Jonesberries

As we are getting ready to leave John and Sues farm we look back on the unexpected, amazing times of the last week. We had use of an amazing barn the whole week. FULL of sofas and overstuffed chairs. an oven and lots of dishes for lots of people.

Some of the young ladies that came to this nite said it was the best nite EVER for them

Food, food and food. That is what happens when everyone contributes to a feast.

John and Sue provided fresh fruit and ice cream. mmmmmm. the kids were at the front of the line.

Got some great photos of Greg. But not one of them with hands that were not moving around adding emphasis to really exciting things.

Beautiful Tamsin. Our long time friend. Wow has it really been 9 years since our families first met.

Sue and Ian. New friends.

Lots of room in the barn for playing organizing games.

Lots of floorspace to get a whole team working on paperwork. Look at our bookeeping team at work. Abi working on an XL document, TJ setting up the scanner and Hannah converting Euros, GBP and CZK into USD.

I am not sure what actually happened here. I think the group of Jones and Carters kids drew the story of their friendship on Liz’s arms.

and hand.

Andrew had some brief moments off the computer to just sit around and look Cool.

And sometimes….. uuuuh….. not quite so cool. He is making an attempt to look like a rapper here.

The Carter family turned up last night at the farm. Great for the kids to get together again.

kids at the farm

Our friend Peter took us for a Sunday drive in his 1963 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow III. Wicked cool car. Very retro.

Peter has had this car for over 20 years but is about to sell it.

Of course we had to dress up for the occasion.

The guys put on some hats but they still didn’t look as classy as I did.

We drove a few miles and Peter gave us a historical tour of the area. Then back to the farm. Great ride. Great memory. Thanks Peter!!!

Sam and Donald came back, left for Edinburgh and came back again. They have just spent 24 days walking 500 km across the top of Spain on the “Camino de Santiago”. They have promised to put up some photos here of their adventures. Here they are in the barn in Petworth. Andrew is very happy. There is now a strong male contingent to make a definate stance away from the predominantly female element on important decisions of music, movies and activities.

Yes, grandparents, all of you, we hear you. His hair is rather long. Sam and Donald and some of their friends from Orkney are involved in a challenge. If you cut your hair before the others you must fork out the astronomical sum of 10 pounds. If you are the last to cut your hair you stand to gain the mind boggling amount of 100 pounds.

Nice view hey.

Did a good Saturday morning clean this morning and thought she looked so pretty I would take some photos of her.

We decided to hang out in Britain for a while.

Andy and T let us stay at their place and made us “Andy’s Puddle Pudding” and showed us how to make it.

We found a great campground outside of Walton on the Thames. It is a membership only site for the “Camping and Caravanning Club”. Good thing we are members. We payed only GBP 12 a nite for the whole family. Plus a couple of extra pounds for electricity. They have electricity, WIFI, re-creation room, water and disposal of unwanted things. No toilets, no showers. Sam says, “now this place has its priorities straight.

The girls brought my camera out one evening to get pictures of a huge flock of parrots that came to visit the campground every night in the hundreds.

The girls took the opportunity to take lots of silly pictures of themselves.

more silly pictures.

now they are animals

They remembered why they went out with the camera and took a few last photos as they took off for the night.

We just finished our 3rd festival of the summer. Greenbelt. We celebrated Abi’s birthday with lots of bubbles. Perfect for Abi. We just happened to have a polish bubble inventor with us (I am serious) Patricia (the bubologist) can be seen in the first picture on the right, with the pixie hat, and behind Abi’s bubble with the black trousers in the second photo.

Does that girl ever stop playing the sax.

Andrew and Paul cooking for….

LOTS OF PEOPLE!

TJ and Finn find the best place to eat.

In Belgium on our way to Antwerp Liz practising her sax while staying at another Stellplatz (Legal, free camping)

We met the band, “the Dump Brothers”. They had their rehearsal outside our truck and taught Liz one of their songs and let her join in for the rehearsal. Way to go Lizzie after only 2 weeks of playing she is in a band.

More hanging out with the “Dump brothers” (and sister). TJ loved Charlie the baby.

Dump brothers (Oly and Saar) and friends outside their off grid house. Palo, the wild hungarian, showing Andrew how to make gulash.

We introduced smores to them.

We found some scrap wood that looked like shields so we painted them.

The pool and a low tech wave machine.

Everybody wanted a haircut just like Hannah’s haircut. Me and Paulo obliged.

Oly says they should try to look tough for the photo.

Saying goodbye before we go our separate ways.

More amazing people at Freakstock. Old and new friends.

Some New friends were “The Violet Burning“. Our paths crossed in 3 countries.

Russ, the DJ from London, teaching Abi bike maintenance.

Anika brought out some instruments at the back of the truck.

Michael from “The Violet Burning” takes video of Eric singing one of his REALLY OLD SONGS. He says his band doesnt even know that song.

Such pretty girls.

TJ and Eddie hanging with a Ladybird (ladybug).

Our first festival of the summer was the Slot festival in Poland. The Nuvi in our truck brought us an interesting route.

We arrived with a day to spare to get ready. Hannah has the hairdo ready.

Andrew has other preparations. Hmmmm. What is in the shovel…… give up….

Camp Jones is now ready at slot.

And here come the people

and more people.

and more people.

and more. You know the hardest thing for me with festivals. So many amazing people and not enough time to spend nearly enough time with each.

Some quality solo time for one of our friends.