Where in the world?

Christmas in Adelaide

2011-12-26T03:17:00.000Z

A sensational few days with Batman and the family in Adelaide

Dinner with the neighbours, Ziah, Trudi and Kim (23 December):

Christmas day festivities:

Melbourne

2011-12-22T02:40:00.000Z

Hmm...we didn't seem to accomplish an awful lot in Melbourne on this trip. Thanks to the wonderful hospitality of Frazier and Kelly we kicked back in Bamfield Road and managed to catch up on some admin, as well as keeping an eye on the lettuces and tomatoes while F&K went back to Aotearoa to beautify themselves for their big day.

We'll be returning to Melbourne in January for the Australian Open, and just possibly, finding somewhere to live - so there will no doubt be more photos to view at that stage.

Canberra

2011-12-12T01:11:00.000Z

We conquered an impressive list of tourist attractions in the capital: Parliaments old and new, the National War memorial, the Australian Institute of Sport, the High Court of Australia, the National Gallery, the National Library and the National McDonalds. True to it's reputation, Canberra appears to lack a punchy personality but we did find the city extremely interesting and tourist friendly. The displays answered some of our questions about the many layers of the over-engineered Australian political system. The lawmaking here is awful: in the last two months the federal government has passed retro-active legislation, a ridiculous tax on the countries most productive industry and a half baked carbon tax. It seems crazy that a country with such an enterprising history and people needs so many rules and so many rule-makers.

View from National War Memorial toward Parliament

Senator Elliott

Sydney & The Blue Mountains

2011-12-09T01:06:00.000Z

We had a lot of rain in the Blue Mountains which did not improve the suntan but did give life to the many waterfalls. The National Pass rates as one of the better day walks we have had the pleasure of doing - a great deal of credit must go to the brave chaps who had the foresight to build tracks in such precarious locations in the early 1900's.

Rain prevented any decent photos from our short stay in Sydney but we did enjoy soaking up the atmosphere of the inner suburbs with Susan and Jim. We saw the northern beaches at their best in some rare sunlight and having a swim in the ocean pool at Collaroy was an invigorating way to end our time in Sydney.

Blue Mountains - the Three Sisters

Blue Mountains - national pass

Bondi - Bronte walk

Collaroy beach

Swimming in Collaroy beach's fantastic ocean pool

Surfers and Brisbane

2011-12-02T21:11:00.000Z

We engineered our itinerary to be in Brisbane for the first NZ v Australia cricket test. While rain and - inexcusably - light cut short the days play, it was quite exciting to see the next generations from both teams in the early stages of their careers. We spent some good times with friends and family in Brisbane and Surfers and also squeezed in day trips to Sea World and to Lamington National Park.

Burleigh Heads

Sea World

Tourists feeding (and tormenting) the Rays at Sea World

Shark World!

The Gabba

Images of Byron Bay

2011-11-27T06:34:00.000Z

Queensland

2011-11-20T23:48:00.046Z

We turned east at Three Way and headed for the civilisation of Queensland. We were sad to cut short the Northern Territory section of our trip but the brewing rain and our desire to check out the east coast meant it best to return another time.

Queensland has been great. The highlights of our first stint here have been:

Getting to grips with mining in Mt Isa
Catching up with family in Dalby
Swimming and walking in perfect weather in Noosa
A day trip to the Irwin's Australia Zoo
A day trip in a 4wd through Fraser island.

Goodbye to the 50m roadtrains

Mt Isa - city on a mine

Walking in the Bunya mountains with Aunty Shirley

Noosa main beach

Sunshine beach Noosa

Australia Zoo

Rainbow beach

Lake Mackenzie, Fraser Island

Alice Springs

2011-11-07T11:20:00.002Z

We spent a really good week in Alice. Geographically, it sits in the middle of the country but it also plays a central role in much of the history of explorers, transport and communications. The main highlights of our trip were:

The Desert Park showcasing different desert environments, reptiles, birds and mammals
Sleeping under the southern cross in our swags in Ormiston gorge
Checking out all the spectacular spots along the Macdonnell ranges
Cycling to the Alice Springs Telegraph station
Checking out the Cultural precinct including the Araleun gallery and the Aviation history of the town
A great cafe in Todd mall

Royal Flying Doctors Service

Thorny devil!

Simpson's gap

Stanley's Chasm

Ellery Creek big hole

Kipping down in our swags - Ormiston gorge

Ormiston gorge

Cooling off in Ormiston Gorge

Devil's Marbles

The Red Centre

2011-11-05T09:11:00.009Z

We did three good day walks in three days in the red centre:

The Uluru base walk around the circumfrence of the great rock.
The Valley of the Winds walk in the Olgas.
The Kings Canyon circuit walk.

We had a fair bit of rain around which meant more pleasurable walking conditions and an unexpected set of pictures. Well worth a 700km detour!

The Olgas

The view point on the Olgas

Uluru in the rain

Waterhole on the Uluru base walk

Walking on the rock - Uluru

Uluru base walk

Goulds goanna

Gabrielle - Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon

Coober Pedy

2011-11-01T09:22:00.036Z

Strange place Coober Pedy - a bit of the wild west in it. It's an opal mining town where a lot of people come for a short time but they find opals, grow beards and never leave. If it wasn't for Coober Pedy there would be nothing here - except maybe an extension of one of the regions whopping cattle station. Instead, the landscape is dotted with mounds like a whole lot of human sized rabbits have dug burrows here - and they have in the search to strike it big with a haul of opals. The majority of the houses and hotels are built into mounds of sandstone - a nice way to avoid 40 degree days.

Night storm brewing

View of the town with everything built into the mounds of sandstone

Serbian church

"Blower" truck used to suck out waste from the mine

Mounts (tailings) from opal mining accross the plains

The Breakaways

Adelaide to Coober Pedy

2011-10-28T09:14:00.032+01:00

It's probably about a thousand k's from Adelaide to Coober Pedy and when we looked back on the map we had barely made a dent in our planned drive. We stayed at places like Cradock, William Creek and Parachilna - isolated pub towns with populations less than 10. Some cloud cover meant walking in the hills was reasonably safe and we encountered plenty of local wildlife both in the open and on our plate along the route.

