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a nautical London tale

Posted in Fun Stuff, Historical, interesting things that happen in London, It's my life, Travel, tagged admiral of the port boat challenge, admiral of the port challenge race, river thames events, trinity house history, trinity tide, what to see in london on May 18, 2012| Leave a Comment »

admiral of the port boat challenge london, london traditions, boats races in london

Big Ben and with minutes to go till 7pm the boats head out

Admiral of the Port Challenge Race 2012. Just over a week ago I received and invitation from a friend of mine whom I met via Twitter to attend this historical race. To say that I was thrilled would be an understatement…I love this history of the city and anything to do with events in the City gets me all excited…..needless to say I accepted.

Admiral of the Port Challenge Race 2012

Monday 14^th May at 7.00pm

The course will be from

The Palace of Westminster

the Westminster Boating Base,

a distance of 1.33 statute miles

The event is open to all Watermen’s four oared cutters in full livery regalia with canopies

carrying the coxswain and two passengers.

Trinity Tide heading out

“Our boat, which is the Trinity House Cutter “Trinity Tide”, will be the beautiful white cutter with the green canopy”.

(Trinity Tide is one of the few Thames Waterman Cutters that will end up taking part in the Round Canvey Island race later in the year.)

And so, Monday afternoon saw me set off, all dressed up for the Champagne reception that would follow the race, with butterflies in my tummy and delighted to be heading into London central.

When I arrived at just after 5.30pm I noticed a number of small water-craft tied up alongside Westminster Pier and headed on down to have a look around. It was really interesting to see the boats up close and there was an excited buzz of chatter and laughter as the rowers and passengers milled about either putting the bits and pieces together or just catching up.

attaching/installing the flag….no doubt there is a technical term for this 🙂

It was really interesting watching the oarsman setting up the canopy and the seating area, the different flags, the oars and all the bits and bobs (which I am sure all have professional names 😉 ) and in no time at all it was ‘all aboard’ and off they went into the middle of the river to catch the fast flowing tide and a race to the finish line.

the boats gathering and heading to the start: Westminster Bridge

I had met up with Joe and his wife Jan, and as a guest of theirs had been invited to the champagne reception after the race. The plan was for us to see the competitors set off and then race up the stairs of Westminster Bridge, dash across the road and hail the first taxi that came along, then make a mad dash (or as fast as London traffic will allow) to the venue for the finish and the reception.

one quick photo as I dash up the stairs

So as soon at the boats got to the bridge, we ran along the pier, along the Embankment, up the stairs, hesitated briefly at the traffic lights, ignored the red signal, checked for traffic…none…and ran across the road….dashed along the sidewalk and lo and behold there was a cab…almost as if it had been waiting. We hailed madly, checked that he could go our way, jumped in breathlessly laughing and urged yer man the cabbie to race to the finish line. It all felt very 007’ish and my heart was racing with excitement (or exertion)!! 😉

We got to the pier (finish line) in good time to watch the boats arrive; very exciting to watch that!!!

there in the distance you can catch a glimpse of the boats. at this point I switched over to video, so no stills of the boats coming in…. (p.s. the boats in the foreground were not in the race)

Then for the champagne…hmmm yum.

champagne 🙂

I was very impressed with the food provided and a great evening was had by all. But…..my curiosity was piqued! I wanted to know more about this race, so yesterday I sat down and did a bit of research and this is what I found:

“Admiral of the Port’s Challenge
This race was inaugurated by the Lord Mayor to mark his dual role of Admiral of the Port of London. It is contested by traditional Thames Waterman’s Cutters.
The Thames Waterman’s Cutter is 34 feet long with a beam of 4 feet, 6 inches. In keeping with the concept of traditional rowing, it has fixed seats for up to six rowers and room for a cox and passengers. It is also simply adapted to the role of Ceremonial Livery barge with extra seating for passengers under a stern canopy. In this form the Cutter closely resembles the decorated craft often seen in historical scenes of the Thames in earlier centuries.
This event is raced from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Boating Base, a distance of 1.33 statute miles. The rules require that the Cutters are rowed by four oars, must be rigged with their ceremonial canopies and flags, and must carry two passengers.
Such is the growth in popularity of Cutter racing (there are now more than 25 on the River) the race is often subject to a “staggered start”. The Cutters are set off in waves so their crews are not only racing against those in their starting rank, but also against the clock, as the winners are the crew that record the fastest time over the course.” for more on that click here.

I also did some research on Trinity House and the reason for that is coz Joe and his team row the ‘Trinity Tide’ which belongs to Trinity House.

“Henry VIII and Pilotage
It is often stated that the origins of Trinity House date back to a charitable guild of sea Samaritans established by Archbishop Stephen Langton in the 12th Century. The first official record is the grant of a Royal Charter by Henry VIII in 1514 to a fraternity of mariners called the Guild of the Holy Trinity, .. “so that they might regulate the pilotage of ships in the King’s streams”. At the time of inception, this charitable Guild owned a great hall and almshouses, close to the Naval Dockyard at Deptford on the River Thames. In 1604 James I conferred on Trinity House rights concerning compulsory pilotage of shipping and the exclusive right to license pilots in the River Thames. Until our responsibility for District Pilotage was transferred to Port and Harbour Authorities under the 1987 Pilotage Act, we were Pilotage Authority for London and over 40 other Districts, including the major ports of Southampton and Harwich.
Today the Corporation is comprised of a fraternity of approximately 300 Brethren drawn from the Royal and Merchant Navies and leading figures in the shipping industry. Its Master since 1969 was the Duke of Edinburgh, the longest serving Master in Trinity House history. He was succeeded in 2011 by HRH The Princess Royal.” and for more about Trinity House, click here.

