After a hectic few days, Natalie and I have the house to ourselves while our relatives are off in Paris. We are using the time to clean up following Christmas.
I have also had the opportunity to watch a couple of American College Football Bowl games. In the past few years it has become a bit of a tradition of mine, started back home after they started showing the bowl games on cable TV.
Nebraska plays on New Year's day, though we get a delayed version of the game on January 2. I am very much looking forward to watching the game and hoping for a win for the Big Red!
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Post Christmas Sight-Seeing
In the two days following Christmas, Natalie and I showed our families around London.
Boxing Day saw a long walk for us, starting at Marble Arch, heading down to Hyde Park Corner, along Piccadilly passed Green Park and the Ritz Hotel, past St.James Palace, Buckingham Palace and then onto Westminster. From Westminster we went past Downing Street and up to Trafalgar Square before finding a late lunch in a pub in Covent Garden.
After lunch we walked up through Covent Garden to Holborn and Lincoln Inn Fields before showing where we used to live in Mecklenburgh Square. We then walked up to Tavistock and Russell Squares before heading home on the Tube.
The following day I met my father and sister at the Tower of London, had lunch and then we visited the Borough Markets (which were closed), the Globe Theatre replica, Millenium Bridge, St. Pauls and the British Museum.
Boxing Day saw a long walk for us, starting at Marble Arch, heading down to Hyde Park Corner, along Piccadilly passed Green Park and the Ritz Hotel, past St.James Palace, Buckingham Palace and then onto Westminster. From Westminster we went past Downing Street and up to Trafalgar Square before finding a late lunch in a pub in Covent Garden.
After lunch we walked up through Covent Garden to Holborn and Lincoln Inn Fields before showing where we used to live in Mecklenburgh Square. We then walked up to Tavistock and Russell Squares before heading home on the Tube.
The following day I met my father and sister at the Tower of London, had lunch and then we visited the Borough Markets (which were closed), the Globe Theatre replica, Millenium Bridge, St. Pauls and the British Museum.
Christmas Day
It has been really great to have family with us for Christmas this year.
With both Natalie and I used to enjoying big family Christmases the last couple of years have been a bit quiet with only ourselves and Kate for Christmas.
We had six of us around the table for Christmas lunch. Natalie cooked up a superb pork roast. After lunch very little was eaten for the rest of the day.
We also received phone calls from friends which made the day even more special.
Both of us received great presents. I will be particularly enjoying the Ashes-related items which I will be taking to work. :)
Natalie and I also received a great box of Aussie goodies - Twisties, Cherry Ripes and other assorted goods which have cheered us up. Thanks Auntie Carol!
With both Natalie and I used to enjoying big family Christmases the last couple of years have been a bit quiet with only ourselves and Kate for Christmas.
We had six of us around the table for Christmas lunch. Natalie cooked up a superb pork roast. After lunch very little was eaten for the rest of the day.
We also received phone calls from friends which made the day even more special.
Both of us received great presents. I will be particularly enjoying the Ashes-related items which I will be taking to work. :)
Natalie and I also received a great box of Aussie goodies - Twisties, Cherry Ripes and other assorted goods which have cheered us up. Thanks Auntie Carol!
Christmas Eve
With Natalie's father already settled into London for his Christmas visit, we waited for the arrival of my father and sister, Janelle. They flew in early on Christmas Eve. Due to the limited number of days they have in town it was agreed that we would pack a lot in.
In the afternoon six of us went to the Christmas Carols concert at the Royal Albert Hall. This was performed by the Mozart Festival Chorus and the Mozart Festival Orchestra (dressed in period costume).
It was a really good concert with lots of opportunities for the audience to sing, a visit from Santa, and some great orchestral and choral Christmas music performed on stage.
Following the concert we traveled up into town to see the Regent Street lights.
It was a very long day for us all but a great lead into Christmas.
In the afternoon six of us went to the Christmas Carols concert at the Royal Albert Hall. This was performed by the Mozart Festival Chorus and the Mozart Festival Orchestra (dressed in period costume).
It was a really good concert with lots of opportunities for the audience to sing, a visit from Santa, and some great orchestral and choral Christmas music performed on stage.
Following the concert we traveled up into town to see the Regent Street lights.
It was a very long day for us all but a great lead into Christmas.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Twister
Today has been a bad one for weather here in the UK.
This morning we had heavy rain backed up by strong winds. At the office we watched the rain come in near-horizontal.
But all is good, except for some residents in north London who had a Tornado run down their street, causing major damage. The location of the twister can been seen on the right hand side of this map. We live near Hanger Lane station, which is some 5-6 kilometres away from the action, on the left side of the map.
This morning we had heavy rain backed up by strong winds. At the office we watched the rain come in near-horizontal.
But all is good, except for some residents in north London who had a Tornado run down their street, causing major damage. The location of the twister can been seen on the right hand side of this map. We live near Hanger Lane station, which is some 5-6 kilometres away from the action, on the left side of the map.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Too much sport is...
.. barely enough, or so Roy and HG say.
This weekend was a case that certainly tested the theory. Due to poor weather outside, sitting in front of the TV was the place to be. And for sport I had to choose from:
I was in armchair sportsperson heaven. And adding to that was that Australia won all their matches this weekend across the two football codes and cricket.
The only downside? No one wanted to discuss the matches with me.
