Perth, cool..

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Well this has to be the best city yet! We booked into a fabulous hotel in West Perth, and it was amazing, as we were straightaway upgraded to a one bedroom apartment. It had it's own kitchen with all mod cons, two bathrooms and a separate bedroom from the lounge/diner/kitchen! We were well treated here as we pushed the boat out for some luxury before we come home..

The hotel was well placed as the free bus was just on the corner of the road but was quiet and away from the rabble! On the first day we went into the city and Jean wanted to see the Swan tower on the sea front as she'd heard all about it before we left... it wasn't a general ringing day but we wanted to go inside and realised that there was a demonstration going on... Jean got to be the demonstrator as well as it meant the lady could just talk to the visitors while she rang.... she worked her so much! It was funny, the lady demonstrating was so bossy and got everyone up having a go at chiming the bells.... On our way back from town we decided to walk through Kings Park... it's an amazingly large park with many indigenous plants and trees including a Baobab tree... to get there we walked up Jacob's ladder, which are many steps leading up to the Park... with alot of people running up and down them - for exercise I presume!! (blow that it's too hot!)

On one of the lunchtimes we were sitting at the bar in the hotel and The Killers were having lunch! Couldn't believe it... but apparently the hotel has alot of VIPs stay there and the V-festival was on in Perth when we were there... we were very cool about it and didn't ask for autographs!! hehehehe

During one of our visits to the city we saw a street artist trying to gather a crowd for his show.. so we stopped to watch.. he was very good with a few laughs and making jokes about him being American... anyway the picture shows him with his finale trick, balancing on several cylindrical metal tubes on the round side of the cylinders... it was looking very hairy but he did it!

On one of the evenings we were at the hotel, a group of people were gathering outside the hotel... Nick asked them what it was about and they said The Who were staying there... and then Roger Daltrey came out and Nick spoke to him! How cool was that???? What a fab hotel to stay at...

Fremantle prison, just down the river from Perth city was closed in 1991 as a working prison... it was originally built by it's first tennants brick by brick... the cells were very small and very basic... the inside picture shows the levels of the other floors and the mesh wire to stop in-mates jumping or being thrown over the bannisters. The outside of the front of the main building shows the chapel (middle of building sticking out with the largest windows). Here the prisoners could attend church services and even had a separate room for the offenders with the worst crimes. Today you can hire it to get married in!!! and have your reception in the hallway of the building with the cells either side... how charming!!! You'd have to have a sense of humour......

On the last Sunday we were in Perth Jean decided to go to the Cathedral for a ring. They were very pleased to see her as the lady doing the demostrations at the Swan tower was there too.

Our brush with fame was to continue after we left the hotel.... when we were standing at the gate at the airport, a group of people had gathered near to the entrance to the gate... Nick said, here thats the Kaiser Chiefs! Jean says nah, you sure?? Anyway they looked familiar so Nick gets his iPod out and checks the album cover with the people in front of us and sure enough, the Kaiser Chiefs were on our flight!!!!! What an great way to end our tour...

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Photos

The Bell Tower
Contains the 'Swan Bells' which is a ring of 16 (29-0-14, C#).

View from Kings Park to Perth City
This was taken after walking up Jacob's Ladder!

Street artist
This is Dave the conjurer that was balancing on cylinders

Outside of Fremantle prison
The main building with a chapel at the front

Cathedral Church of St.George
Perth