Phil was very excited to be able to drive back in the UK. It has been over 6 months since his last 'incident' and under Section 88 of the road traffic act whilst they are processing the return of his license he can drive - in the UK. Sadly French law requires you to have your license on you at all times when driving so we're not quite there yet.
Unfortunately on his first drive since March on the way back to Evergreen from Portsmouth a speeding camera caught him. A ridiculous 30mph zone on a wide country lane but nonetheless he was caught.
As soon as we got back we were welcomed by Leigh who had lit a roaring fire for us. Wonderful!
That evening we met Martin and Sandra (who came top visit us here in September) and had a lovely evening at the Indian in Cheddar. Indian food is one of the few things I miss about living in France.
The following day we drove over to help Rich move his furniture to his new flat in Glastonbury. It a lovely flat and I am sure he will be happy there. Glastonbury High Street and all it's shops and pubs and cafes are on the doorstop. Much nicer for him.
After the move we went and did a B&Q shop. Not much required now as we feel much more confident about shopping for building materials in France. However paint and varnish are so expensive here we are still buying paint in the UK.
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| Our Christmas tree 2014 |
The following day we spent putting Christmas decorations up before meeting up with our friends for an evening. I hadn't seen them since October so it was great to catch up.
When I was in Paris I couldn't resist buying each of them a French beret.
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| The girls |
That evening we got to meet his girlfriend for the first time and we met at the Crown in Wells - a pub familiar to those who know the film Hot Fuzz.
We had a meal at Ask by the Bishop's Palace - how apt! A lovely evening with great company - a pleasure to meet her at last.
Saturday was a day for preparing for the following day when Phil's children and grandchildren were coming over. We also had Dave and Ange from Villefagnan but currently spending some time in Wales over for lunch. So good to see them and slightly weird to see them at Evergreen rather than in VF.
The family Sunday was a great afternoon and passed so quickly. The children were great and we had a mini Christmas with them, turkey and everything!
I had a trip to the dentist and hygienist on the Monday - necessary but never something I look forward to. We managed to squeeze in a couple of hours with friends James and Mandy as well which was lovely, before meeting up with Phil's brothers and their wives in Bristol.
After all this flying around we tried to slow down on Tuesday before starting up again Wednesday. We did get to meet at the Swan at Rowberrow with Jill and Melv for a very nice lunch and catch up. Pam and Dave surprised us by popping by and we had a lovely time. It was feeling very festive by this time.
The following morning I went to pick Mum up and my sister and family arrived shortly after we got back. Traffic was awful but by lunchtime the only person missing was Rich who had to work until early evening.
At 5.20pm we looked i the sky and saw Father Christmas going by on his sleigh. Seriously - we did. In reality it was the International Space Station but it was exciting for most of us. Sadly Tilly has a little fear of the big man in red so it didn't go down too well with her.
Christmas Day was wonderful. We didn't even manage to get through all the childrens' presents - some were saved till Boxing Day.
We got to say hello to David in the afternoon as well, which was a nice surprise as he had had to cancel meeting up the previous Friday.
The weather took a turn for the worse Boxing Day and our walk along the beach at Burnham on Sea wasn't as pleasant as we had hoped. Still, it blew away some cobwebs and we all went into Wetherspoons for fish and chips afterwards.
The following day we said goodbye to our guests and started dissembling the decorations and loading up the van ready for our departure the following morning.
It was so good to see Rich during our stay. I miss him so much and he has grown up to be such a wonderful son. I am bursting with pride and hope that he can make it over to France very soon.
We left in good time and had slowish trip to Portsmouth. Traffic along the A303 always gets snarled up around Stonehenge. The weather was cold but bright and after meeting up with Paul and Di at the ferry we had a good crossing.
They went on to their house and we went to the Ibis Hotel at Caen to rest before the trip to Villefagnan the day after.
I was back in the driving seat and we made good time. The weather was very cold but bright and we got back and decided to crack open a bottle of fizzy and watch a film before meeting up with friends at Chez David.
It was great to see everyone. New friends Linda and Anthony who have a lovely property on the outskirts of Villefagnan had just arrived back and it was like a reunion.
We had a to recover before New Years Eve which we spent at L'Etoile d'Or. Paul and Di came down for a couple of days to spend it with us which was wonderful. we didn't get to bed until about 3am - which for us is a very late one. Linda and Anthony's friend Neville came too and was such good fun. He danced with the elderly ladies and made them feel so special. A charming man.
He is also an amazing hairdresser and gave me a real pamper before he had to leave to go back to England to 'do' a wedding.
New Years Day we walked down to Linda and Anthony's for an exceptional meal and had a fantastic time. Paul and Di were welcomed too along with the guys from l'Etoile d'Or.
Next year we hope to be in Villefagnan for Christmas. Therer was so much going on that we missed. In fact I nearly missed this little gem. Across from the church some barn doors had been opened and lights placed around them and inside was this beautiful nativity scene.
So as I write we are both recovering from colds and over indulgence. The work is continuing but at a slow pace as we haven't really got back in the swing just yet.
More of our progress next time.
Until then a very Happy New Year to you all.
Much love xx
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