UK Family Trip Photos - June 2007Nils Journal is HERE Click each image to expand if this symbol shows up in the bottom right corner on any of the images once you expand it, it means you can click it to see the photo at FULL size.. depends on your computer and monitor screen size.    DAY 1 --- matthew, melanie and kenzie in the rockers at boston airport DAY 2 --- coming into landing at manchester airport - tiny model houses look! DAY 2 --- touchdown - physically landing at manchester airport DAY 2 --- going for a walk in the fields behind gan-gan's.  gan-gan, nils, maddie & mel DAY 2 --- back view of my 3 girls (kenzie, mel & maddie) walking to the fields.  DAY 2 --- maddie at the playground in the field behind mum's house. DAY 2 --- genuine cheshire county council public footpath and matt's hand - it looks SO like nils' hand, if i hadn't been there to see who it was, i'd be hard pressed to guess! DAY 2 --- matt praising God !! actually he's reaching up to catch a tennis ball he threw up in the air, but the sun coming through the trees like it is makes it a very spiritual looking photo! DAY 2 --- everyone (but me) on or around the memorial bench for my dad. i love how they are all blurry and the tree branches i'm peering through are in focus up front. DAY 2 --- the plaque on dad's memorial bench. DAY 2 --- matt sitting on dad's memorial bench. DAY 2 --- maddie sitting on dad's memorial bench - i love this photo of her. DAY 2 --- melanie taking a photo (with my canon rebel xti digital camera) of me taking a photo of her (with my casio exilim digital camera) DAY 2 --- matt still sitting on dad's memorial bench :) DAY 3 --- the infamous 'goodbye' sign at tesco's that melanie got into trouble for (taking the photo) with the security there. DAY 3 --- the trafford center, manchester, england - puts the gardens mall here in palm beach gardens to shame! DAY 3 --- nils and matt, the bobsie twins at the trafford center, manchester, england. funny how they are both in red as well - matt is the age nils was when i first met him! nils is talking to me so his face looks funny DAY 3 --- the food court area at the trafford center, manchester, england  - see the starbucks! DAY 3 --- kenzie with the amazing chocolate fountains at 'thorntons' toffee' shop at the trafford center, manchester, england DAY 4 --- going for a walk up in the hills of saddleworth/diggle (outside manchester) with my great friend christobel and her family. DAY 4 --- melanie up at the top of the hill of saddleworth/diggle DAY 4 --- walking in a neat line on the narrow sheep path! (saddleworth/diggle) DAY 4 --- walking back down again, melanie, nils and kenzie stop and turn for the photo! (saddleworth/diggle) DAY 4 --- alice at peanut's (christobel) house DAY 4 --- at peanut's house - peanut, maddy, maddie, mel, kenzie & alice DAY 4 --- nils and matt played golf with peanut's hubby mark. they had a blast - sheep on the putting greens even - a new sight for my 2 boys! DAY 5 --- only ones willing to talk another (longer) walk were peanut, emma, kenzie and alice. DAY 5 --- on the long walk - just your average english sheep milling around! DAY 5 --- on the long walk - beautiful flowers and colour. DAY 5 --- on the long walk - at the memorial, emma and kenzie DAY 5 --- on the long walk - at 'pots & pans' rock, emma and kenzie DAY 5 --- on the long walk at pots n pans rock,  peanut/christobel DAY 5 --- on the long walk - overlooking the 3 dams DAY 5 --- on the long walk - overlooking the 3 dams, kenzie DAY 5 --- on the long walk - overlooking the 3 dams, kenzie and emma lying on the rocks DAY 5 --- on the long walk - on the way back down, more sheep! check out the old drystone walls and old church steeple in the background DAY 5 --- at the end of the long walk - very skinng (one boat) lock by the ice-cream shop. DAY 5 --- at the end of the long walk, alice and peanut - friends for 30+ years. DAY 5 --- back at peanut's house - icecream truck comes around. maddie & matt DAY 7 --- going to "the edge"- alderley edge, cheshire DAY 7 --- going to "the edge"- alderley edge, cheshire. maddie DAY 7 --- going to "the edge"- alderley edge, cheshire. matt and a skipping kenzie DAY 7 --- maddie looking out at the view over "the edge" DAY 7 --- at "the edge" - the kids humour me and pose 'holding' the rock up DAY 7 --- maddie, melanie & kenzie outside 'armstrong