Action packed last day for Lottie.

Would you like to help me make another Lego model before you leave today Lottie? I ask Lottie.

Sure that would be great fun!  Lottie replies.

Look we have a Christmas tree to make.

Goodness, three packets!  

We start making it.  I make the base while Lottie starts on the tree.

We have to concentrate hard. 

How's it going?  I ask Lottie.

Great!  She replies.

Look how much I have done already.  Lottie shows me.

We make good progress and before long...

Lottie has the Christmas tree made.

She puts it on my base and I add the star on top.

Lottie makes a little bear and I make a present to go under the tree.

Isn't this simply the best tree?  Lottie asks.

It sure is!  I agree.

A little later we wander out into the garden.

Look there is that fox!  I whisper to Lottie.  See if you can scare it with you catapult as it has been screaming out our elderly dog Pirate in the evenings and if it saw our little Chihuahua, Percy, it could hurt him.

Lottie takes careful aim...

The fox looks at her, noticing us all of a sudden.

The fox is very bold and has been coming into our garden daily.

We think it is because the house next door has been vacant for well over a year now.

Great stuff Lottie!  You have scared him away.  I tell her with a cheer.

The fox runs off.

Let's hope that keeps that dastardly fox away from our dogs and garden.  I say to Lottie.

Hooray!  Lottie cheers.  I bet Mum will be surprised at my improved skills!

We come back inside where it is warmer.  Discussing the great shot Lottie made.

Sadly she has to go home today so I will have to help her pack now.

Lottie got a couple of souvenirs from the RAF museum.  A book and a pin.  I also got one to add to my increasing collection!

Mum made her Mum a special coaster as a reminder her of the holiday we had together.

Hey don't forget your dress Lottie!  I remind her.

I sneak in a couple of little extra gifts for her as well to discover when she gets home.

Oh and Lottie also watched Marcia open the Advent Calendar today which can be found here.

Lottie and I start to decorate the Christmas Tree.

Lottie helped me start to decorate the Christmas tree.  She is going home on Tuesday so I thought it would be nice if we had a chance to do a little bit of the Christmas decorations together.  

We have a little pile of decorations to put on the tree...but we can't find the lights!  Will have to see if Dad can go up into the loft tomorrow and try to find them for us.  Hopefully he will get the nativity scene down as well. 

I've just put up a little Christmas tree on the Christmas tree!  Tee hee...you can hardly see it though...

Lottie has hung a little clock and bird so far...

I've also put up a moon shaped Father Christmas.  She informs me.

It is looking good... I hope we can find the rest of the decorations and the lights!

Advent Day One

There is much excitement in our house today as it is the first day of Advent.

Charlotte and Susan ask Lottie if she would like to open the first door of the calendar.

Lottie is very excited and delighted to be asked.

They look for the door - it is easy to spot as it is the biggest door!

Lottie bends down to open the door and is very excited as are the other three eagerly standing by.

Wow!  Just look at this great big bag.  She gasps.

Lottie sits down to open it and starts to assemble the pieces.

It is a cute tree with a couple of squirrels.

Lottie places one of the squirrels carefully on the branch.

Oops, I've dropped the other little squirrel!

Sorry little squirrel,there you go...gently does it.

They stand back and admire the little scene.

Later on they wander off to work out who is going to open the next 23 windows!

RAF Museum Hendon London - Part Two

Continuing our journey around the RAF Museum we enjoy many more wondrous things to look at and amaze us.

We look at the old vehicle which looks like it is towing the hull of the front of a plane.

We look at the Halifax W1048 which was recovered from teh bottom of a lake in 1973 having crashed in Norway on 27th April 1942 when on a raid on the German battleship Tirptiz which lay anchored at Faettenfjord in Norway.  The bomber got hit by flak during the raid and the pilot, Canadian Don MacIntyre had to crash land the plane on a frozen lake.    All the crew survived and all but one (who had broken his ankle) managed to escape to neutral Sweden.

We got to look inside some of the planes which was amazing.

We tried to say hello to this pilot, but he didn't seem interested...he obviously had his mind set on his mission.

We discuss which planes we would have flown if we had been pilots during the war.

A group of pilots discussing their next missions.

A display of model aircraft.

Hey guys, what are you doing? 

Seems they were too busy to notice us...yet again.

We try again...

But they still didn't hear us...strange!

This guy was hopping aboard...he had a pretty cool jacket on.

One of the ammunitions factories was bombed.

We join the soldier on the The Long March Memorial Statue which commemorates the allied prisoners of war who were force marched out of their prisoner of war camps ahead of advancing allied armies towards the end of the second world war.

We look at all the 'candles' in a target indicator bomb and try counting them.

Apparently there are up to 200 candles in these bombs.

This man looks busy with his dog...perhaps sniffing out the bombs?

Some more great artwork on the planes.

Pilots stranded at sea....I hope we get rescued!

Ejection seat!  Wait for it!

Had to take a photo of this of course...

Kittyhawk....nice kitty...looks more like jaws!

We try out the inside of a plane for size.

Seems we have a bit of growing to do first!

I wonder what this lever does?

What do you think Lottie?

The Lightening which was the RAF's first supersonic aircraft.

Amazing to think how long this aircraft was in service for.

I help clear some of the rubble...Lottie is just about to join me when we get told off!

I'm only trying to help I tell the man who tells us we are not allowed 'over the yellow lines'....oops, sorry!

We chat to the lady about what it was like in a bomb shelter, while her husband tends to the garden.

She said it was often very cramped and scary, but not too bad if they took something to do or play.

These officers had a very tidy desk...not at all like my Dad's!

Manning the pumps.

Life goes on amongst the devastation as a lady hangs out her washing.

These children are being evacuated.  It must have been very scary to have to be sent away from your parents when so young.

This Mum is telling her two children to stick together and make sure they don't lose their belongings and name label.  She explains how someone will be there when they arrive and offer them somewhere to live.

Lastly a sober wreck which reminds of the risks those young men faced on a daily basis during the war.