The Cotswalds

It was now several months since we had acquired the Iceberg and we had still not really taken him away properly camping for a few days. With the second May Bank Holiday we intended to remedy that with a trip away to the Cotswalds. Not only that but Ian and Amy were going to come along too with Minty. The planning of it all had been a little bit last minute so we didn’t have any accommodation booked, however it was Ian to the rescue with the idea that we join the Caravan Club and then we can use their site just out of Oxford. We flirted with the idea of free camping the whole thing but then sense prevailed and Caravan Club members we became. We each made our own separate ways on Friday night. With the busy Friday night leaving London traffic Marcus had a bit of an altercation with a bollard and unfortunately Iceberg came off all the worst for it but we did manage to make it to Woodstock, just outside of Oxford in one piece where we met up with Ian and Amy who had already sussed out a campsite. To say our campers looked a bit substandard compared to the other people at the Caravan Club site was something of an understatement, but we weren’t there to impress anyone, we were just up for getting some nature into us and having a look around this most English part of England. The night was chilly, so we were thankful that at least we had somewhere to park up and after a couple of drinks and a chat it was off to sleep with a busy weekend ahead.

The next morning, after a round of bacon sandwiches, we wandered next door to Blenheim Palace, the former home of the Churchills, the most famous being Winston. It is a big, beautiful stately palace and gardens which now serves as a museum about the Churchills, and is lived in by the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough. We started with a wander around the gardens. We did have to dodge the odd rain shower but overall managed to stay reasonably dry. There is a massive lake out the back of the palace so we took a walk along the shores of that, checking out the birds and plants which were all around. We then wandered back up through the middle of the garden, stopping to smell the roses, before we arrived back at the palace. We stopped for some tea and scones (along with hundreds of other tourists…) but as we didn’t mind sitting in the rain we didn’t have too much trouble getting a table outside. After a bite to eat we took a wander through the part of the palace which was open for public access. It was interesting to see all of the family memorabilia although the amount of it was a little overwhelming.  Instead of doing the guided tour (complete with ghost story) we went across the Vanbrugh's Grand bridge where we chilled out a bit on the other side and were witness to a guy proposing to his girlfriend (awesome). Although the spot he had chosen was a little bit heavy on the duck poo. After that spot of romance we made our way through the palace one last time and got ourselves across to the butterfly house down the road. It wasn’t exactly teeming with butterflies but the ones we saw seemed to be happy enough. Along with the butterfly house there was also a street of mini buildings which we think was supposed to look like the main street of Woodstock`. No stately home is complete without a hedge maze, so we spent some time wandering through there (can you work out what word the letters in the hedge spell?) After being worn out by all that walking we took the token tourist train back to the entrance of Blenheim Palace where we were lucky enough to be able to visit a local arts and crafts fair. Even better this was a proper arts and crafts fair with real artists and artisans showing and selling their wares. There were sculptors and potters and carvers and all sorts of other people showing original interest in art, not just the usual tat. Amy was very pleased with her painters' box purchase. It had been a big day so far but it wasn’t yet over. We took a stroll through the picturesque town of Woodstock. It really was everything you imagined an English Country town to be with stone buildings covered in Ivy and pubs and cobblestones. We decided to head to one of the pubs on the outskirts of town as we had noticed it had a cool water wheel on it. After sampling some local ales and playing a couple of rounds of the new worldwide phenomenon “Stop the Bus” we made our way back to the campsite for some well earned rest. We had some uncertainty as to how the weather was going to hold so we managed to get the awning on the side of the van raised for the first time with a bit of duct tape to hold it all together. It was then an evening of red wine and Backpackers before turning in.

