Wednesday 26 October 2011

Visiting London

When I go to London I am lucky because I can stay at my daughter's house and take a 20 minute train journey to the centre.  Sometimes though, I wish I could actually stay where the action is and just have to step outside to be in the thick of it. Although I lived there for over 25 years, there are still bits of the metropolis I'm not familiar with, and I often discover places to see there on the blogs I visit. Much has  changed in the years since I moved out too. Here's a pic I took last spring of the avenue of blossom trees leading to the London Eye on the South Bank of the River Thames.

Have you enjoyed a visit to London in the past? Would you come agan? Do you want to visit London for the 2012 Olympics? Thousands of people want to be there soaking up the atmosphere even if they don't have tickets for the events, so if you are among them, you need to be sorting out your accommodation now.

People who can help are Robert and Polly Arnold, a couple who have been bringing up their children there, and making it their business to help visitors have the best possible experience of their city. They'll book London Apartments and offer lots of advice about what to see and where to eat, and so on. It's good to have a home from home you can relax in with your family and soak your aching feet after walking around the sights of London all day.

The Arnolds help businesses too, because London is a vibrant business centre where important meetings are held and crucial deals are negotiated. Business's often find it's cheaper and more convenient to put their people up in decent London Apartments, rather than fork out London hotel prices.

I can't keep away from London for long. I'll be there again this November. When will you be there?

Blogging Hiatus

Just following up on my last post a week ago.  All went well on Thursday in terms of timing to get us to the funeral. The ceremony was well attended. My bro-in-law was a popular guy. So sad we're not able to have fun with him any more.

I haven't posted since because there has been so much else to do, and I'm still feeling tired. But tomorrow I'm off to my sister's for a few days and will be catching up with some friends, leaving hubby to care for Jade, so I hope she doesn't miss me too much.

I have to write another post today which will earn me a few dollars, hopefully. But after this, my blogging schedule will not go back to normal as I've taken the momentous decision only to write what is necessary until I've done the accounts for the tax returns for myself, hubby and son, and then caught up with the rest of the filing and paperwork that's sitting around.  I really need to put my house in order before I can relax and do whatever I like. It's going to take some self-discipline, but looks like it's the only way.

So it's a question of see you when I see you. But don't worry; I  won't be able to stay away for long and I'll be popping in from time to time to catch up with all my lovely friends here.

Wednesday 19 October 2011

Horrid October

Sorry I've been absent longer than usual from here. Things have been a little chaotic lately.  We've had several small domestic crises and I've been a bit under the weather and battling to get through my commissioned work this month. Still not feeling 100% and getting quite a bit of gut pain.  It's probably just the dreaded IBS but I'm having various tests to make sure.

Tomorrow we have to get up before 5 am to drive to London for a family funeral. It shouldn't take that long to get there but if we left it later we'd hit the morning rush hour and be too late. I'm not really looking forward to it, especially the early morning.  Jade won't know what's going on, being put in the car at that time of the morning as she usually sleeps until I get up after my son has gone to work at 7.20.

We have to pick up my stepdaughter and her bloke, then cross south london to my daughter's where we leave the dog before heading to the crem at Leatherhead for 10.15.  I hope it will all work out.  Afterwards of course, we'll have to do it all again the other way around.  I think I'll sleep well tomorrow night.

Sunday 9 October 2011

The RSPB at Arne




We went to the RSPB nature reserve at Arne today. You can take dogs as long as they are kept on the lead. We have an extending one for Jade so she can run around but we can still control her. Arne is just a hop,step and jump across Poole Harbour from our little local beach, but we had to drive about 15 miles around the shore to get there. I've been wanting to visit ever since we moved here so I'm glad we finally made it. 





There's a small car park next to an information hut where people go to report the birds they've seen. Every day they write them up on a white board. We didn't go especially to view the birds but to have a nice walk and see the scenery and any wildlife that cared to show itself to us. There were quite a few deer and some of them posed for me very nicely.
 





We walked as far as this little beach where we could look across the water to Hamworthy, the part of Poole where we live.


I was surprised to see lots of red berries on some of the holly trees. I hope that doesn't mean we'll have a particularly vicious winter this year. Last year I didn't go out much when it was icy. This year, of course, I will have to brave it to take Jade out.

But today, the sun peeped out every so often from behind the clouds and we had to take off our jackets and tie them around our waists as it got so warm.

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