London - Part Three (Local)

This morning (Friday) I decided I wasn't going to go out very far as I walked so much yesterday that my feet were still hurting this morning. So, I only walked out to the local shops (by the hotel) and to the Post Office.

While I was out I thought I would get something for dinner that we don't get in Chennai - very simple, but delicious - I got a French stick, pepperoni, cheese, coleslaw and a variety of crisps as well as things like pickled onions and homous. It is all so simple, yet living in the UK and always having the wide variety we do, it is so easy to take these simple things for granted!

Anyway, once I'd finished shopping I thought I'd better call Penri to tell him that I'd bought dinner (just in case he thought to pick something up on his way back). I went into a phone box to call him and just after I'd put all the shopping down at my feet and I was about to pick up the phone, someone tapped on the phone box behind me. I'm always very wary in London anyway, so I anxiously turned around and there was a man standing there. I felt a bit panicky but said to him "I won't be a minute" and he said "Are you working?" Well, you can imagine the thoughts going through my head - my instant reaction was "Do I look like a call girl?" but I said "No. I won't be long" and picked up the phone. There was no dial tone - then he tapped on the window again and said "Is it working?" I couldn't help but laugh out loud (and breathe a sigh of relief) and told him that 'no, the phone wasn't working'. He then walked away. Thinking about it afterwards (when I was walking back to the hotel) and even now it makes me chuckle.

Anyway, it is now late afternoon and Penri will be back from work soon so I am going to finish this post and write again soon.

London - Part Two (Shopping)

Yesterday (Thursday) I decided to go shopping in central London. Penri left early for work and I relaxed and watched rubbish morning TV until 8.30 a.m. Then I got up and showered and dressed to go out. In preparation for my day of shopping I took with me, a small wheelie suitcase, this is a trick I learnt from my mum. It means that all the shopping I buy goes in one place and I don't have to carry it ... brilliant!

I started off in Oxford Street and walked all the way from Oxford Circus Station to Marble Arch. This may not sound like much but I walked it twice! Long story - basically I went to John Lewis and then walked on, but realised I'd forgotten to get something, so I walked all the way back again. Oxford Street was really busy - see photo above - nearly as bad as India!

Whilst walking I saw this sign ....
















I couldn't believe it - what a way to make money! It looked really nice inside. I wish they would introduce something like this in Chennai. For anyone who has ever been to India, you will know that you just do not use public toilets! It is not something you want to do. Hey, maybe I have found a niche in the market in Chennai!

Anyway, while I was walking up and down Oxford Street I was doing a very good job to avoid all the people standing on the side of the path trying to get money off you for one thing or another. However, this one lady stopped me by asking "What is your favourite TV show?" and after thinking about it, I couldn't actually name one. So, instead she asked "Well do you have a favourite film or musical?" As soon as she said 'musical' about 20 popped into my head. So I told her I liked loads but if I had to choose one I would probably choose 'Starlight Express'. She then asked me to sing one of the songs from it. I just looked at her and asked "Why?" She explained she was trying to get a job and as part of the interview they want to see if she is able to get people to talk to her. So, I stood there in the middle of Oxford Street and sang 'Next Time You Fall In Love' from 'Starlight Express' (which I thought was very brave of me - normally I'm not that courageous). When I finished, she smiled and thanked me. I then asked if I was being filmed for some hidden camera show and she laughed saying I wasn't (it wouldn't be the first time - I was caught out on 'Ant and Dec's Secret Camera Show' a few years ago). Anyway, that was that and I went on my way. I did notice that after walking away she tried to stop loads of other people, but no-one would stop - not one person!






















After finishing my shopping, I went on the tube to Ealing Broadway. I studied in Ealing and I haven't been back there since so I was curious to see it again. I had a wander round and then came back to the hotel. By the time I got back my feet were killing me! I certainly have done a lot of walking this last two weeks.

London - Part One (Radlett)

We arrived in London on Tuesday evening and after dropping the car back at the airport we got a train to Liverpool Street Station and checked into our hotel (Holiday Inn Express). We had a quick walk around the block and picked up some dinner and then came back to the room so Penri could watch football.