 The next day we all piled into Minty for a trip further afield into the wider Cotswalds. Our first stop was Chipping Norton which left us feeling slightly underwhelmed. We were able to find some water at the supermarket, so it wasn’t a total write off though…Luckily the town of Moreton in Marsh redeemed any misconceptions we may have had. It is the site of the White Hart Royal Hotel which housed King Charles during part of his time in exile. The Costwalds is a very royalist area. The craft market wasn’t up to the standard of the day before but that was OK, because we treated ourselves to a tasty cream tea before checking out the crazy array of teapots in some of the other tea rooms. There was everything from the standard yellow teapot to the three wheeled van from Only Fools and Horses. We continued along our way to the town of Stow on the Wold, where the wind blows cold. Stow on the Wold is situated on the top of a hill so is apparently very windy. There certainly was a chill in the air. The tourists had heard about it too obviously, as there were plenty around. We checked out the local church, which had a cool looking entrance where the trees had grown all around it. Then it was back into town for a pint at the old pub. Unfortunately they had had it redecorated so only the roof beams were still old but it was nice to have a pint nonetheless. It was then back to in the van and off to Upper Slaughter (via Lower Slaughter) for a short walk through the countryside. We ran into one of Ian’s old workmates who was perhaps slightly over the top in her reaction to seeing someone unexpected but as always Ian played it cool. Our last stop of the day was the town of Bourton on the Water, home of a miniature version of itself. And within the miniature version was a miniature version of the miniature version!! Crazy!! There is only so much excitement you can take in one day so we made our way back to the campsite with plans for a nice pub dinner. However, it turns out virtually everything closes on a Sunday night so we wandered the whole town before eventually agreeing to a curry. They couldn’t fit us in straight away so we went for more of a walk where, purely by chance, we did find a pub that was serving food, and it was decent food at that. Joyously we tucked into our tasty dinners before tucking ourselves in to bed.

We awoke to torrential rain on the last day of our weekend away. Fortunately we had packed most of our stuff up the night before so it was all stowed safely in the vans. We weren’t sure whether we should just pack it in and head back to London, but in true NZ style we carried on and decided to go see the Uffington White Horse, a chalk horse drawn on the hill in Somerset. Different Sat Navs took us different directions but we both got there in the end, although the rain followed us too. We couldn’t really get much of a view of the horse so we wandered across the hills, battling our umbrellas, until we got a close up look. It was pretty cool how the ditches had been dug into the hill and then filled with stones which were covered in chalk. Some brave souls were out touching up the chalk that day but I am not sure how well their progress was going in the rain. We were all thoroughly soaked by the time we got back to the vans. Fortunately the beauty of having a van is that you can get changed into dry clothes straight away! We took in a decent pub lunch at the Fox and Hound before thanking each other for the weekend and making our way back to London, our first proper weekend away in the Iceberg a success.

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May

It was a mixture of social events that kept us going throughout May. The first was lunch for Beverley’s birthday with all the usual suspects at the Flask in Hampstead. We were impressed with the Flask. It was a good English Pub with good food and service. Marcus probably didn’t need to order the sausage platter though. A platter implies you share it Marcus…It was then back to their huge flat in Hampstead for general shenanigans and some old fashioned Circle of Death.

 
We did manage to get out of London in May too with a trip to St Albans, the old roman city and general nice place, just to the north of London. The London traffic meant we probably spent more time getting to and from there than we actually spent in St Albans but at least Iceberg got to go for a spin too. We checked out the cathedral and managed to score some lunch at the cathedral café. We wandered around the park which is where the old Roman city of Verulamium used to be. We didn’t see all the ruins but we looked at the old wall and some cool mosaics on what would have been someone’s living room floor a couple of thousand years ago. Apparently the oldest pub in the UK is supposed to be there too, however after seeing the outside we were not convinced we wanted to see the inside so decided to give it a miss. Probably a good idea when driving anyway. Overall a successful, if brief, trip to St Albans.

We caught up with Ian and Amy at their place for some tasty BBQ dinner. We certainly miss having some outdoor area at our flat and it is always good to burn some meat outdoors and enjoy some good company.

It was Ian and Amy’s place again for the “Murder at the Deadwood Saloon” murder mystery evening. Marcus was Gambling Jack, he was successful but that success didn’t all come honestly, and Jess was Bonnie the Banker, the wife of the banker, although we all know who really controls the money. It was a great night of fun, confusion, tacky costumes and bad western accents. Ricky was particularly good. By the end of the night between us we had managed to collect no clues and really had no idea what was going on or whodunit but it was excellent fun and we would highly recommend it to anyone who gets the chance.

