Happy Christmas to all!

You can tell the kids are getting older: they agreed to wait until 8 am to come down for stockings and presents! That was a nice present to mom (dad can't ever sleep in). Colin played Santa, delivering the goods to everyone. This was a very Wii Christmas--lots of new games, including DDR3, Beatles Rock Band, Lego Rock Band, and several other games the boys wanted. We hung out and played and then had some friends over for a no-fuss dinner and treats and games. It was a very Merry day.

Christmas Eve in London

Twas the day before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring...cause they were all in London, baby!

We decided to spend our first Christmas Eve here going to London to see Les Mis.

Ethan and Madeleine had read the book in preparation, Bronwyn did some last-minute cramming

on the tube, and Colin insisted that he wanted to "be surprised." The show was in the Queen Theatre in the Soho district. We had originally booked tickets in the upper balcony in the second row, as that was the best available when we booked, but when we got to the theater, we were informed that our seats had been changed: to row J in the stalls (about 10 rows from the stage). That was a nice Christmas present. The theater was fairly small compared to previous theaters where I had seen Les Mis, so we were a little worried at first, but it was fabulously done. The leads were very talented and the story is just so affecting and beautiful. It was really gratifying to see the kids connecting to what was happening on stage and loving the performance.

After the show, we walked to Trafalgar Square, where one of the largest trees in the world stands. The tree is a gift each year from the people of Oslo, Norway to thank the Londoners for their support during WWII. We were expecting to be wowed, but as you can see in the pictures, it isn't superbly decorated. There was a bagpiper in full

Scottish regalia, which added nicely to the mood. Things in London shut down early on Christmas Eve; in fact, we had to do lunch instead of dinner, as all the restaurants shut down at 5 pm. So, we caught the tube before it started running half-time and were treated to some Christmas mice who were stirring, right on the platform!

Panto in Norwich

One Christmas tradition in Britain is the Pantomime. It is a play, usually based on a familiar story or fable, with music, dancing, and audience interaction. We chose the one in Norwich, a large city about an hour from us. This year's production was Robin Hood. We all loved it! There were familiar songs from other musicals with the words changed: Good morning, Nottingham; Do you hear the people sing?/Singing the songs of Merry Men. The best parts were the audience interactions. We were encouraged to "Cheer for the good, and boo the bad," and many characters had recurring bits they got the audience in on. The Christmas Panto is now a Meldrum family tradition too!

Snow Day!

Thursday night, December 18, it started snowing. And it just didn't stop. We woke up Friday morning to a thick blanket of white and the news that the last day of school before break was cancelled! So, after digging our way to the garage to unearth the snow gear, the kids had hours of fun outside snowball fighting, digging, slipping, and playing with neighborhood friends. After getting over her disappointment that we didn't have any spare top hats she could use, Madeleine built this beautiful snowman. Hot cocoa for all!

Visitors--second round

Grandma Holmes finally made it to visit after a last-minute kidney infection derailed her trip with Megan and Peter in October. I picked Mom up from Gatwick on November 13, and we began an intensive round of sightseeing and eating! We went to all the sites she missed out on from Megan and Peter's visit, including a mother/daughter trip to Bath and surrounding sites. The Christmas market was on in Bath and we (and most of England) were there. It was a traditional German market with the chalet style stalls and lots of handicrafts. We also made a trip to Stoke-on-trent with some other friends from the base and I got some beautiful English pottery and china. I attacked Burleigh first and got our new every day dishes from their blue and white lines--calico, felicity, arden, and bluebird. I LOVE THEM! Then, we went to Royal Doulton, and I found some beautiful Monique Lhullier china, but they only had the bread and butter plates. But, thankfully (yes, says Kent, thank goodness!) they had dinner plates and the accent salad plates at Harrods--which was another great day in London with Mom. All in all, a fabulous trip!

Mom left on December 1 and two days later, Christina Broberg, a dear friend from our time at Travis AFB in California came to London with her daughter Abby (Madeleine's BFF) to visit her sister who is living here with her family. She took a whole day and came to visit us. We loved seeing them, catching up. Amazing how with some friends it seems like no time passes, even though it has been years since we've been together.

LegoLand

Someone in Kent's clinic gave him last-minute tickets to LegoLand Windsor for Saturday, November 7. Since we were still recovering from the flood, and didn't really want to be in the house anyway, we jumped at it. It was a gorgeous day--perfect for going to the park. Which is apparently what half of Britain thought as well. The park was crazy! So croweded. We got there shortly after opening and got to go on a couple rides without waiting too long, but soon the lines were over an hour for anything. We had a great day walking around mini-land and doing a few activities. Then we stayed for the fireworks. They were having an Indiana Jones spectactular. And they really were...spectactular. It was probably the best fireworks display we had ever seen. It went on and on. After the fireworks ended, we went and did one more roller coaster while everyone cleared out of the parking lot. Or so we thought. There apparently was an accident on the single road that leads out of the single exit from the park, so we sat. And sat. And sat. For two and a half hours in the car before we moved an inch. Luckily, they opened the park back up for food and restrooms. The whole experience was very different from an amusement park in the US. We really do have efficiency down to a science. And one exit? That would never fly back home. We are still adjusting to things like that.

