Christmas in Blighty

Well well, has it been a year already? I guess so. After successfully completing my third semester at Kwantlen I headed back to the homeland to spend Christmas and New Year with my friends and family.

It was Mum's birthday on Christmas Day - the big six o.















And I finally got to meet my Sister Jane's new bloke, Mark - seems like a very nice chap. Just to add to the fun over Christmas Lunch he popped the question to Jane - everybody: Awww!















Jane has been pretty busy since I left - found herself a great bloke, AND is expecting her first baby in the spring - and one more time everyone: Awwww!


It wasnt all family though - far from it, I managed to see just about all my dear friends and no less than four bike rides - it was more like a training camp!

Here's Sara studying the info board that explains the background is actually an ancient moated thing - I say "thing" because I cant remember if it was a fort, a settlement or an early Tesco!!? But ancient it is, and moated it was.





This is looking the other way - it's funny how the mud doesnt look so bad in the photos - I guess it wasnt THAT bad but I'm not used to it anymore (mohaahahaha!) ......oh sorry. Am I rubbing it in.....again! ;-)










...and somewhere in Hertford Heath - this bit was the fast downhill of the ride - mainly cos it's been surfaced - I remember when this was unridably muddy before they surfaced it

(yes Sara, I know you're bored reading this)










Muddy bike - thank the lord (well Ed actually) for mud tyres :-D













About a day before I came back I decided to start taking people pictures - it occurs to me now that perhaps I shouldnt have been in them all!!

Anyway, here's my favourtie Welshman, Adrian with the looooong suffering Esther









...see what I mean!


















...Chris wasnt at all sure about having her photo taken in the middle of a cafe in Hertford












...and Pauline thought taking a photo in a garden centre car park was completely ridiculous!












Sara yes I know I said I wouldnt put this on the blog but we both knew I was lying right?










and last but by no means least Holly, Joe and Rich (thats Hols on the left)

Unfortunately I neglected to get any photos of mine or the Fisher family :-( ah well, next time)

Thank you to all my friends and family for making me very welcome despite me leaving them all for Canada. Special thanks to Edwin for loaning me some mud tyres even if you didnt come riding! Sara for sharing the old trails with me just like the old days, Ade & Es for looking after me as always and Ma for putting me up and giving up her car for two weeks!
But extra special thanks to my little sister for making it all possible. Thanks Sis :-D