On Wednesday morning, we both left early and Penri went to work whilst I caught a train to Radlett. I spent the day with Indeg and Manon. I cannot believe how much Manon has grown - she is such a beautiful little girl and so well behaved and I had so much fun at their house. I took lots of photos - there were so many but I have chosen four of them. The one of Manon on her own is one of my favourites! Penri came and joined us after work (at about 7 p.m) and spent a bit of time with Manon before she went to bed. Then Inds, Pen and I had a chinese takeaway. We left Indeg's house at 10.40 and pretty much ran all the way to the train station to make the 10.56 train. We got there at 10.53 and found the front entrance to the station closed so we had to run all the way around to the back gate to get into the station. I thought I was going to pass out! Anyway, we made it onto the train and got back into the hotel and crashed out!

Sandwich and Norwich

Well, this has to be one of the most beautiful, relaxing places I've ever been to. I took so many photos that I found it hard to choose which ones to put on my blog site (hence there being 3 photos).

We arrived in Sandwich on Sunday evening and went out for a walk around. It was very small, but very nice. On Monday morning, we checked out at 9.40 and I met up with Lara (my friend from Scunthorpe who I've known since I was very young). While Pen went off to work, Lara and I sat and had coffee and caught up on what's been happening in our lives. Lara had to leave to go to work at 12 and Penri wasn't finished until 3 p.m so I went for another walk around Sandwich. I bought some books and some feta and olives for a snack. Then I sat and read outside the museum (see picture) until 2.30 and then headed back to meet Penri.

From there we drove up to Norwich (my geography is certainly improving and I think even Penri would agree that my map reading is getting better)! In Norwich, we got a bit lost when we were looking for the hotel (we didn't have a map and Penri had asked for directions but we just seemed to be going around in circles). We finally found the hotel (Maid's Head Hotel) and checked in. We then got some dinner and chilled out watching TV.

On Tuesday morning Penri went off to work and one guess as to what I did .... shopping! Norwich was actually a really nice place to shop although, again, very large and lots of walking involved. I met Penri at 2 o'clock and we drove from Norwich to Stanstead Airport to take the car back before moving on to London.

Scunthorpe

On Friday afternoon we drove over to Scunthorpe (which was only about half an hour from Grimsby). I had a wander around the shops while Penri was on his second conference call of the day. We then enjoyed a bag of chips and scraps from Kingston fish and chip shop. Those people who have never had chips from up North won't know what scraps are (they are just batter from the fryer) and they're delicious.

Late afternoon we went over to Aunty Viv and Uncle James'. We enjoyed a lovely afternoon and then played some cards before going to bed. On Saturday morning I got up at what I thought was an early time (8.40 a.m) and went in the shower. When I came out the bathroom my Aunty Ann and cousin Dawne Marie were already at Aunty Vivian's house (and they had driven down from Redcar)!

Saturday was a lovely day spent catching up with Aunty Ann, Aunty Vivian, Dawne Marie and my Aunty Doris. I think Penri and Uncle James felt a bit outnumbered by the amount of women (and we're all fairly loud)! It was wonderful seeing them all - see a photo below of us. Actually, the only time Penri and Uncle James were in the room was when we dragged them in to take photos of us.
















On Saturday evening we (me, Penri, Aunty Vivian and Uncle James) went to Lincoln to meet up with Aunty Ann (a different Ann) and Uncle Mike. We went for an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet. The food was delicious ... really enjoyed it. After dinner we played some more cards and then after showing Aunty Viv how to play Sims, we went to bed.

On Sunday morning we drove over to Aunty Sandra and Uncle Chris' house and spent some time catching up with them. We then hit the motorway and had a LONG drive to Sandwich, Dover.

York then Grimsby

York - isn't it beautiful?

Arriving in York, it was already early evening. We checked into our hotel (The Royal York Hotel) emptied the car and then went out to get something to eat.

On Thursday morning Penri dropped me off near York town centre at 9 a.m and went off to work. York is quite big and I walked around shopping (and spending) until 2 p.m. I really liked York - it was colourful, pretty and the shops were great! It felt like I walked for miles.

While I was shopping in York, I saw something unusual. There was a busker on the high street ... this may not sound unusual until I tell you the next part ... he was playing a piano! A full size upright piano. I was very impressed - not so much by his playing (although he was pretty good) but for his innovative idea. I must admit I've never seen a busker on a piano before! See below:
















Penri picked me up at 2 p.m and we drove to Grimsby. We were supposed to be going to Norwich on Friday (for Penri's work) but the people in the office there postponed it until Tuesday, although Penri still had to work on the Friday - he had two conference calls. While Penri worked on Friday, I walked around the shops in Grimsby high street.