The next night we made the journey down to Wandsworth to catch up with Anna and Perry. Perry is Canadian so he was drumming up support for the Canucks who were on the road to their first Stanley Cup. There was a good crowd of Canadians and Kiwis there and although we don’t know much about Hockey we still had fun. Unfortunately Perry was looking a bit scratched and sore. This was the first time we had seen him since Yum Cha. Alas, upon returning home from Yum Cha he found he had locked himself out of their flat. Instead of bothering Anna at work he decided to use his ninja skills to scale the wall and enter the first floor window of their flat. Suffice to say he was not successful and ended up in a hospital bed rather than his own. Luckily all is well again although next time he will probably just call Anna.

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Ireland

Having only just arrived back from Scotland, we weren’t going to waste another four day weekend in London. Although the Royal Wedding of William to Kate was the event of the decade we decided to get out of town and instead visit the Emerald Isle of Ireland. Our trip to Dublin had left us thinking there must be more than the Guiness factory to see. We took off on Thursday night on the train to Leigh on Sea where we were spending the night with Karla and James and Harry before departing from Southend Airport. It was really good seeing them all and finally managing to check out their new house. Karla was concerned that James’ constant renovations would mean that the place would be in a shambles but from what we could see it was coming along well. Lucky James can live on only two hours sleep a night. After a few drinks, a few chats and a massive Chinese meal for dinner we tucked ourselves in to bed ready for the start of our next adventure the following day.

Staying at Leigh meant a civilised start to the morning watching the preparations for the Royal Wedding before James dropped us at the airport. Southend Airport is aiming to the be main airport for the Olympic Games with people being able to come in and head to east London without having to travel through central London. If you have ever been to a provincial airport in New Zealand then you will get some idea of the layout of Southend. A shed a desk and a door. I think it has some way to go before 2012. Nonetheless we managed to get on our flight to Galway with reasonably little effort and we landed in a splendidly sunny Ireland. We picked up our rental car at the airport. Not as nice as the one we had had in Scotland but at least we had wheels. It was then a drive into Galway itself to have a look around. We stopped for some tasty fresh fish washed down with some Bulmers cider (called Magners in the UK. Bulmers is different in the UK. Confused?) We then wandered into the town of Galway itself. It is a very pretty city. It has a river which flows in from the port which we wandered along before meandering back through the town centre. There was plenty of stone and it felt old fashioned while still having all the modern conveniences. There were plenty of people about just lazing around enjoying the sunshine. However, we had much to see before the end of the day so it was back in the car again and down the coast to the Cliffs of Mohair. They are a series of sheer stone cliffs which (once you get through the hordes of flies) provide a dramatic and spectacular outlook over the Atlantic. Like any of these sorts of places, tourism means that they have now been quite heavily developed, so what was once probably a relatively isolated walk to the cliffs is now a paved path with shops and a museum. We had a nosy at the museum and checked out some of the local legends about maidens and monsters before it was back into our car and onwards to the town of Bunratty, our first nights accommodation. Upon arriving we were very impressed with the country manor B&B which Marcus had booked. We wandered down the road and found the local restaurant who served us up some tasty dinner, washed down by a Guinness and then crossed the road to the local pub, which had a good set of low ceilings and pokey rooms to qualify as a quality Irish establishment, before making our way back to our room for some sleep.

Turns out we were just down the road from Bunratty Castle and historic village. So after a full Irish Breakfast (which was similar to the full Scottish breakfasts we had enjoyed the week before) we wandered down and had a look around. If you have ever been to Shantytown on the West Coast of the South Island it is along those lines. They have taken the castle and some nearby manor houses and churches and built a village around it in the style of old Ireland. Although it sounds quite cheesy it was quite well down and there was enough information to keep you reading but not so much that you got bored. Slim Dillon even got to have a look around at this one. After taking a nice stroll around and coming out better informed we carried on to the city of Limerick. Limerick felt a bit like any other city. There was a river and there seemed to be a castle down the way, but the city centre was full of the chain stores and other places that make it normal. It is a place where people live. For us it wasn’t a place which was exciting to visit. However, we did find ourselves some sandwiches for lunch before continuing south to the town of Killarney, the start of the Ring of Kerry. We could see that Killarney could be a pretty town, if somewhat touristy. Unfortunately it was the site of a car rally that weekend so chav boy racers from all over Ireland had descended on the place and were doing laps around the city centre and haunting every street corner and pub in the place. This was not our idea of a good time so we grabbed some food and then made our way into the reserve on the edge of town. There was an old manor house there but it was pretty run down and obviously under repair but a walk further into the reserve was very pleasant and a nice way to spend the afternoon away from the boy racers. We assumed the bars and restaurants would be full so thought we would try fish and chips for dinner. We weren’t quite sure where to look  but found what turned out to be a fish restaurant serving fresh local catches. It wasn’t fish and chips but it definitely was tasty.