This weekend was a case that certainly tested the theory. Due to poor weather outside, sitting in front of the TV was the place to be. And for sport I had to choose from:
- V8 Supercars, in Bahrain (Live)
- Tri-Nations Rugby League final - Australia vs NZ (Live)
- Wallabies vs Scotland rugby union (Live)
- The Ashes first test (Live and replayed! Not sure which I enjoyed more)
I was in armchair sportsperson heaven. And adding to that was that Australia won all their matches this weekend across the two football codes and cricket.
The only downside? No one wanted to discuss the matches with me.
Socceroos 2
We have tickets to the next game the Socceroos play in London.
February 6 next year sees the team take on Denmark in a friendly at Loftus Road, which is where we saw them play Ghana.
The game versus Ghana was alot of fun with the crowd about two-thirds Australians. It made for one heck of a 'home crowd'.
Hopefully for the next game we will be able to cheer them onto a victory, which they should have had against the Ghanians, but for the inability to 'finish' plays.
February 6 next year sees the team take on Denmark in a friendly at Loftus Road, which is where we saw them play Ghana.
The game versus Ghana was alot of fun with the crowd about two-thirds Australians. It made for one heck of a 'home crowd'.
Hopefully for the next game we will be able to cheer them onto a victory, which they should have had against the Ghanians, but for the inability to 'finish' plays.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Toothless
No, I am not talking about England's performance against the Prime Minister's eleven in the cricket last Friday! It's me, of sorts.
About 14 months ago, while in Sydney I had a crown put on one of my front teeth, to replace the work done on the tooth back in 1989 when I smashed it on new year's day while playing in my street.
The crown looked really good and I had forgotten about it until this morning. I bit into a biscuit at a conference in central London while having morning tea and felt things move. I checked it out and yes, the crown didn't look right.
So an emergency call to the dentist in central London got me an appointment and the crown had broken. So a small repair was made but I have to go back tomorrow for a more in depth appointment to prepare a new crown. Hopefully, this time we will get it right.
About 14 months ago, while in Sydney I had a crown put on one of my front teeth, to replace the work done on the tooth back in 1989 when I smashed it on new year's day while playing in my street.
The crown looked really good and I had forgotten about it until this morning. I bit into a biscuit at a conference in central London while having morning tea and felt things move. I checked it out and yes, the crown didn't look right.
So an emergency call to the dentist in central London got me an appointment and the crown had broken. So a small repair was made but I have to go back tomorrow for a more in depth appointment to prepare a new crown. Hopefully, this time we will get it right.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Socceroos
The Socceroos are coming to town in a couple of weeks to play a friendly match against Ghana.
The match is being held 'down the road' at Loftus Road Stadium, which is a 30 minute trip for us, door to door. And we have tickets. It will be great to see them play after their efforts at the World Cup.
C'mon Aussie!
The match is being held 'down the road' at Loftus Road Stadium, which is a 30 minute trip for us, door to door. And we have tickets. It will be great to see them play after their efforts at the World Cup.
C'mon Aussie!
Aussie Rules
Last Saturday we joined our friends Alun and Nec in visiting The Oval to watch the Geelong Cats play Port Adelaide in a special one-off AFL game.
It was good to be surrounded by fellow Australians cheering on the game (despite a general apathy for the two teams who were playing) .
A highlight for us was being able to venture onto the ground following the completion of the game. While those who had decided to bare all and run on early (as in during the game) were taken away in handcuffs we were allowed to legitimately walk across the field after the final siren.
We ended up wandering through the Long Room in the Members Stand before heading on home.
While not as impressive as the Long Room and Members area at Lords, it is still a nice place to visit, even more so when you have a bunch of Australian wandering around more or less oblivious to the class system usually in place in such locales. No one told us we couldn't, so we did.
It was good to be surrounded by fellow Australians cheering on the game (despite a general apathy for the two teams who were playing) .
A highlight for us was being able to venture onto the ground following the completion of the game. While those who had decided to bare all and run on early (as in during the game) were taken away in handcuffs we were allowed to legitimately walk across the field after the final siren.
We ended up wandering through the Long Room in the Members Stand before heading on home.
While not as impressive as the Long Room and Members area at Lords, it is still a nice place to visit, even more so when you have a bunch of Australian wandering around more or less oblivious to the class system usually in place in such locales. No one told us we couldn't, so we did.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Where have we been?
It's been about three weeks since the last post here and a few people have asked if we have dropped off the planet.
No, not quite.
Natalie has been very busy at work lately. She has been working on a project requiring her to put in long hours Monday to Friday and usually a number of hours on the weekend. So we haven't got out much. But here's a few things we did in recent times:
No, not quite.
Natalie has been very busy at work lately. She has been working on a project requiring her to put in long hours Monday to Friday and usually a number of hours on the weekend. So we haven't got out much. But here's a few things we did in recent times:
- We visited Abingdon (a small town in Oxfordshire) and the famous White Horse a few Saturdays back on a day trip out of London.
- Went to the reception of some friends' wedding last Saturday.
- Celebrated Kate's birthday with dinner at a local Mexican restaurant
Apart from the above I have been enjoying quiet weekends now that cricket is over. I get to sit down and watch the Huskers play on TV from time to time as well as enjoy the Bathurst 1000 last weekend. There was live coverage of it which I watched until 4:30 in the morning before deciding that it was better to watch the replay later that day (on a side note Natalie didn't realise how long it would take to watch the full replay!).
