless we walked at good pace for a half hour up hill and down dale Viz

I drove home, fortunately? Then it was time for morning tea

They are very formal, everything is an occasion. I am reminded by Penny who points out that he will do everything, like bringing the wine out not just by the bottle but on a tray.

At last after wide ranging discussions covering just about anything you can think of, it was time to go. not because we had a pressing engagement but because of their busy schedule (at 86 and 96!).

So after last goodbyes in the garden we left them at the gates of their lovely place. Note that every space on the walls inside has a painting on it

What a pair!

We trammed back to Flinders St then walked up the road because I'd forgotten where it was (we could have ridden the rest of the way) To the National Library. Hey I thought it would only have books but it was quite an entertaining place, obviously with it's excellent books but also art and sort of museum too. all in this lovely old building. we left a kicking out time back for the sauna.

Saturday with its cloudy chilly weather drove us to give everything a go. this must have been our longest time on the feet.

we went down a lot of little lanes, along to the Melbourne central mall type place, then to Victoria Market just to make sure little had escaped our notice, then straight on to Docklands again. We took a tortuous route by free tourist tram back to the town centre but walked from there home again and then hit the sauna.

Sunday, last day. Sunny at last! Took the 96 tram to St Kilda beach. Vicky told me when she first got off the boat from England in 46 she took the tram to St Kilda, walked to the beach and knew she'd arrived. It still has a very sort of English way about it. Lovely 1930's buildings abound. everyone was out enjoying the sun. we had our packed lunch on the parkland adjacent Luna Park

The shopping centre was packed

it had lots of eating places in line with the rest of melbourne which is stacked with them. Lots of niche shops and delicatessens.

There really was a beach of course but there was nobody in it except the lifeguards and boardsailing and board paddling trainees. Long beach though with real sand so I guess it will be pretty packed in summer.

It had a pier too!

From which you can see a lot of Melbourne

Finally we wound up at a nice wine bar with our olives and becks in the sun opposite the entertainment. Too soon it was time to hit the tram for the last time to our place. it was Happy hour when we arrived at the bar, so we watched the league grand final to see the Melbourne Storm beat the Paramatta Eels (where were you Paula?). over tea we reflected on our time and quaint visions, here's one

Horse police.

In darkness at 4.30am we rose on Monday to leave our tiny but well formed "studio"

on the 15th floor with it's quaint views of the old Fleet buildings below

Typical old melbourne frontages. and hit the street for the shuttle. All my over planning came to nought when we missed it by 30 seconds and had to wait 30 mins for the next. (No I didn't ask Penny whether she minded missing that 20 min sleep in) Even so It didn't matter because the queues moved fast at check in and with a few words about seating to the check in person showing my silver Skywards card we were in Business class again! Then came the news of an hour delay while the plane arrived late. but who cared. With our champagne and nice seats

As we once again fly home, wish you all the best!

Up to 9th August

Just thought you all should know that Spring arrived last month and we're into blossom big time. Took these in the Botanical Gardens next door. Cool blossoms eh? The Magnolias are the main colour at the moment, hugely scented too!

The black birds in the pink trees are Tuis of course but I couldn't get a pic of their white tufts as they all were hopping around so fast.

Time seems to have passed rapidly too. It,s a month ago nearly that we went babysitting for deborah and Leighton, or rather baby Kaitlyn, Penny went back to school for a new term, My painting class started up again, Neil and Tabatha had their respective Stag and hen nights, the Stag night involved 50 balls at the golf driving range followed by a mass race among the 23 of us on electric go-carts, 3 teams in relays really fun stuff (except I got shunted from behind Twice!! I've still got a sore shoulder from something). Then we all trooped off to Neil's place for Pizza and videos, great time had by all even if Neil is sporting orange hair for a while! Re the hen night I think they went dining somewhere, who would know.

Meanwhile we have traded cars! bought a new silver Citroen C4 hatch of all things, at a bargain price (I am amused to say to Penny it's the same colour as plutonium metal) certainly makes a change from the Japanese cars with its turbo diesel and manual gearbox with electric clutch We went to Matarangi in it and found it a more comfortable ride than the Civic with the same drive time the paddle shift is better too. we've had it since 30th july and filled it up only yesterday after 1070 km! so it's economical eh!

Not much to report from Matarangi except that it was nice, plants looking good but no swimming for me. (guess Roger would have though) played tennis instead but with really had it tennis balls, well that's my excuse anyway.

Friday saw the house descended on by 18 guys from Harbour City Church. Noise was tremendous but they ate my beef and guinness stew and consumed a lot of my home brew so it was a great night.

Meanwhile happy birthday to young Ben over there in England Hope you all had a wonderful time!

Bro David must have left PDO Oman for good by now to start on his world tour! have a great travel david and Linda, see you nearer Christmas.

Till next blog

Love everyone from R and P