The next morning we travelled backwards around the Ring of Kerry because we had heard there were some good walks around a nearby lake. We stopped and went for a wander up the hill through the forest and past a waterfall. A bit of local nature is always well appreciated. It was then back in the car and off the other way for a drive around the Ring of Kerry. So called because it is around the Kerry peninsula. There were plenty of hilly areas, and views out to sea. Although it didn’t blow our minds it was still very pleasant. I think we are a bit spoiled with that sort of thing in New Zealand. It was certainly reminiscent of some parts of New Zealand at times. We stopped off along the way for photos and a breath of fresh air. We had a particularly nice walk around the beach and grounds of Farraniaragh after deciding to take a random road where we weren’t quite sure what we were going to find at the end of it. We finished up our day coming into the town of Kenmare which was a bit like Killarney but without all the boy racers. Our trip to the local stone circle left us questioning whether the whole thing had only recently been set down there, although the French hippies seemed to be convinced as to the authenticity of it all. A hunt for dinner proved somewhat difficult. The place was full of restaurants, but they all seemed to think it was reasonable to charge 17 Euros for chicken. We felt if all we were getting was chicken we would be better of going for the local fish and chips, which we did.

 

It was an Irish/German breakfast as the B&B we were staying at seemed to be owned by Germans, so that was a slight change on the morning routine. Also (it had had to happen), the rain had finally arrived. We made our way towards Blarney in the hope that the rain would lift. Unfortunately the rain continued to pour but this did not deter us on our visit to Blarney Castle. It is a funny place, Blarney Castle. It is clearly a tourist trap but luckily the rain had kept many of the tourists away today. The grounds and gardens were beautiful and we enjoyed wandering around them in our rain jackets. We weren’t entirely convinced as to the authenticity of the druids’ cave and witches’ staircase but we played along anyway. The kissing of the Blarney Stone, at the top of the ruin of Blarney Castle, was again one of the those things that you do but, unlike the American tour groups you wait in line with, you never feel quite like you are getting a true authentic experience. However we both lined up and we both kissed the Blarney Stone so now we should both have the gift of eloquence. We shall see how that one plays out over time. As the rain continued to fall we jumped back in the car and continued on our way to Cork. Cork is a mixture of both modern and old fashioned. We were able to discern that much through the rain. However it being Easter Monday and Ireland being a strongly Catholic country Cork was largely closed. With the rain pouring and the city closed we eventually relented and drove out to the airport to await our flight back to London. Much like New Zealand, you don’t get an Emerald Isle without a lot of rain. To be sure, to be sure…

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Scotland

It was de ja vu this Easter with another trip to Scotland on the train (same as last year.) We had madly been making the most of our limited free membership to Ancestry.com and so were keen to see what sort of places the people who came before us lived. This time we had managed to score tickets on the Caledonian Sleeper to Aberdeen. After our excellent sleeper experience in Turkey we were keen to try it again. So we rocked up to Euston Station on Thursday night, find our room (which was alas a bit tighter than the Turkish equivalent) and tucked ourselves into our bunks before trying to get some sleep.

