A quick trip to England

We decided on a spur of the moment trip to see family in England before winter really sets in, and after finding a home for Lilja (more of that next time) and someone to feed the chickens we locked up and headed for Riga airport via a friend who would drop us off and pick us up when we returned all for the princely sum of 24 oxo's.We've been home a week and are now already five days into November,it seems as if we have never been away. I think the question we are asked the most when we meet those we know and sometimes those we don't, is what do you miss most living where you do. I phrase it that  way as still in this day and age of instant communication and of course google so many people have no idea where Latvia is and what it is like. 
Of course we miss family most and it was good to see our grandchildren they make us feel really proud when we see how much they have grown since we last saw them and how mature they are becoming, Oh my,!! the opportunities they have and the places they go just wouldn't have happened way back when we were teenagers. Katie our eldest is off to South Africa on work experience as she is studying exotic animal management ( I think???) well she wants to work with animals. Thomas next,he has just landed the part of the tin man in the wizard of oz, we also met Anna his girl friend, she has our seal of approval ( Valerie is waiting a while though before she buys a new hat ha ha !!.) Olivia comes next' she washed and blowdried Valerie's hair,but was under strict instructions, NO colour, :) this happened at  Bath college salon where she is training  to be a hairdresser, I was going to grow my hair long so she could cut mine but no chance " we do mens hair next year grandad" I was told, but she did trim my eyebrows. Now Joel he is studying plumbing at Trowbridge college, As I say we are very proud of them all,they are growing up to be really great young people,   but it's a job to keep up with all that is happening.
We were able to spend time with all of our children  we stayed with Anna and Clinton,and Mark and Shelly came up one day, Andrew, Michele,Thomas and Anna another,[and we had a lovely pub meal together] and then Katie drove her dad up to see us the day before we left, which made us realise how blessed we are to have such a great family.
I did enjoy a trip to the cinema [part of my birthday present,]with my son in law  Clinton, to see  "007" in  "Spectre" , brilliant film, altho it was extremely loud, 
We went to our old church on Sunday, and met up with some old friends,which was great and we caught up on all the news over a cuppa after the service. On Tuesday we made a surprise visit to Con Brio choir in Bradford on Avon, [the choir i used to sing with],they invited me to sing "Amazing Grace" with them. We are so grateful to them as they still remember and support Stelpe school.
I visited a well known high street pharmacy as they were offering free hearing tests, Valerie has been telling me for a long time that I need help in hearing what she says, to which I would reply " If you spoke more clearly and didn't mumble, I could hear you fine" as you can imagine this has led to several periods of intense silence. Anyway back to the visit to the pharmacy where I was told the audiologist was at another store and anyway he would have gone home by now.OK we will try again after the weekend same store different town besides a cup of tea and a cream cake were calling far more loudly than a hearing test. (No pun intended)
Monday morning found us in Swindon, in another branch of the same store I was told sorry no appointments until Wednesday and besides that we would never do a 15 minute test and a consultation the same day, WHAT!!!!! I now admitted to the receptionist  "I know I have a problem it doesn't need a test to tell me that. Sorry but Wednesday is the earliest you can be seen. I explained by that time I would be winging my way back home, did it make any difference? did it heck. Not to worry we will try somewhere else,you obviously don't want my money.
100 yards up the street was another shop offering hearing tests so in we went, nice lady met us, Hearing test? no problem the audiologist is with someone at the moment but give him 45 minutes and he will see you. Well the long and short of it was  he popped me in the sound booth did the tests, found the problem, talked me through all the options, programed a pair of hearing aids, fitted them and relieved me of a fair amount of cash. Problem solved and sorted. The best bit is peace is restored in the household, and when wearing them they are not even noticeable. It's one piece of modern technology I can fully appreciate. If only we had taken note of the advertising "I should have gone to Specsavers" in the first place. 
The last couple of times we have visited the UK we have used National Express  to get us from  the airport to our daughters, no complaints there the service is very good, but my oh my the traffic!!!! nose to tail on the M11, the north circular and through Golders Green into central London stop start all the way and all on the wrong side of the road.[for me now anyway!!] and  the return journey was the same plus diversions for accidents and a big fire in Finchley.  and  do I have a desire to drive to England??, NO !!!  I do NOT,,
Our time went by so quickly and before we knew it we were on the plane heading for home, pictures this time are memories from summer 2015 as there are none of our visit.

Me with Valerie and  Valerija

How many men does it take
to open a bottle of wine?

Back streets of Riga

Cobbles everywhere 

And no tourists 

 

The title over the door reads
"Christs house of prayer"

 Wooden sculpture complex “Christ the King`s Mount” 

Aglona Catholic Basilica 

We visited a school in Rezekne and this is some
of the pupils crochet work

More crochet work

No it's not an earthquake it's Rezekne art centre.