We're back... singing, cumquatting, birthdaying, open micing, walking, concerting and BeanZing!

Oh to be back in the rush and tumble of Sydney! Home on Wednesday, rehearsing in the city on Thursday - it looked so cosmopolitan and kind of exotic! Great to meet up with everyone again although I felt sorry for Ruth who sat next to me having to put up with my lame singing.

As dawn broke off to Raymond Terrace to see Caleb and Hiromi. Of course Roger and I had been awake since 4.00 am. Arghhhh jet lag! Breakfast at the Riverside cafe... before cumquatting.

Oh my goodness what a tree! Collected 10 Kg.  I reckon there is at least 100kg left! Made up cumquat and ginger marmalade when I got home.

 

Great to be walking with Caleb and Hiromi again. This time to Fingal's Beach. 

Lots of catching up.  Jaffle lunch at the caravan and of course plotting our next trip with them. 

Love the concerts in the Utzon room...so intimate and yet fabulous views of the Harbour.  The concerts are always a bit quirky and this one was no different.  Liam Byrne a Berlin-based Irish played the viola da gambist along with Australian gambist Laura Vaughan The program was called Liquid Space, perfect as we looked out at the lapping water of Sydney Harbour.  An interesting concert with a mix of 16th- and 17th-century Renaissance and Baroque works as well as modern compositions. Great to see the two young composers sitting in the row next to us.  We are so lucky!

 

Finally it was open mic time with the BeanZ followed by dinner at the Ivanhoe Pub! Phew! somehow managed to get my feral story written. Enjoy! 

Copy of Open mic by Julie Howard

A Whirlwind Stopover in Vietnam

The. Lounge at Heathrow was really crowded but it gave us time to make those last phone calls and to gather our thoughts before we headed off to Hanoi.  The food and service on Vietnam airlines was terrific but sleep was on our minds! We were met in Hanoi by the enthusiastic guide Teddy who was supposed to take us straight to our hotel BUT he had other plans.  I'll take you on a three hour tour of Hanoi he said.  No Charge! All free!

There were half a dozen people travelling on to Sydney with us and we had all planned to use the 12hr stopover to shower and chill.  In unison we yelled out Nooooooooooo! 

Reluctantly he dropped us off, promising to pick us up for dinner. The hotel was of course was in the middle of a gloriously busy street, selling everything you could dream of. We regained our Vietnamese road crossing skills by walking straight ahead and never looking behind us.  I can't believe in previous years I've cycled here.  Most of the bicycles have now gone to be replaced by motor cycles.

 

Dinner turned out to be at a street 'cafe' - delicious food if you didn't think too much about what you are eating ha! ha! I tried to persuade Roger to have a skin fade haircut - only six dollars! No way was his response.  I actually still don't know what a skin fade hair cut is!

So back on the plane.... to Sydney!

 

London, Windsor, Ducks, Swans and FOOD!

The task this morning is to hand our hire car back and catch the National Express bus to London. After our horrendous check-in experience with rude counter staff who overcharged us (a battle we are still fighting!), we made sure to leave ourselves heaps of time  Surprisingly, all went smoothly. Surprisingly, everything went smoothly. We ended up enjoying a freshly cooked breakfast at the Radisson before wandering across the road to catch the bus.

It was an easy ride down. I even had time to glance over my music for the upcoming Benjamin Britten concert-EEEK! My first rehearsal is the day after we get back home to Oz.

We had a quick changeover at Birmingham, which proved to be a prime spot for people-watching. All I can say is that people come in every shape and size, wearing a fabulous array of clothes. Fascinating!

Exhausted, we checked into our hotel and enjoyed fantastic service alongside one of the best meals ever - and fantastic service!!!!

The next day, with seven hours up our sleeves before our flight, we took the opportunity to explore Windsor. Neither of us had been there before, so a cruise down the River Thames was the perfect way to spend a hot morning. There were flotillas of ducks and swans everywhere!

Windsor Castle was so much bigger than we expected and for the first time there were tourists everywhere unlike Southern France and Yorkshire!

As always amused by the signs and posters.

Farewells - Sheffield to Manchester

Last year was a tough year for my schoolfriend Maria, with the loss of her grandson and husband John.  It was so good to see her and to talk rather than using telephone or zoom.  We also had a chance to chat with Jeannie and Adrian.  Its good to have friends at these sad times.

