We will meet again

Or "From Robbie with Love"

So the weekend just gone I had my final trip up to Runcorn. The weekend was spent doing very little and saying long good byes to me family.

As always it was nice to see all my family. I don't get to see them often, once every few months, but that number will fall dramatically once I am in Spain.


My mum tried to make things better for me and the missus by getting an inflatable double bed. Previous visits to my mums I had always slept on a tiny - smaller then a single - camp bed that got put together in about 2 minutes. My mum being my mum wanted to upgrade me to a double bed. Unfortunately all didn't go to plan.
I've slept on the wooden floor of a tiny hut with rat noises just a meter from my head, but I still managed to sleep. (Although this might be because I was cold, soaked and tired after a grueling 10 hour walk.)
I'd of happily slept on that floor rather then on this inflatable bed. It was really uncomfortable and kept me up. In the middle of the night I had to go kick my neice out of her bedroom and set up the tiny camp bed again.
I found it hard to say bye to my mum. My nan passed away at the begining of the year and I still find it hard to talk about and I know she doesnt think I am abandoning her, but I don't like being so far away from her so soon after my nan passed away.
But saying that my mum can't wait for me to leave as she knows that her holiday visit will be much closer. It will be good to see her in Spain.


Megan like always was made me smile. She certainly does enjoy being the centre of attention and I will miss seeing her grow up. Like many children she is always asking questions and took it upon herself to take some photos with the camera, so here is her mini photostream. It makes me laugh the view point in some of these photos being about 3 foot off the floor,

Good work Megz!

I was happy to see my sister doing much better. Last time I seen her she had just been released from hospital having had her second baby, Dylan, and of course didn't look too healthy. But now she is up and about and helping out my mum with keeping the house clean when having two kids about. She even ahs time to help Megan cook some cake (see above photo of Megan for proof)
She also had a bit of a surprise. She asked if me and the missus would like to be Godparents to Dylan. Something which I'd love to do but it all depends on when we will be next visiting the UK and arranging Christening then.
But Dylan certainly has grown since my first visit to see him, I'll also miss seeing him growing up and making a pain of hisself, with much help from his big sister.


Finally saying goodbye to my dad. It was always going to be hard saying goodbye to him. I always, whenever visiting my hometown, try to split time between my parents 50/50. He certainly doesn't get to see as much of my sister and his grandchildren as I would like hime to see. Sometimes I've even had to take Megan over to see my dad because my sister won't go. There is no reason given, just that she can't be bothered, although she has tried to put more effort in in the last few years, but still not as much as I would like.
One of my favourite things about going to Runcorn (and possibly the missus least favourite) was always going to the 'Old Mans' pub to have a few pints with me dad and watch some football. It's been a ritual that I have done for many years and when in Runcorn it was a weekly thing. But these times will be much harder to come by now.

My dad took the saying goodbye much harder then I had expected. It caught me off guard. It's hard to make promises to say I will visit as often as I can, as that will be very little. But I certainyl will make sure to spend as much time in Runcorn as I do in London on any future visits to the UK. But I'm trying to get him to renew his passport sooner rather then later.

So it feels really weird saying goodbye to my family. I've spent the last 2 or 3 years living quite far away from my hometown, so visits in that time have always been quite spaced out, but they will be even more spaced out now.

Obviously this isn't the last I'll see of them, but I'll miss alot of growing up and some long standing rituals.

But then there is always Skype to the rescue. Which I have gotten all family members (and the missus too) to sign up with and have gotten them all to purchase webcams.

Again, like previously, here is a slideshow of all my weekends photos. Muchos el ninos photos alert!


But I certainly havent been put off moving. I still can't wait

Next weekend, the Friend Farewell.