Australia Day in Wetherby 2010.
We chose to celebrate on the 31st as Oz day fell on a Tuesday and strangely the UK does not celebrate, declare a holiday, or even know about the significance of the 26th. How quickly they forget.
We started off on Saturday getting the place ready, hung the flags, sorted out the fireworks and food, got a full set of lamb legs (4) panned up and ready for the oven and found plates and bowls sufficient to feed the hungry hoard. Well, hardly a hoard, we were expecting about 15. Late on Saturday we drove in and picked up Cora who came up from London, from Leeds rail station. Those of you who have arrived that way to visit us will know our preference for a sweet Margarita in the art-deco Queen Hotel at Leeds station before we head home. That accomplished and Cora recovered from her not so gruelling 2.5 hour train trip we headed back to Wetherby for a fine meal out at Fennel restaurant in town, sort of French, sort of Yorkshire...Cora being Canadian could practice her French on the owners so a good choice as it turned out.. Had a great time catching up on everything as we had not had a chance to just sit and talk about things for about a year, or more.
Party Sunday and we planned a noon start, late lunch and early evening fireworks, same as last year. We expected neighbours and some workmates Gail had invited. Amy was the first through the door this year again overestimating the travel time from Darby, I think our neighbours David and Carolyn were next and the party started with more folk arriving and bringing food and drinks and good cheer. The mood continued to improve as more wine flowed and great food was laid out. The scheduled 6pm fireworks we had been buying and laying away since Guy Fawke's night and New Year proved to be most rewarding and provided a spectacular show and heaps of fun as everyone got a chance to set up and light fuses.. 
Because it was a Sunday night some folk had to leave after the show but as is becoming a welcome pattern, many didn't. Cora was staying the night anyway but Karen, Kylie and Jonathan all ended up staying in a nearby hotel, albeit not for much of the night. Later on Monday morning was a mutual slow start but we did welcome Kylie and Jon back for a quick coffee before they headed off home to Manchester and then out again to see Avatar in 3D for which they had booked tickets. We drove Cora back to Leeds by way of our favourite Chinese restaurant for some nice greasy dim sum lunch and lots of Chinese tea as an aide to settle some tender heads and stomachs.
Oh, if you do read this Carolyn, the mark left as a result of your elbow directing your pint of wine all over our lovely cream carpet has been completely eradicated courtesy of an ever-reliable splash of hydrogen peroxide. I know you were worried about it but you are welcome to return to the scene of the crime anytime.
Many of you know Gail and I have gone all socially networked and have our own Facebook pages, tags to which can be found in the margin to the right of these words. There are some more shots of the party in there but I will identify the ones below with a few words to help identify the guilty.
David caught red-handed draining the mint gravy
Half David, Gail, Kylie, Karen, Jon
, half Rod
After pavlova
Light and run Karen
Cora, Rod Tina Amy Jon Kylie half Karen
Karen leading the Sparkler practice. There was a mass sparkler event a bit later on , the photo of which is in the text above.
Post firework discussion group stuck in kitchen, very near the grog cupboard it seems.
Jon Kylie Karen Cora Tina Rod
A sample of the remaining evidence collected the next morning, the total embarrassingly exceeded the number of attendees. While some folk were abstaining totally.... there were some who didn't abstain very much at all.
While Gail and I seem to recall enjoying the weekend, right up to Monday morning, enormously, we are hopefully confident everyone else did too and we are looking forward to holding a third great annual Wetherby Aussie Day next year.