Of course we also visited my grandparents, parents and cousin's graves.  I can see I have to get some maintenance done as they are starting to look neglected.  Always an emotional time saying goodbye.

But say goodbye we did and headed off to Manchester to return the car.  We stopped at Disley on the way to stretch our legs (got to keep up the 10,000 steps per day!) A lovely little village, complete with canal, quirkily named pub, a few heart thumping hills and of course a mansion or two!

Café Nine Beats, and Howard Family Banter

Café Nine is one of our all-time favourite spots - great music, excellent coffee, and the same friendly baristas welcoming you back. I was originally supposed to hold a book launch here, but COVID got in the way! Next time!

Nether Edge also has fantastic charity and secondhand bookshops. I did spot a skeleton for sale, but decided buying it might cause just as many headaches for me as 'Mr. Violin' did for Mark!

Next on the itinerary was the Howard family gathering. I was nervous just as we arrived at the Broadfield Ale house, I found out about its colourful past. Hey! I booked it because the fantastic internet reviews. I needn't have worried as soon as we stepped inside I knew it was going to be good. Between the fantastic food, fab service and the lively Howard banter, it couldn't have gone better. 

Gathering with 'The Boys'(our nephews) is always a highlight.  It was amazing that Nicky caught the ferry from Ireland, Jonathan a plane from Spain and Mark and Christine drove from Ripley. 

Our great-niece Elise, who we hadn't seen since her stint living in the Arctic Circle and roaming the globe, has now settled in Sheffield so we should see more of her. 

Reminiscing brought back great memories - from Jeannie and Adrian visiting us back home in Manly for the North Head walk, and my schoolfriend Maria, who of course has visited us in Australia, USA and  UK so many times. 

It was fantastic to laugh and joke as if no time had passed but of course there was a sadness that John and Harvey are no longer with us.  It's such a tragic heartbreaking story.

Also Brian, Dot, Lynda, Sue, Martina, Dean, Cory, and Willow couldn't join us this time... Maybe next year?

 

Yet more fun with Sarah & Mark

Down Winnats, through Castleton, across Ladybower Dam and up on the ridge to our friends Sarah and Mark's farm.  It looks magnificent as ever. I am truly jealous of their veggie garden! We met years ago and somehow have managed to meet up either in Derbyshire or Manly ever since.  

Last time was in Allambie where Frankie and Arthur joined us for lunch on the terrace followed by a walk on North Head.This time we caught up with George over dinner at the farm. Frankie and Arthur in London. 

We celebrated our final night with a wonderful, authentic Italian meal with Pedro, Sarah and Mark at Sheffield's Bottega restaurant. I loved Mark's story about heading off to Ireland for a gig. Of course, he had to book a separate seat for his violin - oh, how my brother used to complain about having to pay for an extra seat for his instruments!

Anyway, Mark booked the violin under 'Mr. Violin', which caused absolute chaos at the airport when 'Mr. Violin' couldn't be found for boarding.

All too soon, our paths diverged: we were off to stay with Maria in Sheffield, while they headed to Stockholm for a summer house exchange.

We've shared so many meals, adventures and stories ...I wonder when and where we will meet up next!

Goodbye Middleham, Hello Derbyshire

On the morning we left Middleham, everyone dropped by to say goodbye and wish us good luck.  'We'll be back' we say ... but when? So as we leave we have our usual mixed feelings -  sad to leave, but eager to continue the adventure and to meet up with family and friends.  

We set off over the moors that are just sprouting their purple sprouts, but its strange to see the moors so brown and dry.  Of course in the usual Yorkshire fashion it wasn't long till the heavens open and there are the usual cow jams and sheep wandering across the road. 

Over the moors our first stop is Alderley Edge to meet up with our two nieces Laura and Katie with their children, Jessica, Conner and Rory.  Oh and Roger's brother Chris flew in from Portugal for the day! Yeah!

Laura cooked a wonderful lunch. Oh how the children have grown and so much news to catch up on. Must try to get to Portugal next year.

Then it was down Winnats Pass to Sarah & Mark's Farm.  Oh this is such an emotional trip for me.  So much of my childhood is tied up in this part of Derbyshire.  Adventurer's badge with the guides, climbing MamTor,  hiding in dillops and hollows until the fog lifts.  Blasted by wind, sleet, snow and occasionally by sun! LOVE IT!

winnats by Julie Howard