Quorn

Cradock

Aboriginal caves at Yourambulla

Walking in the red dust

Wilpena Pound

Walk to St Mary's peak, Wilpena Pound

Rock Wallaby

Brachina gorge

Parachilna hotel

Leight Creek coal mine

Oodnadatta track

William Creek Pub

Otago Central Rail Trail

2011-09-28T22:55:00.000+01:00

We had three glorious days of spring sunshine and, more importantly, tail winds on the Otago Central Rail Trail. We enjoyed the freedom of the track with no noise, no motorists and no helmets. There's good character in Central Otago and the few folk we met along the way were good honest kiwis - the rail trail has had a very positive impact on the small farming towns in the area. Sore bums and a good sleep to follow!

The crew at our starting point in Alexandra:

Panoramic views on the trail:

The riders:

Icons of railway days gone by:

Waimate walks

2011-09-27T22:59:00.000+01:00

Waimate is charging ahead with some tremendous walking and cycling tracks. At 31 years old I've finally made it to the White Horse monument overlooking Waimate - with Valmay, Gabrielle and Mum:

Dunedin

2011-08-28T11:21:00.001+01:00

Nine years after graduating from Otago University, we returned to our old stomping ground. Fresh memories triggered every few steps around the city and the campus (sites of old flats, parties and adventures).

Photos from St Clair beach and Otago v Canterbury at the very the impressive new indoor stadium.

And from the archives. Graduation in 2003:

Bellagio

2011-08-24T01:26:00.000+01:00

Last stop before flying back to New Zealand was Bellagio - a nice little town right in the groin of Lake Como. The hair raising drive from Como to Bellagio was worth the experience at the end. High quality gelato, a much needed haircut and a visit to the beautiful Villa Balbianello.

Bellagio:

Villa Balbianello:

(of Casino Royale fame)

Lake Carezza

2011-08-15T18:50:00.001+01:00

Rifugio Puez

2011-08-15T18:42:00.007+01:00

Our walk to Rifugio Puez and along to the Danterciepes gondola ranks as one of the best day walks we’ve done. Starting from at around 1500m, we blitzed through the early crowds in the valley and then sweated our way up the 1000m rocky climb to Puez. We were greated at the Rifugio by pasta, goulash soup, apple strudel and a pint of coke which fuelled the rest of our journey across the top of the cliffs to the Danterciepes gondola.

Sassolungo loop walk

2011-08-14T08:06:00.005+01:00

The weather in the Dolomites has been very kind to us. On our first day here we knocked off a cracking loop walk at altitudes between 2000 and 2400m and had perfect visibility of the surrounding mountains above us for the whole day. Aging knees and a tight timetable for the chairlifts back down to our digs in Saint Christina meant we were against the clock all day. We were not helped by some dodgy directions but we made it to the lift with 15 minutes in hand and were safely in the company of a pint of beer shortly after.

Day trips from Venice

2011-08-11T08:38:00.001+01:00

Villa Pisani:

Murano:

Burano:

Venice

2011-08-10T08:12:00.002+01:00

Number of nights in Venice: 3
Ferry rides taken: 10
Gelato scoops consumed: 15
Mosquito bites received: 100*
Bridges walked over: 500*
Japanese couples having strange wedding photos with pigeons in St Marks square: 1
*indicates estimates used and prone to exaggeration

Chianti

2011-08-08T08:57:00.002+01:00

On our return to Tuscany we rented a two bed apartment with the Wrights in the centre of Tuscany. We enjoyed catching up at the slow pace of Tuscan life, taking day trips to San Gimignano, Florence, Panzano and Radda.

Elba

2011-08-04T18:30:00.005+01:00

We holidayed with the Italians, heading to Elba Island, Tuscany for a few days on the beach. We gave up pretty quickly on trying to get around any beaches on the island as they were overpopulated and parking was impossible and the beach closest to our hotel – Lido di Capiloveri – was outstanding. The beach experience was different to what were used to – the 300m of beach was covered 3 deep in umbrella’s and loungers with very little space for the public. The water was warm and clear so we were pretty tired after our days swimming and lying in the sun. Otherwise, the highlights of the trip were a kayak along the coast from Capiloveri, a walk up the hill above the Marciana Marina, finishing two books each and, of course, the daily gelato.

View from our loungers:
Gabrielle cooling off after our kayak trip:

Gorgonzolla pizza on the marina:

Marciana Marina:

From the ferry to the mainland:

Cinque terre

2011-08-03T08:00:00.010+01:00

The Cinque terre (five fishing villages along Italy’s north western coast) exceeded our expectations. All the elements of a good holiday for us: good (but quite steep) walking tracks linking the villages, great coastal views, warm swimming beaches, fresh seafood, foccacia bread and gelato. As expected, the narrow walking tracks were overcrowded in parts which made for one average afternoon. Our digs were in Volastra, about 350m above the main villages and the coast on a really nice part of walking track with figs, grapes, peaches and all manner of other produce as well as terrific views out to sea. Three days was just the right amount of time to experience the highlights – after which our sunburnt bodies were ready to move on.

Afternoon sun in Volastra:
Views from the trail:

Beach in Rionmaggiorie:

Le Tour

2011-07-28T20:24:00.001+01:00

Stage 19 of the 2011 Tour de France turned out to be a great place to make our debut on Le Tour: a huge stage in this years race, an iconic climb and a tremendous atmosphere. We arrived on the finishing climb on Alpe d’Huez 24 hours before the riders came through but the party had started well before then as thousands of spectators had already grabbed the best spots and were well set up with all manner of indulgences. We managed to slot the Peugeot in on the side of the road toward the bottom of the hill and set up camp. Gabrielle and I slept in the car with trucks roaring past right through the night and Dean and Helen pitched their tent on a slope that was outdone in gradient only by the climb the riders faced on the Alp the next day. But sleep doesn’t matter – it’s Le Tour!

After a nice campfire and a brief interlude commonly described as sleep, we strolled up the Alp and secured some prime real estate around half way up at around 1300m. Thankfully all weather forecasts for the day were woefully wrong and we spent the day in glorious sunshine. There were plenty of characters on our corner who had been partying for a few days in a row and showed no signs of slowing. Their resident DJ was belting out plenty of dance beats to keep the crowd and the thousands of amateur riders climbing the Alp happy.

In total, we actually waited around 7 hours for the riders to come but there were plenty of distractions: people watching, road painting, tv’s showing the race, baguettes, amateur riders and runners climbing the Alp. The last, and most famous, distraction was Le Caravane – a convoy of dozens of sponsors vehicles and a lolly-scramble-style giveaway. Being on the Alp for the day meant the anticipation really built and as the riders approached.

