Hey all,

I always start with an apology but it's been about two weeks since the last blog.

It's been a busy few weeks actually. We've got our stuff now so it's been superb to have our stuff around us.

We've done our best to get out and about on the weekends and the weather has been exceptionally kind to us. In fact, everyone said it would be cold, dark, grey and wet over here.

Yes it's been cold - bloody cold actually!

Yes it's been dark - started out as about 4.00 but now not getting dark until about 5.20

Yes it's been grey - but for the last month or so it's always been sunny on the weekends!

But wet - hasn't rained much at all. Only a couple of times in the last eight weeks!

Having said all that, it's been hard to hear stories of wonderful kiwi summers so we're both looking forward to spring sprunging in about four weeks.

Okay - getting out on the weekend. First stop Oxford - what a beautiful town. Sun was shining (as i say) and although cold it was a 'frost' type of cold so not so bad.

The architecture was superb and the walk down the main street was fantastic. Bridge read out on the history of Oxford from the lonely planet on the way up there so we had a good idea of the history of the place while we we're walking around.



We thought the Market was amazing - an indoor market filled with shoe stores, fruit & veg, butchers and fishmongers - really cool!

We went to the Turk Tavern for lunch. This was down three thin wee alleyways just next to the Bridge of Sighs (the photo on far left above). This was the pub that featured prominently in Inspector Morse. It was also where Mr Bill Clinton 'smoked but didn't inhale' a special cigarette. It was filled with students already starting to booze at 3pm but I guess you get that in a university town.

So that was our trip to Oxford. We'd have loved to stay longer and seen more so plan to go back in the spring/summer and stay overnight.

The next weekend we went to the 'thee-ay-terr' which was exceptionally nice. The theatre was called the Haymarket in Basingstoke - a bigger town about half an hour from Newbury. We saw a show called 'The Shell Seekers' based on a book by Rosamunde Pilcher. It starred Susannah Yorke who is an academy award nominated actress (a man for all seasons and they shoot horses don't they). The acting was superb all round - not one weak part. The story was great and the set etc worked exceptionally well. All in all, it was probably the best play we've seen in a very very long time. Great! And so good to go out to the theatre again. We met an older gentleman who was sitting next to us and it was great to talk to someone about the play in the interval. He was a fascinating chap and had lots of stories to tell. All in all a lovely night out!


The next weekend it was another trip out. This time in to London. In anticipation of long summer evenings in our garden, we bought four deck chairs on eBay (£4 the lot - great deal!). Unfortunately we had to go in to London to get them. And they're not really something you can lug around on the tube and then train home! So it was our first experience in driving in central London. We had to go to Bermondsey on the south side of the river. So we got our AAroute from the internet (filled with turn left here, continue through lights here, left lane and then turn left at next road - great actually) and with only a couple of 'oops missed it' moments we arrived - and on time too - two hours 15 minutes door to door.

Picked up the chairs and were surprised at what good nick they were in. They're green canvas director's chairs and will be superb in the summer.

Then next plan was to catch up with Ben (used to work with him at Westpac in Wellington - the guy I've stayed with a few times when in London). We drove to his area (over Tower Bridge and everything!) and parked the car in the middle of London. We took a bit of a walk along the Thames and saw Tower of London, Globe, Anchor pub (where Shakespeare got drunk after a show), St Paul's, the Monument etc and eventually found a nice warm pub and grabbed some lunch.

A quick wander back to the car and then it was time to go home...but what way is that? I thought we would be able to just retrace our steps...ahh...one way streets Geoff...doh! So we jumped in the car and just started driving. We spotted one of those roadsigns with a airplane image - aha Heathrow airport - that's on the way. Of course, London has (I think) four airports and Gatwick was the wrong direction to be going in! After a little directionn adjustment we were on the road again (yet another John Denver reference - this is getting a little sad). Bridge did an awesome job of navigating us through the streets of London and we eventually found the Ring Road - and it was a case of follow the signs. Although Ring Road isn't as big as it sounds. We drove past Hyde Park, the back of B Palace and even drove alongside Harrods!

After a long trip home (about three hours) it was great to finally drive in our driveway. On Sunday we just pottered and in the afternoon sat in our deckchairs in our garden with a glass of wine watching the sun set (admittedly we were wrapped up warm) - a taste of things to come!

So that's the visiting and sightseeing stuff. Work is going well and my projects are starting to get a bit juicy now. Am working on our new sponsorship programme and get to go to a conference in Nyon (just outside of Geneva) in Switzerland in a couple of weeks. And a trip to Turkey also seems on the cards - yay!

Bridge has started looking for work and been to see a few agencies. Would you believe she has to get a character reference from a friend who has known her for two years or more! Glenda get ready for some bribery!

Computer was unable to be fixed so they're replacing it - with a newer flasher model which is quite good! It will be good to have it hooked up at home - having to bring laptop home every night and connect it all up is a bit of a pain. By the way - loving broadband!

And that's all the news really...

Will blog again soon

Ciao