Wow - what a great Convention!!!




Yes there were the niggles like dodgy moments at the hotels (Dawn was put into the wrong room at first - with some almost strangers), the imbuggerance of coaches to and from the venue, and the cramped conditions in the main stage but I had a whale of a time - and I'm sure others did too! Given that everyone had to either drive themselves or catch coaches between the hotels and the venue - I don't feel too bad about opting to save money and going to the travelodge for £25/ night


I've come home with some lovely goodies from all the swaps - both general and organised, and it was great to spend some time with the friendliest and most amazing SU team in the UK (that's the Tartan Stampers BTW!)!! Photos will follow once Lorraine sends them to me!


I've already told Dawn about my big adventure on the way home but will share it with you.... its almost worthy of Mammy Hen! (Mary)


The SatNav took me home via a most circuitous route - back up to Orpington, onto the M25 there - off at Sevenoaks (which is only a couple of minutes from my sister's house...) and then a quick dash down the A21 to Tunbridge Wells all in all about 35 minutes or so from the palace to the takeaway.


I stopped in the next village to fill up the car and pick up a takeaway - and while I was waiting for the food, I decided to dig out my house keys as Rog isn't very good at leaving the motion sensor outside light on at ours..... imagine my horror when I realised I didn't have the keys in my bag - especially as Rog and Katy were down in Portsmouth on a sailing weekend....... and his car was in Southampton...


I rang Roger, to ask him where he had put our emergency spare key (he hides it somewhere in the garden), and was even more appalled to find out that he hadn't put it back after the last time he'd needed to use it.... there I was, clutching my lovely Chinese food and locked out of the house with no prospect of being able to get in until Sunday evening...... He even admitted that he realised I must have forgotten my keys as he saw my very large key chain - complete with 2 Kipling monkeys hanging on the key board in the hall. He got yelled at for not telling me or leaving the spare outside ready for me!!


Then I remembered - my sister had a spare key (remember me saying I passed close to her house on the way back.??) Only trouble was - she'd told me on Wednesday evening that she and her family were off out to a fireworks do... Anyway - I rang my brother in law on his mobile (unlike my sister he carries it with him AND keeps it switched on all the time!!)  to ask what time they expected to be home as I needed either the spare key, or if they couldn't find it - a bed for the night! Imagine my relief when I heard that while he and my niece were indeed doing a moonlight walk around a forest in the dark....my sister had opted to stay home - so I could go and get the spare key any time I liked.


Anyway - I got back in the car - and retraced my steps back to Sevenoaks to be greeted by my sis waving the spare key in one hand and a large vodka and coke in the other.... she had a plate ready so I could warm up my congealing takeaway - and I spent a lovely evening keeping her company while we heckled Strictly and X facor.... before finally going back home and into my own bed. around 11 o clock!


Hope my fellow demo's trips home were slightly less eventful - and here's to next year at Disneyland!!