Photos page
Recent events: Noah's baptism and Boyd & Aileen's wedding, Ireland, Sept '10; UK friends, Sep-Oct '10; Boyd and Aileen's son, Noah born Oct '09; their civil wedding Italy, Jul '09; Italy Sep '08; camping Lake Mungo Apr '08.
In December 2010 Boyd Aileen & Noah had a brief holiday in Scotland. Cold!
Judy's brothers Rob, Paul and Ross and younger sister Midge joined us as "honorary Challengers" at the wedding in Ashford on 18 Sep 2010. Here we are on the doorstep of Tinakilly House. From left: Rob, Clare, Ross, Judy, Barry, Kate, Midge, Paul..
Noah baptised. He had a lot to say during the event!
Married. Ashford church, Co Wicklow. The sunflowers were a link to their civil wedding in Tuscany the previous year.
Boyd & Aileen on the church doorstep. The sunflowers came from Holland.
All the Challengers except one. He was asleep!
The reception was held at Tinakilly House. Noah, Boyd and Aileen had a photo opportunity on the impressive double staircase, along with both families.
May, Fr John and Frank at the reception at Tinakilly.
While the festivities declined in Ireland, we visited friends in England. Ian and Ruth put on a dinner in Tiverton, Cheshire; clockwise from the front: Janet, Chris, Clare, Ian, Judy, Joan, David, Ruth.
We had lunch with Roger and Jane in Bowdon.
From Tiverton we went to Ironbridge with Ian and Ruth to visit Heather, a former Shell and Beaumaris colleague. Here we are, on The Iron Bridge: Barry, Judy, Paul, Ian, Heather. Ruth took the photo.
Clare joined us to visit Ann and Tony in Chorleywood.
We had lunch with Jill in Wokingham and talked of the days when she lived in Beaumaris.
From Chorleywood we drove to North Shields to stay with Anne and Peter, here with some of the 7 bridges over the Tyne in Newcastle.
We returned to Galway and, with Boyd, Aileen and Noah, had lunch with Breda and Frankie (sister and mother of our neighbour Connie) who were on their way home to Castlebar.
Before we left Galway for home we helped Noah celebrate his first birthday.
In January '10 Clare visited Boyd, Aileen & Noah in Galway. It was freezing (literally!). Noah is on the quilt made for him by Jude.
Boyd and Aileen were married in a civil ceremony in the Town Hall of Castiglion Fiorentino, Tuscany, on 31 July 2009. Exchanging rings. Aileen wears a ring from Boyd's great great grandmother Wilhelmina Booty nee Smith.
Barry, Judy, Boyd, Aileen, May, Frank.
A few days before, Boyd had noticed this sunflower field as a good photo location. Sunny and hot, 38C.
Before joining Boyd and Aileen in a villa in Cortona, we drove to Cinque Terre where we stayed in a monastery, Santuario Nostra Signora di Soviore, at an altitude of 500m above Monterosso, the northernmost of the five towns.
In Sept 2008 we had a holiday in Italy with old friends George and Marlene. Here we are on the fortifications of Certaldo Alto, the hilltop old town above Certaldo, reached via a funicular.
Afternoon drinkies in the piazza at Panzano-in-Chianti.
The view of Assisi from the outdoor area of our villa in Umbria. The villa was a four level tower, attached to, but separate from, a farm.
L: Judy, wishing to return, threw a coin into the Trevi Fountain.
R: Fraterna Domus, the convent where we stayed in Rome. Very comfortable.
In April '08 we camped at Lake Mungo. Lake Mungo has a large, wind-blown sand dune on its eastern shore (which can be seen easily in Google Earth). Erosion by wind and water has caused these formations, known as "Pinnacles"
From the remains of a 30,000 year old campfire, our ranger picked out fish bones, emu egg shell fragments and an otolith, the dense bone from the balance mechanism in the head of a fish. About 30,000 years old, it rested briefly on Judy's finger.
© 2004-11 Barry Challenger. Last updated 22/6/2011