My Last Few Days in the UK - Chapel Allerton Arts Festival (30th Aug - 2nd Sept)

Hi All,
Well Mummy tells me it's my last few days left in England - So after visiting the Great Grandparents we only had 4 days left and on Thursday Mum went AWOL and escaped back to York (via M&S to check out the sale) on her own to sort out a few things leaving me with Daddy.
Friday saw Mum packing our suitcases and wondering how it was all going to fit in and be under our weight allowance, without her having to actually wear half her clothes.

Saturday though was a great day as the weekend we were leaving was the Chapel Allerton Arts Festival and it was great. My Godmummy Lesley and Uncle Steve came over for it and so did my Grandad Steve - so we all went into Chapel Allerton to check it out - firstly we went to see my Grannie's stall she was selling Jams and Marmalades and Lesley bought 4 jars of the delicious homemade Jam & Marmalade, after nosing around the other stalls we fell upon the Beer tent and of course Mummy said it would be rude not to have a drink and so they did - all of them boozing on Chapel Allerton Ale - Mummy said it tasted mighty fine but wouldn't share any with me.

There was all sorts going on at the festival - lots of stalls in the streets, live music, Mummy bought an environmentally friendly bag so she can use it in Sydney, there was lots going on it was a great festival.

More to pictures to come of the festival and our meal out.

Love Ruby x

Time with Great Grandparents (28th Aug - 29th Aug)

Hi Fans,
Well it's getting to that time when we are soon to depart the shores of the UK for the shores of home, so my last week I spent seeing my Great Grandad and Great Nanna over in Flamborough on the Tuesday, we went out for yet another pub lunch. Mummy said she needs to get plenty in to last her, so this time we went to the Seabirds in Flamborough and it was delicious. Daddy finally got his giant Yorkshire pudding for his lunch. Mummy got a bit upset saying goodbye to my Great Nanna & Grandad because she won't see them now until March.

We stayed overnight at Nanna's that night and then Grandad & Grannie came to pick us up and take us through to Bishopthorpe to see my other Great Grannie and we had a pub lunch out in Bishopthorpe at the Woodman. Again it was a great lunch and we had a great time with Great Grannie as we went for a walk along the riverside and back through the houses to Great Grannies house, then we took a leisurely drive back to Leeds and back to Grannie & Grandad's.

And that evening Mummy & Daddy sneaked out to go to Rhiann & Michaels house for a few boozy drinks and a curry. They had a great night out with me....

Love to you all - Ruby x

The Big Family Camp Day - Sunday

Hi,
Sunday is big Family Camp Day this is the day where we have the big family BBQ and all those who are not camping or caravaning come down for the day so we get to meet even more Chaplins. So far we've met loads as a few more arrived on Friday and Saturday to camp.

I met Molly who is the oldest living Chaplin (by Marriage) and I'm the youngest, and I met Grandad's Brother John and his wife Sylvia to name but a few. Daddy played volley ball with the kids and a few of the fitter adults. Mum & I just chilled out. There was plenty to eat and the dessert table was full of lovely goodies of which Mummy said was delicious.

By evening time a lot of the day Chaplins left and the campers left too, we stayed until Monday then packed up and then headed home via Hemel Hempstead so we could go and visit Alex & Zoe as they have moved back to the UK permanently from Oz. It was lovely seeing them and Sasha the dog. We had a lovely lunch, Mummy & Zoe did lots of talking and then Zoe's sister Louise arrived with Ben, it was lovely to see them too.
Then we did the long journey back to Leeds and had pizza for dinner from Daddy's favourite Pizza shop Mamma Mia's.

Not long till we leave now to go back home.

All my love Ruby x

The Chaplin Family Camp (23rd Aug - 27th Aug)

Hello,
What a busy week, Mummy & Daddy had a very quick turnaround after arriving home Wednesday night from Barcelona, to be packed and out of the door Thursday morning for our next adventure - FAMILY CAMP in Cambridge. For those not in the know - this is the Chaplin event of the year where a lot of the Chaplin Family of all generations descend on a very pretty campsite in Cambridge over the August Bank Holiday for lots of camping and catching up.

We went down Thursday and arrived at Family Camp mid afternoon to rain, Grannie & Grandad have a caravan and were sorted out when we got there, so whilst Daddy & Grandad quickly got our tent up, Grannie took Mummy & I to met the other Chaplins who were caravaning, being Marion & David & Penny & Tony. So a cup of tea later we were all settled in.

