Hello dear friends,
We have been having a whale of a time and will tell you about all our adventures in the New Year. Tons of pictures and tales to tell, my humour hat will be on an in full swing. Much love to everyone and wishing you the year you have always dreamed for in 2012.
Rich and Sammy
Saturday, 31 December 2011
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
All the November News
Hello Dear Friends,
Last time I posted we were heading into an action packed November and it has not disappointed! Before that, we must mention our trip to the Wimborne Food Festival. We heard about it at work and went to take a look with our friends Rich and Carmen. The festival is held in the centre of town, exactly like you would see in any cooking program on TV. Lots and lots of food stalls, and nice tasty things to eat and drink. Strangely we thought, there were a lot of stalls selling cup cakes, but you will see from one of the photo's below that the cupcakes are very creative. We also watched a short demonstration on cooking a pigeon breast, although Sammy watched from a distance as her vegitarian instinct took hold. I was pleased to try a Wild Boar burger and I am happy to report that Obelix was not wrong, it is delicious! We loved the food fair, it makes for a great afternoon out, and I am sure we will do many more like it. Back to November, I mentioned that we were on the way over to the Isle of Wight for Mark and Jo's son Noah's party, and then a double up for Sammys birthday the day after. It is always a treat to be back on the Isle of Wight, and we are already nostalgic about the place when we return to it, as it provided such a warm welcome to Mud Island for us. The afternoon was good with all the kiddies and families joining in for Noah's big day, and then we had a great evening with everyone afterwards. Champagne breakfast skillfully cooked by Conan on a Cadac Skottle provided a true South African flavour to Sammy's birthday breakfast. We left the Isle via Yarmouth back to Lymington and took a slow drive home to end a great weekend. Now I had mentioned all our plans on the last blog but I left something very important out. Sammy has joined the Bournemouth Adult Contemporary Company, and has been dancing with them every Tuesday night for some time. On the Tuesday after her birthday, she took part in a small concert with the company at the Pavillion on the Bournemouth beach front. As we would all expect she danced beautifully and was easily amongst the stand out dancers on the evening. We were asked not to take photographs during the session which was a pity as Sammy was very special! I was very proud of her and look forward to her next performance which will take place in early April. The next night we went to see a stage version of the hit tv series Allo' Allo at the Regent Theatre in Christchurch with our friends Rich and Carmen. As the show started fairly early, we hunted down a nice little Italian place for a quick pizza and wine to get into the swing of things. Dinner was fantastic and I was again floored by the speed at which Rich can put away a huge pizza. Now a lot of people including myself have the capacity to pack away a large on our own, but Rich is slim and 5ft 7ish. So for him to eat faster and more than me, is quite something to witness. We all enjoyed the show which was true to the tv series in every possible way. There were a few akward moments as the actor playing Madame Edith forgot her lines or missed her que, resulting in some silent moments followed by hurried whispers from stage left! All the same it was a great way to spend an evening and we enjoyed the play thoroughly.
It started off a fabulous weekend for us, with my Aunt's birthday in Coventry on Friday night. This was a chance to catch up with my cousins and their kids and also to meet some of the friends and dance partners we always hear about from my Aunt. On Saturday we were super excited to be able to go and watch the Parlotones at the HMV Institute. After standing in the wrong queue for 30 minutes we eventually got into the venue and it was very easy going from there. There was not big queue for the bar, and the barman carries a scanning device that totals up your drinks order and then shows you on a display how much you need to pay. Makes a change from screaming at the barman that you cannot hear him. The supporting act had decided that they would test out their sound equipment during their performance, which was um....interesting. Extremely loud, with the occasional microphone feedback squeal, I think they need a few more dry runs before appearing live again. But, the 'Tones were simply sublime. Kahn and the boys were at the end of a 6 week long tour of the US and the UK, so they could have rushed through it, but laid down 20 songs for us to enjoy. I had commented on the stupid woman who were in front of us for most of the show on Facebook, so the less said about that the better, but they did not spoil the show for us. It was a bittersweet moment to hear the Parlotones finish off their last song at 10pm. A curfew rule in the HMV Institute meant that there was no encore, as the place turns into a nightclub after the shows. Pity that, we were in the mood for more! We caught a train back to Coventry and had a slightly spooky walk back to my Aunt's home, as it was misty and dark in some spots. But of course, one of the simple joys of living on Mud Island is that you can walk safely at night without worrying about who might jump out in front of you demanding your wallet. There are so few areas that are not safe, its a wonderful thing we assure you! On Sunday morning we met my cousin Michelle and her husband Paul at the Bull Ring in Birmingham. The Bull Ring is a mamoth shopping centre in the middle of the city. So massive in fact, it comes close to Westfields in London for title of the Mothership! Picture Sandton City 10 times bigger! We enjoyed a morning roaming around Selfridges, looking at clothes and shoes we couldnt possibly afford and then took a slow drive back home to Bournemouth and our kitties.
