Sounds good DizzyDaizy. I could possibly make it as long as it's not a weekend. Would have to get you to pick me up from bus stop.

No problems meeting you at the bus Valsi, and the return trip ..... Looks to be a lovely place, and inexpensive to. Could even become a regular if we like it enough. Just waiting to hear what other GUP's think

Brantome House sounds good, Dizzy Daisy.
My grey matter has been working overtime and came up with an idea! Instead of making our meetings on a specific day of the week eg. Fridays. How about making it on a specific date each month? For instance, after Valsi's birthday bash on 20th of this month how about meeting say 15th of each month. 15th October is a Friday November is a Monday and Dec. is a Wednesday and so on. If the date falls on a Saturday we could meet on the Friday prior or if on a Sunday the Monday following.
As you see my brain has been working hard and is now suffering from exhaustion but I would welcome people's thoughts on the above.
Hugs to all and hope weather improves for OC's group visit this weekend.

An absolutely brilliant idea Maggie re a date in the month as opposed to a day in the week I'm sure that this way, over time we will ALL make it to GUP's happenings. Perhaps different venues to, so that distance and travel will for some vary each time. However, I can also hear the Devonshire Teas at Brantome Villa calling my name
Love to you all
DD

"Sorry, I didn't take any photos, Going-Grey. Left my camera at home." (Valsi) ....... "I had my camera with me making sure batteries were charged and, as is usual with me, forgot to use it!" (MaggieC)

It's a conspiracy! Everyone knew how much I hate having my photo taken yet on the day I went EVERYONE was clicking away. I don't go and you lot don't bother taking your cameras. It's a conspiracy I tell you!

I like the idea of a specific date. That's what my calendar needs. If I can mark, say, the 15th of the month down as GUPs day, it would be so much easier to plan things. Better than trying to work around all the `can and can't come' days.

Brantome House looks amazing! Do they have a special `public' area that doesn't interfere with paying guests?

Whether it's the CBD or Kamo countryside, it's is all the same to me (because I don't drive so I'll always be chauffered to and from these events) but what do others think about one location all the time?

I'm bringing my chauffer (sister) to Valsi's party. I've gone on about you lot so much she wants to meet you all ... to put names to faces.

I've been AWOL because I've been really busy helping my sister unload her 40' container.

She's got until next weekend to clear it out so, as you can imagine, we've been nose-down-bum-up trying to unpack stuff. Our house looks like the `Re-Sort' on a bad day!

A friend called around the other day and volunteered her husband to transfer the big items from the container back to our place. That will be a great help and save us a lot of money.

Hope everyone is staying clear of coughs and colds (or are over them, if they've had one). So many people are coughing and spluttering at the moment.

Hello Zanditoez.

How's SonicJet? Are you still at your sisters in Auckland? Will you be going to Valsi's on the 20th?

And, Chitty, I know you're out there somewhere. Roll Call ....

Sounds like Brantone Villa - Crane Rd - off SH1 on Friday 15th October is our next venture after Valsi's b'day. Shall we say 11.30am? If you agree then I can put it on the calendar and hopefully not be too busy to attend. I'm off to Wellington for 6 days the following week so anything could happen. I'll have to duck out of Monday Nov.15th as I can't do Mondays.
Things are hotting up with Xmas just around the corner. I'm even thinking of making my Xmas cake and puddings.................

Hi all... the 15th each month sounds good to me won.t be able to make every month though with the petrol etc being what it is ( about $70 ) so will put a note on here as and when I come.....wow Devonshire Teas yummmmmmmmm(for lunch)
The camels are a weekend workshop on the 16th so doubt I*ll make the October one as Im usually tired the next day and need to be wide eyed and bushy tailed to make this camel!!! actually only need a photo of me to go by and BINGO!!! humps on the under side I.m thinking,,,,,,
Me too making my Christmas cake next week then I can *feed* it with brandy till xmas don.t cook it in it evaporates what a waste....use my grans reciepe and it.s so simple and lovely too I.ve been making it for 55 yrs now never fails either ...even if it did it would still get eaten haha to much good stuff to waste.
Have my granson( stoppping for a few days as mum is at a teachers conference at Paihia and had no one at home as dads away in Auckland too work related... but we have a ball when he comes up and all sorts of naughty things like fish and chip lunch at the *world famous* in Mangonui then walking on Coopers Beach ,then the swing park there and back to the 4 square for an ice cream having walked off the f&c , we did fit in a visit to the garden centre and bought the courgette plants,tomato plants and some lettuce too so out there today to get them planted then off to the hairdressers for Billy and I to get our hair trimmed love having busy days and boy do I sleep at night after all this dashing around .....been discussing next school hols and as he loves all things pertaining to history am arranging all sorts of visits to sort that out whilst his interest is there,there are so many amazing things like the Gumdiggers park,the Maori village all set out in Kerkeri thats great even for little ones and then the Pa site the other side,the Steam engine place such a lot of Far North History around and about and of course Butlers Point museum is just 5 mins away from us ,plus my friends at Matthews car museum and you can get a good cuppa there too....Billy ,Daniella and I are on their advertising feeding the animals, we went there one day as they were doing the photos so there we are all over NZ now !!! Am getting off this now and the sun is out lovely and warm already as the back door is open and no wind for a change wow spring has sprung yeeeehaaaa Love Jeanz xx

"Hello, My name is GG, I'm your waitress for today ...Today's special is 10 coffees for $15"

Yes, $1.50 coffees at Whangarei's famed `Caffeine-Espresso-Cafe' in Water Street - and from what I understand it includes Hot Chocolate, Decaf and Soy! Woohoo!

You print a voucher off and exchange it for a `concession card' when you drop into `Caffeine-Espresso-Cafe'. Just $1.50 for a coffee whenever you visit. BP may never see me again. (2 coffees per visit)

For those that don't know what I'm talking about:

http://www.grabone.co.nz/northland/caffeine-espresso-cafe?utm_source=GrabOne+Northland&utm_campaign=12da9b7661-GrabOne_northland_228_20100910&utm_medium=email

Glad you think my idea could work. I know not everyone can come each time and I am sure a visit to those further away could be arranged with car pooling and contribution to petrol.
Its going to get busy for all of us toward the end of the year so meeting up could be difficult but choosing the 15th of each month can go into next year with us all marking calendars and only having to arrange where we meet.
Maggie