Saturday morning we cleaned the carpets and by early afternoon we had left them to dry and were driving to see Mike and Barbara in Northampton. It was a slow drive up (who suggested going through Oxford?) and the last long journey in our little yellow Saxo. Our car has taken us 52,000 miles in just over 4 years and it is no wonder we have grown fond of our little Pierre (yes we do give our cars names). It was great to have a final weekend with Mike and Barbara. We went for a walk along the canal to the lake in very summery weather (Harry hadn't bought his shorts this weekend which meant it would be warm). Had a lovely dinner and looked at photos from Istanbul and Marrakesh. It was just as warm the next day as we got ready to picnic in Stowe Gardens. Another interesting place - and thinking about it on our travels we have probably seen less than 1% of the interesting places in the UK. Stowe was created by a family 'richer than the king' they say. The Stowe mansion is now a school and the National Trust run the gardens which has many follies scattered around the lake, up the hills, and around the golf course. The school - which just happened to be the venue for a wedding (we gatecrashed some of the photos I suspect by walking across the background landscape) - is described on its site as "a wonderful school in the most sublime setting which celebrates youth rather than stifling it. Stowe embodies the English Enlightenment and its ethos continues to be shaped by the people who teach and learn here. We offer an inspiring environment for the education of boys and girls aged thirteen to eighteen in the firm belief that every one of them has the potential for excellence waiting to be unearthed and burnished – the jewel within". I couldn't find the fees on the net but I guess if I have to ask I just couldn't afford it. Students, new and old are called 'Stoics' and apparently they acquire 'skills that enable them to live happily, work successfully and thrive in their future lives'. I must admit it is set in a lovely place and if nature inspires learning like I believe it does there is some basis that kids who go to this school could do well. During our walk we negotiated a few holes (golf that is) and watched a few golfers hit their balls in to some fairly challenging bunkers and a fairly big lake (wonder if they dredge it and sell the balls occasionally - if not it surely must be fairly full considering the course was built in the early 1920's). Langley the designer had this to say about his course
“though welcome and avant-garde in its mere existence at the time, bore little resemblance to orthodoxy of construction”. He recalled “the long trudge up the hill among the mole-hills to the Armoury” and “the attempt to hit balls illicitly into the slits of the Monument after leaving the 9th green: an obtuse, inverted pleasure, since the ball was lost if the shot succeeded, yet ever-tempting like forbidden fruit”. Sounds about as challenging as Karori Golf Course at home. We had a great picnic near the car park where some of us had a little doze and others watched more energetic folk walking amongst the grazing sheep. We're already planning to meet up somewhere - unfortunately half way is a bit further than 'somewhere around the Malverns'. We're taking a little friend from Northampton home - he's called Cobbler.
Everything has gone bed, tv, couch, Pierre, bikes, most of our stuff and the only thing to do is pack up our bags with everything that is lying on the bedroom floor. We've wined and dined with friends, had telephone job interviews, tried to set up postal redirection orders online, and we've probably forgotten about a hundred other things - but hey Thursday is coming up fast. Last week we went out for dinner with some of my work colleagues and just to get our own back for coming last in too many pub quizzes we did a NZ quiz. Some knew who Dan Carter and Gollom were but pictures of a pohutukawa tree, Kiri and a Takahe led to some fairly imaginative answers. We're out tomorrow night with Harry's workmates, been to Jamie Olivers restaurant with Colin and Tess, seen Chris, Glen and Ben for coffee, and having our last meal in the UK with Jane and David. Rebecca and Nylan came for the weekend and we walked the harbour and took photos of all the local gorillas posing around the place. So, lots of socialising in our last week. We've had a great time but it is time to move back...
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