We awoke early after a somewhat shaky sleep in a very grey and foggy Aberdeen. Not to be dissuaded we wander around the central town and checked some of the large grey stone buildings. It was only about 7am so the city was largely still asleep. It was all quite eerie being around in the fog in a largely empty city but the few souls wandering the streets with us made us comfortable we hadn’t gotten lost in a horror movie. After a breakfast of hot cross buns (it being Good Friday and all) from Greggs we jumped on the bus to the airport where our rental car for the rest of the weekend awaited us. By the time we left the airport carpark the fog had virtually lifted and was promising a beautiful Spring Day. We had a loose plan about where we would be going but were free to stop and change things along the way as we saw fit. The main purpose of the trip was to visit some of the places our ancestors were from (or possibly from). Our research hadn’t exactly been rock solid but was enough to give us some ideas. The first stop was the town of Ellon. It was near to the town of Tarves where Jess had a feeling her Grandad Ken’s family was from. It was a pretty little town with a cute bridge and river. We made the first of many stops at the local cemetery but didn’t find any names we recognised. It was then back in the car and further north to the town of Fraserburgh where Jess had a feeling some of the Ritchie family might be from. It was built out of the same grey stone but the sun made things look a bit brighter. It wasn’t really much of a tourist stop though, the highlight being the lighthouse museum. We decided to avoid that and instead filled up on fish and chips for lunch. Not the best we had ever had but a darn site better than what you get in London. It was then along the north coast to the village of Rosehearty. This was apparently where the Ritchie family were definitely from. It was a nice sleepy seaside town. The view was pretty good on the day we were there but we suspect that that was probably the exception rather than the rule. We found the house where Jess’ Great Great Great Grandfather James Ritchie was born/died although it looked like it had probably been replaced by a new block of flats since that time. A wander around town didn’t shed much more light on Jess’ past however a chance glancing at no. 32 Pitsligo Street proved that there were still Ritchie’s to be found in Rosehearty. We didn’t have the guts to knock on the door but at least we knew we were on the right track. We drove up the hill above the town to Rosehearty Castle which Jess decided was her own. It is basically a ruin now but it was pretty cool being able to walk right through it and have a good close up look at everything. Just up the road from there was Peathill Kirkyard, a cemetary where apparently one or two of the Ritchie’s might also have been buried. We started wandering around looking at the gravestones and one or two is probably an understatement. If you check out the photos you will see that the place is full of Ritchies, and a fair few Mitchells too. Didn’t manage to find any names and dates that we recognised but still good to have a such a positive strike on our first day. 

We then carried on south again to the town of Huntly. This time we were on the Hunt for Henrys. We had a bit more information from Marcus’ Grandma this time so it made it easier to find the places we were looking for. We checked out where Marcus’ Great Great Grandfather had grown up at No. 1 Old Road (now a charity shop) and where his grandparents had lived (seconds around the corner) at 49 Duke Street (now a motorbike shop.) A general wander around Huntly showed that it was a pretty and probably quite prosperous town. Not as bleak as the towns we had just been in on the North Coast. We made a quick trip our of town to check out Affleck Farm, apparently where the oldest Henry son had worked for many generations, but we couldn’t see that much from the road. After a quick visit to the shortbread factory and a look past Huntly Castle we were back on the road again and off to our last stop of the day Nairn just north of Inverness, the site of the battle of Culloden Moor, the final confronation of the Jacobite Rising in 1746 although that site is now just a big field. After sampling some of the local beer we made it to bed for a well earned sleep.

We arose the next morning for a full Scottish Breakfast and with much food in our bellies checked out the beach down the road before heading back inland to Cawdor Castle, the home of the Thane of Cawdor, the most famous Thane being MacBeth. It is more of a stately home set in gardens but was still very pretty. It is still lived in so the current Thane has focussed more on the actual history of the castle rather than Shakespeare’s version, although there is a cauldron hidden just by the entrance for those wanting their fix of the Scottish Play. After a wander through the gardens and the obligatory hedge maze we carried on in the car past Inverness and up into the Highlands of Scotland. It had been virtually flat up until now but as soon as we passed Inverness the road rose and became windier and the hills began to loom on either side. We stopped on our way westward for a walk to a waterfall. The walk from the carpark was only about five minutes, but living in London we always appreciate a chance at some nature. We continued onwards and upwards through the forests and ever further westward as the forests gave way to rolling grasslands and low grey cloud. We knew we were in Scotland now. We arrived in the cute seaside town of Ullapool where we were staying at an excellent B&B called  Birchgrove. It wasn’t time to go there yet though. We had a lunch of tea and cake at the Pink Teapot Coffee Shop down on the waterfront and then continued winding our way north to the Coigach peninsula, this time on the hunt for Morrisons. Again we had a bit of information to go on with Marcus’ great grandfather having come from Polbain before coming to New Zealand. Getting there was no easy task. The road was only paved in parts and was only one lane with little laybys that you needed to duck into when there was an oncoming car, and the locals didn’t seem too interested to stop for anyone. We made it in one piece however, so were able to see what we had come for. We checked out the family house at 196 Polbain which the local shop owner told us was now owned by a German writer. We carried on along the coast. We weren’t quite sure which of the ruins was “The Fever House” but as that isn’t actually our ancestors we weren’t too worried. With the help of Lynn and Dave’s instructions we found the grave of Isabella Campbell at the Coigach Badenscallie cemetery. After checking out a house where we think an earlier generation of Morrisons may have lived we wound our way back to Ullapool. We had a tasty fish dinner at a local pub before a walk along the seafront and falling into bed.

