I have been in the UK for a whole Month! I was only supposed to go for a week but ended up staying much longer, so that I could help care for our Mum and spend as much time as I could with her
Again, we were all gutted that Mum was not well enough to attend Rob and Emma’s Wedding Weekend in Banbury Oxfordshire. But we managed to get her out of hospital and safely back to Karen and Mike’s, where we hoped… and were relieved to see her spirits gradually restore and her health improve, for the last week I was there.
At Aynhoe Park – Ralph with the Lion he was slightly dubious of!
But I must write about the wonderful weekend we all had at Rob and Emma’s Wedding! We arrived at Aynhoe Park late Friday afternoon, for tea and cake. This large and ‘quirky’ Stately Home is privately owned and filled with wonderful antiquities and incredible taxidermy of wild animals everywhere! There is even a life-sized TinTin complete with rocket! There are antique toy car replicas all over the mansion – the perfect size for Ralph, and jars of jellies and sweets to help ourselves to! What can I say?! I had an absolute ‘ball’ with Ralph, while we explored this wonderland of a place!
Lovely Photo of my growing family! Shame that Ralph & I have our eyes closed!
I cannot possibly begin to describe Aynhoe Park and can strongly recommend that you visit their website http://aynhoepark.co.uk/the-house/ or search images of Aynhoe Park for some amazing pics! Set in beautiful grounds with wild deer roaming around the breathtaking countryside, we were all spoilt rotten with butlers taking care of our luggage and our every whim! My room was enormous and luxurious! Karen and Mike’s accommodation was more of a suite and was called the ‘Gatsby Room’. Quote from the Aynhoe Park website – “The 28 bedrooms and suites of Aynhoe Park are all shrines to opulence and individuality with a nod to history in each”. When I was quickly changing for the barbeque scheduled for that evening, Ralph was in my room happily playing with an antique Meccano train and car!
Rob & Emma – now happily married and Mr & Mrs Whelan!
The barbeque was amazing, offering fantastic food and wine and there were log fires, rugs and furs draped everywhere – for if we got cold. It was lovely to be with my family for this wonderful weekend occasion and we all had such a great time!
I loved all my quality playtime with Ralph and of course, Zoe and Rich and Ash and Emma – who is due to give birth to my Granddaughter in early August!
It was Rob and Emma’s wedding on the Saturday and we were treated to the best food and wines I have tasted in a long time! It was simply wonderful! After the speeches, the beautifully decorated reception room was changed into a magical dance floor – the lighting was phenomenal and we partied until early morning, as the fun continued in the underground nightclub! It was a completely enchanting weekend and we all had such an amazing time!
Looking stunning! My Nieces, Sophie & Hannah (Bridesmaids) with my Sister Karen (Mother of the Groom)
It was sod’s law that my lovely friends Jill and Rick, had booked their holiday to stay with me for 10 days from June 26th to July 6th. I could not spend any of that time with them and it was so strange for all of us… that I wasn’t in Crete with them! However, Jill and Rick and their whole family have booked accommodation in Almyrida for next summer and so I will get the chance to spend time with them all then.
Enjoying the wonderful wedding at Aynhoe Park – Myself, Sister Karen, Friend Deborah and Family Friend Caroline!
Overall and looking back, this past month has been a strange one. To be in the UK during the hottest summer on record since the summer of ’76, and to get so engrossed in the World Cup football (well done to the England team for all their efforts and achievements!) – felt oddly strange amongst everything else that has been going on! For the last 10 years I have spent every summer in Crete.
Playing Croquet with Ralph at Aynhoe Park
The day after I returned to Crete, I watched the semi-final between England and Croatia at my local Vangeli’s Taverna and Sports Bar in Plaka. The Taverna was packed with people I knew and like everyone in England – we were all so disappointed when Croatia scored that second goal! Even so… I stayed out and had a real blast until after 4am!
I set up my stall for selling by the beach in Almyrida on Friday and it was for the first time in over a month! I have never been away at this time of the year, never mind for so long! This is the peak period for selling my unique Seashell Mosaic Collages to all the visitors – both new and returning to Almyrida. It felt good to be back! Almyrida and Plaka are currently full of tourists and I loved meeting and chatting to some of them, as well as catching up with friends.
Photo Album – Memories of Rob & Emma’s Wedding
