Blog

We arrived back in England on the 25th of October. We stayed with Judy and then moved in to Pete and Haley’s house at Chinley before going up to Glasgow to see Kate. We went to see my parents in Lincoln and then went to London to stay with AL and then to Sarah and family. Then back to Lincoln for Lynne to have an appointment with a consultant regarding her Achilles tendon. We then headed to Chesterfield to see Rick and Clare for the evening. Chinley was our next stop to pack and then we stayed a last night in Glossop before heading for the airport. A busy few days!

Photographs

Kate at the Botanic Gardens Glasgow

We travelled up stopping at Northern Diver, Dry suit service near Wigan and Keswick to look for some summer clothes for NZ. The next day I bought a new camera system and two pairs of crocs. When it stopped raining we visited the Botanic Gardens they were most impressive.

First photographs with my new camera and wide angle lens

stargazer

While I was guiding in Gozo I could not take photographs these are a few photographs Claudia took when she was diving with me.

See photographs

Staff training a night dive!

It has been a very busy few weeks. I now guide people on a daily basis and had a fantastic week with a group from Nottingham University. We did ten dives together and I spent time with them on some evenings, a special week.

Photographs

This took place in Victoria the same town as the St George’s festival. This one had a more agricultural feel to it. Lynnne went in the day time and took some photographs.

They had trouble getting this bullock into the trailer though biting its tail appeared to work.

Lynne’s photographs

Lena and Kate catch the ferry back to Malta after a week with us at Marsalforn.

The Photographs

As it was the second year in Gozo we did not take so many photographs. I have made an album of some interesting ones here.

Photographs

A week long festival culminating in the parading of the statue of St George that is kept inside the church in the central square of Victoria. They laid on extra buses and there were thousands of people waiting for the appearance of St George’s statue. Every balcony was full of well dressed people armed with a variety of types of confetti. Throughout the week there had been explosions throughout the day Fireworks of the noisy kind! The event started at 6:30 with a band and singing and when we caught the bus at 9:00pm the statue was still being paraded around the streets.

The photographs

The boat used for Brian’s Birthday party

The boat came to collect us all from the Harbour in Marsalforn at 6:00pm. We went around the island and moored in the blue lagoon. Everyone went swimming including Stephania’s dog who was less happy than she was about the idea. Large quantities of Rose were drunk after swimming and we all enjoyed a BBQ of tuna, prawns or chicken. Some of us went for a short walk on Comino and went back to the boat. Martin and Lola forgot the getting back to the boat and we left without them. We did look for them for 15min or so. A great evening and a first for me as I have never been invited to a boat party before.

I had lost my voice by the time we got back – throat infection

The photographs

Thinking about swimming?

My parents arrived from Malta on Monday and stayed until Saturday morning. We packed a lot in a few days visiting churches, the citadel, beaches and eating out. I think for an active visit to Gozo a week is just right. The water is now warm for swimming and the school holidays have started for the Gozitins. I thank my parents for the cold/cough they brought with them and I am now enjoying!

Some photographs

We caught the bus into Victoria and watched the fireworks. All the young people were going into town, it was Friday night, and they were dressed in their finery. What impressed me was their politeness. They all thanked the bus driver as they got off the bus.

Sun rise as seen from our balcony this morning as we got up early, 5:30, to take Rick and Clare to the airport.

We enjoyed their visit. The highlights for me were the swim to look at the cliffs, Rick’s try dive, the Pizza watching the sunset, the sunset close to the Azure window before the barbecue and Clare’s diamond Jubilee pack.

A stormy week gave Lynne the opportunity to paint a seascape

Lynne’s recent pictures can be found here

After diving all week we again went snorkelling on my day off – photographs

The direct way of entering the Hondoq dive site – there was a ladder but it would not be as much fun!

the result of my mapping exercise of the middle finger dive site

My diving log is here (more…)