From Mexico we made our way to the UK with a two hour stop over in New York which would be an easy transfer … after all, we were flying international, and our bags would be checked through to Heathrow. 

Well, that was what we thought. But no.! Flying into New York, you have to go through the US immigration process to enter the US, pick up your bags, check them back in, then back through security. All while watching the time quickly ebb away, as the line in front only got longer as the helpful assistants kept directing us to longer lines.!

We made it to our gate as they called our group.

Then a couple trains from Heathrow, and we are standing on the Hitchin train platform greeted by our daughter, Emma, and grandson Harry. Harry (2.5 years old) wanted us to know that the floor is lava. Okay we’ll remember that … and something we played for the next couple of weeks, in all sorts of places, at home,  on the train, in shops, on the sidewall. That’s okay no one knows us here. 

The chilling in Mexico now seems like a prudent move as we are buggered. It’s been a long time since we have been trying to keep up with a 2 year old.

But it was an awesome fortnight filled with many great memories of time just hanging out together.

Such as –

A day at the Hertfordshire Zoo. This is a great little zoo about 45 minutes away in the car down lots of narrow country lanes. In addition to a wide selection of animals, the zoo also had a walk through cove of full-size anamatronic dinosaurs. With innocent eyes on wonder, Harry both loved and was wary of them at the same time.

The lure of London’s West End was too great. Lots of famous shows on offer, but as a Back to the Future Fan, we had to go to the Back to the Future musical. What a great show! It follows the movie plot fairly closely but adapted into a musical. For me, Doc Brown stole the show.  I absolutely loved it.

We did some shopping in  Leicester Square, Oxford Street, wandered down and checked out a number of shops including touristy stuff and then at the insistence of my colleague I found myself in a 20 minute queue to get into the lego shop to get a figurine … you owe me Ang.

On the weekend, we took a last minute drive down the coast to check out the beachside town of southend-on-sea where we went to the Aquarium and went on a number of rides at the Adventure Island with Harry. 

With temperatures in the high 20s down the coast, there were people everywhere soaking in every ray of sunshine. It was like they’ve not seen the sun in months. Oh yeah, they haven’t. It was like that in London as well sun was out and everyone was put in the sun.  Quite a contrast to home where everyone seeks the shade.

On other days Deb did a number of craft activities she had brought over to do with Harry, and I played car, trains, cars, running, hiding, cars … it was great.

In exhaustion one day I collapsed on the floor and some coins fell from my pocket. Harry scooped them up and ran to Deb (Grammy) and said “Glenpa coins” and Deb grabbed the freshly painted money box they did together and loaded my coins into it. Then anytime I left any coins sitting on my bedside table they’d be Glenpa coins and deposited in the money box.

Harry would gleefully shake the money box and giggle Glenpa coins.

We took Harry to Hamley’s toyshop in London where he could spend some of his money. We also planned to do a bit of touring around the sights of London on a bus but the day was getting too big for the little guy so we called it early.

We found a lovely little zoo 30 minutes up the train line called the Sheparth Zoo, which was another great day out.

Then all too quickly our time was up and we were packing our bags and saying our goodbyes. This year’s goodbyes were harder than last year’s.