Actually, first the helicopters approach (we counted 8), then the police, then the press, then the motorbikes, then the lead rider – a speck on the switchback road below – but looming fast.
Then the crowd closes in and their shouting rolls up the hill in a wave. And then, wham, Alberto Contodor in yellow shades and with teeth bared whips past in a flurry, oblivious to the nutters sprinting behind him, he’s up off the seat and roars around the bend – catching him seems impossible. But the next man past, young Frenchman Pierre Rolland does just that. Then it’s a blur of colour as the remaining riders whiz past in bunches, la groupette bringing up the rear.

Le campsite and view from our corner:

Le fans:

Anticipation builds for Le Caravan:

And when the leader came (at that time Alberto Contador), the crowd went crazy!

Le Tour - Le Video

2011-07-27T21:12:00.003+01:00

Two short clips of the day. One of the pre race party with the Dutch boys and their personal DJ (DJ Dommel) blasting out the hits as some of the thousands of amateur riders bike and walk up Alp du Huez. And the second as the final group of the real riders climb the Alp - and these are the slow ones!

Barbaresco

2011-07-24T07:57:00.001+01:00

Good views, outstanding wine and an obsession with food made it pretty easy to enjoy a relaxing stay in Barbaresco, Piedmonte. Hilltop villages with vineyards flowing below are the norm around the region.

Moods of Piedmonte

2011-07-20T17:26:00.006+01:00

Our new family member

2011-07-20T17:18:00.002+01:00

For the first and probably only time in our life, we are the owners of a brand new car thanks to Peugeots Eurloease Scheme. She only had 16km on the clock when we picked her up and is, at present, unbaptised so we're open to name suggestions...

Zermatt

2011-07-19T17:37:00.005+01:00

We had one fine day during our stay in Zermatt and made the most of it clambering around the hills at the foot of the mighty Matterhorn. Below are snaps from the walk up to the Schwarzee peak (2600m) and around to Riffelalp. We loved the slate rooves on the wooden huts, the young pine trees and alpine flowers, using hiking poles, old school farming methods, fresh bread and swiss cheese for lunch and of course the efficient rail and gondola service making all the trails so accessible.

Interlaken

2011-07-13T22:09:00.009+01:00

We've been all go during our first three days in Switzerland. The recurring evening thunderstorms have lasted all day today so we've been able to sift through the hundreds of photos we've taken so far while we've been walking, biking and flying around Interlaken and Grindelwald.

On the cog wheel rail climbing 1500m up to Schynige Platte:

First view of Jungfrau from Schynige Platte:

Some Swiss Miss's on our walk from Grindelwald to First:

Cycling around Interlaken:

Paragliding over Interlaken:

Destination reached after a 1300m climb to Bachalpsee (2300m asl):

Something a wee bit different

2011-06-30T09:39:00.010+01:00

I'm obviously quite far behind the times but I've finally had the time to open photoshop. First stop: an experiment in tilt-shift photography. Pics from Bergen, Wimbledon, Fez, Hove cricket ground and Paris.

Gabrielle Elliott: Wallaby hunter

2011-06-14T09:35:00.005+01:00

Gabrielle's quest for a job on South Canterbury's pest control board continues with her latest trophy: a good sized wallaby from the Hunter Hills shot very impressively from around 120m in fading light under the guidance of her established coaching team. Couple of dodgy phone / spotlight shots below as proof with Dad and me and also with head coach Ian.

Fez

2011-05-20T07:31:00.000+01:00

It's cliched, but Fez is an overload on the senses: white skin means being a constant target for attentive shopkeepers; the windy medina is overbearing but fascinating with so many new smells, sights and sounds to take in. Overall, its's an efficient
and exciting way of life that is personal and environmentally friendly.

In the medina:

View from our riad:

After 10,000 requests, we eventually made it to a local tannery:

From chicken to chicken pastilla:

The rare sight of rain, caused a torrent down Fez's winding streets.

Communication was difficult - booking flights home through rain, calls to prayer, a computer with a flat battery and a dodgy skype signal .

Southern Tuscany

2011-05-17T06:22:00.010+01:00

Not game to drive in Rome, we trained north to Chusi and picked up a rental car. From there we tiki toured to our digs near the UNESCO world heritage town of Pienza - postcard perfect! We had a couple of bonuses along the way - our very nice hosts offered to teach us to make pasta one morning and also when we went to Sienna, the Milga 1000 was taking place - a 1000 mile trek across Italy for those with a flash enough car and a fat enough wallet.

Sienna
View from Pienza

Staying at our agriturismo near Pienza
Making "pici" pasta, riding on the backroads (with our accomodation in the background), our gourmet picnic and the view from our window.

Roma

2011-05-13T05:48:00.001+01:00

We had a good time in Roma. We got into the rhythm of the tourist walk, meandering through the headline sites of the Vatican, Forum, Colosseum & Palantine. We did head off piste and toured the back streets as much as we could. It was tough work in the unseasonally hot April weather at times - the perfect excuse for gelato, granita and beer. We found our favourite eateries quickly (big plug to La Famigla near Termini) but my lazy NZ accent got caught out when I ordered “One piece of bruscheta” and that came out as “One pizza prosciutto”(but it was good so we mowed it).

Raphael's rooms (Vatican City)
St Peters square (beatification of Pope John Paul II)

Trevi fountain

The Palantine

Colosseum Djokovic v Warwinka

Passendale & Ypers

2011-04-30T12:56:00.012+01:00

With Dad visiting the grave of Mark Saunders. One of 12,000 commonwealth graves in Tyne Cot cemetery, Passendale.

Last post at the Menin gate, Ypers.

Nice & Monaco

2011-04-19T13:46:00.008+01:00

Clear skies, Rafael Nadal ruling a clay court, a beautiful coastal path and the first sunburn of summer were the highlights of our venture to southern France.

After Iceland's volcanic ash prevented us getting to the same event last year, we were treated this year to the best tennis match we've seen between the great Rafael Nadal and the miserable Andy Murray. And the result this year was no different from the previous 6: Nadal was the champion of Monaco again.

We found Monaco to be a strange place with shutters closed accross the town but the people of Nice were good fun and the pace of life was pretty relaxed. And of course, we sampled the local fare: Socca (chickpea flatbread) and while we couldn't stomach €5 for an ice creams at the tennis in Monaco, we made a significant contribution to the weekend turnover of our local pattiserie.