So there you have it, another exciting day in the life of a Londoner, and once again I am reminded of just how much there is to see and do in this marvellous city.

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3 Days in London and being published

Posted in Historical, It's my life, things to do in London, Travel, tagged 3 days in london, discovering the treasures of london, guildhall london, st pauls cathedral, what to do in london on April 10, 2012| 4 Comments »

So wow!! most exciting news this morning. My 2nd kindle ‘book’ has been approved!!! whoo hoo &lt:-P party my 1st itinerary is up and online!!!!!!

2 years ago I started a journey that has seen me delve into the streets and lanes of London discovering her history, beautiful buildings and relics of the past and along the way I have uncovered her secrets; a Roman amphitheatre 20 feet below street level, the site where Samuel Pepys was born, the site where Dick Whittington (of nursery rhyme fame) and 4 times Mayor of London had his house and the church that he founded,

dick whittington mayor of london, hidden london, things to do and see in london

Whittington House on the site where Dick Whittington had his house in 1423 and the church that he founded in the background

the crow’s nest of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s boat Quest in an ancient crypt,

all hallows by the tower church, shackletons crows nest, crypts of london, 3 days in london, what to see in london

the crow's nest from Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship Quest

and spent a very happy time in one of London’s oldest remaining churches, parts of which remain from 1123!!! I mean seriously….how could I not get passionate about this city. I have spent up to 8 hours at a stretch wandering the streets, lanes and roads of the City of London, the City of Westminster and many more besides, never mind the parks and gardens in the suburbs, not all at one go of course!! 🙂

3 days in london, guildhall london, things to do and see in london

Guildhall in the City of London

The 3 Days in London journey all began when I was chatting to a twitter friend on my @notjustagranny profile a couple of years ago. She mentioned that she and her hubby would have a 6 hour layover at Heathrow and were keen to pop into London for that time and could I suggest something for them to do. So I set about creating an itinerary called 6 hours in London and sent it on. As it turned out they didn’t make the trip into London but an idea was born.

From there, and with the encouragement of my daughter I set up a business called 3 Days in London and started blogging. It made perfect sense since London had become a passion of mine and it was very easy to blog and talk about all the marvellous places and things to see and do in this city.

I have since taken folks on bespoke guided tours and have now created 3 itineraries for 3 Days in London that will take you on a step by step guide through 3 different areas of London, that incorporates all the top attractions

St Paul’s Cathedral; a marvel of architecture

as well as many other places folks miss out on altogether….the hidden treasures of London. I have also seen numerous visitors with maps in their hands looking not only puzzled but lost as they try to figure out how to get from here to there. It’s not easy getting around a foreign city by map and I am sure many precious hours are lost, by being lost! Not that I believe you can ever get lost……you just get to a place that you do not recognise. But being a visitor it must be quite disconcerting not having a clue of where you are and how to get to where you wish to go. I know, I’ve had that experience in the foreign cities I have visited.

However, that aside I have also been stopped by a great number of foreign visitors desperately trying to find out how to get to ‘wherever’ and without a clue of which direction to go in. Fortunately for me I almost know the city like the palm of my hand and can walk many routes in my sleep. 🙂 almost!!

So the itineraries have been in the pipeline for some time and although they kinda stalled due to lack of confidence, last week I set off with a friend I met via facebook to walk the 3rd itinerary in the series to test if the directions were good and how long it would take from start to finish. I designated him as tour guide, no point me being the guide as I know the route by heart, and off we went. What a great day we had (a different blog to follow about that) and although we made various detours along the way (we are both incredibly curious and nosy…..) he proclaimed the itinerary good to go…..eg we didn’t get lost and the directions were good. He also got to see parts of London, that despite being a born Londoner, he had never seen before! Excellent, just what they were designed to do.

And so with my heart in my mouth I gave the go-ahead for the first itinerary to go online! and here it is, duly approved by Amazon and now my 2nd upload to kindle: West End itinerary

In case you were not aware, the 1st upload was the book I wrote about a little girl named Fanny Elizabeth Stokes who died in 1893 aged 7.

And now a different story has begun. Wish me bon voyage 🙂

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cycling round the world

Posted in news from around the world, Travel, tagged cycling round the world, cycling the six on April 4, 2012| Leave a Comment »

if youve ever thought of cycling the world….this blog is a must read http://cyclingthe6.blogspot.co.uk/ by @cyclingthe6

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spring has sprung and Londoner’s go walking

Posted in Fun Stuff, lifestyle, Travel, tagged Thames path, Twickenham on February 26, 2012| 4 Comments »

Today surely heralded the start of spring….a sky that started out grey and dull and as the morning progressed turned into a blue skies and balmy breezes kind of day, the sun beating down, sparkling on the river like shards of diamonds.

sunshine sparkling on the water

The day started real early, my daughter had a course in town to attend so we rose early (but not too bright) and had tea together before she set off. I hopped online (what else) and before I knew it, twas time to go. I had a meeting/catchup with a friend I met through twitter. It was months since we last met up…way too long. The day was developing into one of those amazing spring days, days that you can only appreciate after a long, dark and cold winter. The air was filled with the thrilling, trilling of birds tweeting! A wonderful sound, albeit the sound of defending territory.