Flood!!

In case you can't tell from the picture, that is water. EVERYWHERE! Apparently the little switch in the washer that tells it to stop filling up and start washing the close malfunctioned, and the washer never got the message to stop pouring water into the drum. It flowed into the kitchen and then because our house is so delightfully sloped, flowed into the hallway and down into the lounge (aka living room in American, or "English" as my kids say). It totally squished over your shoes when you walked. I called some friends and the landlord's handyman who rushed over and got everything out. There is just a concrete slab underneath, and since we were so quick to get everything out, the slab was fine. As was our furniture (and to Kent's dismay, our tv that he would really like to replace). The only things that were unsalvageable were two 8x10 wool rugs (including my favorite one from Pottery Barn that they will not ship here) and a runner. We had to live with the concrete for about a week while it dried and then they laid new carpet. I was chastised by some for leaving the house with an appliance running. Sorry, but if I never left the house while some sort of cleaning or drying appliance was going I would never go anywhere. Ever.

Veteran's Day Celebration...

Colin was invited to be on the "Spirit Team" for Lakenheath Elementary. He had a few practices after school where they learned the songs they would be singing. On Thursday, November 5, the whole school gathered in the gym with some special military veteran guests and British dignitaries for the Veteran's/Remembrance Day celebration. Colin knew every word and did a great job. The Brits celebrate Remembrance Day by wearing red poppies and laying poppy wreaths on their memorials--bringing to mind the poem "In Flanders Field." I had thrown some laundry in the washer on my way out the door for the program, I rushed home to change the laundry to the dryer before heading out to a lunch with some friends. This is what I found...

Mel-Snow-Lo's...or...Snow-Mel-Lo's?

For our first Halloween in the UK, we decided to trick-or-treat on base. Apparently, the Brits have really caught on to the idea of getting candy, just not so much the handing out of candy... Anyway, we went with our good friends the Snows and the Listellos. Hence, the name dillemma. While walking around, we wanted a quick way to corral all the kids who belonged to us, so we were trying to come up with a combination of all 3 surnames that would apply to the group. And, the MelSnowLos were born. Or the SnowMelLos. Whatever.

Wicked

Kent and I had our first real date day in London on October 23rd. We took the tube down in the morning after putting the kids on the bus. We intended to go to Westminster Abbey, but it was closed early. So, plan B was the Winston Churchill Wartime Tunnels museum. It was really amazing--they built these command centers under a building near 10 Downing Street. From there, Churchill could command the war and (they hoped) be safe from bombings. Although they reinforced the building, there was no way to be sure that the building would withstand a direct hit from one of the air raids. When the war ended, they just turned out the lights and went home, so most things are preserved exactly as they were at the end of the war. We saw the tiny closet where Churchill could speak on the phone to Roosevelt and Truman, and the map rooms where they tracked troops and battles. There was also a magnificent museum to Churchill's life in general, where you could really get a sense of the whole man and the experiences that shaped his views and also changed them.

After the museum, we walked through St. James Park to Buckingham Palace and then on down Buckingham Palace Gate toward the theater. We stopped for dinner at Bumbles--so fabulous! And then headed over to the Apollo Victoria to see Wicked. We had never seen it before, or even heard much of the music, but now, I am obsessed. The production was outstanding--especially Elpheba had an amazing voice. I have been listening to and singing the soundtrack nonstop, substituting words as appropriate: Now, I am folding laundry...now I'm scrubbing toilets, etc. Makes my life seem much more glamorous when set to music!

And they all lived happily in a little Crooked House...

On the day before they left, Megan and Peter and I went to Bury St. Edmunds to see the Abbey Ruins and the Cathedral (and also to do some shopping for yummy British treats to bring home!) After Bury, we drove on to Lavenham, one of the best-preserved Shakespearean era villages around. It was really lovely. The houses were colorful, timbered, and as you can see, crooked. This is now a gallery with handmade goods from local artisans. There were antique shops and tea houses and pubs, all in mismatched colors and tilty timbers. I loved it! We were so sad to bid Megan and Peter goodbye and can't wait till they come back!