Central Nice

Monte Carlo Masters 1000 semi-finals
(pics from Nadal v Murray)

Coastal walk

Not in any guidebooks but the costal path from Beaulieu to Villefranche via the Saint Jean Cap Ferrat peninsula was a cracking stroll through the French riveria.

James and Sophie's Wedding in Rye

2011-03-26T17:13:00.022Z

A stunningly beautiful sunny spring day to celebrate the nuptials of Mr and Mrs Bendall. The happy couple with bride dog, Meg: Mr and Mrs Bendall and Mr and Mrs Bendall: Usher Hamish:My new favourite stockings:

Rye, East Sussex:

Hamish at Ypres Tower:

44 and 44 1/2 The Mint

Camber beach:

Monopoly Pub Crawl

2011-02-22T14:49:00.003Z

A schuper job by Darryl rounding up the troops and managing to not lose anyone around the 22 stops of the Monopoly Pub Crawl. It was possibly the earliest beer I've ever had (10am) - although as the first pub was jammed with many other Monopoliers it didn't feel so seedy! A great way to see the sights of London......

Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T21:31:00.009Z

A great day with Helen and Josh and the lovely new Sophia - with cooking inspiration care of Ottolenghi.......
Oops...

Fat Family at the Fat Duck

2010-12-13T21:25:00.008Z

After many attempts to secure a reservation at The Fat Duck (apparently they receive up to 30,000 phone calls a day), we finally managed to bag a table for Hamish's birthday. Taking photos was frowned upon, but we stopped caring about the rules at about glass five. We chose to do the wine matching with the tasting menu (13 courses!)

Our photos were terrible, and as we don't want to ruin any surprises for people thinking of going, we'll just add a few as a taster.....

Christmasy Copenhagen

2010-12-06T21:43:00.009Z

A few snaps of our cafe crawl, visit to the Tivoli Christmas markets and stroll in the snow in Copenhagen.

Paris weekend

2010-11-18T19:57:00.009Z

Highlights of our weekend in Paris:

A rugged up Friday evening walk along the river.
Walk in the Luxembourg Gardens.
Semi Finals of the ATP Masters (Soderling defeated Llodra 2 - 1 and Monfils defeated Federer 2-1)
Crepes in Montmatre for dinner.
Getting some photography tips from a Parisian local.
Tasting 16 different cheeses (the best being a 4 yr aged Comte).
Snail and mushroom filo pasty for dinner!

Croatia - Plitvice National Park (the reality)

2010-10-18T12:52:00.000+01:00

Very cold and a little bit rainy, but an absolutely stunning park to see the seasons changing in Croatia:

Waiting for the boat to take us across the lake:

Croatia - Plitvice National Park

2010-10-17T14:54:00.003+01:00

We left our chief photographer (Hamish, obviously!) in Split, so had to rely on Mum and Dad's camera for part 2. While I'm waiting for the photos to come through from them I thought I'd add a few that I've found online from the absolutely, stunningly beautiful Plitvice/Plitvicka National Park. This place is amazing!

Further info: http://www.np-plitvicka-jezera.hr/eng/index.php

Croatia - Dubrovnik and around

2010-10-12T18:47:00.000+01:00

Hamish and I met up with Mum and Dad in Dubrovnik after their week in Italy.

I cannot speak highly enough of Dubrovnik - what a beautiful city! We had a great time wandering around the cobbled streets for a couple of days, however we'd timed our trip a little late and realised that the ferry service to the outer islands had ended on the 30th of September which ended up changing our plans a little. Nonetheless, we managed to amuse ourselves with a walk around the city walls and up to one of the forts, a day trip around some of the local islands and a drive to Ston and Oberic.

Walking around the Dubrovnik city walls and forts:
Oberic: A drive through the wine region of Peljesac led us to Oberic, which is a tiny little port town across the water from the island of Korcula.
The towns of Ston and Mali Ston: A massive fort - it's outer walls are around 5km in length (and up the side of cliff). It's also known for its saltworks.

Ross & Joan hit the Big Smoke

2010-10-02T18:52:00.007+01:00

It took a while, but we finally managed to get Mum and Dad/Joan & Ross over to visit the big smoke.

Our first day tour of London managed to take in quite a few of the sights:
Wandering down the river towards Tower Bridge and the Tower of London
A boat trip down the Thames to Westminster
A quick stroll under Big Ben, down Whitehall, through Trafalgar Square, and then through Leicester Square where we stopped in Chinatown for some yummy yum char.
We also managed to squeeze in a trip to the National Portrait Gallery for the Portrait Prize.

Mum and Dad amused themselves during the week with a day tour to Oxford and the Cotswolds, the Imperial War Museum, the Tower of London and Design Museum.

On Friday we celebrated Dad's 65th birthday with a great night out at the Wimbledon Dogs:

The birthday celebrations continued on Saturday with a quick trip to Borough Market, and then on to a football match (Fulham v Everton at Craven Cottage). We finished the night off at Jersey Boys - a fantastic show which had everyone up and dancing by the end of it.

Sunday was rainy and miserable, but we did a quick drive and walk around Richmond Park and then finished off the day with a (slightly disappointing) tour of Wimbledon.

Ross hanging out on centre court and Joan trying to take shelter from the rain with her Wimbledon gift shop bag:

Budapest

2010-09-13T20:46:00.014+01:00

Staying in the Opera district in Pest - which of course is close to the Opera house where we went to listen to some sheila mourning something:

Visit to the local markets - paprika and strudel:

Visit to St Stephens Basilica:

Parliament - with the communist emblem symbolically hacked out of the flag.

More communist memories at Momento park with Stalins boots and the once co-guardian of the city:

And finally a dip in Szechenyi thermal baths:

Leeds Castle

2010-08-23T10:36:00.003+01:00

New digs

2010-07-11T10:29:00.000+01:00

Welcome to 46 Cargill Road in Earlsfield.

Wimbledon 2010

2010-07-01T10:06:00.000+01:00

The opening Tuesday on court 1 of Wimbledon featured:

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga bullying his way past Robert Kendrick in 4 sets.
Home favourite Andy Murray overcoming an early break and clinically dispensing with Jan Hajek.
Caroline Wozniaki whipping Tathiana Garbin - who struggled to even win a line call challenge.
Daniela Hantuchova and Vania King tying on a set all before bad light stopped play.
Eileen Wood doing the first dishonest thing in her life and trying to jump the Wimbledon queue!

