Sitch family reunion - Folkestone
After braving the castles and beaches of North Wales, the ten of us (Ben, Allison, Florence, Rosie, and Eddie, plus Sara and me, Charlie, Miles, and Harriet) travelled to the very south east of England to stay with my cousins Jess and Zoe in Folkestone. My dad had already arrived and was staying with Zoe. My other brother Joe, his wife Sarah, and their kids Ethan and Hannah joined us a day later. Luckily we could all pack into Jess' place!
Colwyn Bay -> Folkestone
(John) Gibbers helped drive us to the early train. No seats in the back.
We had reserved seats on a train direct to London. Too bad it stopped at the very next station and the driver announced "the train is broken, please get off". There were enough London-bound people that the next train that came along was hijacked to go there instead! We managed to find seats for everyone and made it with only a little extra stress.
We made the kids leave their phones at home, but they somehow smuggled several Nintendo Switch handhelds and various iPads and tablets into their bags.
I had no part in the smuggling. ps. GET WRECKED BEN!!
Jess made a welcome banner from old Christmas cards.
Jess and Adam's place is magical, a dining room for 20, big backyard with a badminton net, and rooms for everyone.
We walked down to the rocky beach and went for a swim. Cold!
I may or may not have attempted to swim out to a far-away buoy and I may or may not have been caught by a ferocious rip tide and I may or may not have been swept down the beach, but everything was fine even if everyone else was extra dramatic about me being lost at sea.
Welcoming Joe and Sarah and kids
Joe and Sarah ("H") and Ethan and Hannah arrived! The badminton started in earnest.
Everyone together again! Happy times.
We had a talent show. These girls are talented.
Meals were now serious logistical events.
More beaches!
We did more beaching.
Harry Potter
Joe bought us all tickets to the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour! It was absolutely amazing and I can't share everything because there's just sooo much. Here are some of the highlights.
We decamped for one night to Watford, passing by Platform 9 3/4 at the King's Cross train station.
All three Sitch families are a lot of people - 15 with GrandJohn! Getting on and off trains means someone blocks the door and parents anxiously count the number of kids.
I don't know who was more excited, the kids or me.
The scale of this dragon is wild - it's HUGE!
Turns out Joe is a Wursley for sure.
Because it was Miles' birthday (yes yes sure it was) he helped open the doors to Hogwarts and led us all into the Great Hall.
From there we explored various smaller sets, including the Gryffindor common room, Snape's potions lab, Dumbledore's study, and others.
Harriet met Buckbeak the hippogriff (who gently bows!), Charlie had butterbeer, we saw the letters flying around (Jess was the face and voice of the "you're expelled" letter), and lots lots more.
Gringotts Wizarding Bank was my fav. The details about how they made the goblin silicone masks, nose and finger extensions, and the dragon escape was incredible.
It was amazing. Kudos to Joe for arranging everything. Definitely a highlight of the trip.
London and My Neighbour Totoro
We stayed in Watford and spent the next day in London.
Here's Rosie and Harriet posing with the only garbage can in all of London. I understand the bomb angle, but what about the garbage angle?
Jess got us tickets to Studio Ghibli's My Neighbour Totoro at the Gillian Lynne Theatre. It was a wonderful show!!
Long day. We caught one of the last trains back to Folkestone.
Fashionistas
We visited Zoe's clothing design studio: Tallulah & Hope
The girls put on a small fashion show.
The kids all picked out fabric and worked on a project! The girls made tops, Charlie made a satchel! Zoe and Freda broke out the sewing machine and made it all happen.
Canterbury
I had to catch up on some work. Everyone else went to Canterbury and had an amazing time.
Goodbye dinner
Just like that the week was over. We had a nice dinner out at the pub.
