A Trip To Hogwarts - Part 2

You already know by now that my visit to the Harry Potter Studio Tour was the best day of my life (near-enough), so much so, in fact, that I needed to split it into two posts! 

Having visited the Weasley's kitchen and the Ministry of Magic we found ourselves in Malfoy Manner and face to face with Voldemort himself. Pretty scary stuff, but not as scary as Professor Umbridge's pink office! Even for me, the pink hue was rather shocking. 

We moved onto the large outdoor set installations after a quick pit stop for some Butterbeer. I had been very excited to try this delicacy and had high expectations. AN was not a fan but I loved it, although we both agreed that it was not how we imagined it. With Butterbeer moustaches we headed to where is all began; Private Drive. 

AN couldn't resist a quick trip on the Knight bus, complete with snow cascading down, putting the final touches to an already perfect moment. 

Around the next turn we can face to face with some pretty scary creatures, and some not so scary. It really is amazing how much imagination and creativity goes into making a fantasy a reality, which has become completely realistic in the minds of so many. 

Without a doubt, the highlight of my visit was our walk along Diagon Alley. We popped in to get our robes, our wands and stack of school books before checking our account at Gringotts. AN was completely absorbed choosing his Quiddich supplies and checking out the new Nimbus 2000, typical boy! 

The final room, however, was possibly the most enchanting and was filled with scale models of the Hogwarts castle, each bigger than the next. I knew I would be impressed but the detail, scale and believability of the models was truly outstanding. It was the prefect way to finish our tour, leaving us completely enchanted by the magical world of Potter once again. 

HP even manage to find its way into my stocking, meaning that I spend Christmas day in the most glorious way possible; snuggled up on the sofa with some Bertie Bott's and a great read. 

To quote JK Rowling - "All was well" 

Mood - planning my next visit! 

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Birthday, boarding and beaches

I love a good birthday bash, even more so when it involves skiing, beachy walks and a giant brownie cake. Last weekend AN and I packed up the car and headed off to Suffolk for an early birthday weekend. One day we will actually get to spend our actual birthday with each other, but until that day I am more than happy to extend birthdays to fill multiple weekends. And the sun was even shining! 

After a lovely long lie-in and a delicious brunch of healthy (yes, healthy) pancakes, thanks to MN, we headed out to les Alpes d'Ipswich for a spot of dry slop skiing. 

We had such a great time whizzing over bumps and trying not to crash. I found it so much harder to ski on a dry slope, which made the whole experience even funnier. 

After an afternoon's skiing we headed out for dinner at the East Coast Diner in Woodbridge and may have over-estimated our eating abilities. After giant Oreo milkshakes, a plate stacked high with cheesy nachos and huge burgers with a mountain of fries, we found ourselves too defeated to look at the dessert menu. I also failed to take pictures the whole weekend, so I am very grateful to MN for letting me pinch hers. She also happens to be a much better photographer than me....

Having skied on the Saturday, we felt like a complete change of scenery and headed to Aldeburgh beach for a sunny but windy walk along the sea. Mabel loved splashing around in the surf and was just having THE best time. 

We rounded the weekend off with a giant birthday cake and candles, made by Mama Nicholson and plenty of smiles! 

I'm pretty sure these faces indicate that AN had a pretty good (early) birthday. 

Mood - Celebratory 

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Gaza Company Charity Dinner Night 2015

My feelings towards the army tend to fluctuate at the best of times as my life is filled with dealing with the stresses of being an army girlfriend. Each day presents highs and lows as we celebrate exciting times and put a brave face on when we receive bad news. I am aware that I am still very new to this world and have only just scratched the surface of what this life brings with it. 

However, last weekend was full of positives and we were all able to let our hair down and enjoy a night of well-deserved merriment. The cadets scrubbed up remarkably well, despite a few bruises here and there, and the ladies all looked lovely in their dresses. 

I have to admit that I was dubious about the 'From Russia With Love' theme, but as soon as we entered the venue and were greeted by a giant reared bear I knew the night was not going to disappoint. The boys did a fantastic job decorating the rooms, hanging huge banners and colourful flags to really create a Russian feel. 

We started with Moscow Mules before entering the dining hall to be served with vodka shots from ice glasses. Russian folk music filled the air as we sat down for a dinner of pork knuckle pate, roast lamb and sticky toffee pudding. Wine was flowing and champagne corks were popping as everyone chatted happily in their furs and Russian hats. 

AN and I did our best Russian Oligarch impression! 

The dinner was followed by an exciting auction where Cadets outbid each other, vying for the chance to have a colour Sergeant clean their muddy boots. The money raised for charity was staggering, making an evening of fun and silliness well worth it to support such worthy causes. 

Russian cossack dancers too to the floor, parading their strength, flipping and jumping and challenging the testosterone-filled, boozed-up members amongst us to flaunt their moves on the dance floor. 

The party really started moving as the champagne started to take over. The vodka luge was fully operational and we all had a wonderful time taking silly snaps in the photo-booth. 

The rest of the night and most of the next morning I am ashamed to say were mostly a blur, but I can be sure that I had a wonderful time with my beautiful cousin, my handsome Cadet and his wonderful friends. 

Extra credit to MN for remembering to take photos and for letting me borrow her pics. I take no credit!

Mood - ready for the next party! 

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