During November we also confirmed that we are coming to South Africa in March for a few weeks, which we are very excited about. We have not yet met our latest nephew Travis, so we are going straight to Cape Town to spend some time with him and Cam and Jules. Then off to see my mom in George, before a few days on the Natal coast and then up to Joburg for a week before returning to Mud Island for more adventures! So we hope to see you all when we are in town!This past weekend Sammy and I browsed the Christmas market in Bournmouth central which was nice to see, although very small compared to some of the markets we will visit in the next few weeks! We also visited our friends Alan and Mandy in their new home in Christchurch. It was a great evening complete with the chance to christen a brand new braai which we did in style!
I had been riding my mountain bike frequently but in the last two weeks have suffered from some bad man flu. Unfortunately I passed the flu on to Sammy who has also been sniffling her way through the last week. We are on the mend now, but its hard to shake the bug with the cooler weather. Oh yes...the weather. Hmmm, we remain unconvinced as the autumn has been the mildest in a long time according to the locals, so maybe we will get a big fright when it eventually gets cold. But at this stage, we are not holding our breath! As I write this it is 12 degrees outside and in full sunshine, not a cloud in the sky. The weather forecast changes every 3 hours so we never really know what the weather will be like in advance. We have a busy few weeks coming up now and will share all of our adventures with you as they happen! Below as usual is a host of photo's enjoy them as much as we have enjoyed our November on Mud island. Much love as always Rich and Sam
Last time I posted we were heading into an action packed November and it has not disappointed! Before that, we must mention our trip to the Wimborne Food Festival. We heard about it at work and went to take a look with our friends Rich and Carmen. The festival is held in the centre of town, exactly like you would see in any cooking program on TV. Lots and lots of food stalls, and nice tasty things to eat and drink. Strangely we thought, there were a lot of stalls selling cup cakes, but you will see from one of the photo's below that the cupcakes are very creative. We also watched a short demonstration on cooking a pigeon breast, although Sammy watched from a distance as her vegitarian instinct took hold. I was pleased to try a Wild Boar burger and I am happy to report that Obelix was not wrong, it is delicious! We loved the food fair, it makes for a great afternoon out, and I am sure we will do many more like it. Back to November, I mentioned that we were on the way over to the Isle of Wight for Mark and Jo's son Noah's party, and then a double up for Sammys birthday the day after. It is always a treat to be back on the Isle of Wight, and we are already nostalgic about the place when we return to it, as it provided such a warm welcome to Mud Island for us. The afternoon was good with all the kiddies and families joining in for Noah's big day, and then we had a great evening with everyone afterwards. Champagne breakfast skillfully cooked by Conan on a Cadac Skottle provided a true South African flavour to Sammy's birthday breakfast. We left the Isle via Yarmouth back to Lymington and took a slow drive home to end a great weekend. Now I had mentioned all our plans on the last blog but I left something very important out. Sammy has joined the Bournemouth Adult Contemporary Company, and has been dancing with them every Tuesday night for some time. On the Tuesday after her birthday, she took part in a small concert with the company at the Pavillion on the Bournemouth beach front. As we would all expect she danced beautifully and was easily amongst the stand out dancers on the evening. We were asked not to take photographs during the session which was a pity as Sammy was very special! I was very proud of her and look forward to her next performance which will take place in early April. The next night we went to see a stage version of the hit tv series Allo' Allo at the Regent Theatre in Christchurch with our friends Rich and Carmen. As the show started fairly early, we hunted down a nice little Italian place for a quick pizza and wine to get into the swing of things. Dinner was fantastic and I was again floored by the speed at which Rich can put away a huge pizza. Now a lot of people including myself have the capacity to pack away a large on our own, but Rich is slim and 5ft 7ish. So for him to eat faster and more than me, is quite something to witness. We all enjoyed the show which was true to the tv series in every possible way. There were a few akward moments as the actor playing Madame Edith forgot her lines or missed her que, resulting in some silent moments followed by hurried whispers from stage left! All the same it was a great way to spend an evening and we enjoyed the play thoroughly.