farm' where my other best friend (for 30+ yrs) sarah used to live (i even lived there for about 3-4 mths one summer. DAY 7 --- in gan-gan's garden - and you thought you couldn't sunbathe in england! melanie proves that wrong (while reading, her lifetime passion.) matt and kenzie play badminton. flat/apartment house in background DAY 7 --- melanie reading in gan-gan's garden. DAY 7 --- at gan-gan's - melanie and kenzie playing badminton, dining room of the main house in background. DAY 7 --- at gan-gan's - maddie, kenzie and matt all playing now. matt hams it up for the camera! DAY 7 --- gan-gan's house 'silverthorn' (main house) - taken from across the road (by melanie) DAY 7 --- then melanie's all time favourite car (WITH a union jack on the roof) just happened to drive by as she was taking this photo - she says it's a sign! DAY 7 --- nils cooking dinner on the disposable grills - yes they come in a box!  english sausages ROCK! DAY 7 --- kenzie and melanie in alderley edge village! DAY 7 --- nils in alderley edge village! DAY 7 --- alice sunbathing :) (sleeping actually!) DAY 8 --- alton towers - nils, kenzie, matt and melanie - check out their faces! DAY 8 --- alton towers - nils, kenzie, matt and melanie - check out their faces! DAY 8 --- alton towers - matt and melanie - we had a blast! DAY 8 --- alton towers - mel, kenzie, matt and nils returning from the ride! DAY 8 --- mel, matt, kenzie, nils, maddie standing by the old castle (alton towers) DAY 8 --- alton towers - kenzie getting ready to 'fly' on the bungie jump thingy DAY 8 --- alton towers - kenzie doing a sommersault on the bungie jump thingy DAY 8 --- alton towers - inside the castle looking down to a lower level where nils was. DAY 8 --- alton towers - looking down from the top at the magnificently manicured gardens. DAY 8 --- alton towers - kenzie, mel and maddie at the top. DAY 8 --- alton towers - taken at ground level. DAY 8 --- alton towers - inside the 'willie wonka and the chocolate factory' ride (which was lame!) DAY 8 --- alton towers - back inside the castle - nils and his 4 girls! DAY 8 --- alton towers - inside the castle DAY 8 --- alton towers - amazing stained glass windows inside the castle DAY 8 --- alton towers - leaving the castle part through the 'secret tunnel' DAY 8 --- on way home from alton towers - dinner outside at a pub DAY 8 --- on way home from alton towers - matt and at at dinner at outside pub DAY 8 --- on way home from alton towers -  we had dinner at this pub. take a look at the price of gas/petrol on the sign there - 96.9p a litre, with the conversion, it's about $9/gallon, so those of us in USA can quit complaining about the prices here! DAY 9 --- this is the view that matt had (looking both left and right, i spliced the 2 images) looking out of the room he slept in at gan-gan's. DAY 9 --- the village of prestbury (where my dad grew up) the black and white building is a Nat West bank (my bank when I lived there) and it is a REALLY old building, from the 1600's I think. DAY 9 --- in the village of prestbury still - melanie in a red english phone booth. DAY 9 --- my mum and i (and kenzie) at the prestbury village church - my sister melanie was married here. DAY 9 --- going into prestbury village church DAY 9 --- inside the prestbury village church; gan-gan, alice, kenzie and maddie DAY 9 --- inside the prestbury village church; melanie reading a plaque (which references adlington hall, where nils and I had our wedding reception!) DAY 9 --- the entrance/driveway to Field Cottage where I grew up (hence the name of my business fieldcottagedesigns.com) DAY 9 --- the 3 girls walking down the driveway to Field Cottage. DAY 9 --- kenzie, mel and maddie at the front of Field Cottage DAY 9 --- Field Cottage again, this is where the pool was when we were growing up, it has been filled in. DAY 9 --- daytona racing, manchester - the racing track DAY 9 --- daytona racing, manchester - nils kitted up and ready to race. DAY 9 --- daytona racing, manchester - melanie all kitted up and ready to race. DAY 9 --- after the racing, time for a drink - all of us at the lord clyde pub in kerridge. DAY 9 --- the 2 bartenders at the lord clyde pub in kerridge. DAY 9 --- matt at the lord clyde pub in kerridge - legally allowed to drink (at 18) in england. DAY 9 --- after the lord clyde, we went to the legh arms in prestbury