Bristol

Last weekend we went to Bristol - Sue had an event on the Sunday, but we went down on the train on Saturday had a bit of a walk around town. We watched some football in a Pub to get out of the rain and then went bact to the hotel to watch Australia get beat by Scotland in the rugby

Later in the evening we went into town and had the world's worst pub meal. If you ever get the chance to go to the pub in Bristol where Louis Stevenson is reputed to have written Treasure Island for a meal dont bother. This was the mixed platter (sorry Fran - i remember suggesting you get this)

After our dinner we walked around town a bit - there are some interesting sights and sites. Some of the young girls were very under-dressed for the weather.

Bristol is an interesting town and we will probably go back for a good look around. On the Sunday i borrowed a bike from the Hotel while Sue did her event and rode around for a couple of hours. My first ride in 6 months. The bike was a small mountain bike - the handle bars were loose, the bike was not set up right and they gave me a helmet which would only have fitted on my small head, so i left that behind. Riding on UK roads is a very interesting experience.

Some of the architecture is fantastic but some parts of the town are, like everywhere in the world (think Northbridge 0r Balga in Perth), a bit ordinary. The work that has been done around the Harbour is modern and people told me an improvement on what preceded it.

One of the more interesting sights is the open air loo in the middle of the city centre. I thought this was unique (and i would love to see a woman use it) but actually when you start to look around you see them in other places too (like just outside the embankment station). It is a great solution to stop pissed people peeing in the street or in shop fronts (yet it happens).

Overall it was a nice weekend - i am looking forward to the next trip (next year now).

Jersey Boys

It seems like an age ago but Sue and I spent a weekend in London and went to see a show. we saw Jersey Boys at the Prince Edward Theatre in the middle of Soho (an interesting little place). The show was good - the Frankie Valli story.

After it was over we walked back to our hotel along Oxford Street, called into Selfridges and got a nice bottle of champagne, a bottle of red wine, some cheese and bickies and went back to our hotel room and watched football on TV. It might seem a bit lame but it was a great way to finish the day.

The next morning we got up and went back to SOHO for breakfast (at 11.00am). The place was completely different in the morning to what it had been the day before. Clearly it doesnt get going until mid-afternoon.

intermission nearly over

Sorry folks life has been busy, but hopefully the intermission will be over soon. I have a few photos i need to upload and a couple of blogs at least to write. Just need to find a spare 5 mins or so.

Dont leave because the intermission will be over soon I promise

Halloween - Is that a pumpkin on your head

On Thursday night i went to a "halloween drinks" in Australia House with Sue, Ash and some of Sue's work colleagues. It was a pretty tame night really but riding home on the train was a bit of a laugh. Fran and Amanda were mucking around - not sure what the rest of the passengers thought - and here is the result. Is that a pumpkin handbag on your head.

For the record I couldn't get it on mine.

winter's day

I am sitting in the lounge looking out of the window at rain falling for only the second time since we have been here, but today it is wintery. I haven't been outside to see if it is cold, but it is windy and wet. The combination of rain and wind is conspiring to knock the Autumn leaves off of the trees so it wont be long before the tree across the road will be but a skeleton of its former self. On days like this its nice to stay inside and eat hot wholesome meals so I am off to look for some soup recipes (minestrone maybe) or maybe a pie recipe (chicken pie?).

life turned upside down

we are now a few weeks into our big move and at times it feels like having moved to the other side of the world life for all has been turned upside down. if you are not sure what this feels like try this:

life's a little bit like this at the moment!!

it wont be long till it stabilises though.

game on

Sue reminded me today that we have been working for over a month (her and I she was talking about) so its really game on. to date life has been good, but the weather has played a part in this (it has been really mild).

London is just a world away from Perth. it has so many pluses, but its negatives are so much bigger.

there are just so many "everythings" here. for every thing you can find in Perth there are a hundred in London (think beautiful women/men, handbags, shows, sports events, PUBS - they are everywhere) but the reverse is 100s of everything and everything everywhere you go.

I am getting to feel like a vole/mole (i have never spent so much time underground before).

i am also getting used to the social etiquette of big places (some people - mostly women - just cant seem to accept an offer of help to carry their obviously too heavy suitcase or bag up the underground steps here). Oh Well - sooner or later i will just carry my fat butt and paper up the stairs like all the other men around town.

I have noticed that you do change if you travel at peak hours on the tube - you get protective of your place on the platform and you try to work out where the doors will open so you get a seat. if you are too polite you stand with your hands up over your head for a while (so you dont get accused of touching someone up). while this can be a challenge i have already had some wonderful up close and personal experiences on crowded trains with my hands up over my head - there are truly some beautiful people riding the trains here (think of the power of hundreds every day).

I have yet to meet a true "dickhead" here, but i am sure my turn will come.

Until i sort out a new camera no new photos, but i did do a boy shop today - two news suits, two business shirts, two ties, a new belt and a new overcoat which could last for 100 years (ex silver fish) all for a very reasonable price. all this and a "new friend" and an offer of a trip to a Chelsea game - we will see.