Scotland and Wales

We returned to the United Kingdom to visit family, but also to travel north to Scotland and West to Wales.

Some of our travels

During the past four years, Mark and I have taken every opportunity to travel.
Some of the places we've been include Boston, New York, Wales, Scotland and Florida (Nasa, Disney World and Universal Studios).
Hopefully towards the end of this year we'll also travel to the Caribbean.
Here are some candid shots from these trips.

Boston






New York

We move to Bermuda

In May 2002 we arrived in Bermuda. Mark had been offered a job with ICS and we were keen to leave the cold, wet UK behind and head for sunnier skies and pink beaches.









The first few months turned out to be quite an adventure as we moved from Somerset to Warwick into our first apartment. Which meant having our first Bermudian BBQ (Braai), buying motorcycles, exploring the Island and basically finding our feet.

While Mark worked, I volunteered for the Hospital and became an official "pink lady" while I waited for my permission to seek employment.

We ended up making some wonderful friends including a Canadian couple, Steve & Belinda Bull.
Over the next four years we settled into Bermudian life - embracing evey part of the culture and history that we could.
We were no longer South Africans living broad... we were experimental Bermudians.
We love every minute of it.

Some other pretty places near our home in England

The swans lived near the Cider Mill. I ended up writing a story about this old guy who lived in the mill. He was only getting electricity for the first time. The mill had provided him with the power he needed for almost 40 years. Before that... who knows.

This cottage lay at the entrance to the estate near our village.


I fed the ducks along the Thames once. The Thames, as you can see, was in flood. We had to get a tractor to take us across the flooded roads to visit our cats - they were in quarantine in a cattery not far from Maidenhead.

Alcester, near our home in Dunnington.

My Weight Watchers meeting were held in this little building. It used to be the Town Hall. I think it still is.

The photo of Mark and I was taken in 2005 when his parents moved to Harpenden. We joined them for a party at their new apartment.

London and the rain

Mark and I moved to London in September 2000. We were married in November that year.
And in February we said bye bye to London and moved to Dunnington in Warwickshire.
Mark was working in Birmingham before changing jobs to work at Marconi in Coventry.
I did some freelance work and then joined CW Corporate Communications - my first proper job since leaving South Africa.

We had this adorable little cottage in Dunnington and spent hours fixing up the garden.
We also had lovely neighbours, George and Margaret Shore.
And made so many wonderful friends during our year, and a half-long stay in Dunnington.





We had our first family Christmas in that tiny cottage in Dunnington.
Marks' parents were visiting from Zimbabwe and his sister, Vicky and her family (including John's granny) had just moved to the UK. They had been living in Oz for several years and eventually ended up going back here.
Mark's parents later left Zimbabwe and also moved to the UK.
A very special Christmas - about 14 of us in that tiny little front room, but we survived and the girls played violen for us while we ate, drank and were very, very merry. Mark prepared the roast - of course and everyone else brought a dish or two. Vicky, John and the girls were living in Harpenden and had driven up for the day. Not far....

Belgium 2000

Mark and I left South Africa in May 2000. Our first stop (on what was to become many travels) was Leuven in Belgium. We lived in Leuven for about a month before moving out of town to Tevuurensteen Weg. Some of our favourite places in Belgium included Brussel, Brugge and of course Tevuuren.
These photos were taken at a variety of places including these....




We used to drive around on these two Peugeot scooters, which is what most people do in Belgium. It is also one of the cleanest countries and everything is recycled.
Leuven was a University town (that's it from the air) and we started off in some tiny student flat, but moved to Lei 33 after about a week. If you threw open the windows to this wonderful apartment you could listen to the music school across the road. The church bells used to ring on Sundays and from the rear bedroom we looked out over the canal which had a family of ducks living on it.
It was a magical place and Mark and I were heartbroken to have to leave after about seven months. The company went "bang" in the dot.com crash and we moved to the United Kingdom.
We took the scooters with us, but being the UK we of course never used them.
Pity, because they could have come in quite useful here in Bermuda.

Christoline's trip to Cape Town

Christoline Hodgson (sister to Tricia) recently went to Cape Town - South Africa - on an AVON "conference".

She met some baboons down at Cape Point.

Shannon Landmarks' 15th birthday party

Shannon Landmarks' 15th birthday.
Brisbane, Australia
May 2006
Shannon is siting centre bottom in the fairy dress.
Isn't she cute?

You're never too old to dream Princess!

Our "wedding"

When Mark and I were married in London, we did not have any family present. His parents were living in Zimbabwe and mine were in South Africa.
His sister Marian, who lives in London, was also not available as she was visiting his parents at the time.
So a year later we decided to do it again - this time in church with a minister and family present.
The minister, Ernie Couchman, was a friend and the local church minister in Dunnington. I was walked down the aisle by a good friend, Toni Leipold (an elderly German friend of our neighbours who has no children of his own). So with Landmarks and Walters in attendance, we did the deed again. Our reception (if you can all a pub lunch that) was held at The White Swan in Alcester. They had lost our "booking", but quickly cleared an area for us.

The strange animals part...

Meet our children.

Cutie Pie (top) and Mr. Mouse (left)

Both born in South Africa about 15 years ago. Cape Town to be exact. They have travelled the world with us. Not always enjoyed it, but they've come along for the ride.

This is the latest addition. He joined our family about two years ago. His name is Puss-Puss.
Origins unknown, but we believe he was born in Bermuda about five years ago. He is a Maine Coon - an American breed which are known to grow quite large. He currently weighs about 5.2 pounds and dominates the neighbourhood. Champion rat-catcher and killer and feared by all critters - including his new brother and sister.



One big happy family. Quite content to spend the night on the couch watching television. Life doesn't get more exciting that that in the winter here in Bermuda.

Anyway, they're old cats - at least two of them are.

Hello. This is us

Hello

This is us, Tricia and Mark Walters.

Mark : born in Fort Victoria on 30 November 1962.

Tricia : born in Fort Beaufort on 19 February 1971.

Married in Newham, England on 30 November 2000.

Children: None

Godchildren: One - Nicole Hewson.

Pets: Three cats - Puss, Mouse and Cutie-Pie

Live in Bermuda. Mark works for ICS (computers) as a senior consultant.

Tricia works for the local newspaper, The Royal Gazette as a special features writer/sub editor.

We love to travel. Since leaving South Africa in 1999, we have lived in Belgium, the United Kingdom and now Bermuda.
We have been here 4 years.
We have also travelled to the United States numerous times, the United Kingdom, Wales and Scotland included, South Africa, Zimbabwe and hope to oneday visit Australia and see more of Europe.
We also plan to take a cruise to the Caribbean in December - but that is pending....