Wymondham here we come.

It took 6 very long hours to drive from Edinburgh, Scotland to Wymondham, England. In the car, dad drove through the rain, mum slept most of the way, I was the navigator with the map and Maisy talked the whoooooole, entiiiiiiiiiiiiiiire way. When we arrived at Tuttles Lane West, Ron and Andrea and their beautiful dog Bonnie warmly welcomed us back to their lovely home. Andrea had a delicious spaghetti bolognaise waiting for us and for dessert we had Andrea's specialty, apple and cherry slice with lots of vanilla ice cream. After dinner when the adults were talking, talking and talking Maisy and I went upstairs to play with all of the fluffy toys and look through Joanna and Georgina's old books from when they were our age.

In the morning I was the second up after Ron, who always gets up at 4am. He had already taken Bonnie for a walk so I played with her until everyone else got up. Bonnie has a sore leg at the moment but she was still so happy to fetch her ball and play catch. After breakfast we made a picnic lunch then set out for the day. At Ranworth we went for a walk through the wetlands to see the Norfolk Broads. The reeds here are used to make the thatched roofs on the pretty old houses. The Broads were once the boggy marshes where all the peat was dug up to dry and burn on the fires. The big holes were then filled with water and became the Norfolk Broads.

We continued walking through the town to St Helens Church. Inside the church we climbed up the winding staircase, then up two ladders, through the belfry and up onto the roof of the tower. From here we could see the amazing view all around. It was funny to see sails bobbing through the fields and windmills in the distance.

All the way back down again and then we drove to a little park surrounded by cute houses and we had our picnic lunch. The sun was shining and Maisy and I played soccer. I love picnic lunches.

Next we drove to Wroxham and hired a boat to cruise up and down the Broads. I drove the boat up the river and Maisy drove all the way back again. We saw lots of lovely houses along the river and we ate some more of Andrea's apple and cherry slice.

Andrea and Ron had to get back for Bonnie but they showed us the way to Greater Yarmouth and we walked along the promenade. The main street along the beach is KIDS PARADISE. There was a really flat beach with lots of fun amusements along the promenade. There were jumping castles, mini golf, so many penny arcades, ice cream shops, an aquarium, and lots and lots of rides and games. The penny arcades were the best. First you changed a pound coin for 50 lots of 2 pence. Then you can play all sorts of games to try and win your money back. It was really addictive because you always thought you could win but no one did. It was sooooooooooooo much fun. We wanted to stay forever but we had to get back in time for a BBQ dinner with Ron and Andrea.

Penny arcade addicts

Charlotte

Why we love staying at Gray’s Cottage.

I ♥ cottage life and the solitude of being tucked away from civilization. P

I ♥ walking down to the beach and seeing all the seals and trying to find the otter at the waterfall. C

I ♥ smelling the gorse when I walk in the Highlands. L

                                              

I ♥ having the horses in the paddock next to us. M

I ♥ waving at the train as it passes 8 times a day. M and C

I ♥ holding and shooting the .22 air rifle. M

I ♥d being a princess of Dunrobin Castle for a day. C

                                                    

I ♥ helping dad make the fire every day. M

We ♥ sleeping in until the first train wakes me up at 8:20am. PLCM

I ♥ the best fish and chips in the world at Helmsdale. P

                                                            
I ♥ single malt whiskey. L and P. Definitely not C and secretly M.

                                                 

I ♥ baking in Grandma's kitchen. C

I ♥ watching the birds at the bird feeder. L

I ♥ William Wallace and Brave Heart. PLCM

"It's all for nothing if you don't have freedom."

I ♥ seeing the flowers change from the dying daffs to the bluebells opening and the rhododendrums about to bloom. L

I ♥ spotting the stag up at Loch Brora. P

I ♥ the fresh Atlantic salmon from the fishmongers at Golspie. L

I ♥ running in the huge garden. M

I ♥ making a fire on the beach and cooking sausages for dinner. PLCM

We all loved staying at Gray's Cottage for 3 weeks. It was just what we needed. Beautiful, peaceful and good for the soul. Hugs and kisses to Grandma Pat and Grandpa John. xxxx PLCM

What the Bɘ!F@$T.

Once again, not mentioning any names but, there was just the one person given the task to clear out and empty the fireplace everyday.  Being super efficient this person could not wait for the embers to die down before dumping the ashes into the bin. So, come bin day, the bin went out to the road side with a fresh load of ashes inside.

Three hours later when we noticed smoke and flames at the top of the drive way we all went running out with buckets of water. All that was left of the wheelie bin after what must have been a great bonfire was the remains of one burnt wheel and a flaming patch of grass.

Ooops!

Shooting a .22 air rifle.

On a sunny day with nothing to do dad found his 30 year old .22 air rifle that he used when he was our age.  Before we got to use it we had a long long long safety talk. After we had the talk we set up the tiny, iddy biddy, miniscule targets on the shed door. Then dad showed us how to cock the gun. Underneath the gun it has a lever that is attached to a massive spring, when you pull the lever back it pulls the spring which squeezes the air which is called cocking the gun. Then you load the rifle with the bullet (the bullet is called a slug). Then you look through the telescopic lens. In the telescopic lens you can see a magnified view of the target. There is also something that looks a bit like a fence with an arrow on top which helps you to aim properly at the bulls eye. Then you slowly pull the trigger without breathing so you don’t move the gun. Remember that you are still looking through the telescopic lens to see if the centre has moved. You can't put the telescopic lens against your eye or it will give you a black eye when you fire it. After you have pulled the trigger, lift the gun upwards so that you are sure that it wont hit anyone. Then you can walk up to the miniature target to see if you have hit the bulls eye. Hopefully you did.