I headed towards Twickenham. Along the way my eye was captured by the daffodil faces dancing in the breeze in Oak Lane Cemetery.

even in death there is life

My immediate destination was Sweetie Pies Boutique Bakery in Church Street – a favourite venue, a frequent place of merriment and munchies…..english tea and the best scones and cupcakes in town.

cupcake heaven

Today was no exception! The meeting was fun, filled with chatter, plans and ideas – the time flew by way too fast. All too soon our time was up, goodbyes were said with a promise to meet again soon. Church Street looked gay and cheerful, lined with Welsh and English flags, bustling with shoppers, the pubs packed with revellers preparing for the days rugby game soon to start. I strolled down to the embankment, the smell of barbecued meat hanging heavy in the air.

Church Street, Twickenham

By now the line of the sky was hard to distinguish from the water, blue blue blue. The sun sparkled diamond bright on the waves, ducks and geese squabbled noisily on the banks. The alabaster white of the York House statues glowed eerily in the shade of the trees. White blossoms on the trees by the bridge a splash of joy after recent cold, dark days. On the lawns of York House a little boy played, screaming with delight as he kicked the ball. From there I headed off to Orleans House Gallery; currently being refurbished. The whole of Twickenham was out for a stroll, dogs bounding along, children running and shrieking, filling the air with joy.

York House, looking splendid in the sunshine

On an impulse I decided to cross the river with the ferry! For just a £1, you can cross from one side to the other. Once there, I strolled along to Ham House, revelling in the warmth of the sun, stopping to chat to a horse along the way, and whilst giving him a scratch behind the ear….he bit my hip!! cheeky chap.

cheeky chap

From there I made off along the Thames Path towards Richmond, dodging cyclists and walkers I stopped frequently to take photos, unable to resist despite the fact that I have dozens already.

Boats chugged busily along the waterway. Richmond Bridge looked magnificent, perfectly reflected in the water below as buses and cars crossed back and forth; stop-start in the queue. The embankment was busy with strollers, cyclists, joggers and all the people that hibernate in the winter; today out on the lawns basking in the sun. The tide was down and not expected for a while, so the rugby folks gathered in noisy groups outside the pubs, still a few hours to revel and quaff their beer. A queue of customers lined up in front of an ice-cream van parked on the side, an easy decision in the heat of the day.

tide tables

The stream that runs alongside the old deer park was rushing back into the river as I walked by, gurgling noisily down the drain as the tide receded, a train rattled loudly across the old Victorian bridge on it’s way to St Margaret’s Station, planes flew overhead on their way to Heathrow and I made my way towards Richmond Lock, looking splendid as always.

what a view - Richmond Lock

Richmond Lock is surely one of the best views in London, and something I get to see every morning on my way to the station. If it was not for the fact that I had loads to do at home……I would have kept walking all the way to the sea!

I made a video of my photos that you may enjoy!

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10 years = 3652 days. 87648hours. 5258880 minutes.

Posted in around the UK, Castles of UK and Ireland, family and relationships, Fun Stuff, Historical, Holidays, Inspiration, It's my life, Travel, tagged life changing events, world travel on October 8, 2011| 3 Comments »

Heading off to the airport, bursting with excitement, my bags packed; 1 rucksack and a backpack, my stomach swirled and whirled with a mix of excitement and terror.

The journey to get to this point had been fraught with loss, anxiety, fear, hard work, worry, excitement and the thrill of setting off on an adventure to lands unknown…..loss of a job, giving up my home, fear of the unknown, the anxiety of leaving my daughter on her own (how daft am I), fear of being in foreign countries, worry of what to do when I got there, and how to get to where I had to go – the future spread before me and I had no idea of the adventures that lay ahead.

10 years ago today; 8th October 2001 = (3652 days, 87648 hours, 5258880 minutes ago) I left South Africa. The first time ever I was leaving the shores of my country of birth, I was flying across continents and seas over to Ireland to visit my little sister and to celebrate her 30th birthday with her which was the following day (and also the day I arrived in Ireland).

3 months before this day, I had come to a fork in the road of my life. The company I was working for had gone into liquidation in July, my daughter had attained the age of 21 in August (we had a fab party for that), and my sister who was living in Ireland at the time, as mentioned was due a landmark birthday in October and wanted someone from the family to join her. So, since I would have no job from the end of that September, it made perfect sense for me to go. There had of course been many forks in the road and I had gone on many a new journey in the preceeding 46years, but this was the first time I would be travelling overseas.

Getting to the point of departure was a journey of it’s own. I had to obtain a visa, arrange for my house to be sold, worry about where my daughter was to live, sell my car, pack my belongings into storage, find the money to live on while I was away and pay the bills, fight with the airline that went into liquidation 3 weeks before I was due to depart (think Swissair), talk myself onto a packed flight with South African Airways, and spare a thought or two about what I would do for a job on my return……little did I know. (and as I write those four words: ‘little did I know’ I am overwhelmed with emotion).

One of the most incredible things about being human, with a logical memory and perception is that….we can look back on events that change our lives and be amazed at the sheer wonder of it all.

My wonderful family; daughter Cémanthe, sister’s Sue & Joanne, nieces and nephews all came to see me off at the airport. I literally bounced through the airport, both terrified and excited beyond words, so much so that I could not contain myself and as I bounced along towards Customs I jumped up and down like a kangaroo, laughing and crying at the same time.