After another full Scottish Breakfast we were back in the car and heading back the way we had come before turning south to take the coast road down to Skye. Although we had been lucky with the weather so far it had finally decided to let some rain come down on us. This didn’t stop us having a look at another waterfall, this one being more impressive than the one from the day before. The countryside through here was again very rugged, this time in a more dramatic way, with large mountains on one side and the sea on the other, or driving through the middle of the mountains and all of a sudden it would open up into a loch which was capturing all the rain as it fell. We eventually arrived in Kyle of Lochalsh. Unfortunately illness meant that the B&B we had booked could no longer take our booking. They found us some alternative accommodation but it left us feeling a little bit confused. Nonetheless we didn’t let that stop us. The sun had now come out again so we crossed the bridge into Skye. We didn’t really have a plan of where we were going but we saw a sign directing us towards a traditional Highland Cottage. We went in the direction of the sign…and we went….and we went….until we eventually arrived at the Clan MacDonald visitor’s centre at Armadale, the ancestral seat of Clan MacDonald. Although not exactly what we had anticipated we decided as we were there we would have a look around the grounds of what is now a ruin and visitor’s centre. The visitor’s centre gave us a bit more of an insight into the history of the people of Highlands and Western Isles. We never did find that traditional Highland Cottage though….After another big day we made our way back to our B&B for another well earned sleep.

After yet another cooked breakfast we were off again on the last day of our trip around Scotland. We stopped along the way at Eilean Donan Castle, but as it wasn’t yet open decided we wouldn’t hang around with the tour bus crowds and instead got some photos of one of Scotland’s most romantic castles, situated on island just off the coast, before making our way inland to Scotland’s most famous landmark, Loch Ness. You come driving through the mountains and then all of a sudden there it is, sprawled out to your right. It isn’t that wide but it stretches for miles. We attempted to spot Nessie but unfortunately she was having a day with her feet up when we were there. After some lunch, and like the many American tourists we stopped in at the ruins of Urquhart Castle on the shore of the Loch. Although impressive it did feel like yet another ruin. We then continued our way slowly winding around the western shore of the Loch until all of a sudden it was gone and we arrived back where we had been two days before at Inverness. Inverness is a small but pretty city built around a river, even though the coast itself is not that far away. After a less than enthralling visit to the Scottish Kilt Museum we decided to just go for a wander around the town. We had promised Andy and Cami that we would pick up some Haggis while we were there, so never one to shirk a responsibility we grabbed a couple of small haggis before nestling in at a local bar for some dinner and drinks and then meandering our way down to the train station and back on the overnight train to London bleary eyed and probably not at our best, but still functioning, for work on Tuesday.
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April

We celebrated April Fool’s Day with Ian, down at Ziloufs where he was having his birthday party. Alas nobody went along with the request to come dressed as a rabbit. The cocktails were flowing freely and we had some good yarns with all the usual gang. Old Fashioneds were definitely the sponsor of that night. After the gang headed off to a gig down at the Relentless Garage we decided to pike upstairs with a few hangers on and polish off a few more drinks in the luxury of our own lounge.