We hope to go on some more day trips before the weather turns cool. It is still nice during the day, so long as there is sunshine.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
I caught the ball... this time
Saturday saw my cricket team playing against the team we were playing the day I dislocated my finger. It was good to meet the guys who watched over me and they were surprised by the recovery and the fact I was even wanting to play the game still. In fact, my injury that day is now part of the folklore at that club.
So here was my chance to redeem myself in the field. And I did just that, taking two catches including one right on the boundary.
So here was my chance to redeem myself in the field. And I did just that, taking two catches including one right on the boundary.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Peter Brock
Childhood heroes are not supposed to die, especially while doing the thing that made them a hero in the first place. Yet that is what happened on Friday when Peter Brock was killed while driving in a rally in Western Australia.
My earliest memory of watching Brocky race on TV was in 1984, aged 8. Brock's Holden Dealer Team picked up a one-two finish at Bathurst, John Harvey was driving the second of the team cars. It was the end of a triffecta of Bathurst 1000 wins and of an era as the Group E 'big bangers' were replaced by international Group A touring cars the following year.
Brock's luck was not so great until 1987 when Bathurst became a round of the World Touring Car Championships. Crossing the line third, following an inspired drive in the wet in the second team car (having previously retired the first car due to mechanical problems), Brock was promoted to first following the subsequent disqualification of the two Texaco Sierras which had finished first and second. That was win number nine in the touring cars. A 'perfect 10' was to allude Brock in the touring cars but he later picked up a tenth Bathurst victory in a 24 hour production car race.
Peter Perfect rarely seemed to have an accident, especially at the Mount Panorama circuit at Bathurst. And he walked away from the couple of accidents he did have including one in 1997
in which he rolled a 2 litre engine Vectra. Before going out for a practice session for the 2 litre Bathurst 1000 race of that year, Brock had said to his team mate, John Cleland, "I think you can take the kink (the right hand corner at the bottom on Conrod Strait which leads into Caltex Chase) flat out". During the session Brock ran off the track at the corner and rolled his car several times in an attempt to prove the theory. The accident was at very high speed and the car was a wreck. But Brock was OK and came back to the pit area to inform Cleland that "I was wrong".
Apart from putting a foot wrong driving wise, in endurance races Brock had a knack for looking after his car. Rarely did he personally retire from the race. Often the car would develop mechanical troubles while his co-driver was at the wheel. For a man who would race at the limit, Brock seemed to possess a sixth sense for the 'health' of the car he was racing.
While I never saw him race in person, I was lucky enough to meet Peter Brock at a media day at Mount Panorama in 1997. And it is very true about him spending time with fans. He had to be well persuaded by minders to leave the adoring throngs behind in order to fulfill other commitments.
It was a shock to get the call from my friend, Stu, at breakfast time here in London on Friday to tell me that Brock had died. Brock has been called a legend of Australian motorsport for many years now. And while my childhood hero has died, the legend will live on strong.
Postlogue: While watching the post race analysis of the Italian F1 grand prix on Sunday I saw an interview between a pitlane commentator and a Ferrari technician. The technician was still carrying his clipboard with technical information for the race. On the back of the clipboard was a picture of Brock's famous 05 Torana along with a simple message: "Farewell P B".
My earliest memory of watching Brocky race on TV was in 1984, aged 8. Brock's Holden Dealer Team picked up a one-two finish at Bathurst, John Harvey was driving the second of the team cars. It was the end of a triffecta of Bathurst 1000 wins and of an era as the Group E 'big bangers' were replaced by international Group A touring cars the following year.
Brock's luck was not so great until 1987 when Bathurst became a round of the World Touring Car Championships. Crossing the line third, following an inspired drive in the wet in the second team car (having previously retired the first car due to mechanical problems), Brock was promoted to first following the subsequent disqualification of the two Texaco Sierras which had finished first and second. That was win number nine in the touring cars. A 'perfect 10' was to allude Brock in the touring cars but he later picked up a tenth Bathurst victory in a 24 hour production car race.
Peter Perfect rarely seemed to have an accident, especially at the Mount Panorama circuit at Bathurst. And he walked away from the couple of accidents he did have including one in 1997
in which he rolled a 2 litre engine Vectra. Before going out for a practice session for the 2 litre Bathurst 1000 race of that year, Brock had said to his team mate, John Cleland, "I think you can take the kink (the right hand corner at the bottom on Conrod Strait which leads into Caltex Chase) flat out". During the session Brock ran off the track at the corner and rolled his car several times in an attempt to prove the theory. The accident was at very high speed and the car was a wreck. But Brock was OK and came back to the pit area to inform Cleland that "I was wrong".
Apart from putting a foot wrong driving wise, in endurance races Brock had a knack for looking after his car. Rarely did he personally retire from the race. Often the car would develop mechanical troubles while his co-driver was at the wheel. For a man who would race at the limit, Brock seemed to possess a sixth sense for the 'health' of the car he was racing.
While I never saw him race in person, I was lucky enough to meet Peter Brock at a media day at Mount Panorama in 1997. And it is very true about him spending time with fans. He had to be well persuaded by minders to leave the adoring throngs behind in order to fulfill other commitments.
It was a shock to get the call from my friend, Stu, at breakfast time here in London on Friday to tell me that Brock had died. Brock has been called a legend of Australian motorsport for many years now. And while my childhood hero has died, the legend will live on strong.