The flight was long, and overcrowded and tiring. I arrived in Zurich the next morning, absolutely terrified at finding my way to my next flight. In the event I did and as we flew over Europe I was in tears; tears of excitement, of joy, of wonder, of fear and the overiding thought was that in these very skies the 2nd WW had been fought. As a 2nd WW aficianado it was so emotional to think of those people who had lived through that time.

Next stop was London City airport. How foreign then, how familiar now. Finding my way to the tube; a time of confusion and fear. Trying to convert Rands to Pounds, thank goodness they spoke English. First a bus ride and finally onto the Piccadilly line and I was on my way, one more leg and I would be in Ireland!!! Hooray. I thrilled at the novelty of riding on a train underground, amazed that this was possible, amused at the people around me, the changing faces, the foreign languages, the suitcases and the fact that I, me, was there too! I felt as if I was in a dream.

Then suddenly we left the underground and I saw the houses of London for the first time and I was smitten. I often tell this story because it was life changing: as we left the tunnel I looked up and saw the houses and the chimneys that reminded me of Mary Poppins, and I fell in love. A love that has never waned, grown stronger and as I said to someone today…..if I had felt as much passion for my husband as what I feel for London….I would probably still be married!!! (and no offence to anyone who is happily married, but I shudder at the thought 🙂 ), imagine all that I would have missed out on if I had not been single. It still amazes me today that all my life I never expressed an interest in even visiting London and now it has become my home and I can’t imagine wanting to live anywhere else in the world.

The next surprise was Heathrow. A LOT smaller than I had anticipated from the stories I had heard and then suddenly we were airborne and my excitement knew no bounds. The patchwork fields below me looked enchanting, then the Irish Sea spread before me and my excitement escalated, then suddenly the coast of Ireland started to appear!! And as we came in to land, I heard gaellic for the first time, realised why Ireland is called the ’emerald isle’ and whoa……there below me I could see a castle! A real genuine castle, castle. Alice in Wonderland had nothing on this!!

At the time I arrived Ireland they were in the midst of an outbreak of foot & mouth disease and we had to walk through a special fluid to clean our shoes. That was quite symbolic for me as I felt like I was starting with a clean slate. (I know, I know, but it makes sense to me!). The Customs man waved me through, but I stopped and asked him to stamp my passport…..duh!!! My third stamp in 24 hours. Meeting up with my beloved sister and brother-in-law was out of this world. The joy I felt at being there, seeing them again was beyond words. My head was buzzing with all the new experiences I was having.

The next 24 hours were just beyond description….and I never went home!

Since that day I have travelled the length and breadth of Ireland, visited and stayed in hundreds of villages, dozens of towns and many cities of England, Scotland & Wales, visited dozens of islands and 2 continents, been to America (3 times), Venice, Verona and Sirmione, Paris and Versailles, Amsterdam & Gouda, Bruges & Damme, Gibraltar and been on a cruise to the Bahamas. I have explored medieaval forts and towers, meandered through Castles, Abbeys, Cathedrals, Churches, world-famous Universities and two Roman amphitheatre’s. Walked on a Roman road in the crypt of a church, visited many other crypts and a 5,000 year old burial mound, the sites of significant historical battles, a medieaval Tower and Palaces, seen the Queen of England (a live one!), walked in the footsteps of a beloved Princess, Winston Churchill, Christopher Wren, Oscar Wilde, Chaucer, Charles Dickens, Shakespeare, Thomas Hardy, Kings and Queens, Dukes and Duchesses, and watched the Royal Wedding of a future King and Queen from close proximity on The Mall in London. I have participated in and watched ancient parades and ceremonies, waded barefoot in the Irish Sea, the English Channel, the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic ocean on the other side of the world, seen the Crown jewels of England, the crow’s nest of Shackleton’s ship, and sat on the seat where Alexander Pope rested and Walter Raleigh planned his round the world trips. Seen the Atlas mountains, the Swiss Alps, the Sahara desert, and the Grand Canyon from the air, walked on fire, tramped along jurassic cliffs and historic tunnels, clambered through caves and grottos, travelled on planes, trains, boats and a barge, the Eurostar, a limosine and a horse & carriage in New York, in a soft-top Cadillac in Paris, a riverboat steamer, a ferry in Ireland, a gondola in Venice and a ship across the Caribbean sea, walked across historical bridges, been rock-wall climbing, para-sailing, climbed a 60′ pole and then bungeed off, had a white christmas, built a snowman in Hyde Park, and went sledding at Alexander Palace, had a cruise on the Seine and rowed on the Thames, been to the top of the Empire State Building, St Paul’s Cathedral, and the Eiffel Tower, heard the bells of Big Ben in London, St Marks Cathedral in Venice, Westminster Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Southwark Cathedral and St Paul’s in London, St David’s in Wales, the Notre Dame in Paris, and listened to the sirens of WW2. Stood on the most central spot of New York, Paris, London and Dublin, I’ve seen amazing sunsets in 8 countries and many more counties, and very few sunrises in any!! I have seen world-famous paintings by VanGogh, Monet, Van Dyck, Gainsborough, Rubens and others, ancient pottery and artefacts 1,000’s of years BC, medieval art and dwellings, stood on the spot where artists like Bellini, Canneletto, Carravagio, Titian and Tintoretto stood as they splashed their paint onto church walls in Italy that still stand today. I’ve walked through the red-light district of Amsterdam, along the decking of Horatio Nelson’s ship, through the house where Shakespeare was born, the Tower where Sir Walter Raleigh was incarcerated, seen the bed where Queen Mary was born, sat on the couch where Keats lay dying, had tea in a cafe where Princess Diana once did, walked up steps that have seen the feet of Saint Patrick, pilgrims, monks, and travellers of old, walked through ancient Monasteries and woodlands, a Masonic Temple, stood on the Meridian line and the spot where 3 English Queens were beheaded. I’ve seen red deer, hares and foxes, painted ladies and for the first time heard a robin, a cuckoo and a blackbird sing. I have eaten key lime pie and conch fritters in America, crepes in France, pizza in Italy, chocolate in Belgium, cheese in Amsterdam, soda bread in Ireland, Cornish ice-cream and fish and chips with mushy peas in quintessential English seaside resorts.

