MORE OF ENGLAND

Hi guys! Hope you're all fine. Here in UK the weather is just perfect and I'm having a really, lovely time.

Last weekend I drove to Reigate to meet up with my friend Darren. He's got a house on Skopelos but tends to rent it rather than stay in it. The pub where we met sold excellent beer but didn't sell food, so after D had set off back up to Leeds, I walked into town and got an M&S sandwich which I took back to the pub to eat. Didn't know Yorgi liked salmon and cucumber!

During the week I drove to Camberley (got lost), to meet up with my oldest (time-wise!) friend, Jackie (we met when we both worked for British Airways or BEA as it was then). Together with hubby, Rob, we drove together up to Wimbledon to attend the Springfield Road Windsor flatmate and friends reunion. This reunion used to take place annually until I, then Liz and Alf moved, coincidentally, to Greece (they live in Tolo). The venue was in Anne and Geoff's newly aquired, three story, Victorian house. The evening passed all too quickly.

Yesterday, together with Dad, we drove down to Hastings. This time to spent the day with Mel. Mel used to live in the famous Railton Road in Brixton and was a black cab taxi driver. He now spends a lot of his time playing chess. Apart from the time he was obliged to cat sit. The animal escaped and he found himself wondering the streets one evening, calling its name - Pussy!

AFTER SALISBURY

The next morning, I thought I wouldn't mind visiting a silk mill in Whitchurch. However, after driving for some time, the signs disappeared and seeing a sign for Newbury, decided to visit my friend, ex Laskarina rep. Nicky McIsaac instead. Much better idea! It was a very pleasant drive from Andover to Newbury. In the evening we took Yorgi (and ourselves) out for a walk on Greenham Common. Nicky told me stories of the old days when it had been a military base and about the anti-missile action group of women who had lived there. Having only one bedroom, I was obliged to sleep on Nicky's living room floor, using my self-inflating mattress again, purchased in Coburg. We decided that positioning it behind the couch would be best so I wouldn't be so disturbed by her shift-working partner when he make his cuppa at 5am ish. He was somewhat miffed at the note that read 'Don't disturb Heather. She's behind the couch!'
The following day I invested in a UK road atlas. In spite of this, I still managed to get lost, trying to find my way to Fleet to visit another friend. (to be fair, she had given me directions from the M3!) I ended up coming off the M4, junction 3! Having had enough of the motorway and it's traffic, I decided to following the little aeroplane for Gatwick and headed back to dad's.

Last night I took the train up to London to meet some guys who I've been writing to for several years as they had gone to the same school as me - Haymill in Burnham. For them it was a reunion as one of them now lives in the States but works in Saudi and was passing through. I had never met them before, not even at school - well, not that I remember! Still, talking Burnhameeze, we had a very enjoyable evening at The Mitre in Paddington. I didn't get lost once!!

MORE IMAGES OF SALISBURY TRIP

Graham with Yorgi. Sit! Good Boy!

SALISBURY

Hi friends in cyberland! The sun is out, in Kent at least, and the news is full of the dangers of mozzy bites. They must be hardup for news methinks.

Last Sunday, Yorgi and I motored down to Salisbury (got lost) and what should have been a lunch date ended up an evening dinner with my friend Graham. Before eating we took a walk along the river from Salisbury to Old Sarum. It was England at its best. Everything from the walk itself, the views, the little English Heritage shop, even the loos (why do I still feel guilty about putting paper down them?!) Yorgi had a lovely time playing on the lawns. He's really into lawns! He's a good ice-breaker too. Complete strangers come up and start talking to us and children fall to their knees to pet him.

Times in Tonbridge

Hi guys! Left is dad's band, Bloco Fogo. You can see dad in the middle row, second in front the right. Their next gig is this Saturday when they'll be playing at Maidstone River Festival. Right is Dad and Yorgi in the front garden.

Last night Dad, a girl from the band and I went to a local pub to listen to a jazz trio. They were fab. What a way to spend an evening; a pint of Bombadier and good jazz. After my second pint, it dawned on me that I was the driver and the only one drinking. Woops.

Life In Merry Old (wet) England

To all my friends on Skopelos, we are not underwater here in Tonbridge. My hike this morning was undertaken in trainers and wasn't even wet underfoot. Lucky we seem to be as there are a lot of poor sods who are not so fortunate.

Yesterday, Dad's Bloco Fogo band played at a do organised by a local animal rescue farm near Biggin Hill. It was so wonderfully English: games for the kids, a beer tent, candy floss, doggie events, second hand stalls, bee keepers and patchwork/spinning tents, chainsaw sculptors! Plus all the visitors with their dogs. Yorgi was so overwhelmed, he just wanted to go back to the car. He'd never seen so many dogs! After seeing the umteenth notice about YOUR DOG COULD DIE IF YOU LEAVE IT IN YOUR CAR! I went back and rescued Yorgi from..... nothing....and sitting on a bail of hay, we watched dad play with his band. The audience was somewhat... dry.

I MADE IT!!

I am writing this from the comfort of my father's bungerlow!

After saying goodbye to Wolfgang, it was a pleasant 'A' road drive towards Bruxelles. Everytime I asked for directions, saying I didn't want to use the motorway, people would scratch their heads and say they had no idea how I would get there! Looking at the map, I headed for a place called Saint Truiden. It turned out to be a beautiful, cobble streeted town with a huge church in the central square. What's more, on the hour, the bells didn't just chime, they played It's Now or Never, followed by an hour of other popular tunes! Also, after checking into the only hotel, I noticed I was in Belgium, not Holland! Later, relaxing at a bar in the square, it was exciting to notice a selection of 24 different beers on the menu. I sampled only one, which went straight to my tired head.

The following morning I set off to find a vet. UK laws dictate that a pet has to see a vet not less than 24 hours and not more than 48 hours prior to departure. I had only just found out that I was only a couple of hours from Ostende so was pleasantly surprised when the vet asked me what date and time I wanted her to put on Yorgi's passport. I'd already heard from others how flexible European vets are regarding this point. Anyway, after this formality had been completed it was back on the road. I was dreading the next bit as there was no other way than by motorway. Then the heavens opened. Visibility was down to practically zero. This was good, as it made all the traffic slow down to my speed! The E40 is rather a nice motorway in fact because it doesn't seem to be used by trucks.

At the port it took them one minute to process me and over half an hour for Yorgi. On the ticket (which cost an extra €25) it had in big letters PET. On the mirror I had to hang an orange sign with a picture of a dog on it and on the windscreen a flurescent sticker with another picture of a dog on it, in case there was any doubt. The crossing was very smooth and took two hours including a delay.

Once on UK soil, I promptly got lost! But never mind, the sky was blue and it was a very pleasant evening.