After arriving at Manchester Airport on December 9th, I had a wonderful 10 days stay with Karen and Mike in Bramhall. Now that Karen is no longer spending much time at Warrington Gymnastics Club, she was free to go shopping with me. I always have a list of stuff to buy which isn’t available on Crete. I rarely shop in Crete so hey – we shopped a lot! Several days of just taking our time and stopping somewhere nice for lunch. I managed to buy all the Christmas pressies that I wanted for my 4 grandchildren, plus some bits and bobs for myself. All very productive.
with Karen & Mike at the Bramhall Golf Club Christmas Dinner Dance
Now that Mike has officially retired he is concentrating his time and efforts more on his passion for golf. He is in line to be captain of Bramhall Golf Club in the next year or so and therefore is keen to attend all the social functions there. Because I was staying with Karen and Mike I was invited to join them for the Annual Christmas Dinner Dance on the Friday Evening. This consisted of a tasty 3-course dinner followed by a DJ playing all the top tunes from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. I met lots of interesting new people and danced till my feet ached. It was a really great night which I thoroughly enjoyed.
With Caroline at the golf club Christmas lunch
On the Sunday, a large family table was booked at the golf club for the traditional annual Christmas lunch. There were 12 of us altogether and I was so pleased that Caroline and Tony were there, as I didn’t know if I would get the chance to catch up with them during my 3 week stay in the UK. The 3-course lunch was really good and was rounded off by everyone singing carols. After everyone had left for ongoing engagements (Karen, Sophie and Hannah for the Christmas Gym “do” in Manchester), Mike and I moved to the members’ lounge to watch the Manchester United vs. Manchester City football match. There I bumped into a former colleague from my TCW advertising days whom I’d not seen for over 17 years!
The next day my close and dear friend Gill cooked a delicious fish pie for lunch at home, where husband Rick was recovering from a hip operation. Gill and Rick stayed with me in Crete for a week last summer and we spent an enjoyable afternoon catching up with all our news.
With my four wonderful grandchildren at Ava’s 1st birthday party
So these first ten days actually flew by and then on the Thursday I caught a train from Manchester Airport to Huddersfield, where Zoe picked me up from the station and I checked into the Cedar Court Hotel for two nights. Sadly there just isn’t the room for me at Zoe and Rich’s home anymore, now that they have Ava too. But I really don’t mind having the space for sleep and breakfast in the morning. When I am at theirs, it is pretty full on with the kids but I cherish every moment I have with Arthur and Ava.
Ava on her 1st birthday…so cute!
Emma, Ash, Ralph and Neve picked me up after I’d checked out of the Cedar Court Hotel and we returned to Zoe and Rich’s, where they had laid on a little party for Ava’s first birthday. It was a wonderful family day and we all had lots of fun and I drank lots of mulled wine again. Ha, I’ve been drinking mulled wine ever since I arrived in the UK! I left with Emma and Ash to go back to the other side of Yorkshire where I would be spending the run-up and Christmas Day at theirs. It was awesome to spend quality time with Ralph and Neve again and when Emma and Ash went to York for Ash’s birthday, we all had fun playing games and watching a Christmas movie together.
Ava and Neve on Christmas Eve at the Beck & Call
On Christmas Eve we drove to a large family pub called The Beck & Call, where Emma had booked a table for all of us to meet at 4pm and enjoy a big Christmas family meal together. It’s a half way point between the two families and we all met there when I was over in June. We enjoyed the food, drink and hours we spent together and were back home by about 8.30pm, with enough time to sort out all the last minute arrangements for Christmas Day.
All of us on Christmas Eve after our meal at the Beck & Call
Christmas Day was quite chilled and not hectic, it just being the five of us. Ralph and Neve were so lucky with all the presents everyone had bought them. Christmas dinner was a breeze as Emma had ordered the M&S package and so a lot less work was involved. She’s just been too busy with a full time job, a degree and bringing up two kids alone as Ash is always away with the military. The prepared food was excellent and freed up more time for us to relax and play some games.
Ash had booked a surprise trip to Disneyland Paris for 3 days, leaving on Boxing Day so Ralph and Neve were super excited! At lunchtime they left for the airport and Rich and Arthur arrived to take me back to theirs for the rest of the day and night. I got a bonus day of playtime and fun with Arthur and Ava before catching a rail replacement coach back to Stockport and Karen and Mike’s for the last few days.
Ralph & Neve on Christmas morning
Within a couple of hours of my arrival back in Bramhall, Karen and Mike had a real houseful. My niece Hannah, her boyfriend Matt and their little boy Jacob were already staying there along with my niece Sophie. Then my Nephew Rob and his family arrived to spend a couple of days there too! It’s just as well that Karen and Mike have a home large enough to be able to accommodate everyone. Because the next day my brother Mark and his partner Emma arrived from London with my niece Honey and her boyfriend Brad and my nephew Ted and his girlfriend Grace, who’d both returned from New Zealand. Wow, what a crowd we were! I take my hat off to long-time super social hosts, Karen and Mike for organizing a full day and night of fun, laughter and entertainment.
At Karen & Mike’s – tucking into our chinese takeaway
We split into groups for the picture quiz and Mike organized a tournament which consisted of Sjoelen (our Dutch-inherited large shuffleboard game), indoor darts and golf. Again, splitting us all into 3 groups for the competition. In the middle of it all we sat down to the largest Chinese takeaway I have ever seen! Of course copious amounts of alcohol were consumed and what a great time we all had! Even the kids had a ball and Rob’s boys Jack and Alfie couldn’t get enough of the hot tub whilst little Jacob was quite the centre of attention with his older cousins.
The next and last day of my holiday, Rob, Emma, Jack and Alfie left to return home to London. Hannah, Matt and Jacob left and some hours later, Mark and Emma also left with Honey, Brad, Ted and Grace. I got the unexpected pleasure of seeing Caroline again, as she popped round for a couple of hours in the afternoon. We had a much quieter last evening, where Karen, Sophie and I finished a jigsaw puzzle. I had another red-eye flight to catch back to Athens the following morning.
Celebrating the New Year with friends Lisa, Yianni and Robert at Vangeli’s in Plaka
Back home, I had New Years’ Eve to unwind, unpack and doll myself up for the “Dress to Impress/Secret Agent New Year’s Eve party at my local, Vangeli’s taverna. All in all, these past 3 weeks have been rather a whirlwind of socializing with all my family and friends and I loved every minute of it! Here’s to 2025… may it bring to everyone the happiness they deserve.