MONDAY 28th JULY

Rule number one: Always take an umbrella with you. It doesn't matter what the weather is doing, or looks like doing. Just take one. We went out to a bar on Saturday night, birthday drinks for one of Hayley's colleagues. We arrived at Barbican tube station to be confronted with a wall of water descending from the sky. After ten minutes of waiting in the vague hope that it might let up we set off in search of the bar. We did have a map. We checked it very carefully. We still ended up going the wrong direction. Fortunately a complete stranger saw the confused expressions on our faces and took pity on us. She gave us accurate directions on how to get where we wanted to go. Which incidentally was a lot closer to our starting point than where we were now. We ducked, dived and sloshed our way through the streets (hasn't anyone heard of awnings!) and made our way successfully this time to the bar in question. We were very wet. In fact we couldn't have got any wetter if we had tried. Therefore I repeat, always take an umbrella with you.

Earlier on Saturday we had gone to Kingston. Kingston boasts a large number and wide variety of shops in an easy to navigate environment (it doesn't matter where you go, you'll find something you're interested in). They also have a large shopping mall, the Bentall Centre. The mall is split over four levels and has lots af great shops including a Legoland store and a Bear Factory. We didn't buy anything, but we'll definitely be back.

On Sunday we decided to instill a little culture, so we went for a trip to the British Museum. The British Museum is large. Very large. There is no way you could visit it all in a day. For this visit we decided to focus on the Egyptian exhibits.

The sheer size of the exhibits is the first thing that hits you, then I think it would have to be the age of the items you are looking at. There are artifacts on display dating from 4000BC. The most famous exhibit from their Egyptian collection is probably the Rosetta Stone.

The Rosetta Stone was interseting, but my personal favourite would have to be this chap. The baboon. No, the other one. The baboon was identified with Thoth, the god of writing. Just like cats baboons were held sacred, and like cats enjoyed longevity, after a fashion, in the form of mummification.

We spent about three hours at the museum, and only really covered the stonework and monument section of Egypt. Towards the end of our visit we realised there were also rooms upstairs highlighting the less monumental and more cultural aspects of ancient Egyptian life. We braved one of the upstaris rooms, but museum fatigue had taken its toll, so we said our farewells (to Sekhmet, Bastet and Osiris) and headed for the gift shop.

SATURDAY 19th JULY

Time for another flat outing. Carolyn (Bronwyn's sister) returned from her trip to Scotland today. We decided it would be good to go for a picnic. Hayley and I prepared a picnic tea including garlic bread, potato salad, iced tea (& wine) which we took to Cannizaro Park.

Cannizaro Park used to be the gardens of Cannizaro House. Once a private house it is now an exclusive hotel and restaurant. The gardens however were gifted to the council. The park is divided into different theme areas including a walled garden and an Italian garden. The only restriction on the use of the park is that ball sports are banned. This doesn't seem to stop people, but to be on the safe side we took a frisbee.

The frisbee in question is actually more of a flying ring. It has however had an interesting, if short life so far. I bought it this afternoon so we would have some entertainment for the park, other than sparkling conversation. It was agreed that testing was order, but within forty minutes of Duncan and I playing with it we had sort of broken it. Oops. It wasn't even like we were totally going against the instructions on the packaging that we didn't read. They just don't make toys like they used too. I scooted back to the toy shop and informed them in a technically correct manner that "it just snapped". Fortunately they replaced it with nary a thought for my tale of woe. This was good as Duncan was worried that he was building a reputation for breaking things that belong to me. The most notable incident being my thumb.

Dinner was good. Park was good. Frisbee was good, and not broken. Rain had the decency to wait until we had finished our walk around the gardens before gracing us with its presence. It was as they say "a good day", hope yours was too.

THURSDAY 17th JULY

We caught up with Sharon tonight. Sharon and Hayley are survivors of Long Bay College (class of '93).

We hadn't seen her since our wedding so it was great to catch up with someone who understands us. Tonight almost didn't happen though - the catch up that is - as we had managed to end up with a cell phone number not attached to Sharon's phone, so someone is going to have some odd txts and voicemail when they finally turn their phone on. In spite of this we did manage to run into each other just as we were giving up hope and heading home. Meeting up with friends in London is nigh on impossible without a mobile, so tonight we were lucky

Sharon is just finishing up a stint in Surrey picking summer fruit, then she'll be heading off to see the Mediterranean. We look forward to hearing all about her trip to Greece and Turkey and receiving lots of postcards : )

The week is now almost over, this makes Hayley very happy. Next week will be hard. A full five day working week. Oh well she still has more leave that has to be taken before September so it's not all grey skies, unlike London this precise minute. Still as they say here, if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes and it'll change. It may not be better, but it'll change.