Blenheim Palace

This palace is billed as "England's answer to Versailles," and it truly is magnificent. The land and seed money for the building of Blenheim was a gift from Queen Anne to the First Duke of Marlborough for his victory at the Battle of Blenheim (during the War of Spanish Succession in what is now Austria) in 1704. Winston Churchill was born here on November 30, 1874 as his parents attended a party. He spent much of his childhood here and it was here at the Temple of Diana that he became engaged to Clementine. Kent and I recreate the scene:) The house and grounds are enormous. It was another glorious day, and the kids enjoyed taking the train down to the yew maze and the playground. There was also a butterfly house and lots of puzzles and a giant chess board on the grounds. All good things must come to an end, however, and it was time to head home. We were so glad Megan and Peter were with us! It made it extra fun for us all.

Avebury

If Stonehenge is compact, Avebury is sprawling. It is another stone circle over a mile circumference, in fact, they just built the village right in the middle of it. Some of the stones were massive, and some had been worn down. The great fun of this was walking right up and touching; although the kids were disappointed to see the sign asking them not to climb on them. Madeleine was more interested in the sheep that grazed in the fields all around the stones. (Boots or something you can hose off would have been good...tip for next time.)

Who needs a Bath?

We then drove west on towards Bath. As Madeleine, Bronwyn, and Colin tried to find their place in the world on a huge ground map in front of the Abbey, we checked out the Roman Baths and the Abbey.

We took a walking tour of the city led by a lifelong resident, who was informative and patient during the brief but intense rain shower. We walked past the Avon River (different from the one running through Stratford), viewed some gorgeous Georgian homes, past the Assembly Hall, into the Circus and in front of the Royal Crescent.

Our tourguide also loved Jane Austen, and was happy to point out places in the city which Austen mentioned in Persuasion and Northanger Abbey.

We recharged on pasties and pastries and were off to our last stop of the day.

Stonehenge

After what seemed like a very brief night's sleep, we were off on the next adventure: Stonehenge. We drove through what must have been the world's narrowest and curviest roads (nary a lane divider in sight) until we rounded a bend and saw it:

We got some audioguides and walked around and around it (unfortunately at a pretty good distance--after years of renting hammers and chisels for sightseers, they wised up and roped it off). It is much more compact than I had envisioned. The stones themselves are mammoth, of course, but it actually takes up less square footage than I had imagined. The most fun was seeing all the little details like the hip-bone-like joiners of each lintel (the cross pieces at the top), and then trying to imagine how these people put this together over 4,000 years ago, and most intriguing of all: WHY????

To Be or Not to Be?

Next stop...Stratford-upon-Avon Apparently, Avon was the Saxon word for river, so there are like 4 Avon Rivers in this general area, and Stratford is the London suburb where the Olympics are going to be in 2012, but this is the place we were looking for today. We took a photo in front of Shakespeare's house and everyone got to impersonate Will in the face board. The house was in a nice pedestrian mall with shops and cafes. We then walked down the river to the Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway are buried. On our way out of town, we drove by her cottage, which was closed for the evening, but we got a lovely view of the outside! Stratford-upon-Avon is at the upper edge of the Cotswolds, so we drove through this gorgeous country side as night was falling. We stopped for dinner in Chipping Camden, eating at the Lygon Arms Hotel. Very yummy pub food. While we are on the food subject--I'm not sure why British food has such a bad rap. We have found most of the restaurants to be very good, with a couple being downright outstanding. There is a favorite local place, Jude's Ferry, which has the most wonderful food. I, whose motto is "nothing from the sea," have even partaken of the famous fish and chips. And they were actually pretty good, greasy, but good. And the scones, and crumpets, and digestives...don't even get me started. Seriously, I can't stop.

Kingmakers

Saturday, October 10 We set off on our first big adventure--2 nights at RAF Fairford. On our way there, we stopped first at Warwick Castle. This place has seen lots of action: William I (the Conquerer) ordered the first castle built in the spot in 1068. There has been an Earl of Warwick here ever since 1088, supervising the trial of Joan of Arc in 1431, imprisoning Kings and being visited by Kings and Queens, and most famously, being the home of Richard Neville--Earl of Warwick and "Kingmaker." He was a big player in the Wars of the Roses, when the houses of Lancaster and York were fighting for the right to the throne. He supported both Edward IV and Henry VI at different times helping them each reign in turn, earning the title Kingmaker before being killed in battle. This was an impressive castle, with lots of walls and towers to walk and climb, providing incredible views of the surrounding countryside. We even got to go down in to the "gaol" and see the cage, hole, and chains were prisoners were kept in almost total darkness, etching days and epitaphs into the walls to mark their time there. We also saw a falconry display, which was amazing. Did you know that falconers were considered the social equal of the King and that their birds were the only animals allowed in church? Of course, this is all per the falconer, but he seemed reliable! Warwick is also the sight of the largest working siege engines--the trebuchet, which we got to see fired. After some time on the playground, we were off to our next stop.