And a final thanks to Thomas Berdych for fulfilling his talent and my betfair account.

Greece

2010-06-30T10:17:00.000+01:00

There's not much to write about our holiday in the greek islands - it was 40 degrees every day so we went swimming in the pool, ate ice cream, went swimming in the sea, drank beer and found somewhere new to eat out every night after sunset.

Crete:

Santorini:

Mykonos:

My Kind of Scene

2010-06-24T09:56:00.001+01:00

Our debut at the Brixton Academy saw the last UK show of Powderfinger who proved that you can be a bit old, a bit nerdy and a bit camp and still make a great rock band. I guess that's why they appeal.

Easter in Devon

2010-04-11T15:33:00.009+01:00

Gaybs at River Cottage before our dinner of jerusulum artichoke soup, scallops, lamb shoulder and backstraps and bramley apple creme brulle along with their brandy, wine and beer.

Walking along the devon coast and winning big at the seaside arcade games:

Australia - Adelaide

2010-03-20T15:37:00.000Z

Sylvie's 2nd Birthday - Present time!

Birthday cake by Aunty Gabs:

Botanical Gardens: Northern Lights:

Outing to McLaren Vale:

Fish and Chips at Grange:

Mum's first swim in about two decades:

Milk and Beer mmmmm:

Dumpling King!

Australia - Melbourne

2010-03-20T15:28:00.002Z

A very brief stop in Melbourne to visit old friends, drink some wine, and visit the MCG. Wish it could have been longer!

New Zealand - Timaru Highlights

2010-03-19T21:16:00.002Z

The Rabbit Hunt

2010-03-18T21:01:00.003Z

Gabrielle's goal for 2010: Hunting, killing, preparing, cooking, and eating an animal.

The location: Maungati

Wikipedia says:
Maungati is a lowly populated locality situated approximately 18 miles southwest of Timaru in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is a small farming community in an area with primarily sheep and cattle farming and some deer farming, and it has a 9 hole golf course and Maori rock drawings.

Maungati comes from the Maori Language words "maunga", meaning "mountain", and "ti", meaning 'cabbage tree', and thus means "mountain of cabbage tree". There are many cabbage trees in the area.

There are also many rabbits.....

My first bunny:
The biggest bunny:
The haul: Preparing the rabbit:

Cooking the rabbit:Eating the rabbit (Mmmm):

New Zealand - Wellington Highlights

2010-03-15T17:09:00.028Z

We spent a fantastic three weeks in New Zealand in February and March. Highlights included surprising Miss Bean, hanging out with Lily and Oscar, checking out the baby bump that Erin and Che are cultivating, going on a rabbit hunt, hitting a few tennis balls, working on 'the list', walking around the Eastern suburb hills with Ms Morison and supporting the Phoenix at the cake tin.

Walks around the Eastern Peninsular:

Hamish visiting the clan @ 132:

Yellow Fever at the Cake Tin:

Ngaio School Fair:

Barbie at 393 Jackson Street:

Last night at 132:

Burglary at Castle B

2010-01-22T22:44:00.000Z

A happy ending with all the important stuff being returned and the crazy rooster locked away for a while.

Egypt

2010-01-09T09:06:00.034Z

Itinerary

2 days, including Christmas day, in Cairo visiting pyramids, markets and the Egyptian museum.
Flight down to Aswan and visit to Abu Simbel.
2 days relaxing on the Nile on the Felucca.
Road trip to Luxor and it's incredible history.
Relaxation in Dahab.

Senses & memories

Smells

Amonia in the centre of the 5000 year old Step pyramid
Freshly baked aish / pita bread

Sounds

Wheelers and dealers on cheap mobile phones
Blond girls being heckled
Wailing prayer call broadcast across Cairo's neighbourhoods
Nile wash from cruise boats gently lapping the felucca
Novelty of white tourists: "Hello"
Jest of street vendors
"Bakesh", nothing is for free
Relentless tooting of car horns

Visions

Rubbish dumped along canals
Dusty cars being fixed in the middle of the road
Shisha, moustaches, thick coffee, street corners
Unfinished buildings
White shark sails of the feluccas
Dusty weathered sandals
Staring white eyes
Predictable blue sky
Rainbows of colour metres off shore at the Blue Hole
Sunset glow over craggy ranges in Sinai
Calloused prayer foreheads

Memories

Real life being played out on the street
Token transport checks
Mr Falafel's dinner for 40p
One price for Egyptians, any price for tourists
Smart, prepared salesman: respect
Hard labour
Genuine smiles

Feel

Warm sand, warm sun
Crunchy aish bread
Testosterone fuelled drivers: fear.
Just being pretty bloody lucky.

Cairo

Aswan & Abu Simbel

Felucca trip

Luxor & around

Dahab, Mt Sinai & the Red sea

Gabrielle's christmas goodies

2009-12-20T18:17:00.002Z

Turning thirty!

2009-12-20T18:16:00.001Z

Marseille

2009-11-30T19:33:00.012Z

Highlights: One of the most fluent All black test wins I've seen; the number of friends we bumped into on the walk back from the ground; numerous hilltop villages in the Provence countryside; 15 degree temperatures in November.

Regrets: Missing out on bouillobaisse fish soup!

Les Baux de Provence

St Remy de Provence

View from our apartment on Rue de Rome, Marseille

Luberon

Gordes

Roussillon

Cassis

Ice rink at the Natural History Museum

2009-11-28T20:18:00.002Z

ATP Tour Finals at the O2

2009-11-27T20:28:00.000Z

We managed to be ringside for three big matches at the O2 Dome in North Grenwich:

Federer def. Verdasco

Davydenko def. Nadal

Del Potro def Federer

Berlin

2009-11-18T15:10:00.001Z

Some selected pics from our long weekend in Berlin. It was still warm enough to enjoy a few walking tours loaded with history.

The Victory Column overlooking Tiergarten:

Holocaust memorial:

Brandenburg gate:

Currywurst!

Ze Berlin Wall:

Autumn on Bolingbroke Grove

2009-10-25T20:51:00.000Z

Arsenal 3, Birmingham 1.

2009-10-18T15:18:00.001+01:00

World Cup qualifiers

2009-10-15T21:00:00.000+01:00

A night in the Bobby Moore Club at Wembley care of GLG to see England thump Belarus 3 - 0.

Bearded Beckham, who's Man of the Match award after being subbed on in the 60th minute caused a bit of a stir, but it wouldn't be football without a stir now would it.