After the resounding success that was Yum Cha we decided to have another go at. This time we were joined by Tree (who was in NZ last time) and Perry, who couldn’t make it last time either. Anna alas had to work but we made a point of eating plenty to make up for her not being there. This one fortunately didn’t turn into a session of afternoon drinking as Perry and Tree both had to go home and do some marking, being teachers and all. Perry never quite got to his but that is a story for a later blog entry…

It being time to take Iceberg for another spin, we took the longest trip yet with a drive up to Sheffield to finally see Rae. We had only been in the UK two years after all…Other than some questionable directions from TomTom on the way up the drive was easy and we arrived in Sheffield earlier than we had expected. We caught up over a cup of tea with Rae before turning in. The next morning Rae took us a bit south to the Peaks District for some walking and sightseeing. We were a bit surprised at the lack of “Peaks” in the Peaks District, it being more a series of rolling hills but it was still good to get some country air and check out all the crazy rock formations over the hills which climbers were energetically clambering over. The weather was also brilliant. Blue skies and not too cold. Excellent for walking. After a tasty lunch and a drive around the area Rae took us for a walk through the forest, hoping to see the bluebells. Alas it was still too early but we still got another good walk over some farmland in before heading back for a tasty dinner cooked by Rae and a movie before a well earned sleep. After a full English breakfast cooked by Rae the following morning we said our farewells and drove into Sheffield to have a look around. The town itself had obviously had a lot of money invested in it over time and it was really nice and relaxed. We spent some time wandering around the Winter Garden, which is a massive greenhouse in the middle of town before doing a bit of shopping and investing in some good knives for when we travel around Europe in our van. The weather was again really good so we drove a little bit out of the centre of town and parked up in Sheffield’s botanical gardens for a lunchtime picnic and reading on the grass and catching some sun. It was then time to pack up the van again and head back to London.

The rest of April was busy too but our adventures get their own separate blogs…

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March

It was a sad start to March. Christchurch had just been rocked by the second major earthquake in six months. This one had devastated the city centre and many suburbs. It was certainly a time for soul searching for a lot of Kiwi’s in London, unable to do anything for their friends and family in NZ. To show our support and solidarity we attended a service held at Westminster Cathedral. There were thousands of people there and we were lucky to get to even be inside, although we couldn’t see much. There was singing by Hayley Westenra and a performance by a Kapa Haka group as well as various readings. Money was also raised and it was good to share time with other Kiwis at this sad event.

We had driven the Iceberg around a bit but had never really taken it for a good spin, so one weekend in early March we packed ourselves in and jumped on the motorway out east down into Kent where we visited the seaside town of Whitstable. Although the snow was now a thing of the past it was still pretty darn cold so it was hats and coats all around. Being at the seaside we thought it only fitting that we indulge in some fresh fish and chips (as opposed to the stuff of questionable age you get in London.) We wandered down to the waterfront and found a place that was selling fresh fish one side and cooked fish and chips on the other. We downed our prawns and scampi and then went for a wander along the beach. It was good to see some weatherboard houses too. Very reminiscent of NZ.We could definitely see how Whitstable would be a nice place to come and hangout in summer even if the temperature was a bit on the brisk side today.

We managed to catch up with Mary-Anne for her 30^th birthday. We hadn’t really been out in the city before so it was good to get out amongst all the suits at the wine bars. We also caught up with Monique and, as is obligatory at these events, met some more Kiwis in London.

Iceberg’s next trip was again out east, this time to Hornchurch in Essex. Kate and David had snuck off to NZ and gotten married so it was time for them to have a wedding shindig back in the UK. David’s parents had graciously lent them the use of their huge house in Romford for the celebrations. The whole gang were there and David’s parents had put on an amazing spread of food and drink for all the guests. Mr & Mrs Smith were looking stunning in their wedding attire and it was good to meet some of Kate and David’s friends, family and workmates. We had decided to make the most of Iceberg being a campervan so there was no need to find our way back to London. That meant we could eat, drink and dance well into the early hours of the morning before eventually making our way back to bed in the van for a great nights sleep. A few people had stayed at Kate and David’s and were looking a bit rough in the morning but David’s patented bagels with bacon soon put an end to that. It was then a slow and easy drive back into London.

March was also the month were we ourselves had tied our nuptials and it was time to celebrate our third wedding anniversary. We decided to do it in style this year with afternoon tea at the Ritz. We had booked one of the later spots so the tea also doubled as dinner. Good thinking eh? We were all dressed up in our best clothes as it was silver service and a string quartet. Very posh. We each had a glass of champagne before selecting our pots of tea and tucking in to the scones, cucumber sandwiches and cakes on offer. It was lucky we had gone for the dinner slot because the food and the tea just kept coming and we certainly had had our fill by the end of it all. The food was good but not quite on par with what we had at the Queen’s Garden Party. We couldn’t help but feel a little bit cheesy along with all the other tourists who were having tea too, but one must do these things when one has the opportunity.