Tower of London

On Thursday, Oct 8, we took the kids out of school for our first major London Adventure. We parked at the Epping station (about an hour from our house) and took the tube downtown. We had purchased tickets on the Big Bus tour, which was supposed to be a "hop-on hop-off" guided tour around London. We got on at St. Paul's Cathedral and rode across the London Bridge over the Thames and then crossed again at the Tower Bridge. We got off at the Tower of London so we could do that tour with Megan and Peter. The Tower is a huge complex of buildings, as you can see behind the kids in the picture. We got a tour from a Yeoman Guard (aka Beefeater). He was very entertaining and informative--showing us the Traitor's Gate, the Bloody Tower, the Tower green where two of Henry's wives were beheaded and the Church of St. Peter in Chains where said Henry's ill-fated wives are buried. We then got to go in and see the Crown Jewels. THAT was pretty astonishing--and well-guarded. We walked the tower walls and pretended to guard some prisoners (see Colin's pic--is that an adorable torturer or what?) and went into the oldest part of the tower to see an exhibit about Henry VIII and his changing battle dress and armaments. After the tour, we hopped a river cruise down the Thames, which took us past some incredible views from the water--I especially enjoyed seeing the buildings of Parliament from the water (almost like looking at a Monet). We walked (further than we intended) past Westminster Abbey, and down Victoria Street, as we looked for a bus stop. We finally found the bus again about three stops from the end of its last run...not our finest hour, but we made the best of it--found some yummy dinner at our new out-and-about favorite restaurant, ASK. All in all a great day--and again the Meldrum weather charm held true--perfect day!

First Visitors

October 6, 2009 Megan and Peter arrive! I went to pick them up at Gatwick Airport, and then we headed over to Leeds Castle, which is only about 30 minutes from the airport.

It was a bit of a rainy day, but it added to the ambiance of the castle, which was mentioned in the Domesday book of 1086 as a Saxon manor.

It was the private property of six of England's medieval queens and was used by Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. It was bought by an American heiress in 1926, who redecorated it extensively and lived in it until her death in 1974. The castle itself is beautiful and in a stunning setting; the grounds are also incredible.

Thetford Forest

September 26, 2009 We got a couple families together (Listellos, Snows and Carpenters) and went out to the Thetford Forest where there are awesome bike trails, a high wire course, and lots of play equipment and walking paths. It was a great day for the kids to take turns on the zip line, scale the net like monkeys, and be outside in some beautiful fall weather.

After the forest, we headed over to Grime's Graves, which is a field full of over 400 shafts, pits, quarries, and filled holes. It was not until 1870 that they were discovered to be flint mines, dug into the ground over 5,000 years ago. We got to go

down one of the shafts to explore what the Neolithic people were able to dig with nothing but antler horns. These mines provided the material for tools, and then in the 19th century for much of the musket flint used in the Napoleonic Wars. The kids enjoyed wearing the hard hats and treated us all to their best Village People impression.

The White Cliffs of Dover

September 12, 2009 A beautiful Saturday and Kent is not on call! So, we took the two and a half hour drive to Dover. Not a bad drive, and as you come up over one last rolling hill, and suddenly the English Channel is right ahead of you. The white cliffs truly are white and amazing to see. The castle itself is fairly extensive, with a Roman lighthouse (2nd century) and Saxon church (c. 1000 AD) inside the first set of walls, which you can see in the picture we took from on top of the castle tower. The kids loved rolling down the hill next to the church, and standing on the edge of cliff looking down over the channel (although it was a little windy). English Heritage just finished a massive renovation of the Great Tower, which was built between 1182 and 1188 for the court of King Henry II. It was decorated and furnished true to the period, and there were reenactors--Madeleine and Colin are here knighted by the King, and Bronwyn gets a lesson in swordplay from the knight, Sir George.

Since the chalk cliffs give such a perfect vantage point for protecting the

coast, there has been a defense here. William the Conquerer built a castle here in 1066 after the Battle of Hastings, likely building on a prior Iron Age fort. We walked part of the Battlement Wall, where you can see the anti-aircraft guns and cannons. There are tunnels all throughout the cliffs as well. We went through the Renaissance tunnels before we went the biggie: The Secret Wartime Tunnels of WWII.

These tunnels were expanded from 18th century ones that were used as barracks at the outbreak of WWII. We took a tour of the extensive tunnels--miles and miles through three different layers, which housed hospital facilities, radio operators, map rooms, and planning rooms for Admiral Ramsey and his staff to carry out the Dunkirk evacuation and track all ships and planes in the Channel. After exploring Dover, we drove about 25 minutes or so to Canterbury, where we got some dinner, walked the center of town and admired the cathedral.