Greatblackbat

Part of the great British experience includes donning frock and hat and doing the "My Fair Lady" at the Ascot races (Mum, please don't sing). With this inspiration, some work colleagues and I packed ourselves on a train full of well-dressed yobs to head to the splendour and pomp of Ascot. (Men in top hats shouldn't be allowed to drink beer. Spoils the whole look.) There was pomp and royalty a-plenty, for sure. The Queen was there with Prince P, promenading along the home straight. I am not sure that the Queen's eyesight was good enough to appreciate the impressive waving technique that we had all been practising, however we all enjoyed ourselves. There was also plenty of miserable cold London rain. Summer has not yet come to London and the weather didn't take a ... read more

I usually associate Star Wars fans with spotty teenagers, balding middle aged men and other stereotypical geeks at giant convention centres in first world countries. Apparently, I'm wrong. The biggest Star Wars club seems to exist in Morocco, judging by the fraternity of Obi Wan we infiltrated deep in the Tangier medina. These fans are so dedicated that they wear Obi Wan couture 24/7. Admittedly the jellaba looks quite comfy and you could be wearing just about anything underneath and still get away with it in public. Still, the pointy hooded, brown-robed look seems less like traditional Moroccan dress and far more like rabid Star Wars fan attire. Although unsurprisingly the older Moroccan men who tend to wear the jellaba don't seem quite so spotty, balding or geeky. In fact, they look quite dignified sipping ... read more

What better way to spend a sunny, warm Sunday in March than have a long lazy brunch, walk around Regent's Park and go check out some celebrities at Madam Tussauds. A very touristy thing to do, but still worthwhile. The last time I went I was at high school and Paul Keating was the prime minister. Now John Howard is there in all of his glory, along with many other celebs who have come to the forefront since the 90's. We all scared ourselves to death by daring to step inside the Chamber of Horrors (not recommended for heart patients or pregnant women), but enjoyed snuggling up to Robbie and boogying with Aishwarya.... read more

Not once, but TWICE it snowed this winter to delight the Aussies (and some locals) in London. This time, there was much more snow, apparently more than has been seen in 30-40 years. Amazing! However, the inconvenience factor was much higher this time with everyone in my department arriving half an hour to an hour late for our morning meeting. Some people's journeys were doubled, others trebled due to the delays and disruptions caused by the snow. I still think it's pretty and quite phenomenal. It was a bit hazardous walking to work, but on the odd snow day I can definitely handle it.... read more

Living in West Hampstead since November, we felt quite negligent that we had not yet visited the famous Hampstead Heath. Although the suburb name is the same, it is not actually all that close to where we live (about a half hour bus ride). So, on a grey, overcast London Sunday we started traipsing across the Heath to see what all the fuss is about. My conclusion is that its nothing special, but might have more to offer in summer. When we visited it was a bit cold and grim. Lots of leaf-less trees and people heavily wrapped up, briskly walking their dogs. Next time we visit it may have to be warmer and include some form of cricket or football (plenty of wide open spaces).... read more