It started off a fabulous weekend for us, with my Aunt's birthday in Coventry on Friday night. This was a chance to catch up with my cousins and their kids and also to meet some of the friends and dance partners we always hear about from my Aunt. On Saturday we were super excited to be able to go and watch the Parlotones at the HMV Institute. After standing in the wrong queue for 30 minutes we eventually got into the venue and it was very easy going from there. There was not big queue for the bar, and the barman carries a scanning device that totals up your drinks order and then shows you on a display how much you need to pay. Makes a change from screaming at the barman that you cannot hear him. The supporting act had decided that they would test out their sound equipment during their performance, which was um....interesting. Extremely loud, with the occasional microphone feedback squeal, I think they need a few more dry runs before appearing live again. But, the 'Tones were simply sublime. Kahn and the boys were at the end of a 6 week long tour of the US and the UK, so they could have rushed through it, but laid down 20 songs for us to enjoy. I had commented on the stupid woman who were in front of us for most of the show on Facebook, so the less said about that the better, but they did not spoil the show for us. It was a bittersweet moment to hear the Parlotones finish off their last song at 10pm. A curfew rule in the HMV Institute meant that there was no encore, as the place turns into a nightclub after the shows. Pity that, we were in the mood for more! We caught a train back to Coventry and had a slightly spooky walk back to my Aunt's home, as it was misty and dark in some spots. But of course, one of the simple joys of living on Mud Island is that you can walk safely at night without worrying about who might jump out in front of you demanding your wallet. There are so few areas that are not safe, its a wonderful thing we assure you! On Sunday morning we met my cousin Michelle and her husband Paul at the Bull Ring in Birmingham. The Bull Ring is a mamoth shopping centre in the middle of the city. So massive in fact, it comes close to Westfields in London for title of the Mothership! Picture Sandton City 10 times bigger! We enjoyed a morning roaming around Selfridges, looking at clothes and shoes we couldnt possibly afford and then took a slow drive back home to Bournemouth and our kitties.
During November we also confirmed that we are coming to South Africa in March for a few weeks, which we are very excited about. We have not yet met our latest nephew Travis, so we are going straight to Cape Town to spend some time with him and Cam and Jules. Then off to see my mom in George, before a few days on the Natal coast and then up to Joburg for a week before returning to Mud Island for more adventures! So we hope to see you all when we are in town!This past weekend Sammy and I browsed the Christmas market in Bournmouth central which was nice to see, although very small compared to some of the markets we will visit in the next few weeks! We also visited our friends Alan and Mandy in their new home in Christchurch. It was a great evening complete with the chance to christen a brand new braai which we did in style!
I had been riding my mountain bike frequently but in the last two weeks have suffered from some bad man flu. Unfortunately I passed the flu on to Sammy who has also been sniffling her way through the last week. We are on the mend now, but its hard to shake the bug with the cooler weather. Oh yes...the weather. Hmmm, we remain unconvinced as the autumn has been the mildest in a long time according to the locals, so maybe we will get a big fright when it eventually gets cold. But at this stage, we are not holding our breath! As I write this it is 12 degrees outside and in full sunshine, not a cloud in the sky. The weather forecast changes every 3 hours so we never really know what the weather will be like in advance. We have a busy few weeks coming up now and will share all of our adventures with you as they happen! Below as usual is a host of photo's enjoy them as much as we have enjoyed our November on Mud island. Much love as always Rich and Sam
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| Mad Face made out of root veggies at the Wimborne Food Festival |
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| Pretty little town, teeming with people on the day. Just 5 miles from home! |
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| Beautiful day for it. Not a cloud in the sky |
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| Sammy asking if she can have some cupcakes... |
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| Wimborne Cathedral |
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| Rich and Carmen |
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| Halloween Cupcakes! |
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| The Wild Boar Burger, note also the Buffalo and Venison + Buffalo combo! |
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| The Printroom, Sammy and I went there to start off her birthday weekend |
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| Brilliant Vanilla Daquiri's to start |
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| Private booth dining, its the way to go |
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| Conan cooking eggs for Sammy's champagne breakfast |
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| Mark and Sammy, the morning after the night before. It was a good party! |
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| Noah playing in the garden with his friend Blossom, who is a sweetie pie! |
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| Yes yes we are hungover, feed us! |
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| Sammy and I at my Aunty Mary's party |
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| Breakfast at Cafe Rouge last weekend |
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| Thats all folks. |
Friday, 4 November 2011
Short autumn note
Hello Dear Friends,
We have been so busy and not had too much time to post anything on the blog. But I thought it might be fun to post some pictures that have not made it onto the blog so far, either because we have not told you the stories or didn’t have the room.
