Blogs from Newbury, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom, Europe

While everyone's probably heard of the boy pharaoh Tutankhamun, some may not yet have seen the televised period drama 'Downton Abbey'. So, a few words of background might be useful. First, I have to tell you that I didn't watch any of the programmes - period drama rarely rocks my boat. My wife Pat and millions of others did, however. If you weren't one of them, you can still watch it, for a small fee, on the itvPlayer. It won several awards and starred Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern. It's thought to be one of the most widely-watched television drama shows in the world. So, maybe you have seen it - and maybe I should be sad I missed it (although I'm not!). Anyhow, research tells me that the four series and Christmas Specials ... read more

Although the wedding was the main reason for us all flying over to the UK recently we were very fortunate to see many of our friends and family. With a detailed itinerary and a reliable hired car, infect we had two at one point, we were able to travel a fair few miles, up and down the M4 and the B400! HIlary managed to reunite with colleagues from Priors Court School and enjoyed an evening catching up all the news and changes at the school. She also managed a visit to the school with two colleagues from her school in Brisbane who were eager to see why she went into shock mode when she started to work at Red Hill Special School after experiencing all the facilities and space at Priors Court. Hilary managed to meet ... read more

Sadly, all good things come to an end. So, after a party night out at Fortaleza dancing with Carlos & Co, we had one last day to relax on the beach, take a last swim in the sea, tidy up the apartment and pack. (It had been a great visit to the Algarve, with just a smidgeon of rainy weather (later redeemed by glorious sunshine), some interesting explorations and some enjoyable (and mostly cheap) nights out. The only real hiccup occurred when we lost each other for half an hour in the middle of Luz one day while trying to avoid being held up by roadworks on the main street. And we'll be arguing about who was to blame for that for many years to come!) On our last morning, we called in at the internet ... read more

Kiwi Comments: New Zealanders are practical, friendly and down-to-earth people. In public places, including beaches, behaviour is quite restrained. They take a tough stand on public drunkenness - Liquor Free Zones are everywhere & lots of supermarkets have no licence to sell booze. 'No worries' (which is counter-intuitive to me) is still the favourite phrase. Where available, drink is pricey. Public Transport isn't brilliant and parking can sometimes be expensive. Free street parking is usually quite easy, though you have to be careful to move your car before the no of minutes indicated on the parking sign has expired. Roads are generally well-surfaced and road signs usually easy to follow (though sometimes, in towns, signposts and street signs are too infrequent and strangers can get lost). Speed limits are clearly shown and nowhere did I find ... read more

This is intended as a brief description of our adventures in far-off lands. We hope that it will be exciting enough to entertain you but not so exciting as to risk life and limb. (My travelling companion has banned Bungee jumping, for instance.) Before we start, we have to try and tweak all the bells and whistles 'assisting' us in maintaining the blob. Please don't judge the blog from the quality of the first few entries. We're slow learners, but, with luck, your patience will be rewarded. The next entry will probably contain details of our departure planning and, hopefully, a little practical advice for our readers (eg. How not to prepare for your journey) ... read more