TIPS:

·         NEVER stand in front of a gun.

·         Don’t put the telescopic lens on your eye when you are shooting the gun.
 (My uncle David got a black eye from doing that!)

·         If you are not shooting the gun hold it pointing up.

·         If you  are not using the gun,then stand behind the person that is.

It's not so easy to hit this little target from 20 metres.

By Charlotte and Madison

Dunrobin Castle.

When we first came to Scotland, Mum and Dad, and Grandma Pat and Grandpa John tricked us by saying Dunrobin Castle was the family house and it was where they usually live but they call it a cottage. We both half believed them but it was a little bit too good to be true. So that nearly gave it away.

It was unbelievable but I wanted to believe it.



At the front doors of our castle

Our Dunrobin Castle

Dad drove us straight there. When we drove down the drive it was the most beautiful castle I have ever seen. It had 5 turrets and looked like a fairy princesses home. Grandpa said it was struck by lightning the night before and all the lights were out so we could not stay there. Dad then let us have a peek at the garden and it was the biggest most beautiful garden even though it was sort of dark and wet.  Grandpa said that the little cottages around were for the staff and we would have to stay in one until they fixed the lights in the castle.

The next day we went for a walk and got told the horrifying news. We walked through the woods to the castle and on the way Charlotte and I worked out we were 10th and 11th in line for the castle after Ian, Richard, Harrison, Braydon,Yasmin, David, William, Guillaume and Dad. They told us the truth. The castle wasn't ours. It belongs to the Duke of Sutherland. Then we had a little look in the castle and the garden looked even better.

Today we went back and watched a Falconry show in the Castle garden. We saw 3 different birds. An eagle, a falcon and an owl. The owl's body is only very tiny under all it's feathers. It can hear a mouses heartbeat 300 metres away and it has silent wings. The weather was sunny all day until the falconry display started and then it poured down. Then the sun came out again. We had to stand under a tree for most of it.

In the gardens there is a museum where they keep stuffed animals that the Duke had caught. Dad loved it. There were animals from all over the world and even a platypus.

Inside the castle it had all different rooms like: reading, music, sitting, dressing, dining, bedroom, breakfast and huge ball rooms.

It would have been wonderful to run around and go where ever I wanted to in the castle and gardens.

 I love Gray's Cottage though.

It is perfect.

M@D!$oN

From Belfast to Brora.

Belfast was really grey. We went shopping in the town centre and I bought an Irish soccer shirt. We stayed in a Bed and Breakfast. It was funny because the man said he didn't have a room left that we could have but instead we could have the whole house across the road for the same amount. Woo Hoo! We had take away dinner from Marks and Spencers and watched Narnia.

Belfast

The next morning we got up really early, and drove 5 kms down the road to get to the huge ferry. We were not going to be late this time. After we had driven on to the ferry, Maisy and I had to do 3 hours straight of school work. In the 3 hours we were on the ferry, the ferry had gone from Belfast, in Ireland, to Stranraer, in Scotland. We then had a long way ahead of us, 6 hours driving to get to Brora in the Highlands!!! We drove 5 tiring hours to get to Inverness, and ate a pub lunch along the way. Dad had a salty steak pie, Mum had a salty Chicken and Leek soup, and Maisy and I both had salty baked potatoes. They were very generous with their salt. Then we had a quick stop at Inverness for flowers for mum, and grandma. ( It is Mother’s day back in Australia today). I also bought grandma and mum some chocolates just from me. Then we continued on with one more hour of driving. When the long drive was finally over dad drove us down a long tree lined driveway to a beautiful castle. You wouldn't believe what happened next. I think Maisy should tell....

Dunrobin Castle

Charlotte

There was a young girl who went to Galway.

Yesterday we went to Galway. On the way we drove through Limerick. We all tried to make up our own limericks but this one is much better. It is by Edward Lear. Limericks come from Limerick because one of the first limericks was about an old man from Limerick.

There was an Old Man of Kilkenny, Who never had more than a penny, He spent all that money, In onions and honey, That wayward Old Man of Kilkenny

We were meant to go to Aran by ferry but it was too wet and cold. Mum had already been there and she said it was like the end of the world so I really didn’t want to go there anyway.

Dad trying to giveaway a haircut with a free beer in the middle of Galway

Galway is a town and in the town there are lots of shops. At the shops we bought 10 post cards.
The weather was very weird. It would rain then the sun would shine, then rain, then sunshine, then more rain and then the sun would shine again. It was like that all day.

Then we drove back to Tipp Town. Back at Tipperary we went horse riding. Charlotte and I went on Snowy and Crunchy. I rode on Snowy for most of the time. She was very scaredy and would jump at anything. We just walked all the way down the road and then back again for about an hour with a girl called Ether. She spoke with a real Irish accent and sometimes I couldn’t understand her but she was very nice.

When we got back to the cottage, mum set up for school work and just then there was a “KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK” at the door and Philippa and Miranda came to ask if we wanted to play with them. They live on the farm, Philippa is turning 9 on Saturday and Miranda is 7 years old.

They showed us all around the farm. They have horses, cows, really new calves, chickens and fish and 2 dogs called Jasper and Duke and heaps of cats. We collected 4 eggs for breakfast.
We went climbing on their big tree and when we were coming back we had a massive dandelion fight. They taught us how to do Irish dancing and then Charlotte and I made up a dance with them to Lady Gaga. It was so much fun.

M@D!$oN