This is just the two of us, rather than the wider family - but it still counts! On Good Friday, as we had a day off school, we decided to do something different.  We booked ourselves into i-fly, an indoor wind-tunnel that mimics sky-diving. The Singapore centre apparently has the largest such wind-tunnel in the world!  The website for further information is http://www.iflysingapore.com.

We had lots of fun, although the time 'in the air' is very short.  The three flights each have been woven into the short video below.  Enjoy!

Shanhong's mum and dad came to visit us in the UK for the summer, so we had a few trips to different places - you can read more in the UK 2010 reports elsewhere on this site. However, one of the daytrips was to Ironbridge, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution where the world’s first iron bridge was erected in 1779. Very close to the Bridge is the Victorian Village which is a replica of what life was like in Victorian times. Shanhong's mum and dad were fascinated by all the Victorian machinery, as they had had similar experiences in their own industrial past in China! Enjoy the pics :-)

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We had a great summer in the UK, meeting a niece and seeing the family. The main purpose of the trip was simply to spend some time with mum, particularly as she had unfortunately moved into a nursing home. She did love her days out, and so, given the season, we went to one of the rose gardens nearby.

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As you can see, it's a beautiful place when the flowers are in bloom. It was an indication of mum's dementia however, that having spent a good few hours there, when we returned two days later, mum was convinced she had never been before. Little were we to know these would be our last photos with mum as she passed away just a few weeks afterwards.

Another daytrip saw us crossing over the border into the Johor Bahru area of Malaysia, literally just across the straits.
Johor is being fast developed with malls and theme parks, and even international schools - where everything is cheaper than Singapore - and hence attractive to Singaporeans! We took the bus over, and spent a day at Legoland, Malaysia. 

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Ever looking for new experiences, both for Shanhong's mum and dad - and their 'taste of England' but also for Shanhong, we rented a narrowboat for three nights and headed off down the canals! It was quite an experience to get through all the locks - but all worked well, and I, for one, had fun (I'm not sure about the others!).

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Castle Howard is a classic stately home, surrounded by formal gardens. The home has iconic architecture and beautiful interiors, with the gardens including lakes, follies, temples and statues. On a nice sunny day, what could be more splendid (and more 'British') to show Shanhong's parents?

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Another day out with Shanhong's mum and dad was to Dudley Castle and Zoo. The castle sits on top of a hill, and the zoo is the bit from the bottom of the hill to the castle! This was a place my mum took me to as a child, and I have fond memories of this as one of the most open and 'friendly' zoos I know. I still like it! It was such a glorious, sunny day too, most unlike England.

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A day in Ironbridge today, visiting the bridge itself, the world's first bridge made of iron, made in 1780. Of course, we also went into the Blist HIll Victorian Town - it's simply a great place! What made it even more special for Shanhong's parents, is they recognised much of the machinery as being pieces they had worked on in their youth in China! It's a small world.

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Obviously we could not have Shanhong's mum and dad in the UK and not go to London - so off we went!  Many pics taken from many places (don't forget there are more details in the reports section rather than this blog), but here are a few as tasters.

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Of course we had to pop into Shrewsbury - this was my main childhood home - the place I completed high school and got my first job (washing dishes in a posh restaurant - before moving on to McDonalds). It's quite an attractive town with a large central park, lots of church spires and towers, and plenty of 'black and white' buildings.

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Having enjoyed our day out in Stratford, it was time for another day out. It was only at this point I realised that although I had taken Shanhong all the way up to Scotland, we had never crossed the much nearer border into Wales! So, knowing Shanhong loves castles, it was off to Welshpool for the day!

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York is a cathedral city in the north of England, containing many historic buildings such as the minster, castle, and town walls. York was founded by the romans under the name of Eboracum in 71AD and has been important as a trading centre and an ecclesiastical centre. Quieter than some of the other cities of England, it was a nice place to take Shanhong's parents.

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After Christmas, Shanhong had a friend come to stay - and so, together with Maw, we were out exploring. On the 27th we went to Warwick Castle, one of the finest castles in the UK and now beautifully restored and fitted with Mdm Taussaurd's waxworks.

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We took Maw to West Midlands Safari Park, fed some giraffes and enjoyed a great day out.It really is a great place for all ages - we;ve taken nephews and nieces, and have taken mum, but we even like to go alone! Don't forget, clicking on any pic opens the full gallery.

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