Oxford

2009-10-12T21:54:00.011+01:00

So the story goes that way back when, the Saxon's used Oxen to ford the river Thames, giving the name Oxen-ford to the settlement. Not long after loads of smart people must have shown up there and started telling everyone about it.

Over our weekend there , we took a stroll through Magdalen College where cricket loving Lord Denning sharpened his fountain pen. After much speculation we finally figured out that undergraduates are taught in tutorials at the Colleges and this teaching is then supplemented by the University's classes and lectures.

And of course we went punting. In "rivers" that are narrow enough to provide a challenge, the passenger sits with his back to the direction of travel. My main memory of the trip was as we drifted slowly and inevitably toward a group of overhanging trees and Gabrielle saying to me "Watch your head" closely followed by "Oh shit, what I am going to do?"

Backgammon at the Old Parsonage hotel while we waited for our room to be made up.

Cycle to Brighton

2009-08-30T20:13:00.004+01:00

9am: Fit and raring to go outside the Castle on Bolingbroke Grove

2pm: 58 miles later at the Brighton pier. Helen is clearly less troubled by the ride than Dean and I.

Oh, jolly well done England on winning those Ashes

2009-08-24T20:19:00.000+01:00

Definately a day for for the scrapbook to see the deciding day of the 2009 ashes series at the Oval.

Edinburgh festival

2009-08-23T20:45:00.013+01:00

Out of the hundreds of shows on offer, we managed to get to 14 - a good run rate over 3 days. We went to comedy in pub basements, theatre in warehouses and drama in university lecture theatres. A good mixture of established names, up and comers and a festive atmosphere around the town.

The Tattoo - at the gate of the castle with a line up that included The Tongan Royal Corps of Musicians, the She Huo Cultural Act from China, Swiss Army Central Band, Top Secret Drum Corps also from Switzerland as well as representation from the Auckland Police Pipe Band amongst the masses of pipes.

Cycling around London

2009-08-17T20:23:00.000+01:00

New Zealand Avenue and Canary Wharf:

A week with Jake

2009-08-16T20:27:00.000+01:00

Including cricket:

1. In Edgbaston, Birmingham (day 3 of the 3rd Ashes test)

2. In the members stands with the old boys at Lords for day 1 of Middlesex v Essex

3. In Bristol for a 40 over game between Gloucestershire and Somerset

As well as the long walk to Windsor Castle:

Day tripping to Bath

And Oxford.

Happy Birthday to Lou, with love from Huia xx

2009-08-03T14:51:00.003+01:00

Three Peaks

2009-07-05T10:09:00.001+01:00

Ben Nevis

Scotland

Latitude 57 Longitude -5

1344m asl

Summit reached: 9:30pm, Friday 3 July

Scafel Pike

England

Latitude 54 Longitude -3

978m asl

Summit reached: 10:30am, Saturday 4 July

Snowden

Wales

Latitude 53, Longitude -4

1086m asl

Summit reached 7pm, Saturday 4 July

Roehampton Cricket Club

2009-06-28T22:11:00.008+01:00

A few pic's from a day at the Roehampton Cricket Club where Josh is running the show as club captain.

Wimbledon '09

2009-06-26T21:35:00.000+01:00

Wimbledon '09 notes:

One Pimms and lemonade costs £6.30 and is 63% ice.
Rain interruptions in the first week: 0 (only three Wimbledon championships have not been interrupted by rain).
Roger Federer will win this year's title.

The buzz, the crowd, the drama, the atmosphere

Fernando Gonzalez (top serve 135mph - a second serve during a minor man tantrum)

Our friend Andy Roddick who we also saw a month ago in Paris (fastest serve 134 mph)

Venus Williams - a superior tactician, personality and tennis mind over her sister (fastest serve 115 mph).

Argentinean Leonardo Mayer (top serve 125mph).

Twenty-20 (& Seven-7) internationals at the Oval

2009-06-08T22:09:00.000+01:00

Happy birthday HB

2009-05-31T22:02:00.004+01:00

The bar is high but these cakes keep being up to the standard...

French Open 2009

2009-05-30T21:44:00.000+01:00

Thanks to Josh X Boston we penetrated the scalping cartel and got top notch seats in Suzane Lenglen stadium to see some top draw tennis - Andy Roddick destroyed Frenchman Marc Gicquel, crowd favourite Gael Monfils overcame angry Austrian Jurgen Melzer and Serena Williams frumped her way to a win over tour journeyman Jose Maria Martina Sanchez.

Conditions were perfect for tennis and a day return journey on the Eurostar worked out perfectly.

A few moods from the day below:

Wales, cricket and a 1974 VW van

2009-05-29T22:26:00.002+01:00

Like all good trips this one had its ups and downs and a few lessons learnt - as always, healthy to have a full week away from London and work and embrace some much needed sun. We nipped into Wales, out to see some cricket in England and then back in to relax for a couple of days before heading for home.

The white rose of Yorkshire against the red rose of Lancashire - enjoyed from the view of the members stand at Old Trafford.

Australian Ashley Noffke bowls to New Zealand's Hamish Marshall at Worcester:

Beaches at Gower and then Pembrokshire - in both cases our campsites overlooked two lovely spots. No tacky arcades or built up areas, just a tap, a carpark and an ice cream stall - well done Wales.

Rambling and overindulging - our specialty.

Shattered windscreen on the M5 - unhappy and frustrating times.

Zero a hundred in stalls per day, speed wobbles over 50mph, reverse harder to find than a needle in a haystack, a brittle windscreen but Maisy's bright orange aura sure is photogenic...

Bank holiday in Kent

2009-05-04T18:45:00.014+01:00

Our first Bank holiday of the summer was spent in relaxed fashion with Dean and Helen. We overate, rambled hard along country lanes, tried our best to wear out the tennis court at our B&B sanctuary, were tempted into a shade of sunburn and the traffic was very considerate and quiet.

B&B in style

The Riley's on the tennis court at the Hoo farm house near Canterbury.

Rambling to the white cliffs of Dover, picnicking, boat watching and more rambling.

Rambling around Minnis Bay

On the beaten track among the rapeseed oil.

Old and new - church on the site of a roman fortification overlooking 20 new turbines off the coast.

Grass snake basking in the midday sun.

Morris dancing in Whistable

Yorkshire Dales

2009-04-25T13:23:00.001+01:00

The Yorkshire Dales were exactly what we needed after a long winter, with the proven combination of rambling between pubs, wolfing down hearty Yorkshire tucker and some good nights sleep in a quiet village to recharge the batteries.

