Maguire Hometown? Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire UK

Warren and I finally MADE it to RAF Alconbury to meet up with the immigrants. It was a jolly good moment to see them again.

The Britannia Inn, which is both the hotel and TLF (temporary lodging facility), was comfortable and homey. The Boys got to open packages that had been sent to their new home! They went at it with gusto.

One of Brian's new co-workers dropped by with a Welcome Bag, which included this darling Christmas tree - with lights! We remembered to water it occasionally, too. Good for us - as we are not noted for our green thumbs. It was such a nice gesture from the people in his office!

Grandpa got right to work assembling the LEGOs. I, as grandmother, always passed on the chance to touch those crazy things. I must admit, having raised daughters, that I'd never seen the all-day-hold a room full of Legos has over boy children. Tim and Brian both laughed when I told them that. (I think Legos still have a powerful hold over them, if you want my opinion! LOL)

 Here is the sign that indicates where Brian's new base is located...if you can find it in the fog...

Katharine, Warren, McColley, Brady and I decided to take the bus into Huntingdon to explore the town center. What a cool place! First, we stopped for lunch at a cafe. I tried Celebration Chicken over a pocket potato. Baked potatoes with various toppings are available all over the place. The chicken was a mix of chopped chicken, mayonnaise, and mild curry with raisins served cold over the hot potato. Surprisingly delicious.

We are at St. Benedict's corner in the middle of the town square. Quite a lot of nice shopping to do here.

Then, there is always the reminder that this town has been here for MANY years. This is a church in the square. We also visited the tiny Cromwell museum. It was small, but very impressive - not only for the amount of personal items in it, but for the nice way they included children in understanding what life was like back in the 1400's. (from Wikipedia: Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex, KG, PC (c. 1485^[1] – 28 July 1540), known as 1st Baron Cromwell of Wimbledonbetween 1536 and 1540, was an English statesman who served as chief minister of King Henry VIII of England from 1532 to 1540.)

McColley was our constant companion, even at bedtime. We made him his own little trundle next to our bed with the cushions off the couch. He loved it!

Being incredibly efficient, our immigrant family found a fabulous house in the Stukeley Meadows development in Huntingdon. On 12/31/10, Brian and the landlord met to sign some papers. Adrian (?) was kind enough to let McColley and me take a look through the house.

Here to show you his new house is your tour guide: McColley!

Welcome to 3 Windermere, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire UK...

Here is our serious Officer McColley, in his front yard - part of a very cute neighborhood...

 By the fireplace in the living room (New light fixtures throughout the house are modern and cute)...

 At the top of the stairs...

 In the ensuite bathroom for the master bedroom (New tile and flooring, too)...

In the main bathroom, which features an American sized bathtub (not typical)...

 In a bedroom...

 In the multi-door landing upstairs (Note the transoms over the doors)...

And with Dad in the kitchen, which features an American size dishwasher (also atypical)...If you look beyond the kitchen windows, you will see another set of white windows. These are part of the glass conservatory that goes the length of the dining room and kitchen. The dining room has a set of glass bi-fold doors to get into it. These rooms are common around the area. It has a tile floor, glass ceiling and glass walls - so it is cold out there! However, the landlord has installed a number of outlets so that space heaters can be used, if desired. This house has a CUTE factor of 10/10!

 This is the sign on their street...

After signing the papers, it was time to head into London to celebrate the new year and Katharine's 30th!
That is the next installment in our cliff hanger!
TTFN.