That evening we all went out and enjoyed an excellent Chinese meal (all you can eat) I slept through it all but Mummy tells me the food was delicious. Then I had my first night camping in a tent - Mummy was a bit worried about me but I slept straight through till morning how good am I.....
Friday saw us do a quick Tesco shop for supplies to see us through and in the afternoon a visit to Primose & Alan (Alan is Grandad's Uncle) that was a nice surprise as they didn't know we were all going.

Saturday was a great day too Uncle Gary & Auntie Lisa arrived, we said hello and then went into the beautiful city of Cambridge where we met my Godmother Lesley, who had come over for the day from Peterborough to see us, and she had found us a great place to have a drink it was a bar/eatery called D'Arry's and it sold mainly D'Arenburg wines (from Australia) which excited my Mummy & Lesley no end so there we met up with Grannie, Uncle Gary and Auntie Lisa and the big people enjoyed a fabulous lunch and a few glasses of lovely wine. After this we had a look around Cambridge, some shops, markets and Kings College. Then Lesley, Mummy, Daddy & I met up with Lee & Lucy for a beer by the Canal. Lee & Lucy are friends Lesley & Steve met backpacking in Australia and who Mummy & Daddy know through them. After this we headed back to the campsite for an lovely meal and booze up all in all it was a great day.

To come the big day at Family Camp - Sunday

Love Ruby x

More Photos from Barcelona

Hi All,
Now they really are rubbing it in aren't they - more pictures from Barcelona and I didn't even go.
Well it's all about me next - Love Ruby x

Mummy & Daddy Go AWOL......(20th Aug - 22nd Aug)

Hello,
After a fab weekend, my Mummy & Daddy decide togo AWOL and go to Barcelona for 3 days without me!!!!! I mean what I have done? Mummy mentioned something about a well deserved break? I don't know. Any way I was left with Nanna & Pops for 3 days whilst my parents jetted off to Spain and from the photos it looks like they had a great time, Mummy told me the hotel they stayed was good and they both loved Barcelona, on arriving Mummy & Daddy did a bus tour (hop on hop off on) so they got to see all the sights of Barcelona and enjoyed it and it gave them a good idea of all the places they then wanted to visit the following back. Mummy tells me dinner the first night was a bit disasterous, as one restaurant they had recommended to them was closed and the next one so they finally ended up at a not so good place.

Tuesday saw a full day of sightseeing and checking out all the Gaudi architecture - they went around the Casa Mila (La Pedrera)which was totally amazing, saw the Casa Batllo, they went around the La Sagrada Familia which was just truly amazing even though it is still unfinished and they saw other works of Gaudi around the city, but they did miss out on Park Guell oh well and Tuesday night saw a far better eating establishment too, Daddy said it was a mighty fine meal - Tapas.

Wednesday was they last day so it was off for breakfast Tapas and more sightseeing down La Ramblas before departing for the journey home where I was there at the airport with Grandad Paul to greet them, accept don't tell Mummy & Daddy this I didn't miss them, had to much fun with Nanna & Pops oh and that was the day I decided to first pull myself up using the furniture....

More about me this time to come - Love Ruby xxx

Isobel & Toby's Christening (18th Aug)

Hi Fans,
Perfect timing on my Mummy's best friend Emma's part, as she organised the Christening of her Isobel & Toby, my 2 pals, the week after mine in Haxby so we were definitely up for it.

It was a lovely service in a lovely church in Haxby with lots of family and friends and afterwards we went to celebrate at Haxby Club, with lots of food, drink and Christening Cake. Toby & I being the same age we had lots of fun together. I was trying to teach him to crawl, but as I was put in a lovely dress for the occasion I was finding this difficult until Pops tucked my dress into my tights nice!!!!! but it did mean I could crawl better to show Toby what to do.

My Mummy tells me there were some very funny moments - particularly when Isobel opened up a present for her and found it was a Moneybox, so my Pops told her to go around and shake the money box at the guests to get them to put a gold coin in and she did, it was very funny, and she collected quite a bit too, but not so funny when she tried to get the money out to put in the jukebox (Mummy says like Mother like Daughter) as it then ended in tears.

It was a great day and we all fun.

See you later - Lots of Love Ruby x

Whats a Baby Got To Do But Play

Hi All,
Life as a baby it's pretty cushy, I get to play, play with other little kids, Lydia is the first toddler I have played with - she was really nice to me and shared her fab toys, although at one point she did try to pile on me as she'd learnt that in America, but her Mummy pointed out I was a little too little for that.
And being a baby I get to play on the swings - Grannie took me to Chapel Allerton Park and I got to have a go on the swings I wasn't too sure at first but enjoyed it more when I was sat on Grannie's knee swinging.
So folks life as a baby can't get much better than this.

Lots of Love - Ruby xxx