So you will find a real mix here, and for added flavour, I have included some pictures taken before we even left for our adventure! Now that we are settled, we are able to focus on getting used to the change of season and the time change. We are still convinced that the Brits moan way too much about their weather. It has been cooler and rainy over the last week or so, and already I am hearing complaints on the radio about “all this rain!”. Just a note from me to them..... chaps, seriously??? How do you think all the green grass and spectacular scenery stays that way, yip you guessed it, with a spot of rain. And besides it is good to have an obvious autumn, because that will mean an obvious winter, and so to a glorious spring and summer! See? That is how it works.
On autumn, it has to be the most spectacular season we have enjoyed in a long while. All the trees have changed colour and driving through the English countryside is just amazing, the trees ablaze in reds, oranges and yellows. I am glad that we don’t have any trees shedding leaves into the garden, because I do see some neighbours out every second day clearing their back yards! Temperature wise it has not been cold yet, we have had the heating on one or two very brisk evenings, which the boys love, but it I think it will be a few weeks still before the real cold arrives. We have a really busy few weeks ahead of us. Tomorrow we are off to the Isle of Wight to attend Mark and Jo’s son Noah’s party, followed by fireworks in Ryde and a champagne breakfast the next day for Sammy’s birthday. During the week, we will be going to a theatre production of Allo Allo, which should be a hoot, a big birthday bash in Coventry for my Aunty Mary, and then on Saturday night we are going to watch the Parlotones performing live in Birmingham! Super excited about that, it should be special as it comes at the end of a long tour for them and then they go home to SA. I have no doubt Sammy and I will be hoarse on Sunday having sung along to all the songs on the night.
Right I have to run as I am at work and have just taken a quick break to put this together. Much love as always, Rich and Sammy! |
| Jinx catching a few Zzzz's on the boxes packed to come to Mud Island |
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| Partners in crime, during one of many boardmeetings that ended in a Jaegermeister haze! |
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| Sammy just off Times Square, NYC in September last year |
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| Two things we don't need on Mud Island, the electric fence and the swimming pool! |
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| P Dog! My cousin Michelles super sweet lady Bulldog. |
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| Fireworks, a weekly feature of the Bournemouth Summer |
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| Sammy in the wind, during our walk, the one pic we didnt show you! |
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| The beach in the cove at Durdle Door! Summertime target 2012 |
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| Two happy cats! Taken the day they got home. |
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| Our mate Keith and I, posing at Corfe Castle. |
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| Sam and Keith playing silly buggers, look at the kid on the right, he is as puzzled as I was! |
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| The boys released from the house for the first time after three weeks at home. Checking out the scene. |
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| With Ingrid and Jaques in London |
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| Brett with some cool cheeky beers, always so nice when he visits us, and is coming over again in two weeks time! |
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| Clowning around in the office. |
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| Wembley Stadium, went to watch NFL there, the stadium is great, the game not so much |
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| Slow slowwww game |
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| Standing around for 5 minutes just after the last picture, just so slowww |
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| Halloween cupcakes by my colleague (and our friend) Carmen |
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| View overlooking part of Bournemouth in early autumn |
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| Not too Shabby! |
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| MTB heaven! |
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| Another view from the hill |
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| London on a grey but lovely afternoon. |
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| Delivery of Harrod's goodies near Trafalgur Square. |
Sunday, 16 October 2011
Time Flies!!
Hello dear friends,
So sorry we have been so quiet, it's just that we have had so many wonderful things to do and experience, and with both of us working there is little time to record it all! It is an absolute joy to record our experiences here, so we will keep on doing so and hope that all of you are patient enough to come back and check from time to time to see how things are going. And of course I always say I promise to keep it up and we will, just maybe a little slower than intended.
So where do we start? Well, Sunday evenings are about the slowest moments we have at the moment. Sammy is working hard at the Borough of Poole and my work is keeping me very busy and also giving me the opportunity to see a real mix of English countryside and towns. Autumn has finally arrived in full swing and the colours of autumn are fantastic to see as I drive up and down the nations highways. The rich tapestry of browns and oranges make Mud Island a very pretty place to be at this time of year. That got me thinking the other day, and I asked Sammy to help me put a list together of the things we love the most about living here so far. And for good humour, we have also added in a few of the things we don't like, as its never all roses no matter where you live.
