Steve n Jen's UK adventures

UK and European adventures. Read on my pretties, and discover what two stray Aussies can get up to on their travels.......

14 September 2006

Sept 2006 a

Fri 1 Sept 2006
Go together to the doctors during lunch to register with the local surgery. Takes all of 3 minutes to walk to, from our home. Decide to get a projector rather than a telly - as Deb and Clancy can get it cheap for us, from the USA, and we like the picture quality (as they have the same model). Had a visit from a TV licensing guy wanting to see if we had a TV. Y'see, here in the UK you must pay about £100 a year for the privilege of using a TV, even the free-to-air channels. If you have a TV, watch out - you might be fined!

Sat 2 Sept 2006
NTL - hooray we now have internet! We went with a "3 for £30" (per month) deal = Television (72 channels with video on demand), phone and broadband package. The telephone wasn't working - but found out later the phone had to be switched to UK setting rather than USA. Jen goes fabric shopping with Deb in Cambridge, but only buys two curtains worth of fabric (which cunningly matches the lounge suite perfectly). Yes, we need curtains for our future TV projector. Deb stays with us overnight - our first guest! (Clancy works on a US military base, but has been sent overseas for a couple of weeks).

Sun 3 Sept 2006
Steve goes to the local gym and signs up! Hooray! We all went with Deb to see the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra play in Central Park (Eastham) for FREE! Or more aptly, our "council tax" is used to put on the show. The fireworks to the big finale (of the 1812 overture) were really cool.

Above: The Royal Philharmonic perform "Under the Stars".

Tues 5 Sept 2006
Jen finally does the blog! Discovered we have a big attic, but unuseable right now, as the insulation bats are all over the place. Steve hassles Real Estate Agency again about the leaky toilet and stuff.

Above: our attic

Thu 7 Sept 2006
Steve goes to the Gym.

Fri 8 Sept 2006
Hooray! The toilet gets fixed. Double hooray! Well done Steve, for whinging in person at the real estate agency, and refusing to leave until they organised the repairman. Steve hires a large car (the stationwagon we ordered was not available) and somehow we manage to fit everything in, that we need to, for the duration of the upcoming weekend. We pick-up Gavin and Angela from Stanstead airport. Bring them home.

Sat 9 Sept 2006
Get up at stupid o'clock in the morning (5am) and quickly do breakfast and load the car. About two hours down the road we did second breakfast. Off we go to Raglan Castle in Wales! Ohmigod we have never seen so many SCA people taking photos at an event.... but then a castle is the Ultimate backdrop - don't you think?

Above: We arrive! Yes that's the SCA period encampment on the right. The dome tents were around the back. Below: BANGOR!!!!!! A knight, his lady, his squire and lady.

Above: Master Ciaran (from Tasmania) being very photogenic! Have castle will be photographed. Below: And they fought on the bridge too - Look! No haybales! Mwahahahaaa!

Above: The ladies had several excellent perches to view the combat. Below: Yes, even the fencers had a rollicking good time with stunning scenery as this.

Above: This shot was taken from atop the Tower. The fighting is taking place in the fountain courtyard. Below: As many fighting scenarios as a knight and squire can take! (stopped for a water break)

Above: Jarl Peregrine is knighted (yes in a real castle!) Below: Alaric finds a comfy perch.



Sun 10 Sept 2006
We stayed last night at a wonderful little B&B, all 5 of us for only £120 - which is an absolute steal compared to a lot of places. The place was fabulous, the shower was HUGE, and the company/food was excellent too. Anytime you're in the area of Raglan Castle, we recommend you stay there, except when this event is on as we want to get int first!!!! Here's the contact details anyway: mandy@glanuskfarm.co.uk address: Glanusk Farm, Llanfair Kilgeddin, Abergavenny, NP7 9BE Phone 01873 880266   Mobile 07977 99616

Left Raglan site at 12:30pm and headed back to London. Took the scenic route through London along the waterfront, because hey the traffic's going to be crappy no matter which way we go right? Angela and Gavin enjoyed the sights without having to concentrate on driving or navigating. Thankfully we got them back to the airport in time for their flight.

Mon 11 Sept 2006
Laundry done, back to work for Jen. Steve groans about his well-earned bruises from the weekend battles, and spends next day or two recovering / taking it easy. But he still cooks Jen a lovely dinner anyway......



Tues 12 Sept 2006
Today we had a HP 2575 all-in-one printer/scanner/photocopier delivered to our place. Hurrah! Steve goes to fighter practice in Basingstoke again. Teaches everyone the pretty ribbon trick. (reminiscent of gymnastics at the olympics)

Wed 13 Sept 2006
Jen looks for the £20 mini sewing machine that Melina told her about. As it turns out, we needed to visit a shopping centre about 10 minutes' train away, to buy it, since it looks as though they're discontinuing the product. Its a very cute little sewing machine that comes with a 1 year warranty - and I'm sure we'll be getting our value out of it!

Thu 14 Sept 2006
I (Jen) went to a "care scheme" for the elderley today, where an exhibition of residents' memorabilia is on display thanks to my efforts at work. There were 22 posters in all, with a two day (design) turn around. The client (at work) thinks I'm a legend. Nice. We decide to hold our house warming party on 23rd September. Steve also cunningly manages to setup the laptop to talk with our secure wireless broadband.

Fri 15 Sept 2006
Steve's Birthday! One year away from his big 40th, which we'll have to come home for..... Jen takes Steve out to a nice Indian restaurant (which is saying a lot since she doesn't do curry). Yay Jen, says Steve.

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey guys!

Nice to see you are all getting on so well - you are making Sui & I heaps jealous/home sick. Looking forward to reading more!

Portia

10:15 pm  

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