We were based in the lovely village of Kettlewell where everything was built with local stone and we didn't need to travel too far a field to enjoy the local sights.

On the way home we took in a birds of prey experience involving, hawks, owls and eagles - a fantastic outing choc full of facts and action.

Rambling around Malham

Kettlewell

Falconry

Laura the hawk on the hunt for the elusive pheasant (it was the one that got away).

Gabrielle & Genghis

Step 1, take one (of about 10) specially bred baby chickens.

Step 2, clench your teeth

Step 3, feeding time - not much chewing involved.

Me and my little friend (and he could sure get the tucker down his gate too)

Footall: Poland v Portugal at Wandsworth Common

2009-04-04T15:56:00.006+01:00

The sun is shining in London today - a whopping 16 degrees - but the football season never stops. A few shots of goals, goalkeepers and angry Poles at Wandsworth Common behind our house.

Janine and Ben's Wedding: Ohariu Valley, Wellington

2009-03-03T08:11:00.021Z

The preparations:

Trying to figure out how to do the dress up - it took 5 of us!

With mum :)

Not sure what the toilet paper was about, but looking stunning all the same!

Oh la la, what's hiding under there?!

Bridesmaids and Bridesman: Megan, Emma, Shane and I

Starting outdoors, and getting blown away!

The move inside

Mr and Mrs Everist

The Nash and Everist families

Mum, Dad and me

The bride able to relax and breath (after undoing a few buttons!)

Another incredible edible

2009-03-02T11:54:00.000Z

The standards for birthday cakes are getting intimidatingly high! The incredible edible, part II care of Helen Riley in celebration on Helen Wright's birthday...

D-Day post script

2009-02-24T11:45:00.000Z

Thanks to James for some follow up research from our visit to Ranville

Pilot Officer Peter March PriceRoyal New Zealand Air ForceSon of Capt Fred Price and Mrs Hazel Price of Auckland Price trained to be a pilot with 84 Group Support Unit in Gloucester, England.

He was posted to 609 (RAF) Squadron at Thorny Island (near Portsmouth), England on 3rd June 1944 along with three other Kiwis, W/O Harkness, F/Sgts Stellin and Billam, flying Typhoon fighters in the ground attack role. On 10th June 1944 PO Price flies his first combat mission. He joined 11 other aircraft of his squadron in attacking German troop concentrations and ground targets in Normandy, France. On 14th June Po Price flew at least 8 ground attack missions and landed at temporary airfields in Normandy to refuel and re-arm before returning to Thorny Island, England. On the 18th, 25th and 26th July PO Price joined 6 other aircraft of his squadron to attack German gun emplacements at Rocquancourt and a rail yard at Yvelot-Charleval. On the 27th July 1944 PO Price was flying with 3 other aircraft of Red Section to attack a German motorised column near Tilly-la-Campange, 15km south of Caen, France. Heavy flak was encountered and PO Price was last seen breaking right and down through cloud. PO Price’s Typhoon hit the ground 8km away outside the village of Poussy-la-Campagne.

PO Price was killed in action and is now buried in the Ranville Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery. Peter Price was 20 years old. Of the 4 Kiwis to join 609 Squadron on the 3rd June 1944, two were killed in action, one wounded and one survived.

D-Day beaches

2009-02-23T19:06:00.047Z

To simulate the D-day landings, at 00:00 hours 0n 21 February, Col. James Hogan-Geekie and I left Portsmouth Harbour bound for Ouistreham (the eastern most beach of the D-Day landings or Sword beach as it is better known). We arrived under the cover of darkness, picked up our Staff car and headed west to start our adventure, holiday & history lesson.

Below is a summary of the landings. Utah and Omaha to the west being the American beaches. To the east are Gold (British), Juno (Canadian) and Sword (British). Pegasus bridge and Ste Marie Eglise are also visible.

DAY 1 - AMERICAN BEACHES

Omaha beach & American cemetery

Because our ferry arrived early, we had the benefit of having Omaha beach to itself. In normal circumstances this would be a beautiful beach suitable for firing a tennis ball around for some impromptu cricket but instead we were interested in the distances from the beach to the bluff, the size of the bluff and the angle of the gun emplacements guarding it. Geographically a very difficult beach to cover for wet, seasick and scared boys - no wonder Omaha was the beach that saw the biggest struggle and highest casualty rate on D-Day. This was strikingly bought home at the American war cemetery overlooking the beach - the 10,000+ crosses, placed with military perfection, a sign of thanks and pride in the unwavering courage these men showed in search of the freedom of others.

The below photo taken by Robert Capa at Omaha beach on D-Day summed up the early struggle - the troops were under such pressure, they couldn't even make the tide line and are held up behind the Czech Hedgehogs.

Below is the plot of General Theodore Roosevelt at the American cemetery. Son of the ex president and Medal of Honour winner in acknowledgement of his rallying of the troops from their trapped positions on the beach.

Pointe Du Hoc

After the air force lashed the potentially dangerous guns at Pointe Du Hoc (a tip overlooking Omaha beach) with a brutal bombardment, over 200 rangers scaled this 100ft cliff in the early morning to secure the gun battery and ensure the troops could land safely - an heroic display as there was little cover and at the top there were more obstacles than just German gunfire to overcome.

65 years on, the craters here are still immense - the area surrounding the battery is like a giant muffin tin.

German War Cemetery

Our next stop was the German war cemetery. Tasteful, respectful, a lot less of a statement than the American equivalent and worrying that the number 21,ooo rolls of the tongue as if that is just another ordinary statistic. Difficult to grasp.

Soldiers buried 2, 3 or 4 to a plot. Some unrecognisable.

Utah beach

Utah beach was a lot flatter and longer than Omaha. Easier to get across but harder to get cover. The density of the Atlantic wall was prominent at Utah beach with gun emplacements at very narrow spacings.

Beach obstacles at Utah:

Crisbecq battery

Thinking our day had all but ended, we were more interested in where we could find a good bottle of red for the evening when we stopped in at the Crisbecq battery. Here we found an excellent exhibition - first because the state of the bunkers was so immaculate and second because of the story they told.

Main bunker with 3.5m thick, reinforced concrete surrounding the 210mm gun (capable of firing 27km out to sea).