Postlogue: While watching the post race analysis of the Italian F1 grand prix on Sunday I saw an interview between a pitlane commentator and a Ferrari technician. The technician was still carrying his clipboard with technical information for the race. On the back of the clipboard was a picture of Brock's famous 05 Torana along with a simple message: "Farewell P B".
Sunday, September 03, 2006
The end of summer
The weather in recent weeks seems to indicate that summer is over.
Overnight lows are now getting below 10 degrees celcius (50 fahrenheit). During the day we get temperatures in the high teens celcius.
Very pleasing though is the amount of rain we have received recently as the lack of rain over the last two years has caused water shortages. The grass is certainly greener now than it was six weeks ago. And hopefully we will continue to get the rain we need to fill the dams.
Overnight lows are now getting below 10 degrees celcius (50 fahrenheit). During the day we get temperatures in the high teens celcius.
Very pleasing though is the amount of rain we have received recently as the lack of rain over the last two years has caused water shortages. The grass is certainly greener now than it was six weeks ago. And hopefully we will continue to get the rain we need to fill the dams.
Visitors
It has been really good recently to catch up with family and friends here in London.
Apart from our holidays with Tim, we have recently caught up with Uncle Graham and Marie. They visited us for dinner last Tuesday. It was really good to hear about their holidays here as they came over for a wedding.
Natalie and I also caught up with a friend, Melissa, from Miranda Musical Society (MMS) the week before last. Despite only having time for dinner it was still good to hear what is going on with MMS and it got me thinking that I really do miss performing with such a fun group of people. They sound like they have some great shows coming up.
I don't think we have any more visitors coming between now and Christmas when we have family members visiting. However, if you are coming over drop us a line so we can say "hello".
Apart from our holidays with Tim, we have recently caught up with Uncle Graham and Marie. They visited us for dinner last Tuesday. It was really good to hear about their holidays here as they came over for a wedding.
Natalie and I also caught up with a friend, Melissa, from Miranda Musical Society (MMS) the week before last. Despite only having time for dinner it was still good to hear what is going on with MMS and it got me thinking that I really do miss performing with such a fun group of people. They sound like they have some great shows coming up.
I don't think we have any more visitors coming between now and Christmas when we have family members visiting. However, if you are coming over drop us a line so we can say "hello".
Touchdown for Nebraska
It's college football season in the US.
Each year I look forward to it but this year has been especially good as the first Nebraska game of the season is being shown live here in the UK as I type.
The Huskers look like they are well on their way to a win against Louisiana Tech as they lead 35-10 with about 12 minutes left in the game.
I hope to take Natalie to Lincoln, Nebraska in the next couple of years, particularly in the Autumn so she can experience 80,000 plus Husker fans cheering on Big Red.
Each year I look forward to it but this year has been especially good as the first Nebraska game of the season is being shown live here in the UK as I type.
The Huskers look like they are well on their way to a win against Louisiana Tech as they lead 35-10 with about 12 minutes left in the game.
I hope to take Natalie to Lincoln, Nebraska in the next couple of years, particularly in the Autumn so she can experience 80,000 plus Husker fans cheering on Big Red.
Ouch 2!
The old saying "like father, like son" has seen a little reversal yesterday.
Playing in the first game of the new cricket season in Sydney, my father suffered a compound dislocation of the thumb in his right hand while attempting a catch.
While I needed four stitches, my father needed six. So like me, he will probably miss a large proportion of the cricket season while he recovers.
Meanwhile we are having the weekend off in cricket. My team will be in the final of a one-day competition in two weeks time but in the meantime we have a 'friendly' next week against the side we played the day I injured my finger.
Playing in the first game of the new cricket season in Sydney, my father suffered a compound dislocation of the thumb in his right hand while attempting a catch.
While I needed four stitches, my father needed six. So like me, he will probably miss a large proportion of the cricket season while he recovers.
Meanwhile we are having the weekend off in cricket. My team will be in the final of a one-day competition in two weeks time but in the meantime we have a 'friendly' next week against the side we played the day I injured my finger.
Monday, August 07, 2006
The Esk Valley
Just back from the Eastern coast of North Yorkshire lies the Esk Valley, named after the river that runs through it.
The Esk river winds its way through the valley before meeting the sea at Whitby.
The valley is a picturesque part of the world with many little towns.
We spent a day travelling along the valley, starting at the northern end, which is towards Middlesbrough. During our travels we walked an old Roman road, which is easily found just north of Goathland.
Goathland is famous as the setting for the town of Aidensfield in the TV show 'Heartbeat'. During a heavy rainstorm we took shelter in the Aidensfield Garage, which these days doubles as a tourist trap.
The town also has a famouse train station, which has also been used in the 'Heartbeat' series and has doubled as the train station for Hogwart's School in the Harry Potter films.
During our travels we also came across a small town called Lealholm. To cross the river Esk at Lealholm you can either go over the road bridge or via a series of stepping stones, which appear to have been in existence for many years.
While making our crossing of the river a family of ducks greeted us and were more than happy to wander through the three of us as we stood on the river bank. We were able to take many photos of the ducks.
Unfortunately the weather closed on us while we were at Goathland and while we made it to Robin Hood's Bay, south of Whitby in the late afternoon, any plans for an extensive walk were quickly forgotten in the driving rain.
The Esk river winds its way through the valley before meeting the sea at Whitby.