Iceberg got yet another trip our east in March. This time to Epping Forest. This time we managed to get there without getting lost (this was not the first time we had tried.) As always it was good to get out to nature and have a wander around in the Woods. Epping Forest is an old hunting ground for the Tudors and so as well as the trees and walks it is also the site of Queen Elizabeth I’s hunting cottage. After some tasty bacon sandwiches cooked up in the Iceberg we went for a visit to Liz’s cottage. It was all decked out with fake food and armour etc and we couldn’t help but feel a little bit silly but the kids who were there seemed to be enjoying themselves.

March is certainly the month for weddings. As mentioned in previous posts, Jen and Liam had also tied the knot in Canada while they had been away at Christmas, so it was their turn to host a wedding party. This time it was a bit closer to home,down in Shoreditch in a fancy room above a pub which they had decked out in a not so weddingy, but very Jen and Liamy red and black. We made the most of the food, drink and company on offer before getting in a few more dance moves and catching the last Overground back to Islington.


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February

We started out February with some of the Chinese New Year celebrations in Chinatown. We went and saw a Chinese Lion which brings good luck to all of the shops and restaurants. It goes from shop to shop, dancing along the way and at each doorway it gobbles up a lettuce. As long as you feed him a lettuce he will bring you good luck. It was pretty packed as everyone wanted to see the Lion and there were times we couldn’t actually move. You come to expect that at any big event in London though.

For Waitangi Day we decided to have New Zealanders around to our house for some Kiwi As celebrations. We decorated the lounge with all of our expired NZ calendars and Scarface and R2 D2 even got in on the act. All the usual suspects came around. We invited some non-NZers but Liam was the only one game to show. Time was passed with some headbands, some circle of death, some NZ tunes, some Tongan Ninja and Marcus even managed to score himself a free haircut from cuz Beverley. Chur.

Soon thereafter Marcus settled himself into his 30s by turning 31. On the day of his birthday Jess took him out for a secret surprise dinner at 13 the Jamie Oliver Restaurant in Old Street that he did a TV show about where he took kids who were failing at school etc and made them successful as chefs. It is still staffed that way. We had a tasty meal of Italian food. Mamma Mia! Wasn’t he lucky?

He sure was because that weekend he got to go out with all his friends for Yum Cha. It is common in Wellington but there aren’t many places in London that do it with Trolley’s and everything. There was a big group, which is the best way to do Yum Cha because it meant we all got to order random things and eat plenty. After that we stopped in for a drink at the Dutch Bar in Chinatown (not sure how that works but it does) and then it was everyone back to our place again for some more drinking and shenanigans. Although early start meant early finish which is all good for the old man hangover.

February also brought a new addition to the McMillan household. We bought ourselves a 2001 Peugeot Boxer Campervan in anticipation of travelling around Europe. We duly christened him the Iceberg. He is big, white and, with Marcus driving, there is a good chance he will crash into things. Can’t wait to take him for a proper spin.

The next week was one we had been waiting for for a while. Marcus had managed to score tickets to the NME Big Gig at Wembley Arena which was being headlined by the Foo Fighters!! Dave Grohl had won an NME Rock Legend award the week prior so this was his chance to prove that to the crowd there in a one off show. As Liam and Jen had recently gotten married in Canada in an unplanned ceremony we decided we would take them with us as our guests. We met them for some tasty Nepalese food before the concert then made our way to our seats to check out the pre-acts which were Band of Horses some cowboy rockers from the US and Cee-Lo Green of “Crazy Fame”, which Liam was even more excited about seeing than the Foos. He is a pretty talented singer but that is one seriously fat man. We were all warmed up by the time the Foos came on and they were awesome. Dave Grohl is a rock god, along with the rest of the band. It was particularly surprising to see Pat Smear, who has not been in the Foo Fighters for a number of years, back in the band again. They played all their awesome songs, including a few new ones from their new album which we hadn’t heard. It was great fun to have a night of sweaty headbanging to such an entertaining band and we were sorry when it all had to end. We certainly enjoyed ourselves even if the typical London crowd was too cool to rock out.

https://picasaweb.google.com/JessicaLMcMillan/February2011