Our list of things we love so far in no particular order:
1. The mind blowingly beautiful countryside, both in Spring, Summer and now Autumn. From Durdle Door to Hengistbury Head (a story for another post, soon I promise!) From Corfe Castle to Sandown Racecourse we have seen and done so much in our short time here, and it is all breathtaking.
2. The weather so far....no really!!!! Ok we have been lucky with the driest Spring in 26 years, but even the Summer which was apparently one of the wettest in a while, was completely fine. Having said that, I have no doubt that the Winter will put us right, but in the meantime, seriously it rains more in Durban.
3. No bank or medical charges. Such a refreshing change from the daylight robbery back in SA. No ATM charges and no admin charges for this and admin charges for that. No charges for visiting the doctor and paying him large sums of money to tell you what you already know, that you are sick. (Thanks Doc I knew that before I came to see you, that's why I made the appointment!)
4. Transparency in Politics. No place to hide here, no matter what your political views or the day to day controversies any government faces, if you get found out here in England, there is only one way, and that is out. None of this hanging on and believing that a bald faced lie of a denial will see you through, put your toe out of line and you are history. As a good Saffer would say "Finished and klaar"
5. Everyday driving - mostly, and I say mostly because there is always one, mostly drivers are considerate and careful. Sure we have middle lane hogs and the occasional tailgater, but we have no Taxi's and that is worth a lifetime of moving on it's own! For my Brit mates, the Taxi's I refer to are minivans in SA known for their blatant disregard for the law and their fellow man and they are the scourge of the earth.
6. All our new friends who have shown us amazing sights, invited us into their homes, unearthed great and reasonable restaurants, recommended incredible vista's and views and colleagues who have embraced us and accepted us freely into the working life here. Some colleagues have rapidly become friends and we are loving that too.
What we don't like all that much thanks:
1. I mentioned the free bank charges and medical. Well in complete contrast, the Brits are the "Olympic Champions at taking the piss" as a good friend Mazza put it, when it comes to charging for anything else. Sammy summed it up brilliantly too. "Here you will be charged for everything from Poppadums to Parking". Want to use a nice clean public toilet? Chances are that will cost you 50p. Bottomless coffee? No ways, why would we only charge you for one cup when we can charge you the same amount for every extra cup. Oh and no free bread or poppadums in a restaurant, that comes at an extra charge. Shopping can be a lot cheaper than in SA, but if you don't concentrate, you will get charged for just thinking about it. Parking is completely insane, its the one area where the Brits are serious specialists at overcharging. That and franchised coffee outlets lead the way.
2. Health and Safety rules, which I have taken the mickey out of in one of my first blog posts are seriously silly in most cases and hold the country back in my opinion. One of the latest ludicrous examples is a school that has banned normal footballs and replaced them with sponge footballs in case someone gets hurt. In England, football MAD England. Insanity!!!
3. Parking Attendants/Inspectors - these are people who must have been abandoned as children and left to take out their insecurities on unsuspecting parkers. If you are even 30 seconds over your time, you can be absolutely certain a slimy little weed of a man/woman will appear from nowhere to fine you £50 for a £2 parking fee. It drives everyone mad and even Sammy and I get a bit spirited in our criticism of them!
So there you have some of our thoughts, and we have so many other stories and adventures to get to with pictures, I will try to get some of them on the blog as soon as we can. In the meantime, much love from both of us, Rich and Sammy
So sorry we have been so quiet, it's just that we have had so many wonderful things to do and experience, and with both of us working there is little time to record it all! It is an absolute joy to record our experiences here, so we will keep on doing so and hope that all of you are patient enough to come back and check from time to time to see how things are going. And of course I always say I promise to keep it up and we will, just maybe a little slower than intended.
So where do we start? Well, Sunday evenings are about the slowest moments we have at the moment. Sammy is working hard at the Borough of Poole and my work is keeping me very busy and also giving me the opportunity to see a real mix of English countryside and towns. Autumn has finally arrived in full swing and the colours of autumn are fantastic to see as I drive up and down the nations highways. The rich tapestry of browns and oranges make Mud Island a very pretty place to be at this time of year. That got me thinking the other day, and I asked Sammy to help me put a list together of the things we love the most about living here so far. And for good humour, we have also added in a few of the things we don't like, as its never all roses no matter where you live.