WEDNESDAY 16th JULY

MONDAY 14th JULY

We decided we would have a bit of a look at the shops today. Hayley has been woefully short of clothes that fit her (her skirts keep falling down), so the womens' shops got a thorough going over. Hayley ended up buying three new tops and a funky skirt. I on the other hand got no new clothes, but I did get a cool little multi tool for tightening and loosening things on my skateboard.

Continuing a holiday tradition for us we sought out a mini golf course. We were pleasantly surprised to find out there was a recently opened 18 hole course in Royal Victoria Park. The course was very pleasant with lots of water features and shade from the blistering hot sun. I won't mention numbers, but I will say that I was only 2 shots off the best score for that day. I will also say that Hayley was not. We recovered from our strenuous golf with iced tea and iceblocks.

We headed back up the hill to collect our bags which the B&B had kindly let us leave there for the day and wandered back down into town.

The return journey was the antithesis of the journey to Bath. The train was running 22 minutes late into Bath Spa, had no functioning air-conditioning (in fact it was so hot on board they were giving away non-alcoholic beverages) and ran progressively later as the trip went on ending up running about 55 minutes late into Paddington. To compound matters the District Line also had delays - so all in all we didn't get home until after 11pm. That was more like what I had heard British train journeys were like!! Fortunately Hayley has tommorrow off work. We thoroughly recommend Bath, if you ever get a chance to go, and plan to return soon.

SUNDAY 13th JULY

Feeling buoyed by yesterdays walking adventures we decided a real challenge would be to walk up to Beckford's Tower. A landmark situated at the top of a rather steep hill about 3 miles outside of Bath. Yes today was the hottest day recorded so far with the mercury hitting about 32°C, yes we are foolish but on the positive side it seems almost impossible for New Zealander's to get burnt over here, the sun just isn't as strong.

The tower was interesting, providing panoramic views of the city and countryside as well as a brief history of the man who built it. Beckford, the man, was rather addicted to architecture, fortunately for him he inherited a great wealth from his father's Jamaican sugar cane empire, and so was able to indulge in the hobby of building abbeys and the like.

The grounds around the tower are a disused but still consecrated cemetary. We had a good look around and saw the spot where rumour has it his dog is buried. A strict no-no so we are told.

Wandering back into Bath we took in the architectural sights of The Circus and The Royal Crescent. Two beautiful, imposing and oh so very posh addresses in Bath. The Circus is as the name suggests a giant circle, with houses around the perimeter and a park in the centre. Royal Crescent is a sweeping semi-circle looking out over Royal Victoria Park. It was designed by John Wood Jnr and completed in 1775, making it very old indeed.

We ambled downtown and found our way to Pulteney Bridge, a bridge with shops on either side, very similar to the Ponte Vecchio in Florence. We had a look at the shops, an eclectic mix of boutiques, restaurants and souvenir shops before continuing our stroll along the bank of the Avon (opposite direction to yesterday).

Just when we thought it couldn't get anymore English than this, we stumbled across the Bath Cricket Club. We found our way into the ground and settled under the shade of an oak tree to watch the first innings of Bath dismantling a decidely mediocre looking Basingstoke. We wandered back into town to look at the architecture some more. Before buying a picnic tea and heading back to our accomodation. We made the most of having a television by watching a Midsomer Murder - the mad half sister did it - and headed to bed.

SATURDAY 12th JULY

Today we decided we would go for a walk along the canals (heading towards Bathampton). We actually decided it would be great to go for a cycle alongside the canals but this plan was hampered by the cycle hire shop in Bath no longer hiring cycles and the nearest other hire venue being over 16km away. Our plan was also slightly stifled by there being major dredging being done on several of the locks which made access to the canals rather difficult. Not to be stopped in our valiant attempt to gain exercise and stunning views of Bath we decided instead to walk in the other direction beside the Avon.

We absolutely chose the right weekend to travel, the weather forecast for today is for clear skies and 30°C. The walk was lovely, we got to see lots of canal boats and several locks in action. We followed the tow path till there was no where else to walk. Except for a vague trail through a meadow. Being adventurous souls we carried on until the path became so vague as to be non-existant. At this point we decided to cut our losses and head for the pub at the end of the tow path.