The valley is a picturesque part of the world with many little towns.
We spent a day travelling along the valley, starting at the northern end, which is towards Middlesbrough. During our travels we walked an old Roman road, which is easily found just north of Goathland.
Goathland is famous as the setting for the town of Aidensfield in the TV show 'Heartbeat'. During a heavy rainstorm we took shelter in the Aidensfield Garage, which these days doubles as a tourist trap.
The town also has a famouse train station, which has also been used in the 'Heartbeat' series and has doubled as the train station for Hogwart's School in the Harry Potter films.
During our travels we also came across a small town called Lealholm. To cross the river Esk at Lealholm you can either go over the road bridge or via a series of stepping stones, which appear to have been in existence for many years.
While making our crossing of the river a family of ducks greeted us and were more than happy to wander through the three of us as we stood on the river bank. We were able to take many photos of the ducks.
Unfortunately the weather closed on us while we were at Goathland and while we made it to Robin Hood's Bay, south of Whitby in the late afternoon, any plans for an extensive walk were quickly forgotten in the driving rain.
Whitby
So what was Whitby like?
It was very pretty.
The land rises rapidly from the sea, before dropping into the valley through which the Esk river flows. After that it rises again into the moors. These are a very odd place to look at. The folliage of the plants growing in that area seemed to be almost purple.
Whitby itself is very nice but you always seem to be heading up or down hills.
At night the gulls are very loud. The parking in the centre of the town, especially around the blocks containing B&Bs, is at a premium, and the weather seemed changeable. But these are the only down sides.
There is plenty of fish and chips to be had, much of it apparently caught locally. The food seems inexpensive and of good quality and there are lots of little shops to explore.
For me is was great to see where some of my ancestors lived. Following discussions with the local heritage society, I know that there are Vaseys buried in the local cemetary and I am sure I will be heading back to the town to do further investigations in the future.
Of course, Whitby is also where Captain Cook spent a number of years before setting off on his trip to find Australia. The Endeavour was actually a locally built ship.
It was very pretty.
The land rises rapidly from the sea, before dropping into the valley through which the Esk river flows. After that it rises again into the moors. These are a very odd place to look at. The folliage of the plants growing in that area seemed to be almost purple.
Whitby itself is very nice but you always seem to be heading up or down hills.
At night the gulls are very loud. The parking in the centre of the town, especially around the blocks containing B&Bs, is at a premium, and the weather seemed changeable. But these are the only down sides.
There is plenty of fish and chips to be had, much of it apparently caught locally. The food seems inexpensive and of good quality and there are lots of little shops to explore.
For me is was great to see where some of my ancestors lived. Following discussions with the local heritage society, I know that there are Vaseys buried in the local cemetary and I am sure I will be heading back to the town to do further investigations in the future.
Of course, Whitby is also where Captain Cook spent a number of years before setting off on his trip to find Australia. The Endeavour was actually a locally built ship.
Friday, August 04, 2006
Yorkshire
We have just returned from a trip to Yorkshire.
Natalie, Tim and myself travelled up on Sunday morning and we left Whitby on Wednesday morning.
Whitby, on the East coast, was home to my great-grandfather when he was young. We attempted to find out more about him through a local Whitby heritage society. Hopefully they will come through with the goods.
Aside from travelling around Whitby and taking in fish and chips and a few local ales, we travelled through the Esk Valley (which is home to the local river, the Esk) and a place called Goathland. This is better known as Aidensfield from the TV show 'Heartbeat'.
The weather chased us home yesterday. Firstly we headed for York. Spending almost two hours there and seeing such things as the York Minster, the ruins of the York Abbey (Henry VIII has alot to answer for, but more on that later), and various other historical buildings we made it back to the car just as the heavens opened.
We drove out of the rain as we headed south to Sheffield. But by the time we had completed our late lunch the rain was getting heavy in the city of Tim's grandfather.
Leaving Sheffield, we drove through heavy rain on the motorway as we headed south. At times visibility was down to well under 200m. This was partly due to the heavy rain and the spary from the cars on the road. We eventually drove out of the rain just north of Rugby.
All in all, however, the weather has been very kind to us and we have enjoyed the first part of our summer holidays. Over the coming days we are travelling in and around London and taking in the first home game for the new football season at Queens Park Rangers.
Henry VIII
What was wrong with Henry VIII? As we found out while touring around the once magnificent Whitby Abbey, When Henry decided to pull away from the Roman Catholic church, we also decided to have every abbey in England valued. This allowed him to ransack and pillage the valuables from the abbeys and kick the monks out. He did this at both Whitby and York. All that's left today are ruins which only give you some idea of how impressive the original structures were.
Natalie, Tim and myself travelled up on Sunday morning and we left Whitby on Wednesday morning.
Whitby, on the East coast, was home to my great-grandfather when he was young. We attempted to find out more about him through a local Whitby heritage society. Hopefully they will come through with the goods.
Aside from travelling around Whitby and taking in fish and chips and a few local ales, we travelled through the Esk Valley (which is home to the local river, the Esk) and a place called Goathland. This is better known as Aidensfield from the TV show 'Heartbeat'.
The weather chased us home yesterday. Firstly we headed for York. Spending almost two hours there and seeing such things as the York Minster, the ruins of the York Abbey (Henry VIII has alot to answer for, but more on that later), and various other historical buildings we made it back to the car just as the heavens opened.