So well designed were the Crisbecq bunkers that, after the Americans had breached Utah beach and were marching inland, Walter Ohmsen had his men go down into the bunkers and ordered the artillery further inland to attack his bunkers. The shelling had two effects - 1. it caused disarray in the American troops and Ohmsen was able to capture some prisoners, and 2. it scored a direct hit on the bunker as a shell came down the stairwell (below):

Ste Marie Eglise

On to St Marie Eglise where the famous story of John Steele took place. In the bad weather and darkness of June 6, Steele and his fellow paratroopers were dropped in the wrong zone and came down in the square of St Marie Eglise. To double their misfortune the local garrison was out in force seeing to fires form the bombings earlier in the night. Steele's parachute caught on the steeple of the church from which he could not get free. Shot in the foot, he played dead but was eventually taken prisoner by the Germans before rejoining his unit later in the campaign. A torn parachute remains on the steeple as a monument. We also enjoyed the "Menu John Steele" for dinner - a four course spectacular which proved our French to be dreadful (the onion soup I ordered turned out to be grilled oysters!).

DAY 2 - BRITISH BEACHES

On Sunday we headed east to focus on the British beaches. Our visits included the courageous story of the Merville Battery and also the Hillman Bunker but the photo opportunities were not great due to closures.

Longues-sur-mer Battery

A well preserved battery overlooking Gold beach and also the set for the opening of the film The Longest Day. Blanketed with bombs in the lead up to the invasion but in good condition - such was the density of the construction, it needed a direct hit to make any impact.

Arromanches & Mulberry harbour

After the initial fighting, victory relies as much on what happens at the front line as what happens behind it in terms of reinforcements and supplies. Two enormous Mulberry harbour's were established at Arromanches and at Utah beach as the Allies answer to the logistical issue of the English channel.

Pegasus bridge

D-Day started at 00:05am when 5 British glider plans landed near Pegasus bridge - a key bridge linking the flank of Sword beach to the east. The bridges were wired by the Germans to be blown if they came under attack and hence the use of gliders to surprise the enemy. The bridges were taken with only two deaths - a miracle for such a dangerous operation.

The original bridge:

And on closer inspection, even though it's repainted it still shows the scars of battle. To the right is the new, wider bridge currently in use in an identical design.

Major John Howard, the man in charge of the operation:

Ranville British Cemetery

The Ranville cemetery was a fitting place to end our tour by paying respect to the British troops (including some Kiwi's). Typically understated, the British cemetery was a touch more personal than the American or German cemetery's and we spent an hour looking through the names, ages, regiments and dates of death of these men to try and piece the events together.

Final comments

It is no accident that a brief 2 day trip has turned into one of our largest posts on this blog - this is something so recent and real yet difficult to grasp.

I am amazed at the scale of everything - the months of planning, ingenuity and courage of the operations. I learnt an incredible amount - I had no idea that parachutists jumped with bicycles or dogs, that the Germans flooded the fields behind the beaches to make landing difficult or that Lord Lovett insisted on marching his troops with a piper at his side!

I wish I could summarise this in my own words. I can't; and have chosen an introductory comment at the American cemetery instead:

Visitor
Look how many of them there were
Look how young they were
They died for your freedom
Hold back your tears and be silent.

Cheep, Cheep: Janine's Hen's Weekend: Martinborough

2009-02-21T18:01:00.014Z

Lunch at Coney Wines:

The Australian Fashion Week Catwalk:

Man United 1 df West Ham 0

2009-02-08T22:27:00.002Z

A silky strike by Ryan Giggs and a home crowd with a lot of anger to share around.

Thanks to Mother Nature

2009-02-02T20:20:00.008Z

My wish was granted - at 8pm this is the scene when it stopped snowing. London was pretty much paralysed with a pretty big dump of snow - enough to stop all buses, most tubes and trains. Who knows what tomorrow holds when this is added to or freezes tonight...

And for contrasts sake spot the difference between Spring and Winter outside Castle B.

February comes with snow

2009-02-01T20:54:00.004Z

Excuse my shaky handheld exposures - a quick break in the snow allowed me to take a couple of images outside Castle Bolingbroke at about 8pm tonight. More is forecast - hopefully enough to snow us in and avoid the Monday blues...

NZ: Family Picnic at Oriental Bay

2009-02-01T17:41:00.002Z

A beautiful night at Oriental Bay for a catch up with the family:

NZ: Alli and James' Wedding and the Bay of Islands

2009-01-10T16:51:00.000Z

Yippee - another trip to NZ! This one was slightly extended due to my job contract ending coinciding with a previously booked trip for the Everist wedding, so I was lucky enough to be able to join in the frivolities of the Patterson nuptials, and surprise a few of my favourite people too :)

My 30th birthday was spent crossing timezones somewhere above Asia, but luckily I was able to celebrate with F&Cs and Gin & Tonics the following day with Kelley, Fraser and Jenny in our little caravan in Paihea. Yay!

The Treaty of Waitangi grounds:
Around Russell:
The Otago girls the night before the big day:

Alli and James' Big Day:

Road trip back to Auckland:

More F&Cs at Opononi:

Tane Mahuta: the largest kauri tree in the world

30 things I love

2009-01-06T19:25:00.003Z

1. You know who you are
2. Old fashioned lemonade
3. Chocolate fish
4. Good service
5. Cooking for my man
6. Cappuccino's from Brew with chocolate syrup on top and 1 sugar
7. The smell of a newly popped can of tennis balls
8. Filing
9. Eric
10. Smashing a winner down the line
11. Painting my toenails
12. Showers
13. Crying during sad movies and books
14. X Factor
15. Jack Reacher
16. Warm feet
17. Receiving handwritten notes
18. G and Ts in the sun
19. Macs Golds at Awaroa Lodge, Abel Tasman National Park
20. Fresh sheets
21. Trashy magazines
22. Fresh flowers
23. Sunshine
24. Gordon Ramsay
25. Urban Retreat: The Cleanser
26. Our bookshelf
27. Christmas pudding with cream and custard
28. Efficiency
29. Eating gelato at Oriental Bay
30. Putting on pyjamas that have just come out of the drier

The Incredible Edible

2009-01-04T18:49:00.002Z

It only took 30 years, but I finally got a 'proper' birthday cake!! Thanks so much to Helen and helpers for their 6 hours of hard labour in the kitchen. What stars :)

Christmas eve

2008-12-24T19:21:00.002Z

Service at St Pauls and a stroll home via Westminster.