Our list of things we love so far in no particular order:
1. The mind blowingly beautiful countryside, both in Spring, Summer and now Autumn. From Durdle Door to Hengistbury Head (a story for another post, soon I promise!) From Corfe Castle to Sandown Racecourse we have seen and done so much in our short time here, and it is all breathtaking.
2. The weather so far....no really!!!! Ok we have been lucky with the driest Spring in 26 years, but even the Summer which was apparently one of the wettest in a while, was completely fine. Having said that, I have no doubt that the Winter will put us right, but in the meantime, seriously it rains more in Durban.
3. No bank or medical charges. Such a refreshing change from the daylight robbery back in SA. No ATM charges and no admin charges for this and admin charges for that. No charges for visiting the doctor and paying him large sums of money to tell you what you already know, that you are sick. (Thanks Doc I knew that before I came to see you, that's why I made the appointment!)
4. Transparency in Politics. No place to hide here, no matter what your political views or the day to day controversies any government faces, if you get found out here in England, there is only one way, and that is out. None of this hanging on and believing that a bald faced lie of a denial will see you through, put your toe out of line and you are history. As a good Saffer would say "Finished and klaar"
5. Everyday driving - mostly, and I say mostly because there is always one, mostly drivers are considerate and careful. Sure we have middle lane hogs and the occasional tailgater, but we have no Taxi's and that is worth a lifetime of moving on it's own! For my Brit mates, the Taxi's I refer to are minivans in SA known for their blatant disregard for the law and their fellow man and they are the scourge of the earth.
6. All our new friends who have shown us amazing sights, invited us into their homes, unearthed great and reasonable restaurants, recommended incredible vista's and views and colleagues who have embraced us and accepted us freely into the working life here. Some colleagues have rapidly become friends and we are loving that too.
What we don't like all that much thanks:
1. I mentioned the free bank charges and medical. Well in complete contrast, the Brits are the "Olympic Champions at taking the piss" as a good friend Mazza put it, when it comes to charging for anything else. Sammy summed it up brilliantly too. "Here you will be charged for everything from Poppadums to Parking". Want to use a nice clean public toilet? Chances are that will cost you 50p. Bottomless coffee? No ways, why would we only charge you for one cup when we can charge you the same amount for every extra cup. Oh and no free bread or poppadums in a restaurant, that comes at an extra charge. Shopping can be a lot cheaper than in SA, but if you don't concentrate, you will get charged for just thinking about it. Parking is completely insane, its the one area where the Brits are serious specialists at overcharging. That and franchised coffee outlets lead the way.
2. Health and Safety rules, which I have taken the mickey out of in one of my first blog posts are seriously silly in most cases and hold the country back in my opinion. One of the latest ludicrous examples is a school that has banned normal footballs and replaced them with sponge footballs in case someone gets hurt. In England, football MAD England. Insanity!!!
3. Parking Attendants/Inspectors - these are people who must have been abandoned as children and left to take out their insecurities on unsuspecting parkers. If you are even 30 seconds over your time, you can be absolutely certain a slimy little weed of a man/woman will appear from nowhere to fine you £50 for a £2 parking fee. It drives everyone mad and even Sammy and I get a bit spirited in our criticism of them!
