Christmas 2024

Merry Christmas! After last year’s aborted efforts to celebrate due to me seriously lacerating my left hand on the Friday before Christmas (and subsequent operation on Christmas Day, 2023) we’re looking forward to this Christmas, even more so than usual! 👍😀 As the week leading up to Cbig day began (Christmas Day was on a …
Read More

Doctor Who Christmas Special (2024): Joy to the World

It’s Christmas Day and there’s a Doctor Who Special on TV again this year. Written by ex-Showrunner, Steven Moffat, we’re promised a proper festive-themed episode. The Christmas Day Special was revived last year when Russell T Davies took over from Chris Chibnall as Showrunner (who always preferred New Year’s Day to showcase the latest episode). …
Read More

Doctor Who – Something special for Christmas!

Doctor Who fans get an extra gift from Santa this year! …and I’m not talking about the forthcoming 2024 Christmas Special starring the current Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa! If Patrick Troughton was your Doctor (he was mine!) this was to be pure nostalgia combined with TV technology at its best! 👍 In 1969, the BBC showed …
Read More

Nutters Reunited for Christmas!

It had been a busy day already – and it was only 7am! Ralph & Karen had slept over after helping us celebrate our Anniversary, yesterday. After a rather hurried breakfast at 9.30 and having said goodbye to them both, it was straight into final prep for today’s gathering! Paul & Sue, Geoff & Rhonda, …
Read More

Our Anniversary (13/40)

Hi everyone! It’s our Anniversary – thanks for all your good wishes! 👍 😁 😁. As many of you know, we met and married on the same date – 14 December – so it’s our ’13th’ today or ’40th’, depending on when you begin counting! Having somewhat prematurely celebrated with a mega-holiday to Australia, Singapore …
Read More

First Visit: Hilltop Farm & Café, Leamington Spa

We met up with Ian & Ann and Alan and Mags today, part of our three-monthly catchup. Today’s venue-of-choice was Hilltop Farm in Leamington Spa – a first visit for us! It was a grotty day weather-wise (typical December) – mizzle! – but on arrival, looking at how packed the car-park was, suggested this was …
Read More

Christmas TV Listings (2024)

We’ve all got different ‘triggers’ for when ‘Christmas’ officially begins. For many, it’s probably when the Supermarkets start displaying their Christmas lines! But that’s obscenely early isn’t it? So how about… …that first Christmas meal? (this year, our first one was last Saturday 😋😃) …or when the John Lewis Christmas TV Ad first appears? (an …
Read More

Holiday: Day 33 – Heading Home/New Zealand Summary

6.05am: Morning all! 👍 As promised, here is the summary of our holiday in New Zealand during November 2024, where we visited both the North and South Islands. We used most forms of transport, but mainly travelled around using an Avis hire car. We can’t claim to have seen all of New Zealand, but having …
Read More

Holiday: Day 32 – Singapore (Final Day)

5.30am: Morning all! 😎. It’s our last full day here in Singapore, and I was awake from about 3am. Missed one of my Daily Posts?Click HERE Our Photo-Reel of Australia, New Zealand and Singapore (and no chat!)Click HERE Day 32 – Where are we? (Saturday, 30th November) We’re staying in the Holiday Inn Express in …
Read More

Holiday: Day 30 – Farewell New Zealand

6.45am: Morning all!. Phew! 😉. After more than a 1000 photographs and almost 2900 kilometres (c1800 miles) of driving, today, we say goodbye to New Zealand! We’ve packed/unpacked 13 times, stayed in 5 motels, 5 apartments, 2 B&Bs plus 1 hotel – and written daily about our 27-day adventure! Do you know what? I think …
Read More

Holiday: Day 29 – Arrowtown Revisited!

6.30am: Hi everyone! 😉. Hard to believe, but we’re coming to the end of our New Zealand adventure! ☹️☹️☹️☹️. Thanks for all your questions, comments, and suggestions during our travels – every single one of them, very much appreciated! 👍😍 For those of you with a similar trip in mind, I’ll post a summary of …
Read More

Holiday: Day 28 – Aiming for Arrowtown!

xx.xx: Hello-ee! 😀. Welcome to Tuesday – it’s another travel day for us. Day 28 – Where are we? (Tuesday, 26th November) 8.36am: With just a few days left in New Zealand, today, we said goodbye to Te Anau and drove south-eastwards and then north to Arrowtown, around 200km (121 miles) away. It’s an old …
Read More

Holiday: Day 25 – Dunedin – Done!

6.05am: Morning all! 😉 Welcome to the weekend! Missed a previous Post?Click HERE Day 25 – Where are we? (Saturday, 23rd November) We arrived in Dunedin (South Island’s second-largest city and part of the Otago region) yesterday afternoon, and took a brief look around (see yesterday’s photos HERE). We’re here for just today, and in …
Read More

Holiday: Day 24 – Destination Dunedin!

5.50am: Morning loyal Reader! 👍. We hope you’re still enjoying reading about our time in New Zealand. Welcome to Friday’s adventure! 😉 Missed one of these Holiday Posts?Try clicking HERE👍☀️😎 Day 24 – Where are we? (Friday, 22nd November) 8.25am: Today, we said goodbye to a chilly Timaru (7℃) and continued southwards along South Island’s …
Read More

Holiday: Day 23 – Timaru, where are you?

6 05am: Hi there Followers. Happy Thursday. Thanks for keeping up with our adventures! 😉. We’ve just eight more days left here in New Zealand before heading back to Singapore. Strangely, the BBC Weather Service hadn’t heard of Timaru, so this is the Weather Channel‘s forecast. Timaru, where are you? Still rubbish weather though! 🙄 …
Read More

Holiday: Day 22 – ‘Allo ‘Allo Akaroa!

6.05am: Hello all! 😉. Another day, another part of New Zealand to discover! 👍 Missed a previous Post?Click HERE Day 22 – Where are we? (Wednesday, 20th November) 8.58am: We left Christchurch today and headed for Akaroa, about 90 minutes away. We’d been advised that it was going to be a very twisty (=slow) road …
Read More

Holiday: Day 21 – Trambusters! – Exploring Christchurch

6.25am: Hi Folks! Welcome to Tuesday! 😎. 20 days of great experiences so far, 12 to go! 👍 Missed a previous Post?Click HERE Day 21 – Where are we? (Tuesday, 19th November) TODAY’S TRIVIA: A typical New Zealand winter is from June until August, whilst their Summer is from December to February. It’s our first …
Read More

Holiday: Day 20 – Blue Skies to Christchurch!

5.45am: Hi, all you dedicated Readers! – thanks for your readership and regular comments! 👍 It’s been a real push to publish these each day, but I’m enjoying the challenge. Today, it’s a super early one as we prepare for another long drive south. Missed a previous Post?Click HERE It’s hard to believe that we’re …
Read More

Holiday: Day 19 – Grape Expectations!

Missed one of these Holiday Posts?Try clicking HERE(or scroll to the foot of this one)👍☀️😎 6.15am: Welcome back loyal Reader! 😉. It’s Sunday, and we’re currently in Picton, our first stop on the SOUTH Island, having arrived early evening yesterday by Ferry from Wellington. As you might guess from the title, today, we’re on the …
Read More