---

One of the stereo-typical questions that people around the world will ask me upon discovering I'm English will be "Have you met the Queen?" - I haven't so yesterday I went to Buckingham Palace to change that.

She was really nice - sat down for a cup of tea - corgies running amuck in the royal tea room. Chatted about the state of the nation and the weather. Well OK, I visited the outside of Buckingham palace anyway - I don't think the Queen was even around - probably at Sandringham.

My trip to London was for a couple of reasons, firstly I met up with my former boss and colleagues to have lunch - pizza - and we chatted and they wished me well - the suggestion of moving the department out to New Zealand was made - nice idea - hope it happens :)

Another reason was to visit the travel agent - I followed up on the around the world tickets and sent an email enquiry to Global Village. It turns out that I can get a ticket with Virgin, Singapore and the New Zealand airways that allows me to stop off as many times as I like, that is valid for 1 year for less than £1000. Which seems like a fantastic deal - especially when it costs 3 times that much just to go in and out of work each year. All I have to do is plan my itinerary in advance and phone them up... it all seems very easy.

Reason number three: My uncle's birthday was also yesterday and to go and see him in Milton Keynes, involves a trip via London.

Finally - this is probably the most bizzare reason - my Mum has a phobia about buttons. The kind of things that live on shirts and hold the front together. I've got used to it but most peoples reaction is that of disbelief, "what are they going to do leap off and bite her?!?" - nope. She isn't the only one - though I did have to trawl the bottom of the barrel to find this url Jenny Jones - I guess is the US equivilent of Trisha or Esther - day-time TV drivel. If anyone knows of any button phobic support website - please let me know - I'll send my Mum there for a start. I had no idea of the amount of button based clothing I'd amassed in the time since I left for uni - my Uncle has volunteered to house my work clothes whilest I'm away on my trip - as a result I was wandering around London with a rucksack full of shirts and suits - not a typical backpacker cargo. I think/hope that the rucksack was heavier than it will be on my trip.

Well - I got some nice photos - I'm sure I spotted Douglas Hurd outside of the houses of Parliment - but unfortunately didn't get documentry evidence. Though I guess I had a fair chance of bumping in to an MP there - least at this time of year anyway , not in one of the monumental holidays that they take or on a Friday or Monday - when they are never present.

---