In May the weather finally turned around.  Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t perfect but it was WAY better than April.  There were signs of full-on spring everywhere.  

We were thrilled to start the month with a visit from my brother and sister-in-law.  It was so much fun to have them staying with us and they seemed to enjoy exploring the sights of Surrey.  Although the trip was marred a bit by illnesses, I hope they still had a good time overall.  We certainly loved having them here.

Auntie and Uncle Mike with the boys on Box Hill.

When we visited Hampton Court in the winter, we all felt like we wanted to go back when the weather was better in order to enjoy the gardens.  We found a lovely May weekend day to return and explore the grounds.  

The boys donned velvet cloaks to be suitably dressed to present themselves at Court.

To celebrate Mother’s Day, we visited the dramatic chalk cliffs on the southeast coast of England at Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters.  It was an absolutely perfect weather day to visit such a stunning place.  

How the cliffs really were eroded.

Our walk took us along the cliffs and then through pasture land to bring us back to our car at the Visitor’s Center.  True to form for our adventures, Paul composed a rockin’ tune for the boys as we journeyed along:

Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters
Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters
Fighting for justice for all the sheep.

Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters
Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters
Searching for lunch at the Tiger Inn

It was funny at the time.  Not so funny when we had to listen to it at top volume in the car for weeks after the trip!

This way.

Sheep as far as the eye can see.

After leaving the cliffs, we drove into the little village of East Dean where we had a pleasant lunch at the Tiger Inn.  The pub was packed when we arrived, but as we waited for our meals a table opened up on the outside patio area.  It was a fantastic Mother’s Day!

Apparently this part of England has a badger situation. ??

As I mentioned in the April recap post, we decided to celebrate Joey’s birthday with a trip to The Making of Harry Potter at the Warner Brothers studio outside of London.  We were all so impressed with this place.  It was very well done and definitely worth the visit.  We all enjoyed seeing some of the actual sets used in the films and learning more about how the movies were made.  

In front of the gates of Hogwarts.

Sipping Butterbeer!

#4 Privet Drive

The huge model of Hogwarts was amazing.

One Sunday we visited Chartwell, the home of Sir Winston Churchill.  We were impressed with how understated the house was.  For a man of such importance, the house wasn’t nearly as grand as it could possibly have been.  

We spent the last weekend of May in the town of Bath.  Actually, stayed just outside of Bath at a lovely B&B in Bradford-On-Avon (The Widbrook Grange Hotel).  We splurged a bit and booked their two-room family suite.  The boys enjoyed having their own space and loved the indoor swimming pool.  Mom and dad also appreciated the fact that the boys had their own room because it meant we could order room service for dinner after they were asleep!

We took the train from Bradford into Bath since traffic in the town can be tricky.  On Saturday we enjoyed a scenic walk along the canal to the train station from our hotel.  

In our two days in Bath, we visited the historic Roman Baths, saw Bath Abbey, enjoyed the beautiful architecture (especially the Royal Crescent and the Circus), toured briefly through the Fashion Museum, and checked out the excellent local playground (of course!).

The Roman Baths

Bath Abbey

Tom relaxes at the base of a huge plane tree.

The Royal Crescent

Goofing off in the Fashion Museum.

The Circus