We drove out of the rain as we headed south to Sheffield. But by the time we had completed our late lunch the rain was getting heavy in the city of Tim's grandfather.
Leaving Sheffield, we drove through heavy rain on the motorway as we headed south. At times visibility was down to well under 200m. This was partly due to the heavy rain and the spary from the cars on the road. We eventually drove out of the rain just north of Rugby.
All in all, however, the weather has been very kind to us and we have enjoyed the first part of our summer holidays. Over the coming days we are travelling in and around London and taking in the first home game for the new football season at Queens Park Rangers.
Henry VIII
What was wrong with Henry VIII? As we found out while touring around the once magnificent Whitby Abbey, When Henry decided to pull away from the Roman Catholic church, we also decided to have every abbey in England valued. This allowed him to ransack and pillage the valuables from the abbeys and kick the monks out. He did this at both Whitby and York. All that's left today are ruins which only give you some idea of how impressive the original structures were.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Summer holidays
We're nearly there. We are about to have almost three weeks off work to enjoy the summer (hopefully the weather will remain good!). Our good friend Tim is arriving in London this coming Friday evening, and we will be spending nearly three weeks with him. On the itinerary is a four-day trip to the North Yorkshire coast (Whitby, Scarborough, Filey), a visit to Dublin and a trip to Stuttgart (to visit their car museums and enjoy their annual summer beer and music festival).
Besides that, we are planning quite a few day trips from London, such as to Chichester, the Dorset coast, Oxford, Dover (the white cliffs), inter alia. We will try to keep you posted on this blog with photos of our adventures.
Besides that, we are planning quite a few day trips from London, such as to Chichester, the Dorset coast, Oxford, Dover (the white cliffs), inter alia. We will try to keep you posted on this blog with photos of our adventures.
New neighbours
A couple of weekends ago we had some new people move into the neighbourhood. Our flat is contained within a four-flat block. We occupy the top right-hand corner flat; our new neighbours have the flat diagonal two us (bottom left-hand flat). With no common walls, one wouldn't think we would hear the noise from our new neighbours.... but... they have a small child. I certainly knew about this child early this morning, when I was woken by his/her screams. Talk about putting you off having kids.... !!!
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Feel the heat
When Natalie and I were looking for a replacement car for our Megane, we considered whether airconditioning was an important accessory to have or not. We decided it wasn't. England doesn't get that hot. Right?
Well, almost.
We had some very warm weather around Wimbledon time, with days in the high 20s celcius. However, nothing compared to what we have coming up. Today was about 30 degrees, tomorrow is going to be about 32 and by Wednesday we will be getting mid to high 30s here in London.
While I am lucky in that I can wind down the windows in the car and keep cool (ish) that way, poor Natalie has to survive on the crowded Tube, where even on days where the weather is just warm, the carriages can get quite stuffy and hot.
The other problem we have with the hot weather is getting to sleep at night as the British houses aren't designed to cool down quickly.
But it is nice to have the great weather. Makes me think that Christmas is just around the corner.
Well, almost.
We had some very warm weather around Wimbledon time, with days in the high 20s celcius. However, nothing compared to what we have coming up. Today was about 30 degrees, tomorrow is going to be about 32 and by Wednesday we will be getting mid to high 30s here in London.
While I am lucky in that I can wind down the windows in the car and keep cool (ish) that way, poor Natalie has to survive on the crowded Tube, where even on days where the weather is just warm, the carriages can get quite stuffy and hot.
The other problem we have with the hot weather is getting to sleep at night as the British houses aren't designed to cool down quickly.
But it is nice to have the great weather. Makes me think that Christmas is just around the corner.
Back to Cricket
It was great to be playing cricket last Saturday afternoon. It was the first time since I injured my finger, so there was some apprehension on my part as to how my finger would hold up, especially to any firmly struck balls in my direction when I was fielding.
However, I needn't have worried. I didn't have too many hard chances to field and the bowling wasn't strong enough to seriously worry me. It allowed me to get my eye back in and I scored 33 before I was run out trying to take a quick single that wasn't quite there.
I am looking forward to the coming matches and maybe even getting a bowl.
For the record our team scored 256 for 7 declared and drew the match as we failed to bowl the opposition out. They hung on to record 102 for 8, after being about 18 for 5. Maybe next time!
However, I needn't have worried. I didn't have too many hard chances to field and the bowling wasn't strong enough to seriously worry me. It allowed me to get my eye back in and I scored 33 before I was run out trying to take a quick single that wasn't quite there.
I am looking forward to the coming matches and maybe even getting a bowl.
For the record our team scored 256 for 7 declared and drew the match as we failed to bowl the opposition out. They hung on to record 102 for 8, after being about 18 for 5. Maybe next time!
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Wimbledon
The bounce of the ball fell our way about a week ago.
I was very lucky to score two tickets for centre court at Wimbledon for last Monday. Originally the tickets had been designated for one of my colleagues to take a client along. When that fell through, I was fortunate enough to receive them.
Now I have been to a tennis tournament - the NSW Open, when it was played at White City in Sydney - but Natalie had never been so it was especially fun for her.
Natalie and I enjoyed seeing Justine Henin-Hardine, Andy Murray and Roger Federer play in the afternoon.
Late in the day there was also a mens over-35s invitational doubles match played, featuring Henri Leconte and Goran Ivanisevic. What a fantastic treat it was to see these two former champs play. And the best part was the fun they had playing up to the crowd.