In these 10years I have become an aunty again for the 4th time, a great-aunt 3 times over, been to 3 weddings and one funeral (non family), lost a dearly beloved (almost) father-in-law, travelled to South Africa as a ‘visitor’ 5 times, slept in airports in 3 countries I haven’t visited, started a business and learned about MLM, internet marketing, spread betting (still haven’t figured it out), learned about personal development, the universe and being in your flow, listened to world-famous speakers and bullshitters, been on courses that have altered my perceptions and learned about values and beliefs, read ancient manuscripts and The Book of Kells, had my daughter join me in London for a holiday and end up staying 🙂 made many new friends and lost a few, fell in and out of love and almost moved to America, lived in cottages, apartments, flats, houses, mansions, a loft, a boat and a gypsy caravan (none of which were my own) and slept in a tent on The Mall. I’ve learned how to use a mobile phone, send text messages, use a phone in a foreign country (Italy), edit photos on my computer, to blog and to tweet, written 2 books, had 3 poems and a book of photos published, I have stood up in front of a room full of people and done a presentation and yet just 10 years ago my sister in Ireland had to coach me on how overcome my fear and to speak to people I didn’t know 🙂 Now I can and do speak to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

From one rucksack and a backpack when I left my home shores, I have during the last 10 years accumulated so much that I now have 12 suitcases, 30 boxes filled to the brim, a chest of drawers, a rebounder, books by the dozen and mementoes galore, a postcard collection to rival any other and so much stuff that I now need a storage unit to store it all. And in my heart I have stored some of the most amazing sights, sounds, memories and experiences.

I have done more in the last 10 years than I did in the preceeding 46, and as I write I marvel at the journey it took to reach this anniversary, and dream with anticipation of the possible journeys that still lie ahead.

I am one of the luckiest people in the world. Long may the journey and the adventures continue.

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where have all the days gone……

Posted in It's my life, Travel, tagged employment for silver surfers, going for my first interview, looking for work at 56, travel in london on September 1, 2011| 1 Comment »