for some food. DAY 10 --- a wet day, but still a gorgeous view from the bedroom window that nils and I slept in. DAY 11 --- arriving the place where we rented the 'narrow boat' to spend 3 days with my sister melanie, brother-in-law andy, and 2 nephews jon and james DAY 11 --- jon, maddie and kenzie inside the narrow boat getting ready to play monopoly DAY 11 --- people actually live year round on these narrow boats, this boat amused me with it's plants on top and doll couple looking out of the window! DAY 11 --- looking back along the top of the boat to the back, matt, nils, andy and maddie DAY 11 --- matt driving the boat under a bridge. DAY 11 --- andy reading something and the kids (james, jon, kenzie and maddie) hanging out on the top of the narrow boat (they did this a lot) DAY 11 --- we saw lots of these, swans, ducks and their babies.  the narrow boats to them mean FOOD! DAY 11 --- matt, james and maddie DAY 11 --- nils tying up the boat for the night - then we went for dinner at a pub DAY 12 --- approaching one of the locks. matt walking up on the right. DAY 12 --- the gates of the lock opening and we make our way into it alongside the other boat. my sister melanie up on the right DAY 12 --- in the lock, the kids (mel, jon, maddie and kenzie), who are not into this scene (yet) sit around and watch the adults do all the work! DAY 12 --- as i said, the adults (melanie and nils) opening the lock once the water had risen and lifted us up to the correct level. DAY 12 --- self explanatory! DAY 12 --- another lock with a pub next to it (common sight) this one was very busy and pretty. DAY 12 --- us inside the lock, next to the pro's who went up the entire flight of 6 locks with us and showed us how it was done! DAY 12 --- we're in the lock and the gates shut behind us. you can see andy in the far background pulling the one gate closed. DAY 12 --- rising up to level inside the lock. nils talks to the 'pro' guy.  DAY 12 --- beautiful sky shot! DAY 12 --- serence and quiet, no-one around. approaching a bridge. DAY 12 --- going through a cloud of some bugs at the entrance to THE tunnel - took us 33 minutes (approx 2 miles) to go through it (pitch black dark!) DAY 12 --- inside the tunnel, see the teeny tiny speck of light in the back? DAY 12 --- I can see the light! coming to the end of the tunnel DAY 12 --- my nephew jon, age 16 - typical teenage shot, ipod in the ears, piercings, crazy hair (which I really liked actually!) DAY 12 --- 2 generations - nephew jon driving the boat and brother-in-law andy - I LOVE this photo, it's cool! DAY 12 --- sisters :) melanie and I on the (very overgrown) towpath where we stopped for a walk around. DAY 12 --- oops, guess their boat trip didn't go as well as ours! DAY 12 --- at one of the locks - we actually didn't eat there, but the sign was so colourful (typical narrow boat/canal colours) DAY 12 --- at the end of another day - dinner at a pub. nice photo of all 6 kids (although jon's eyes are half closed) DAY 13 --- the kids are finally getting into the lock stuff albeit a bit reluctantly at first. DAY 13 --- the 2 melanie's (who even share the same birthday!) - without a doubt my favourite melanies in the world! DAY 13 --- jon, kenzie put some muscle into opening (or closing not sure) the lock gate. james supervises! DAY 13 --- more lock work, kenzie and james working hard... with matt's help?? not sure if matt is helping them or making it harder for them by just sitting there. DAY 13 --- a lot of these locks are OLD - this one was originally built in 1874, with part of it being repaired/updated in 1991 DAY 13 --- hilarious photo of james and matt walking alongside the boat on the towpath from one lock to the next - their expressions crack me up! DAY 13 --- at the top lock (of 6) on our way back. DAY 13 --- mel holding onto the boat but still managing to look gorgeous and glamorous. DAY 13 --- mel, jon and matt walking along the towpath to the next lock. DAY 13 --- mel and kenzie work the lock while andy sits and rest for a change. DAY 13 --- captain nils at the helm (he loved it, the others had to wrestle him off the controls to get a turn! yes our boat was called the pied wagtail DAY 13 --- andy giving a 'this is how the lock operates' lesson to mel, kenzie and james. melanie doesn't look like she is listening! DAY 13 --- andy holding onto the boat.