So there you have some of our thoughts, and we have so many other stories and adventures to get to with pictures, I will try to get some of them on the blog as soon as we can. In the meantime, much love from both of us, Rich and Sammy
Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Quick note on Travis (one for the family I guess)
Hello Dear Friends,
Whilst we absolutely love being here on Mud Island (its 24 degrees outside and full sunshine by the way! Nice for Autumn) there are some things that we miss about home. I have almost a whole post done on all the positive things we have to share, and one or two minor thorns in our sides, but that is for later. One of the things we miss is not being able to spend time with our younger nieces and nephews. Morgan is growing up in the US and we have been lucky enough to spend some time with him both in SA and the US, he is a great little guy and very clever, like his Mom and Dad. Bella and Andy have grown up around us and we miss them terribly! The great news for us is that they are visiting in December and we are so excited about that. One of the latest editions to our very large family is Travis Morgan Wills, who is a SUPER cute little dude and like my brother Camron (his dad) is already bigger than average. Jules Wills kindly sent me some photos of him, as we have yet to meet him, he is only 11 months old. We hope to meet him very soon, in the meantime, we track his progress with love and interest as we have done with all our nieces and nephews. Below is a picture of him taken this week, when Natalie and Bella and Andy visited him in Somerset West. We also have a great-nephew (!!! I know makes me feel old hahaha) in New Zealand, Harlem who just turned a year old. Hope to show you a picture of him too really soon. Thats all for today, much love as always, Rich and Sam
Whilst we absolutely love being here on Mud Island (its 24 degrees outside and full sunshine by the way! Nice for Autumn) there are some things that we miss about home. I have almost a whole post done on all the positive things we have to share, and one or two minor thorns in our sides, but that is for later. One of the things we miss is not being able to spend time with our younger nieces and nephews. Morgan is growing up in the US and we have been lucky enough to spend some time with him both in SA and the US, he is a great little guy and very clever, like his Mom and Dad. Bella and Andy have grown up around us and we miss them terribly! The great news for us is that they are visiting in December and we are so excited about that. One of the latest editions to our very large family is Travis Morgan Wills, who is a SUPER cute little dude and like my brother Camron (his dad) is already bigger than average. Jules Wills kindly sent me some photos of him, as we have yet to meet him, he is only 11 months old. We hope to meet him very soon, in the meantime, we track his progress with love and interest as we have done with all our nieces and nephews. Below is a picture of him taken this week, when Natalie and Bella and Andy visited him in Somerset West. We also have a great-nephew (!!! I know makes me feel old hahaha) in New Zealand, Harlem who just turned a year old. Hope to show you a picture of him too really soon. Thats all for today, much love as always, Rich and Sam
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| Told you he was Super cute. Pictured with Andy and Bella! |
Saturday, 17 September 2011
A poser of a question
Hello dear friends,
I think enough time has passed since the London riots to share this little gem with all of you. Sent in by the venerable Mr Cartwright Esq, it really homes in on the essence of the problem the police services in the UK face. It also has loads of tongue in cheek humour about it. Enjoy. Oh and thanks Carty for another quality submission.....
Question:
How do you tell the difference between a British Police Officer, an Australian Police Officer and an American Police Officer?
Answer:
First - Lets pose the following question:
You're on duty by yourself walking on a deserted street late at night.Suddenly, an armed man with a huge knife comes around the corner, locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, raises the knife, and lunges at you. You are carrying a Glock .40, and you are an expert shot, however you have only a split second to react before he reaches you.
What do you do?
BRITISH POLICE OFFICER:
Firstly the officer must consider the man's Human Rights.
1) Does the man look poor or oppressed?
2) Is he/she newly arrived in this country and does not yet understand the law?
3) Have I ever done anything to him that would inspire him to attack?
4) Am I dressed provocatively?
5) Could I run away?
6) Could I possibly swing my gun like a club and knock the knife out of his hand?
7) Should I try and negotiate with him to discuss his wrong doings?
8) Does the Glock have appropriate safety built into it?
9) Why am I carrying a loaded gun anyway, and what kind of message does this send to society?
10) Does he definitely want to kill me, or would he be content just to wound me?
11) If I were to grab his knees and hold on, would he still want to stab and kill me?
12) If I raise my gun and he turns and runs away, do I get blamed if he falls over, knocks his head and kills himself?
13) If I shoot and wound him, and lose the subsequent court case, does he have the opportunity to sue me, cost me my job, my credibility and the loss of my family home?
AUSTRALIAN POLICE OFFICER:
BANG!
AMERICAN POLICE OFFICER:
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! 'click'....
(Sergeant arrives at scene later and remarks: 'Nice grouping!)
