It is snowing here and the weather forecasters tell us it may continue to do so for the next week or so. This has of course created general excitement from Nick and I. I think we are just big kids really. Nick has had the better of it, as it is always colder in Sutton than in town so he got to frolic in 3-4 inches of snow yesterday. Apparently there were snowmen and snow fights. All those people who told us it never snowed in London...
It has, as I seem to say every month, been an eventful month so far. At the beginning of the month we cleaned and cleaned and cleaned some more. I wanted to video it as I didn't think my mother would believe I was actually capable of cleaning that much. The flat did sparkle after we were done and we all felt very pleased with ourselves.
On moving day everything went very smoothly. Fortunately Nick and I were well and truly packed and the Babbage boxes had already shipped. We had two cars to make the to-ing and fro-ing easier. It was all done and dusted by lunchtime and we provided some sustenance to the helpers in the new flat. We did, of course, have to locate a few things before we could eat. In the afternoon the boys went back to finish the clean-up, polishing floors, a final clean of the kitchen and bathroom and hauling away the rubbish. And then it was done. I stayed at the new flat and unpacked boxes and suitcases of clothes so that we could feel as though we were settling in.
Nick and Duncan got home just in time to have a shower, grab a quick bite to eat and then head out the door. Bronwyn's school had very inconsiderately scheduled its pantomime for the night of the move. I have been very keen to go to a pantomime to get into the spirit of Britishness and one that had Bronwyn in it was even better! The production was Snow White and the Golden Goose - a slight reworking (by the school's drama teacher) of a traditional tale involving a family of builders, a mute boy, Merlin, the magician and a hunchback alongside the more expected Snow White, Evil step-mother, 'Dame' and handsome prince. Bronwyn played piano for the musical numbers and was a drummer in the parade. A lot of time and effort had obviously gone into the production, including elaborate sets, props and costumes, and the kids seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves. It was perhaps a little too long for tired adults sitting on reasonably uncomfy chairs but fun none-the-less. We caught a couple of buses home and fell into bed exhausted.
A new flat means a few new things are required. For example, wooden spoons, fish slices and a new wok. So Nick and I have been having fun slowly accumulating these over the last couple of weeks. We are getting there but every now and again we go where is the x, oh that's right we don't have an x here and it goes on the to buy list.
I have also had my procedure this month. Nick simultaneously had a nasty bout of the flu, which meant him visiting a GP for the first time since we arrived and having a course of antibiotics. My thing all went pretty much according to plan but the drugs knocked me for a six and it took a few days to come right. The diet was bland but everyone (well not Duncan) was jealous of my consumption of fish. It was less stressful than I had imagined and apparently everything looked ok. I return for a clinic visit in April when no doubt I will be given all the gory details!
The sad side of having a new house is that it means we have to say good-bye to Duncan and Bronwyn. They are heading home tomorrow and we will miss them tremendously. We have been having a few little flat goodbyes over the last week. Bronwyn and I had been planning a girls' day out on Saturday visiting the shops in town. However, when we woke up, Bronwyn said to me, "Do you fancy going to Brighton for the day?". And so we did. Bronwyn had been wanting to go for ages and just never found the right time. It is only about an hour from London by train and if you catch Thameslink reasonably priced. However, there was one slight flaw in this plan, the train was replaced by buses between Three Bridges and Brighton. This added about 20 minutes to the journey each way. We did, however, meet some very chatty men on the bus. Turns out it was game day - Sunderland versus Brighton - and they had been on the go since 6am to get to the game. They had rather strong accents and we struggled to understand them. But they provided a distraction for the journey. (I checked later when I got home and Sunderland lost 2-1 so they would have gone home disappointed).
Once we had safely arrived in Brighton we headed for the Pavilion. We didn't go in but looked at the Indian inspired exterior and gardens.It is really quite a grand building and has received a multi-million pound renovation that is still ongoing. They have a very nice gift shop too! The Brighton Museum and Art Gallery is in the same grounds and they have a nice selection of Brighton related material. I always think it is interesting to look to see what curators choose to use to tell the story of the surrounding region. In this case it included fluorescent tourist souvenirs. When we had finished here we headed towards the beach, it wasn't really beach weather with a biting cold wind, stopping along the way for a spot of lunch. We walked along the pier, through the amusement arcades to the rides at the end. I even bought some Brighton rock for Nick. We thought that the people opting for the log flume ride were more than a little foolhardy! Then it was time for a hot chocolate for Bronwyn and chips for me in an attempt to warm ourselves up. We decided we couldn't really let a trip to Brighton go by without a lie on the beach and were for once grateful for stony British foreshores, as cold wet sand would have been unbearable. The sun did come out for a while and we lay covered in hats, earmuffs and gloves enjoying the seaside scene. We headed back to the buses and back to London where we were greeted by snow in Croydon.
That same evening Nick did his extravaganza goodbye meal figuring he would have more time if he did it in the weekend. He produced chippies with onion dip (just to get everybody in a kiwi state of mind), cordon bleu turkey, rosemary garlic roast potatoes, mushroom sauce and courgettes and carrots. He followed this with creme brulee. We filled the evening with a game of Cranium (thanks Duncan and Karen) and a couple of episodes of Stargate. It was a fun night and reminded us just how nice it has been to have them as our extended family in London.
Last night, with eight episodes to go in Stargate Season 5, we had a full on television night. We got through four episodes, leaving four. Will we get through them tonight? It remains to be seen. Wish us luck...
Posted by Hayley
