Good job I didn’t take them to Heathrow, they were flying from Gatwick. 🤣😂
It’s just chums were coming into Heathrow today, so as usual I was multitasking, writing the blog and keeping an eye on incoming flights, and as you all know I can’t multitask!
Anyway gives me an excuse for a couple more pictures from yesterday. Anyone for a leg?
Be lucky and a very Happy New Year!
M & M 😆🥂🥂🕛🕛🎉🎇
Not too heavy a heart when we say goodbye today; Laura will be back tomorrow and we shall see the troops within a month because Safi is six years old next month and we are bound to be flying over ourselves to celebrate. We finished off on a high yesterday, with the Warner Bros. Harry Potter studio tour.
It was Laura’s Christmas present to us all! Why did we not take a group shot? Round up the usual suspects; Uncle Dean, Auntie Hannah, Laura, Safi and Zach. Plus Mumette and Dadette; Mary wanted us to be called something that sounded French but not Grandpapa and Grandmama, because we decided we are NOT that old! Also having two sets of folk called that would lead to confusion.
Anyway, both children and adults enjoyed the tour, starting with a pub lunch. They certainly know how to put on a show, gasps round every corner especially in the gift shop; where a Harry Potter wand will set you back £30. I’ve never paid that even for one of my Magic Circle wands! But never mind it was a great and most enjoyable last trip out.
What you can’t see on the bus photograph, is that it is snowing! The highlight for me was rounding a corner and seeing this little beauty.
I stood for a while watching people coming round the corner and everyone without fail went, “Wow”
Gatwick beckons, it’s been a great week!
Thankyou for reading M & M 🚂🎄🎅🏻⛄️⛄️
As I said, such a British tradition but our Swiss grandchildren, both bilingual, took to it like ducks to water. Oh, yes they did!
Safi got a flashing head dressing and the show was so good.
The Treen family, even got a shout out from Muddles! See, what an interview and a plug for the Panto gets you for Radio Frimley Park! Home now and an early bath, so we can catch up with the new Hercule Poirot. A great production. Tomorrow, not sure but something will happen!
Sleep well,
M & M 😱🍾🤗🤗
There is something about Christmas and a family gathering, that does fill you full of good cheer. As well as the turkey, the Christmas pudding, etc.etc. The troops flew in yesterday to be greeted by a tree, doing a passable imitation of the ground floor of Hamleys.
Mary was still a bit under the weather and slightly concerned about the outcome of all her efforts but she had no cause to be; the table groaned with plumtiousness.
I took some really naff pictures: not even being able to blame the alcohol, which had hardly begun to flow at this point. Anyway, excellent food, excellent company and a complete joy to see Safi and Zach once more and, of course, Laura. And truly great to have Hannah and Dean there as well. The Turkey was wonderful and the Christmas jug that only comes out at Christmas for the Christmas pudding made its annual appearance.
Today we are off to the Pantomime. Oh! Yes we are! Should be interesting to see the children’s take on such a good old British tradition. We trust you are all having a loveytime over the Christmas period.
Thanks for reading,
M & M 🤗🤗☃️⛄️☃️
The Treen Christmas tree is up. The shopping is “nearly” done.
We eagerly await the arrival of Zach and Safi because our Christmas lunch is going to be on Friday 28th of December; turkey and all the trimmings, I believe is the phrase!
Meanwhile on Christmas Day, Mary and I will pull a cracker and tuck into the duck on our own. (Big sigh! No we will be fine, don’t worry!) May we take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a really wonderful and prosperous and “healthy” (it’s an age thing!) New Year!
We have been so lucky to have seen so many great things this year! And to have had fun!
From us both, lots of hugs and have a great time!
M & M 🙏🦆🎄🎄🍷🥂
A leisurely breakfast, in the once more uncrowded breakfast room at the hotel. It’s funny when you arrive and no one else is there, as we did on Thursday; suddenly when there is an invasion of other guests, you hate them all. Well I do; they have sort of invaded your privacy. Silly really but, anyone else ever get that? No? OK, just me then.
They must have been well wrapped up in that balloon, this morning! Anyway, I digress. Off to the Christmas market we went in Montreaux. We parked, more by luck than good judgement, in exactly the right spot in an underground car park. We popped up two flights of stairs and came out almost bang in the middle of the market by a statue of Freddie Mercury, bedecked with tributes, as the anniversary of his death was last Saturday.
The entrance to the car park was just to the left of his statue and the market was beautifully quiet. When we came last year at the weekend, it was heaving. A stroll round the stalls and blow me down there was our ceramic plate maker. We have purchased over the years a number of these red jigsaw pieces, from his shop in Fribourg and there he was with his stall all laid out with his many products.
We had a good old mooch round, as my dear old granny used to say and made one or two purchases and then headed for lunch.
A drive back to Geneva along by the lake, which made a lovely change from our normal motorway approach, despite the weather being pretty grey and drab. We arrived amazingly early at the airport but eventually checked the luggage in and went airside. A very uneventful flight and landed bang on time at 9-15 pm. We left the airport just before ten past ten. So our record breaking time of thirty minutes from landing and then out of the door still stands.
Now Heathrow does confuse me. If you end up landing at a C Gate at Terminal 5, it will take you longer to get out because you have to catch the shuttle. But someone in passport control must know a great crowd of folk are heading towards them, mustn’t they? Then in that case why are all the eye scanning machines not already turned on? As we rounded the corner into the customs hall a maximum of six (?) must have been lit up green and ready to go. All the rest were showing red; result complete turmoil. People realising this, so suddenly back tracking and heading for the normal passport exit, where the real live person checks your passport. People standing hopefully in front of machines showing red and then getting angry because nothing was happening. People running in different directions not knowing where to go for the best and a load of customs people, looking just as confused as the passengers. Happy days. Once more, more by luck than good judgement, we happened to be standing in front of a machine in the queue for the real checker, when it magically turned green and we both dived for it. Freedom!
That just about wraps it up. As always thank you for reading, and until next time take lots of care. M & M 🇨🇭🇨🇭🇨🇭🥂
And finally, a remarkably empty Geneva airport and one more shot of those adorable monkeys!
Sorry folks we have arrived so late, not delayed just the usual Heathrow cobblers.
All will be revealed tomorrow!
Night all!
M & M ✈️💤💤💤💤
