Christmas London

Friday 23rd December
The family is arriving home from the US so we go through the usual morning washing/cleaning routine getting the beds ready for their return.

By 12 o'clock we are all sorted and we make a quick trip to the local Aldi in search of Christmas puddings and ready meals to take for dinner.
We bid farewell to Maggie & Dilly once Felicity and Patrick return and we are on the road to London soon after 2.30pm.

Despite some light rain and plenty of traffic going the other way, the journey goes smoothly and by 4pm we are pulling up in Pear Tree Road and our digs for Christmas.

Once we are unloaded and settled I go down the road to the Tesco in search of Christmas goodies and come home loaded with turkey and cheese and desserts.

Saturday 24th December

With Christmas dinner all sorted we are free for the day so we drive 10 minutes to Weybridge, park in a layby and catch the train into London. The day is grey and quite cold once we reach central London.  Walk across the Thames and via Trafalgar Square, down the Mall to the palace.  On to Hyde Park for a look around the Winter Wonderland.  Plenty of stall and fairground games and rides.  Holly is hankering to try something out so Aaron takes her on the hanging rollercoaster.  She very quickly discovers that it is no really her cup of tea.

Walked down Oxford and Regent Street to see the Christmas lights

John Lewis windows

Sunday 25th December

Monday 26th December

Quick trip to Argos this morning to replace Aidan's Christmas tablet, then we went down to the River Wey for a long walk along the tow path.

10- 22nd December Salisbury

Saturday 10th December

packed up and left Tunstead at 10:15 for our drive to Salisbury.  With only a brief stop for lunch we arrived at about 3.15.  Spent a pleasant evening getting to know Felicity and Patrick and their kids William, Flora and Edward before their early departure to the airport in the morning.


Sunday 11th December

A glorious morning on the Salisbury Plain and we take the dogs out first thing to Old Sarum for a walk around the castle grounds.

Monday 12th December

we would really like some of that

Maggie & Dilly

Tuesday 13th December

Went for a little excursion into Salisbury. Parked at the Waitrose and walked along the river into the town. Tuesday markets were on and we bought 4 fat sirloins for £10 as recommended by our hosts, and had a good wander around the town.

Wednesday 14th December

Gorgeous sunny morning, so after a rather late start, we head across to the New Forest.

Thursday 15th December

Took a drive to Bath.

Friday 16th December

Spent the morning walking the dogs along the Avon River into Salisbury and through to the water gardens.

After lunch we had our pre-Christmas treat - tickets to see the panto Aladdin at the Salisbury Playhouse.

The show was awesome with lots of audience participation and excellent flying carpet simulation which kept the kids guessing.  Hilarious afternoon.

Saturday 17th December

Rugby at Bradford on Avon today, so we leave in time to visit the castle ruins at Farleigh Hungerford.

Sunday 18 December

Went into Salisbury this morning and had breakfast at the King Edward then had a walk around the Christmas display at Mompesson House.

Had a brief walk through the markets, then Holly wanted to go to Smyths toys as she has been begging ever since we arrived.  

Monday 19th December

Took the kids and the dogs to Woodhenge and then walked across the fields to Stonhenge.  Took about 3 hours and we covered 10km. Got a bit rainy towards the end.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stonehenge-landscape/trails/circular-route-from-durrington-walls-to-stonehenge

Wednesday 21 December

walked lords walk and woodhenge woods. Lord's Walk was an avenue planted by Lord Carleton (1676-1720) and was formerly known as Lord Carleton's Walk. The Avenue was the formal approach to Kent House, itself the gatehouse to Amesbury Abbey estate (Kent House is the one at the top of the hill between Countess Roundabout and Amesbury, opposite the top entrance to Lord's Walk, Diana House is the one by the river opposite the lower entrance to Lord's Walk). The lower section of Lord's Walk (alongside the river) was not originally part of the Avenue.

We had a picnic in the woods and a walk through the fields.  The dogs were in disgrace on the way home for rolling in something very smelly

Thursday 22nd December

drove to chippenham for haircuts then went to the Whitehall Garden Centre at Chippenham for ice skating.