Had a great day catching up with the brooksies, spent the morning in Newark at their market before popping to my uncle micks for the afternoon. Caught up with all my aunts, uncles and cousins and proved to michelle that I am not an orphan! Kids were apprehensive that there would be no kids for them to play with, but that was quickly put aside when there was a small white adorable fluffball called mimi that caught their hearts (insert correct dog breed name here!...

Today we experienced the true Britain. Firstly we nearly got sideswiped by a whitevanman on the m1 and then we got stuck in a 45 minute traffic jam on the m1. So stuck that isaacs bladder contents ended up in a used lemonade bottle , not once but twice whilst stationary! After happily leaving the m1 we stopped for lunch in the little village if cropwell butler, where my grandfather was a policeman during the war. Dad had so many stories that i couldn't miss it. ...

another london day, but this time its sunny ...yeah!. first we upset the kids by dragging them to the shops of oxford street and regent street. This was quickly restored by a trip to the 250 year old hamleys toy store. 5 stories of toys with at least 6 people on every floor performing with the toys and engaging the kids.... they had a ball! We are picking up a hire car tomorrow and heading up north, forecasting 25 degrees!

Well, 21 hours on a plane with kids is interesting to say the least. There is only so many times they can watch the movie 'hop' , and that number is three. Standing in the queue at heathrow we were the red eyed, concrete eyelid family who the attendant took pity on , and let us jump the queue (only after we had spent 45 minutes in the queue) So here we are, all awake at 4am and ready to go.......so , London, ere we come eh!

Day 1. Tourist day. With all of us awake at 4am, the day started early.... By 8.30 we had walked the Thames, crossed the Westminster bridge, ticked off the houses of parliament, big Ben and buckingham palace, seen a pushbike commuter accident (which had the kids talking longer than the first three) and had walked through st James park and Green park. Our unashamed tourist day continued with us seated in the first 'hop on hop off' double decker of the day. These...