After a suitable rest and refreshments we wandered back along the river into Bath and back to our B&B for a siesta.

Feeling thoroughly revitalised, though with slightly sore calves, we wandered back into town for dinner. We went to Loch Fyne Restaurant a specialist in seafood. We had delicious meals and even better desserts. Hayley had the most amazing sorbet, it was so creamy it was just like ice cream. I had a summer berry cheesecake that melted in your mouth, not in your hand : )

FRIDAY 11th JULY | WE'RE GOING TO BATH!

We arrived into Bath at 11:15am and caught a cab to our B&B which was up a steep hill overlooking Bath. Our room was lovely, with a little ensuite and a lovely bay window. Please note the bay window is not in the ensuite. We made ourselves at home, by scattering clothes everywhere, then we set off for an explore of this exciting locale.

In spite of Hayley's scepticism over the interest value of a trip to the Roman Baths, we decided we should hit this tourist mecca first before the weekend hordes arrived. At this point Hayley would like to say to all those who insisted that she visit this attraction, that they were right, it was well worth the entry price. The baths have an audio tour which unlike many audio tours allow you to pick and choose what you would like to listen to. The Baths are based around a natural mineral spring. The Romans built a temple complex on the site of the spring once they were firmly based in the area. The temple was dedicated to the goddess Sulis Minerva. Sulis Minerva is a combination of deities. The Roman Minerva and the Celtic Sul, both of which were guards to the underworld which is what the springs were viewed as.

We spent about three hours at the baths (yes we are geeks) so by the time we left refreshments were definitely on the menu. We walked through the town till we came to a cafe that looked promising. We sat out on a deck in the afternoon sun and sipped cocktails, Hayley had a woo woo and I had a daiquiri. We then wandered back through town, had a quick look at the outside of the abbey and headed back to our accommodation.

THURSDAY 10th JULY | DUNCAN'S BIRTHDAY

WEDNESDAY 9th JULY

Hayley and I had drinks with Elizabeth Bird on Monday. It was good to catch up with her albeit too briefly. London is suiting her well and we will definitely be getting together again.

It's time for me to cook dinner now, the last time for this week cos we'll be away YAY!!! I'll settle down now : )

SATURDAY 5th JULY | NICK'S BIRTHDAY

I like presents. Quite a lot. Which is lucky as I found myself in the possession of a number of them this morning. Jane and Ian sent me a travel sized magnetic chess set. I beat Hayley the first game we played, so I liked that present. Thanks to mum and dad I have some cd's winging their way across the Atlantic to me. Duncan & Bronwyn gave me two books. Both from the Discworld series. Hayley spoilt me with a selection of books and toys, including a mini water garden and a magnetic sculpture. The presents were wrapped in gorgeous paper (see sample above).

To the right is my first installation as a professional mini sculpter. My detractors have claimed this is already an over supplied niche, but I'm willing to fight on. As you can see there is hours of fun to be had from that particular present : )

We will be having steak for dinner tonight. Quite a treat over here. This will be the first beef we have had in an identifiable format since we arrived (McDonalds hardly counts). The fillet we chose is Scottish Angus, the only herd that has escaped the BSE scare. Carnivores that we are, we'll savour every moment as it will probably be another six months before we have steak again.

FRIDAY 4th JULY

We received a card in the mail from Fi & Phil the other day. I'm not dropping any hints, but I have to say it was nice to get some physical mail, other than bills. The card takes pride of place on our dresser and reminds us of our friends. Yes, we do miss you all, very much. When did you say you were visiting? : )

I've applied for a few more jobs this week, so fingers crossed that something will present itself as I am getting rather fed up with finding tasks to fill my days.

TUESDAY 1st JULY

Hmmmm. Maybe my chances of getting a birthday in the sun are lower than I had previously thought. The weather forecast for the next week seems to involve lots of little pictures like the one to the left. Maybe next year we will head for the Mediterranean to ensure a birthday tan.

The flu has more or less decided to leave me alone now, so I may even get out of bed today : )

Because Hayley is on an academic contract at work, her leave is tied to the academic year. This means she has to take nine days annual leave before September. Personally, I'm not sure how she copes with such hardship. This has lead her to plan a surprise trip for us to an unknown British location for a few days. Well, the location is unknown to me anyway. We will be away from the 11th to the 14th of July. With a bit of luck by then I will have the photo section of the site running properly and you'll be able to see how glamorous we look.