Our long awaited return to the UK didn't get off to a great start. With George and I still recovering from suspected swine flu and Emily with a hacking cough and seemingly endless rivers of snot, we were truly dreading the 24 hour flight. The less said about it the better, but a 15 month old doesn't get her own seat and is too big for a bassinet. And
the Chinese couple next to us complained to the flight crew about us coughing and wanted them to force us to wear face masks... enough.

We touched down at Heathrow at 4.45am, exhausted but delighted to put the flight behind us. George had booked us a room in a swanky hotel at Chelsea Football Club, and we were very relieved to be able to check in before 7am! No time for snoozing, we had a big day ahead. First breakfast with Jason, Fiona, Dylan and Molly. The Harveys were back in England for the whole of July and were renting a Chelsea flat just up the road near Earl's Court. Emily was very excited to see big cousin Dylan again. Next we hopped on the tube to Stamford Brook to take a look at our old flat in Westcroft Square. The new tenant had done wonders - he'd done quite a lot of work and the place looked better than when we lived there! The flat and square brought back some wonderful and very funny memories. Time for more nostalgia - lunch at the George on Chiswick High Road. This was our home from home when we lived in London, and with Emily crashed out in the pram we could get stuck into a few beers in the garden. We were joined for lunch by a Mark, Matt, Sally and Justin: George's old work mates. Justin stuck around after the others went back to work, and his wife Sam and gorgeous daughters Maisie and Grace arrived later in the afternoon. We stumbled out of the pub at around 6pm and descended on Fiona and Jason who very kindly fed us all. We were back in at the hotel and fast asleep by 9pm!

Saturday morning we again joined up with the Harveys for a trip to Kensington Gardens. We're really seeing a different side of London now we are parents, and in the old life the Princess of Wales Memorial Playground wouldn't have had a look in. Emily had a great time, and we quite enjoyed it too! It was lovely to walk back to the hotel through the streets of Kensington, Earls Court and Fulham. We had one more stop in London before driving up to Oxford, a quick drink at the Pitcher and Piano on the river at Richmond with Lili and Brad. Arriving at Stonefold we were met by two very excited Grandparents, and Emily seemed at home straight away. After dinner we put Emily to sleep in the cot I used as a baby, and we were in bed soon after.

We'd organised to meet my old school friends Catherine and Sarah for a pub lunch on Sunday, and it was yet another blast from the past. We met at the Bell in Ducklington, where a teenage Fay spent many a drunken night. No such behaviour this time, Catherine has 3 year old twins and Sarah has a 5 year old son and a 2 year old daughter! We spend a wonderful afternoon catching up whilst the kids played in the beer garden. Back at Stonefold Emily met her cousin Charlotte for the first time. There's only 2 months between them, and Emily was fascinated by her cousin.

On Monday we introduced Dad to our new favourite time waster, Geocaching. There were several caches near the ruins at Minster Lovell, and as I hadn't been there since I was a kid it was another nostalgic moment. Dad seemed to enjoy the hunt and spotted the first two caches straight away. That afternoon we drove over to Abbey Farm to introduce Emily to her Great-Granny for the first time. My Aunt Daph was there too but Emily had crashed in the car on the way over, and slept soundly for the first hour or so! Eventually she woke and could finally meet Great-Granny. My cousins Alice and Nicola were there too, and we got to say Hi to Julieanne who arrived home from work just before we left. Emily coped brilliantly with all the new faces and loved running around the garden.