times flies.....and if I don't get to bed soon....it will be 1am! 🙂

…..or something like that! – Where has this year gone? I can hardly believe that it’s September already!!! this year has truly flown the coop! I remember when I was younger my Dad always used to say….”wait till you get older….time will fly” and so it is and has. His opinion on this is that time is speeding up. Hmmmm, I’m not sure about that, but the days and weeks and months sure do go by fast. I often wonder if this is to do with the fact that we are so busy these days. We are always ‘doing’ something. The constant urge to communicate, learn more, work commitments, child commitments (like sport and activities) and then just the normal day to day activities that go towards keep up with life as it is today.
I remember when my Mother was still alive, she used to have hours where she just sat and realaxed, enjoyed life. Had tea with her kids and grandchildren, read a book and meandered around her garden. None of the hurry-scurry that seems to take up the hours of my day!
It often blindsides me how quickly life changes too! In the flash of an eye and everything changes. As you know from previous blogs I recently quit my job. Now that didn’t happen in the blink of an eye and I had been debating that for some months, but when it came to making the decision to quit….that did happen in the blink of an eye. And the changes that came with that are phenomenal. One of which is of course looking for a new source of income. Fortunately I am lucky enough to have a number of options, but unlike the hours in the day….it takes longer to get something set up again. I have fortunately had one care job that took care of the bank for a week or so….and I was meant to have another one starting today….BUT that caved in late yesterday afternoon and now the stress has started in earnest. Major panic attack this morning when I awoke after what was a very restless night.
On the plus side I got to spend some time with my lovely daughter yesterday and last evening. We went out for a delicious supper as I mentioned in my last blog and then we headed home. She, like the genius that she is, set up a facebook page for THE MONEY BOX! Hooray. In no time at all she has the page up and away we went with the invitations.
I also subbed for her today at BNI Sherlock. Which probably doesn’t mean anything to you, so let me enlighten you 🙂 BNI is a business networking group (they are worldwide) where you get to speak about your business, listen to others speak about theirs and then see if you have any referrals or congruency with someone they know or even perhaps themselves. Fortunately due to the Platform and Presentation Skills Training course I did a few years ago with Christopher Howard I have learned how to stand up in front of a room full of people and not turn to a block of deepfreeze! 🙂
Now when I stood up to do her 60seconds for NEW MEDIA ANGELS I was fine, but when it came time to do mine…..urgh, I got all red in the face and flustered. So good and bad…hahahaha! as Dr Demartini would say….balance in all things. Just not sure he meant this specifically. But I managed and the floor didn’t actually swallow me whole! In the event I have a 1-1 set up with one of the members for next week 🙂 Hopefully this will be a taste of things to come and I can finally convert back to doing what I love…..Credit Control. I started The Money Box up in 2008, but eventually went back to the caring so now I have a good start for getting it up and running again as I have already worked for a few people and have referrals in that area.
So this afternoon I passed another milestone! I survived the interview! Hooray! 🙂 actually it was a great interview and I left feeling very positive. They asked some brilliant and very clever questions and really grilled me in all areas. Initially had 2 people doing the interview and then one of the Directors popped in and we chatted as well. In all it was a very positive experience and at least the ice is broken in that respect. The last time I had an interview for a job was in Oct 2009 and that was quite an intense process. They also left me twiddling my thumbs for a months before finally making a decision and at the time I was pipped to the post by a chap 20 years younger than me! Ah well. Their loss hey! 🙂
So here I am, now back in Twickenham. Cat sitting for the weekend. My daughter lives 20 minutes away and I am just about to go to bed.
One thing that did strike me as I was in transit from the west to the north is how it is that if I get this job – once again I will be commuting. No more walking from my bedroom to the kitchen as my morning commute. It is going to be very weird having to catch public transport again every day and I mused at the volume of people passing through the station this evening. Like a mass of lemmings flowing along. So that will be a bit of a challenge.
On the home front, as I say, I am cat sitting in Twickenham for a friend of mine, very much a last minute arrangement and once again I had to lug my very heavy suitcase across from far north to far south west/ish with me. The tube journey takes and hour and a half….so you get the idea of distance. I tell you, if I do get this job that is going to be one of the biggest perks…..being based in one place and not having to drag this exceptionally heavy suitcase around. Mind you on the plus side, as I mentioned before, I have reached the age now where more and more often people are offering to help. And I now gratefully accept. No more of the “no it’s fine, I can manage bullsh*t”….if someone offers to carry it up or down the stairs I say “Yes! Please and thank you so much”. Actually it was quite funny coz as I was passing through the barrier at East Finchley I asked the guy on duty if he had a magic wand. He said no, so I said what a pity coz then he could magic my bag up the stairs. Heehee. So he took the hint and carried the bag up for me! Age and charm do have benefits. 🙂
even the bus drivers are getting in on the act (well some of them anyway). Most of the newer buses in the UK have a hydraulic system that lowers the platform for wheelchair access. So now when they see me standing at the busstop with my massive suitcase looking forlorn…..they lower the platform! Yay!!! thank you!
And on that note I am going to end off with a happy sigh! I have passed a major hurdle in my job hunt; been for an interview. I loath interviews, but actually this one I quite enjoyed. Hope it bodes well for my prospects!
Tah dah. Chat again soon.

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that elusive quality called time

Posted in around the UK, It's my life, Travel, tagged searching the web for work, spedning time with my daughter, villages of the uk on August 27, 2011| Leave a Comment »

hmmm, and the eternal question is: where does it go? I have been back in London for just on 10 days and the days have whizzed by. I have moved on to North London and am staying at my friends place whilst she is in South Africa….great timing really. The days in Twickenham were great fun and CJ and I had some really special times together, either watching TV, working, chatting, strolling along the riverbank, eating out, munching our way through cupcakes, taking photos and having lonnnngggg conversations about the meaning of life.

view of the Thames at Richmond

the conclusion I have recently come to is that we really have to enjoy the moment. enjoy and appreciate where we are as much as is possible. We are urged time and again to reach for goals and although that is good, so much of life is missed out because we are focussing on the future instead of the now. I really slowed down the few days I had with my daughter and instead of stressing about work or money or getting blogs up or posting on twitter, I just enjoyed whatever time we had together. I don’t get to see that much of her even when I am in London so those few days were really precious. I even managed to surprise her on Sunday night with a mini-birthday party, which was great fun and she didn’t suspect a thing despite me never being able to keep a secret.

a surprise birthday party

we didn’t get to do the tour after all. We woke late and I felt really ill (turns out I had food poisoning from the meal the night before), so we decided to just relax and chat and spend the day together, and it turned out just super.

The last few days have been spent updating records and sorting my photo albums. I have joined a group on facebook that has a different theme every day and it has been a fun challenge to see if any of my photos are suitable. Some of them have been well liked which is brilliant. I really do love taking photos and think I will drive everyone nuts when I have a more sophisticated camera. I already have over 22,000 photos!!! Hysterical. Of course not all of them are good enough for publication, but most of them remind me of places I have been and things I have seen, and that is awesome.

a storm's brewing

we had a brilliant thunder storm yesterday with the accompanying lightening and a massive downpour which was pretty awesome. My sweet sister-in-law is in labour and within the next day or so I will be an aunty again!!! yay! It’s a little girl and I am really looking forward to welcoming her. They recently adopted two kiddies; a boy of 7 and a girl of 6 years old, so with the new baby on the way they are going to have their hands full. They live in Hungary so sadly I don’t get to see them much, but I am hoping to make a trip there sometime later this year.

On the job front I have found absolutely nothing that excites me!!!! urgh. I loath doing job searches and this is no different. So I am using the care work as a fall back till I find something that will be of interest. Initially I was really annoyed with myself for using this as a fall back, but I have now made my peace with it. Instead of resenting this I have instead resolved to enjoy the fact that I can now visit some more villages or towns of the UK and add to my now very long list which is approaching 100!!! Way cool. I am thinking of making a book about the villages as this will fit in with my dream of travelling around the UK in my campervan and blogging about the places I go (as mentioned in an earlier blog).