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
55 Goldenleas Drive, family and friends stop by!
Hello dear friends,
As promised a few times now, I have posted some pics of our new home. Fresh off the visit by Brett and Shelley, we had Conan and Kerri and their kids the weekend before last. We had a fabulous time with them, doing a little tour of the Jurassic Coast and retracing our steps from the weekend before when we toured with Brett and Shells. As they were staying the night, we were able to show Conan how you can eat only veggies at dinner and still enjoy the meal. Sammy made her Chilli Con Carne, and Conan had to admit he enjoyed it very much! We love spending time with friends and it was great to have them over. On the Sunday we had a walk in a forest near our home and lunch before Conan and Kerri went home. Cam popped in from the US on his way to the Med unexpectedly. He had to fly out of the US a day early as he tried to miss the Hurricane which was a good idea as he was one of the last flights out. He stayed the night with us on Sunday and I popped him up to the airport on the Monday morning. As it was a bank holiday, we had an extra day after everyone left to explore our new surrounds. So we went to a beautiful place along the Jurassic Coast known as Durdle Door. We had tried to go the day before with the Kinnear's but time and adventure prevented us from doing so! Sammy has also put a lot of the pictures up on Facebook, as I am a bit slow with our blog at the moment! On Wednesday we were able to fetch our kitties!! At last, we have them home and we feel so much more complete. They are settling in well after a very traumatic drive down from Woking, and asking more and more to be let outside to explore. Still we have to keep them in for another two weeks, to allow them to become familiar with their surroundings. So be prepared for many pictures of our boys who we adore. Also by the middle of the following week I was fighting a serious case of man flu, no really it was genuine flu, and so my plans to play golf on the weekend were dashed. Instead when I felt a bit better on Sunday, Sammy and I visited Sherborne Old Castle after a great pub lunch at a pub called the Three Elms, in the middle of nowhere, just how we like it! Anyway, see below a few pictures as promised, enjoy!
I am really hoping to have a bit more time to add some new posts to the blog over the next few weeks! Until then enjoy the pictures and much love to everyone, Rich and Sammy.
As promised a few times now, I have posted some pics of our new home. Fresh off the visit by Brett and Shelley, we had Conan and Kerri and their kids the weekend before last. We had a fabulous time with them, doing a little tour of the Jurassic Coast and retracing our steps from the weekend before when we toured with Brett and Shells. As they were staying the night, we were able to show Conan how you can eat only veggies at dinner and still enjoy the meal. Sammy made her Chilli Con Carne, and Conan had to admit he enjoyed it very much! We love spending time with friends and it was great to have them over. On the Sunday we had a walk in a forest near our home and lunch before Conan and Kerri went home. Cam popped in from the US on his way to the Med unexpectedly. He had to fly out of the US a day early as he tried to miss the Hurricane which was a good idea as he was one of the last flights out. He stayed the night with us on Sunday and I popped him up to the airport on the Monday morning. As it was a bank holiday, we had an extra day after everyone left to explore our new surrounds. So we went to a beautiful place along the Jurassic Coast known as Durdle Door. We had tried to go the day before with the Kinnear's but time and adventure prevented us from doing so! Sammy has also put a lot of the pictures up on Facebook, as I am a bit slow with our blog at the moment! On Wednesday we were able to fetch our kitties!! At last, we have them home and we feel so much more complete. They are settling in well after a very traumatic drive down from Woking, and asking more and more to be let outside to explore. Still we have to keep them in for another two weeks, to allow them to become familiar with their surroundings. So be prepared for many pictures of our boys who we adore. Also by the middle of the following week I was fighting a serious case of man flu, no really it was genuine flu, and so my plans to play golf on the weekend were dashed. Instead when I felt a bit better on Sunday, Sammy and I visited Sherborne Old Castle after a great pub lunch at a pub called the Three Elms, in the middle of nowhere, just how we like it! Anyway, see below a few pictures as promised, enjoy!
I am really hoping to have a bit more time to add some new posts to the blog over the next few weeks! Until then enjoy the pictures and much love to everyone, Rich and Sammy.
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| Front door at 55 Goldenleas Drive |
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| Our little back yard, which Tigger and Jinx love so far |
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| Looking back at the house from the yard |
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| Inside the lounge |
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| Yachts towards Brownsea Island on out tour with Conan and Kerri |
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| Isle of Wight seen from Poole! |
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| Conan and Kerri in the wind whilst we wait for the ferry! |
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| Walking in the forest |
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| Not something you see in SA too often!! |
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| Sammy at the wheel near Durdle Door |
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| Walking down a very steep hill, the camera doesn't allow you to see the steepness properly! |
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| Very pretty huh? |
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| We plan to spend a day on the beach before the Autumn gets too cold |
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| Super place to swim! |
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| Durdle Door taken from the top of the cliff |
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| One of my favourite pictures. |
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| Quick photo bomb at the Three Elms |
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| Sherborne Old Castle. Sammy and I love all these places! |
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| Add caption |
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| Sherborne New Castle seen from afar, we did not have time to visit but we will |
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| Beautiful |
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| Beautiful english countryside |
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| Sammy catches me gazing at the scenery! |
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| This is what I was looking at! |
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