The Ordinary versus the Extraordinary – A year of travelling with three children: 6 August 2015

So very delighted today as my friend from Ireland, Fiona, who I met in London when she was a student midwife and I was a new arrival at Homerton, made a flying trip to Banbury to see me and meet my family. How's that?! I am feeling really blessed that I have been able to catch up with some really special friends who have made great efforts to catch up after quarter of a century!

Chandlers Coffee shop - Church Lane, Banbury

By the canal

We met at the station as planned and after meeting Karl and the kids, Fiona and I strolled into down town Banbury and found a coffee shop in Church Lane to sit and chat - which we did for about 3 hours before returning to the apartment. Karl, Luke, Annika and I went with Fiona to Upton House, the lovely National Trust property we were at a few weeks ago with the war time display. Last time we rushed through but today we had a little more time to see it all.

Upton House sign

Dining room - movie shown here in amongst the Stubbs paintings

Reapers - C.Stubbs, Royal Academy 1786

Rook pie, anyone?

I was glad we went back as we had time to see the movie about the beginning of the WWII and we also had more time to chat to the volunteers and glean little bits of interesting information. The kids had great fun typing letters on the old fashioned typewritiers in the typing pool and now they think they'd both like a typewriter! How things have changed! I remember the delight of a word processor but they are delighted by the old fashioned things!

Mr Secretary

Annika also enjoy the typing!

We saw most beautiful Chelsea Porcelain and paintings I didn't notice before.

Chelsea porcelain - Aesops Fables 1765

Chelsea porcelain - Aesops fables

Chelsea porcelain - delicate work

Another Jan Steen painting

Hogarth - In his cradle

Gainsborough scene

1940's wedding dress

Rembrandt school - love the light

Love this Triptych - Adoration of the Maji - Bosch

De Coup del Soleil -J Ruisdael

Looking back to Upton House

Would love to swim here!

Fiona and I

Then it was downstairs to the art gallery which is stunning before we went back outside to the fresh air and sunshine and vast gardens. The blooms were probably best last time but there is still plenty of colour.