Still waiting 22nd June

We are still here in mostly sunny Hatfield , the weather is starting to break so there was a thunder storm last night and the sounds again today. While we are waiting I have opened a Facebook account to see if I can find the people I knew while I lived in Swanland. It's been a real success so far. In between times we have visited loads of English Heritage sites, stayed in some very nice hotels and waited for our visas. There is not much time left if we are to start work on Monday!
It is now easier to put the photos on Facebook than upload everything to a Piccasa Album then link it to the blog. There must be a sensible way of sharing the photos across social networks but I haven't found it yet.My Facebook page

Wednesday 17th June

Alison's last day in the UK today, so we dropped off the visa applications (it will take 15-25days apparently and not the 3 hours it took the last person who went to work at the school) and then carried onto the Natural History Museum. Yes we saw the dinosaurs again.

Then down Oxford Street to meander round the shops, until, exhausted , we bought ice cream and sat in Hyde Park until it was time to go our separate ways and go home.

Filling our time

We did a full weekend of English Heritage sites after the Rollright Stones on Friday. The highlight was the jousting at Kenilworth Castle (yes we went last year as well).
Maddison sat riveted to both sets the fool did even though it was the same thing we saw last year. Next weekend they are at the History live event at Kelmarsh Hall, Maddison doesn't want to go again but Geoff and I will. I have just booked a couple of hotels for us to stay in.
We got to see the knights skills as well this year as we arrived at 12, we even found the park and ride this time, using a javelin, mace, spear and sword.

Busy, busy, busy

I have finally been told I am registered with the Teachers Council in New Zealand, now we need the paperwork to arrive so we can go get our visas. What to do while we are waiting though? Well this weekend there is jousting at Kenilworth Castle so we have headed there via Rollright stones for a picnic lunch with Liz and Brian on Friday.

Then off to a garden centre where you could buy Gunpowder tea!

We said good bye here and then we traveled to The Chase Inn at Bishops Frome via Oda's chapel and a Saxon angel.

News at last

Finally we have some news from the Teaching Council! They have checked and I can come teach New Zealand, now all I need is the official documentation to support this to arrive and then we are off for our visas at last. To fill in the time we went to Stanborough Park for fish and ice cream this afternoon.
Geoff caught a fish with his hands and brought it over fo Maddy and me to take a look at :).

You can just see it here, then he put it back in the water to swim away.

One week of waiting

We have been out of Egypt for a whole week now and things have changed rapidly since we left. Here in the sunny UK we are waiting for the last piece of paper from the teaching council in New Zealand before we can apply for our visas. Geoff thinks we should phone and just make sure they really need it as we would like to leave ASAP.
This weekend we went North to visit Mum, Dad, Stephen, Helen and David! The news is I will be a Grandma around December 29th, Dad has replaced the bath with a smart looking shower and Mum's legs are full of fluid!