Hello all, A funny experience when I was in Sydney over the weekend. Firstly, I really, really envied the rain....we need it so much here in Melbourne. I had a hire car, and decided to drive out and look at the "old family homes"...ie. the house I grew up in to the age of 8 (when we moved to Melbourne), and my maternal and paternal grandparents' homes. It was a TERRIBLE morning on Monay for driving. I was on the M5 and it was bucketing.... However, finally got there. I was unprepared for the waves of emotion and nostalgia. My old home looked like crap...it was never a good house, but my parents had it always painted, with well kept garden and a bit of pride about it. Very disappointing. The biggest surprises were the homes of both maternal and paternal grandparents - they both looked great! Such a wash of emotion, as I remembered both homes and saw, in my memory, all of us playing and being there, and thought of my father as a small boy there (I know it is crazy but most of us genies must be a little emotional on that level). Strangely enough, whilst I was parked outside both houses (probably looking like I was casing the place), the residents walked out, totally unaware of me and going about their business. I was struck (not for the first time) by the layers of history every home holds. So strange to see "other people" living in what I consider family homes. Louise Melbourne