As I write I am watching the news of hurricane Irene in America and it looks frightening. I can’t even begin to imagine such big storms. We had awesome storms in South Africa but nothing like whats going on there.

So back to the web for more job searches. How awesome it would be if I could just magic up a number of clients who need my credit control services and I could do what I really enjoy…..sorting, organising and fixing. 🙂

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back in London

Posted in around the UK, It's my life, Travel, tagged chipstead village, halstead village, searching for a job, travelling to villages in the uk on August 26, 2011| 2 Comments »

(Ok, so this blog is a week overdue. I wrote it on 18th!!) I am back….haven’t absconded to India just yet 🙂

I am back in London after a lovely week in Halstead/Kent with a really lovely lady. One of the nicest placements I have had in all the years I have worked as a Carer. However, as I mentioned earlier, spending time with her has really given me a serious kick on my metaphorical butt!!!! I must, and that is a MUST get to travel again. There are so many places she wanted to see and visit but coz of this debilitating disease (motor neuron disease) she is, at the same age as me, confined to a wheelchair. She does go out of course but only to places that are close to home. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to have been an active and busy person to suddenly be diagnosed with a debilitating disease. I know people do cope and adjust, but I am quite healthly and able and I really do want to see so many places and of course as you probably already know….I want to travel round the UK and hopefully Europe with my campervan 🙂

my daughter sent this to me...it's now my desktop pic!! love it, makes me smile eveytime I log on

I had a lovely week and got to visit a delightful little village; Chipstead. So adorable with the cutest little houses and cottages. A bubbling stream winds through the village and in front of some of the houses.

Victorian cottages in Chipstead

I was thrilled to find a wee bridge that crossed the stream which meandered past a ‘Mill House’….these villages are just heavenly. I also found some terrific cottages, more modern than the one dated 1694!!!

built 1694

that I want to investigate (when!!!!! I have internet access again). I got my dongle on Tuesday, only to discover that they had sent me the wrong one. I have a contract and they sent me a pay as you go!!! Seriously I am so fed up with them now that I could not even phone them when I discovered their mistake……I was unsure I could hold my temper. So I have packed it away and will tackle this issue tomorrow or Saturday. So annoying. Ah well. Perhaps the Universe is trying to teach me some patience 🙂 – as of today 26.08 I have been back online for 6 days and playing catch up.

Right now (18:44) is am sitting at Costa, where it’s warm and cosy, I have just finished some spreadsheet work for my friend (I do love spreadsheets) and am now writing this blog in preparation for when I get online! When I arrived back in London this afternoon the rain came down in buckets and I got soaked!!! my trainers are wet and cold and it feels ucky!! I still have a few hours before I get home and be able to change. When I arrived I have a delicious hot choclate with trimmings (cream & marshmallows) and an almond croissant…..yummy. I think I deserved that after getting soaked and after my long journey. I am meeting up with a friend for dinner later on which will be fun.

So home for the next few days is after all going to be with my daughter. Her housemate had a bit of a hissy fit last week and threatened all sorts of dire things and said she is not at all happy with another person staying at the house…..never mind that she has had people staying over a number of times, once for a month!!! geez…how to feel welcome hey. This homeless business is not fun!

Tomorrow I am going to take her on a tour of the ‘old’ City of London, from the Tower of London to St Paul’s cathedral where I am going to take her right up to the Golden Gallery, then from there we will visit The Old Bailey, and St Bride’s Church, then past the Olde Cheshire Cheese to Samuel Johnson’s house, back to Fleet Street and thence to The Royal Courts of Justice on Strand. We will meander the streets and visit ancient places and commune with ghosts along the way!!! this is the 3rd and final itinerary of the 3 Days in London itineraries and hopefully once we have done this one I can finally get them into a decent format and uploaded online.

The weekend promises to be quiet, my daughter is off to Rochester with a friend, so I plan to knuckle down and get some blogs online. Haven’t been able to do any for weeks now. My poor hootsuite account needs attention too….that has also suffered since my internet access has been so disrupted. Eish!!!

On the work front…..of course I have not been able to get onto google…which has been a real nuisance, but hopefully this weekend I can. I do have another short placement shortly but I hope the agency can find me another before too long. Other than that I shall continue to look.

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I am back……from RSA!!

Posted in family and relationships, Holidays, It's my life, Travel, tagged holidays in south africa, long-haul flights, travel to doha in qatar on June 27, 2011| 6 Comments »

hi folks, long time no blog!!! I have an excuse…..it’s called a holiday or in this instance a ‘trip’. There was no holiday tagged on at the end….too much rushing around.

So here are the stats as worked out by my daughter:

11 days, 7 airplane flights, 4 of which: long haul flights, 5 airports, 3 provinces, 3 countries, 5 friends not seen in 10 years (or more), 21 family members, 3 Wimpy visits, 3 MilkyLane visits, 2 Spur visits, £77 spent on my phonebill (her phone bill…not mine), add to that 1 island (the UK), 2 continents, a lot of driving and very little sleep!!! And 1 lost baggage!!!!