It was a long and enjoyable day for the both of us.
I was very lucky to score two tickets for centre court at Wimbledon for last Monday. Originally the tickets had been designated for one of my colleagues to take a client along. When that fell through, I was fortunate enough to receive them.
Now I have been to a tennis tournament - the NSW Open, when it was played at White City in Sydney - but Natalie had never been so it was especially fun for her.
Natalie and I enjoyed seeing Justine Henin-Hardine, Andy Murray and Roger Federer play in the afternoon.
Late in the day there was also a mens over-35s invitational doubles match played, featuring Henri Leconte and Goran Ivanisevic. What a fantastic treat it was to see these two former champs play. And the best part was the fun they had playing up to the crowd.
It was a long and enjoyable day for the both of us.
Running out of puff
I have been feeling run down of late. And I think I know what is causing it.
Since I injured my finger in early May I have done very little exercise. So I think I am unfit. Secondly, I think I am overdue for a big holiday. While Natalie and I have enjoyed some long weekends away visiting new and interesting places, we have never sat still for very long. I think I am running out of puff on that front. Thankfully, I have organised almost three weeks off in August to spend with Natalie and my good friend Tim, who is coming from Australia to visit. It should be a blast.
We have some trips planned while Tim is here, so that will be nice. But I think there will be some relaxing going on. But first, I think some fitness is in order and the cricket team would seem to be ready to have me back after my last outing. And I think I am ready, though it will be interesting to see how I react when a firmly struck ball heads my way the first couple of times.
Since I injured my finger in early May I have done very little exercise. So I think I am unfit. Secondly, I think I am overdue for a big holiday. While Natalie and I have enjoyed some long weekends away visiting new and interesting places, we have never sat still for very long. I think I am running out of puff on that front. Thankfully, I have organised almost three weeks off in August to spend with Natalie and my good friend Tim, who is coming from Australia to visit. It should be a blast.
We have some trips planned while Tim is here, so that will be nice. But I think there will be some relaxing going on. But first, I think some fitness is in order and the cricket team would seem to be ready to have me back after my last outing. And I think I am ready, though it will be interesting to see how I react when a firmly struck ball heads my way the first couple of times.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Poetic
I wasn't going to post this, but now it seems only fair. I heard this on the radio as an ad jingle prior to the World Cup:
Dive, dive, wherever we may be,
We come from a land called Italy!
Dive, dive, wherever we may be,
We come from a land called Italy!
Sunday, June 25, 2006
C'mon Aussie, c'mon, c'mon
For the first time in my life I am very interested in the World Cup.
The England team is still in the competition which means the country is in rapt attention.
Better for Natalie and I, the Socceroos are still there after a tough fight in their pool. This has been great to watch, and by and large we have been getting good moral support from the English.
In Brugges last weekend, Natalie and I watched the Australia vs Brazil game in an English pub there. Inside English football supporters who were either going to or coming back from the World Cup were eagerly watching the game with us.
Still there are a few people who don't have anything positive to say about the Australian team - win, lose or draw. These tend to be Englishmen who one must think are scared that Australia might out-perform their team. Otherwise their comments are the noise of empty vessels signifying nothing.
With the next match for Australia being on Monday, Natalie gave me a great treat yesterday - an official Socceroos jersey. I will be wearing this to work on Monday. Very cool.
The England team is still in the competition which means the country is in rapt attention.
Better for Natalie and I, the Socceroos are still there after a tough fight in their pool. This has been great to watch, and by and large we have been getting good moral support from the English.
In Brugges last weekend, Natalie and I watched the Australia vs Brazil game in an English pub there. Inside English football supporters who were either going to or coming back from the World Cup were eagerly watching the game with us.
Still there are a few people who don't have anything positive to say about the Australian team - win, lose or draw. These tend to be Englishmen who one must think are scared that Australia might out-perform their team. Otherwise their comments are the noise of empty vessels signifying nothing.
With the next match for Australia being on Monday, Natalie gave me a great treat yesterday - an official Socceroos jersey. I will be wearing this to work on Monday. Very cool.
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Summer!
Today we had summer.
Forget the World Cup, this was better. Perfect, not a cloud in the sky, sunny and warm weather.
It got up to 28 degrees celcius and so Natalie and I fired up the BBQ this afternoon and had a great time enjoying the weather.
And there is more to come tomorrow and into the working week.
The only problem now is getting the house cool at night so we can sleep easy.
Forget the World Cup, this was better. Perfect, not a cloud in the sky, sunny and warm weather.
It got up to 28 degrees celcius and so Natalie and I fired up the BBQ this afternoon and had a great time enjoying the weather.
And there is more to come tomorrow and into the working week.
The only problem now is getting the house cool at night so we can sleep easy.
Monday, June 05, 2006
Ferrari Blast
The summer has finally arrived. Yesterday saw temperatures reach the mid 20s and a very sunny day across England. Perfect weather for a drive in our new car - a 2002 Ford Focus, which should be far more reliable than our Megane.
So we took our car for a run up to Oxfordshire, as that is where I had to go to experience a gift Natalie gave me for our first wedding anniversary last year - a test drive of a Ferrari F355 spider.
Out on a taxiway on a disused military airbase in Heyford, Oxfordshire, you can dash around in Ferraris, a Porsche, a WRX a Lotus Elise and more.
