Blogs from Rochester, Kent, England, United Kingdom, Europe - page 2

I'll never forget the moment I first saw London. As the plane was descending the clouds parted briefly, right over the heart of the city, showing us Big Ben and the London Eye. I couldn't contain myself; I was writhing in my seat and exlaiming with such fervour that Alice was certain I was going to cry from joy. But at that instant, it all became real. All my life I've loved learning about other countries, but they've never seemed entirely real. Because I hadn't seen them myself, they could still be an elaborate deception. But when those clouds broke, all of my unbelief was shattered, and I'd suddenly stepped into the pages of National Geographic for myself. The best way I can think of describing England to you is as an alternate reality. Some things ... read more

Hello, we will meet on Sunday at the Viceroy in Burham for an indian Buffe-type lunch. It is 7.50 per person, all you can eat but I need number by Friday or Saturday. Start at 2.30 Later that day we will be going for drinks to the "Windmill" (next to the service station in Burham), so whoever would like to come there, we'd be happy to see you. We are still in frantic preparation mode. Hope you are all well. Terry and Claudi... read more

Two days to go now and so much has happened. I have had a few panic attacks about renting my house out, will they love my garden, will they talk to my lemon and olive plants and will they promise never, ever to play hide the sausage in my beautiful white bed? Apparently you can’t really put stuff like that in the lettings contract which seems somewhat unfair. If A-list celebs can make ridiculous demands about their dressing rooms, why can’t I make perfectly reasonable minor additions to a standard contract? Over the past few weeks I have had health/eye/dental checks and all my jabs. Did you know that if you cough as they are about to put the needle in you don’t feel it - somehow it slightly breaks the pain connection for a nanosecond ... read more

A short trip today, 30 minutes or so by train to Rochester which is in the county of Kent just below London. Every year they hold there Sweeps Festival to coincide with the Mayday holiday. As this is was the traditional day the the chimney sweep boys would get off. This happened for about 300 hundred years until the 1868 Climbing Boys Act. This made it illegal to employ young boys and send them up the chimneys to clean them. The festival in its present form has been running for 27 years now. Saturday turned out to be a nice Spring day, not that warm but dry. Even before we reached Rochester you got a flavour of the days events on the train. As mixed in the the football fan on there way to see Chelsea ... read more