In brief, I had a fantastic trip. I caught up with lots of people and really enjoyed myself.
First up was a weekend in London, catching up with friends, such as Alec, who had just become an Ironman:
We had fun in Richmond and went to Notting Hill Carnival - which was a first time for me:
I then travelled up for a few days with Kim and the boys in Kettering. This was great - it was good to see them all healthy and happy, and fun to take them to adventure playgrounds.
Next up was a weekend in Louth at Dad and Joan's and Chris & Sarah's places. I got to see all the usual suspects, of course, such as:
The Worksalike
Paddy, Chris and Jody
Aidan and Jenny (quite pregnant!)
... and Molly (Chris and Sarah's daughter)
Once again, it was very relaxing and I got to spend a decent amount of time with everyone, catch up on my English beer, etc.
Then I headed down to Devon to stay with Mum and Julian for a few days. On the way I had breakfast with Owen at Paddington Station:
We had time for a good walk in the sunshine
I swung by Andy and Charlotte Pearce's house on Charlotte's birthday and had dinner with them and saw their kids (including new arrival Olivia).
And I even met up with Carl halfway between Exeter and London (Salisbury. He's now off travelling in Asia.
Mum and Jules took me to Leatherhead where I met friends (Martin and Bryce) in a Triumph Toledo and headed off to the south of France and back via the Alps and 8 other countries. That was an adventure-packed few days! We were joined by Andy and Sarah in their Triumph Stag.
My mates dropped me at Nana and Pete's on the way back. So I finished off my trip home to England with an enjoyable few days with them. We visited Greenwich on a glorious day
We also went to Burnham Beeches.
Then it was back on the plane. I managed to pack a fair bit into three weeks, but it was well worth it - I enjoyed every minute, even if I was away from Ella a long time.
