Back to Blighty

So after 8 months in NZ we made our first trip home. Unfortunately the start of our holiday was tainted by our house being robbed 3 days before we were due to leave! After dealing with formalities such as police, estate agent and insurance company we got packed and ready to leave for the UK.
After a 36 our journey (with a 12 hour stop-over in Brunei) we arrived into Heathrow at 5am. We were met at the airport by Laura and Alex where we went for a coffee and catch up before Laura and I went to catch the train to London and James and Alex headed off to Marlow to see their parents and grandparents.
I arrived in Paddington around 8am where I had to say goodbye to Laura for the next week when she went off to work, and I met up with Anna.
After coffee and croissants at Anna's flat we decided to head in to London for some retail therapy and lunch, at around 3pm we were significantly worn out and headed back to hers to chill out for the rest of the afternoon, we then headed back in to London to meet Mike and have some drinks and Tapas. We turned in for the night around 11pm, not bad for just arriving back in the country!
Saturday morning Anna and I had a fairly chilled out morning before catching the train to Bristol. Rose met us at the train station and we headed straight to Clifton for some lunch and a good catch up. Although its another 18months till we get married, Rose booked a dress fitting in Clifton as it will be one of my only chances to try dressed on with my Bridesmaids. Rose and Anna were perfect advisers and gave me a good idea of what dress I will be wearing! That evening we headed over to Jess' place where she had made us a very tasty dinner which was complimented wine and plenty of games!
We woke up Sunday morning to drizzle, much to our disappointment, (although I think Anna was slightly pleased as it meant to Bristol-Bath bike ride was off) so we headed to Bath my car. Sunday morning was spent in the Bath thermal spa, we had 2 hours relaxing in the downstairs pool with jacuzzi pool and lazy river, the 4 different steam rooms and the roof top thermal pool, a great way to spend a Sunday morning. After we were relaxed we spent the rest of the day wandering around Bath before heading back to Rose's. That evening we were joined by Alex and Gary (Jess's other half) for a good thai curry.
Monday after saying goodbye to Rose for another year (Boo!) I headed into Bristol with Anna to grab some breakfast in Cabot circus before saying goodbye to Anna (agian - Boo) and heading up to see Mum, Dad and Si in Chester.
Was really good to see them all again and when Shasta eventually caught smell of me she was pretty pleased too (poor dog is now deaf and blind). We went out for a nice meal on Monday night, just nice to have the family around again (bar Sal of course!) Tuesday dad had to go to work so we spent the day trying on wedding dresses in Chester (Si was surprisingly tolerant!) Mum cooked a great roast pork that night! Wednesday Dad took the day off work as Mum had to work so Dad, Si and I headed into Liverpool with the intention to go to some of the museums, however we got caught up around Liverpool one and went for a very nice lunch at the docks. The next on my wish list was made Wednesday night - Mums chicken and ham pie - yum!.
Thursday I had to catch a train to London at 4pm from Manchester so we spent the day wandering around the city centre, finding a new bag for me and getting lunch in our favourite curry house (more a curry cafe, but it's amazing!) I caught the 4pm train to Brookwood (nearest train station to Bisley, and I was there by 7.30pm. James, Alex and Laura picked me up from the train station and we headed straight out for some dinner. Thursday night was one of the boy's favourites, the Dew Drop (basically when one of the club houses is filled with drunken people singing stupid songs - along similar lines to general sports club songs) Laura and I took the opportunity to sit in one of the quieter rooms and catch up.
I was very grateful that this year James managed to get a caravan to stay in so I wasn't cooped up in a tent all weekend, so when James had to get up early to shoot I could stay in bed. At around lunch time both Nat and Emma (friend of ours from Bristol and Laura's sister) arrived and we spent the afternoon wandering around Bisley. James managed to get through to the Queens II this year so I took Nat along to the range to show her around and met up with James once he'd finished. We then spent the rest of the afternoon sat on the veranda of one of the club houses drinking cider. (classy girls) That evening, (despite not having anything with her) we managed to convince Nat to stay the night (unfortunately Emma had to leave us) and we were joined my Matt and Sarah. (more friends from Bristol) Friday night in Bisley the Army puts on cocktails and canapes where the girls get to dress up in posh frocks and the night is spent getting drink to some amazing music by a cellist and her band. As it was the 150th Anniversary of Bisley there were also some fairly spectacular fireworks on Stickledown (the long range rifle range).

After waking with a slight hangover, Laura and I headed down to the Clay pigeon shooting (for nothing more than a good fry-up breakfast) and shortly afterwards we were met by my parents who had come down to spend the day in Bisley to see me and James. I showed them around Bisley while Laura and Alex headed off to grab some food for a picnic lunch. A short while later James parents arrived with Charlotte and we all had a nice picnic before the Queens final started (unfortunately James didn't qualify this year - he missed out by one point!) It was a great day with beautiful weather and a lovely opportunity to show Mum and Dad the sport that James loves so much. The Queens final is a very prestigious event for shooters and the one they all aspire to win. A family friend of James and Alex (one of our ushers dad) had won every event relating to shooting except this one (and he had come 2nd 3 times!) held his nerve, and 2010 was his year. After the initial celebrations we decided to separate off to one of the club houses for a few drinks where we were joined by 2 of Laura and Alex's close friends as well as Miriam and Lydia. That evening we had our normal tradition of a BBQ on Stickledown rifle range then headed to Canada house for the firing of the canon at 21:45. From there on we followed the chair.
Winning the Queens final event means that you get carried around Bisley in a wooden chair visiting every club house (and their are plenty!) where you and your entourage get free drinks (we made sure we were part of the entourage!) Queens final night is always my favourite night as you get to see into all the different club houses in Bisley and get free drinks along the way (even if some of them are disgusting punch mixes drunk from a communal trophy!) The night usually ends up in the Surrey, I felt it necessary to turn in for the night at around 2am due to our flight leaving heathrow at 09:40 (and having to leave Bisley at 6am) however James obviously thought otherwise and I had to fetch him (drunk) from the English 8 club house at 05:50 after his alarm had already gone off twice (he couldn't remember why he set it!) I'm pleased to say we made it onto our flight back to New Zealand (and James slept the whole way!)