A Very British Trip Report - Oct 2006 - Day 1

Kevin Stringer

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DAY 1 – 17TH OCTOBER 2006

Whos’ going:

Me, Kev – Husband, father, friend and all round good egg.
Wife, Tam – she hates to be called ‘the wife’ so I left the ‘the’ off. Make sense?
India, nearly 16, eldest daughter.
Georgia, nearly 13, youngest daughter.
Deb & Matt – good friends
Susan – another good friend, joining us for part 2 of the holiday.

Woohoo! The start of another holiday!
Tam must be excited as she is up at 5.30am. I manage to stay in bed until the normal rising time of 7.15am. It’s off for a normal day at work, at least until 3.15pm when we leave early to get home and throw the suitcases in the car. This is easier said than done and there are a good few muttered swear words as I try to fit 3 very bulging suitcases into 1 small car alongside the 4 occupants. With this conundrum solved we are on the road at 4.10pm and on the way to Gatwick.

The journey is pretty uneventful apart from the usual nose to tail traffic on the M25. Georgia is particularly incensed by a driver of a 4x4 texting on his phone while he drives. A career in the police force lies ahead for the girl I believe.

Around 6.45pm we pull into the Summer Special car park at Gatwick, which is costing a very reasonable £60 for 18 days. Mind you, I would like to have sat in on the meeting where they decided what to name this particular facility. I suspect some illegal substances may have been involved or at least copious amounts of alcohol.
‘What shall we call this place where you can park your car during any season of the year?’
‘Let’s call it Summer Special Parking’.
‘Righteous, dude’.

Car parked, cases in the bus and we are off to the Sofitel to meet up with Deb and Matt who left an hour before us and are now on their second drink at the bar.
Straight into the brasserie style restaurant as we are all starving and some of us (i.e. me) are more than a little thirsty. We’ve eaten here a few times before and the food is reasonable if a little pricey. Matt spends a considerable time before plumping for the burger. Sorry – Aberdeen Angus Beef Pattie. Give it up Matt, we all knew it was a done deal as soon as you saw the menu. If it contains cow, Matt is eating it.

We are all excited about the holiday and Georgia is doubly excited, as it is her 13th birthday tomorrow.
After the meal we retire to India and Georgia’s room (they have there own room this trip as the Sofitel couldn’t find us a family room) as we have learned our lesson from previous trips regarding the exceptionally high prices in the bar and have brought beer and wine to sustain us for the evening. It’s class all the way when you’re on holiday with the Stringers and Churchills.

Things are going exceedingly well as discussion takes place regarding the forthcoming holiday. It all starts to go wrong when Matt spills a few drops of wine on his shirt, but Tam comes to the rescue with a magic tube of stain remover. Back to the conversation and happy thoughts until Deb (who is lying on Georgia’s bed) spills a larger quantity of red wine over the bed and her blouse. Out comes the magic tube and the dabbing goes into overdrive. This is all well and good until Deb discovers that she has spent 5 minutes trying to remove a mole! (Of the skin blemish type, not the burrowing furry animal).
Not to be outdone Tam manages to deposit half a glass of wine onto her skirt. The magic tube appears again (the poor little beggar must be on overtime by now) but attempts at stain removal are thwarted when it is discovered that Deb has broken the end off the tube. Sometimes I wonder just what the heck I am doing with this group of reprobates. Our only defence is that alcohol had been consumed. To give credit to India and Georgia they are the ones looking at the adults and wondering if the ages have somehow miraculously been reversed during the evening. They have a point.

I also learned a new language today. I think it’s called ‘teenager’. India was removing her makeup and accidentally put some of the lotion in her eye, at which point she exclaimed ‘My lord, that canes like a badger’. I believe a rough translation to be ‘I say, that stings somewhat’.

Around 11.00pm there is very little wine left, most of it having been deposited on clothing and bed linen, so Deb and Matt leave for their room.
A most satisfactory, if somewhat juvenile, start to what promises to be an amazing holiday.

Kev
 
Hey Kev: So far have enjoyed your trippie...you are very humorous in your writing. :teeth:

ONE QUESTION: WHERE ARE YOU ALL GOING? :confused3

And I am awaiting MORE....!!!! :goodvibes
 
momrek06 said:
Hey Kev: So far have enjoyed your trippie...you are very humorous in your writing. :teeth:

ONE QUESTION: WHERE ARE YOU ALL GOING? :confused3

And I am awaiting MORE....!!!! :goodvibes

Patience Mom, patience. We'll get there in the end. :thumbsup2

Actually there are 9 nights in a villa at Reunion followed by 7 nights at the Boardwalk to come.

Kev
 

Kevin Stringer said:
Patience Mom, patience. We'll get there in the end. :thumbsup2

Actually there are 9 nights in a villa at Reunion followed by 7 nights at the Boardwalk to come.

Kev


OKAY, Kev....I will wait....but its killin' me!!! :lmao:
 
I am learning words from you already......canes and badger??? and I know a few more of those .......thanks for the beginning of your report.... :rotfl2:
 
Great trip report so far. I can't wait to read more. I am the biggest Anglophile & will enjoy reading a trip report with a British "twist".

Lisa
 
Kevin Stringer said:
Around 11.00pm there is very little wine left, most of it having been deposited on clothing and bed linen, so Deb and Matt leave for their room.
A most satisfactory, if somewhat juvenile, start to what promises to be an amazing holiday.

Kev

I say you must really give some serious thought to bringing sippy cups with you next time. :rotfl2:

Great start! Can't wait to see what mishaps befall you next.
 
DJR said:
I say you must really give some serious thought to bringing sippy cups with you next time. :rotfl2:

Hmmm..... sippy cups... now there's an idea! Do they do them in pint sizes? ;)

Kev
 
Wow, I can't believe your girls are so old now! I feel like I've watched them grow up or something!
 
Love your reports.. keep em coming...

Cant wait to hear more!
 
I've been to that Sofitel a few times myself. Even before it was a Sofitel, anyway, I digress.

1 - I love those laundry pens. Nearly as good an invention as sticky notes.
2 - The text-er - - Chelsea Tractor? Or a cheap SUV?
3 - Going to look for the next report NOW!
 
DJR said:
I say you must really give some serious thought to bringing sippy cups with you next time. :rotfl2:
I can't believe we haven't thought of that! Such an obvious solution. :teeth: Add one of those plastic bibs with an upturned bottom edge, and we're sorted!

Btw, Kev, in the interests of posterity, I want a copy of the unabridged version (i.e. pre-Tam editing).
 
Wow, both your dd's are now teenagers, welcome to the teen-age years.
 
Kevin Stringer said:
Hmmm..... sippy cups... now there's an idea! Do they do them in pint sizes? ;)

Kev

Between sippy cups and nappies you would never have to leave the bar.
 
Great start so far! I can't wait to read more. I've heard all about your world famous TR's so I'm looking forward to the rest of this one!

But...canes like a badger?? That's interesting. Now, I'm no expert on British lingo but that's a new one! :rotfl: I'll have to remember that one :)
 
Came across your report(s) this morning and I have to say that they offered the first laughs of the day! Looking forward to the rest! :rotfl:
 
There's an unabridged version! :woohoo:

Bring it on man! Oh and ditto to what a previous poster said about watching your kids growing up....Please tell me they are not that old....

Off to find Day 2
 












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