CJ at Wimpy in Johannesburg

What a trip. We flew out from Heathrow at 15:05 on 14th June first stop Doha in Qatar. A short wait and then overnight to Johannesburg for a connecting flight to Durban where we were collected at the airport by my daughter’s father. We spent 3 days in Durban visiting the old folks and then flew to Cape Town. Met at the airport by my sister and hubbie we met up with CJ’s friends at the Waterfront and eventually drove through to Somerset West where we stayed for 3 days and then to Johannesburg, again met at the airport by the ‘Daddy’, stayed at his place for a day (this was the only time we knew for sure it was winter-it was freezing), then off to stay at my sister’s house for a day, had supper and the kids all visited. Left Thursday23rd at 4pm for the 21:50 to Doha where we had an 11 hour lay-over and after 40 hours of no sleep we arrived at Heathrow at 22:23 Friday night!!!! sans my luggage! “Oh, it got left behind in Johannesburg”. hurrumph!!!

Our transport went as such: taxi, bus, plane, bus, bus, plane, bus, car, legs, car, bus, plane, bus, car, bus, plane, bus, car, car, bus, plane, bus, bus, plane, bus, taxi….home!

We evaded elephants in the urban jungle of Durban,

elephants in Durban

watched monkeys climbing through the trees, got woken by the hah-dee-dah birds in the morning, paddled in the Indian Ocean, rode on a rickshaw,

a rickshaw ride

saw sharks swimming about in the hold of an old delapidated boat that is now an amusement area, watched the lunar eclipse, walked on the beach at Gordon’s Bay,

Gordon's Bay

strolled through the gardens in Cape Town, ate too much, had way too many milkshakes, a bit too much wine in Cape Town (my sister’s fault), a BBQ with family and friends, rubbish airline food, watched Blesbok running about and fighting in the veld,

blesbok in the veld....it was far away

watched the sunrise on at least 5 of the days, and sunsets on most, watched ‘Zeitgeist’ the movie in JNB (exceptionally great movie btw), and 4 movies on the planes: none of which I can remember the name of!

I traded-in my old trainers that I have had for 8 years for a new pair at Johannesburg airport domestic departures,

these shoes were made for walking......farewell old friends

bought 3 items of clothing in Cape Town and declared a no-more-buy policy at the prices, almost passed out from shock at the price of food and living in RSA compared to how it was a few years ago (now comparable or more than London), watched my budget go through the ceiling and was totally impressed by the level of service we received wherever we went.

We listened to stories and tales of life in RSA, then told our own, shared photos and captured more, caught up with old friends, made a few new ones, enjoyed quality time with the family; bemused at how quickly the kiddies are growing up and left just a teensy-weensy bit homesick……first time in almost 10 years, and considered the possibility that I may just be able to live in SA again….but only in spring and only for a short time….like a long holiday 🙂

We saw how bad the pollution is world-wide, and how blue the sky is above it, deserted deserts, lakes and dams, snaking rivers, the Black Sea (pretty damn awesome), the English Channel, the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Bahrain, snow on the mountains in Turkey, flew over Iraq (????), and Europe, walked in the Indian Ocean, saw the Atlantic Ocean from the air, massive mountain ranges in South Africa and spent 15 hours in the Middle East!

Doha Airport

So that was the trip……now for the holiday. Guernsey in August! yay.

oh! and p.s. the bag was delivered the next day! whew 🙂

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I’m checking in at the Holiday Inn

Posted in family and relationships, Fun Stuff, It's my life, Travel, tagged checking in at the Holiday Inn, getting old, Holiday Inn holidays on June 27, 2011| 4 Comments »

hahaha!!! sometimes it’s the fwd mails that get me…….

No NURSING HOME FOR me!!!

No nursing home for me. I’ll be checking into a Holiday Inn!

With the average cost for a nursing home care costing $188.00 per day, there is a better way when we get old and too feeble.
I’ve already checked on reservations at the Holiday Inn. For a combined long term stay discount and senior discount, it’s $59.23 per night.

Breakfast is included, and some have happy hours in the afternoon. That leaves $128.77 a day for lunch and dinner in any restaurant we want, or room service, laundry, gratuities and special TV movies. Plus, they provide a spa, swimming pool, a workout room, a lounge and washer-dryer, etc.

Most have free toothpaste and razors, and all have free shampoo and soap.

$5 worth of tips a day you’ll have the entire staff scrambling to help you. They treat you like a customer, not a patient.
There’s a city bus stop out front, and seniors ride free. The handicap bus will also pick you up (if you fake a decent limp).

To meet other nice people, call a church bus on Sundays. For a change of scenery, take the airport shuttle bus and eat at one of the nice restaurants there.
While you’re at the airport, fly somewhere. Otherwise, the cash keeps building up.
It takes months to get into decent nursing homes. Holiday Inn will take your reservation today.

And you’re not stuck in one place forever — you can move from Inn to Inn, or even from city to city. Want to see Hawaii? They have Holiday Inn there too.

TV broken? Light bulbs need changing? Need a mattress replaced? No problem.. They fix everything, and apologize for the inconvenience.

The Inn has a night security person and daily room service. The maid checks to see if you are ok. If not, they’ll call an ambulance . . . or the undertaker. If you fall and break a hip, Medicare will pay for the hip, and Holiday Inn will upgrade you to a suite for the rest of your life.
And no worries about visits from family. They will always be glad to find you, and probably check in for a few days mini-vacation. The grandkids can use the pool..

What more could I ask for? So, when I reach that golden age, I’ll face it with a grin and check-in at the Holiday Inn 🙂 see ya!

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