I got four laps, each consisting of two long straights and a couple of large U-turns, adding up to almost 2 kms.
Now I haven't driven a manual in about 3 1/2 years, but I, with the asistance of a co-driver/instructor I quickly got into the groove and was able to get the Ferrai into fourth gear before having to brake to turn the car around. Certainly I wasn't the quickest out there but I had alot of fun and would love to have spent a little more time as by the fourth lap I was starting to find my form.
It was a great gift and I thoroughly enjoyed myself once I got into the car and found that it wasn't as difficult to drive as I thought it might be. Mind you, I wasn't pushing it to its limits. But what fun!
So we took our car for a run up to Oxfordshire, as that is where I had to go to experience a gift Natalie gave me for our first wedding anniversary last year - a test drive of a Ferrari F355 spider.
Out on a taxiway on a disused military airbase in Heyford, Oxfordshire, you can dash around in Ferraris, a Porsche, a WRX a Lotus Elise and more.
I got four laps, each consisting of two long straights and a couple of large U-turns, adding up to almost 2 kms.
Now I haven't driven a manual in about 3 1/2 years, but I, with the asistance of a co-driver/instructor I quickly got into the groove and was able to get the Ferrai into fourth gear before having to brake to turn the car around. Certainly I wasn't the quickest out there but I had alot of fun and would love to have spent a little more time as by the fourth lap I was starting to find my form.
It was a great gift and I thoroughly enjoyed myself once I got into the car and found that it wasn't as difficult to drive as I thought it might be. Mind you, I wasn't pushing it to its limits. But what fun!
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
No Kangaroos here!
Natalie and I have have just spent the long weekend in Vienna.
It is a nice place, but there are plenty of t-shirts sold in tourist shops to remind you that you wont find any kangaroos in Austria.
We saw some museums, went to a concert and had a bit of a look around over the two and a bit days we were there. Though people complain about Lond's weather sometimes consisting of four seasons in one day, the weather while we were tried to top that. It was frustrating at times as we had to change our plans but we did still see a bit while we were there and enjoyed the site seeing.
While our trip over was quick the trip back was slow due to delays caused by London (!) weather and other things. Things at the Vienna International Airport (the scene of so much joy for us last July when we flew home with Austrian Airlines) kept up its standard for being pretty poor. However, it does look like they are building a new terminal which may improve things. AT this stage they couldn't get much worse.
Now its back to work for the both of us.
It is a nice place, but there are plenty of t-shirts sold in tourist shops to remind you that you wont find any kangaroos in Austria.
We saw some museums, went to a concert and had a bit of a look around over the two and a bit days we were there. Though people complain about Lond's weather sometimes consisting of four seasons in one day, the weather while we were tried to top that. It was frustrating at times as we had to change our plans but we did still see a bit while we were there and enjoyed the site seeing.
While our trip over was quick the trip back was slow due to delays caused by London (!) weather and other things. Things at the Vienna International Airport (the scene of so much joy for us last July when we flew home with Austrian Airlines) kept up its standard for being pretty poor. However, it does look like they are building a new terminal which may improve things. AT this stage they couldn't get much worse.
Now its back to work for the both of us.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Report on the London Marathon
The English colours shone through on the day of the marathon. While the balmy 10 degrees was very encouraging, it was accompanied by a constant drizzle of rain. Public transport was poor, and the queues for port-a-loos were about 50-deep at the start line. The start itself was not too bad, with entrants split between three starts, merging into one after 3 miles. The course was well attended by spectators – there was not one stretch without strangers yelling encouragement to me. Along with most of the runners, I ran for a charity (the National Autistic Society). They provided me with a running singlet with my name on it, so many people called out my name to encourage me on.
The run itself was quite good. The course was fairly flat, with a few undulations. With 35,000 runners, however, it was pretty congested, and weaving was the order of the day for most of my race. I started to feel the effect of the rain by the 20-mile mark, with heavy shoes and wet socks starting to rub. I was still on target, and attempting to reach my aim of 3½ hours. As the Tower Bridge came into sight at the 22-mile mark, the intensity of the crowds increased. Intimidation from the cheering crowds stopped me from walking at all during the last 4 miles (though my body was craving it!). Despite the crowds, though, aching legs, a cold body and sore feet saw my pace decrease markedly in those last 4 miles. Spending more than 14 minutes running the last 2km, I still made it through in 3:38. At least it gives me something to beat for next time! A cuddle from Peter at the end of the race cheered me, as did a well-earned shower and massage. I'm now aiming to run a half in July.
The run itself was quite good. The course was fairly flat, with a few undulations. With 35,000 runners, however, it was pretty congested, and weaving was the order of the day for most of my race. I started to feel the effect of the rain by the 20-mile mark, with heavy shoes and wet socks starting to rub. I was still on target, and attempting to reach my aim of 3½ hours. As the Tower Bridge came into sight at the 22-mile mark, the intensity of the crowds increased. Intimidation from the cheering crowds stopped me from walking at all during the last 4 miles (though my body was craving it!). Despite the crowds, though, aching legs, a cold body and sore feet saw my pace decrease markedly in those last 4 miles. Spending more than 14 minutes running the last 2km, I still made it through in 3:38. At least it gives me something to beat for next time! A cuddle from Peter at the end of the race cheered me, as did a well-earned shower and massage. I'm now aiming to run a half in July.
Friday, May 12, 2006
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