Chester

We arrived in Chester just after 6 p.m and checked into our hotel (which was a Holiday Inn Express). We showered and changed as we were meeting Amanda and Linda at 7 p.m (they drove over from Manchester to see us). We all went out to dinner at a hotel called The Crowne Plaza. The meal was lovely and it was really nice catching up with them. I have known Amanda since we were about 2 years old and we've grown up together and even though she moved to England when we were 9, we've always kept in touch. I think it's lovely to stay in touch with friends, especially as the older I get, I don't seem to establish as solid friendships as I had when I was younger. Is that just me?! Anyway, I'm going off on a tangent as I do when I talk, so back to the trip. Amanda dropped us back at our hotel just after 9.30 p.m and we were both so tired that we went straight to bed.

In the morning Penri was supposed to be at work at 10 a.m so we started getting ready about 9 o'clock. Penri needed to go down to the car to get his suit out and asked me where the car keys were. I didn't know so we both started looking. Well, we turned the room upside down and I emptied and re-packed the suitcases and the hand luggage and I must have emptied my handbag at least 3 times - they were nowhere to be seen! Penri went to look if he'd dropped them outside and to check if the car was still there. The car was in the car park but there was no sign of the keys.

We went through the options - they could be in the restaurant where we had dinner or Amanda's car. So, I called Linda at home as I knew Amanda would be working and I didn't have a contact number for her at work. Amanda checked and she found them on the back seat of her car (so Penri's keys were in Manchester 45 minutes drive from where we were). By now it was approaching 10 o'clock and obviously Penri couldn't go to work as he had nothing smart to wear. He called the office and explained the situation and re-arranged his meeting for 2 p.m. We then had to decide the best course of action:
1. Take a train to Manchester to pick up the keys (but with no guarantee we'd be back in time for his meeting);
2. Go to Chester and buy a new suit, shirt and tie (this would cost a lot and we'd still have to figure out a way to get the keys back as Pen had to work in York the following morning);
3. Get a courier to pick up the keys from Amanda and bring them over to us (seemed like the best option).

So, a few phone calls and 65 quid later, we were told the keys would be delivered by 1 p.m which would give us enough time for Pen to get changed and go to work. We extended our check out as long as possible, which was until 1 o'clock so it seemed to work out nicely ... or so you would think ...

At 1.15 p.m there was no sign of the driver so Pen called the company to see what was going on. Apparently, the driver had got lost and phoned the hotel. The receptionist told him he had the wrong hotel as there was no-one waiting (she was so stupid - Penri had told her twice!) Anyway, because the driver couldn't find us, he had started heading back to Manchester! Penri was obviously really annoyed so he called the company AGAIN.

The driver finally arrived at 1.58 p.m. Penri got changed in the car park and raced off to work. I took the bus and went into Chester. I had arranged to meet an old school friend, Lucy. I haven't seen her since we were 18 years old and living in Doha. Ten years and yet she had hardly changed. We had a really nice time catching up and talking about "the good old days". I left Lucy at 5.30 to get a bus back to meet Penri so we could drive to York.

Me and Lucy

Swansea and Bristol

So, we hired a car from Heathrow and drove to Swansea to Penri's mum's house. We unloaded the car of all our cases and then the three of us (me, Penri and Laura) went to the supermarket. I needed to buy an adaptor for my laptop (as it has an Indian plug). Penri and I were a bit overwhelmed ... I think we'd forgotten what a real supermarket looked like. It was HUGE and CLEAN and sold everything you could ever want. Laura told me afterwards that she will never forget our faces - I guess the best way to relate it is 'It's like seeing snow for the first time - you can't quite believe your eyes'.

On Sunday we were up early (ish) and went around all of Penri's family that live in Swansea starting with Penri's dad. From there we went to Mam and Dats (we caught up with Penri's Aunty Eiry and Uncle Tony at the same time) and also spoke to his Aunty Delyth on the phone; finally we went to visit Val. It was really nice seeing the family again - it makes you realise even more how much you miss them when you're away. Hopefully it won't be too long before we're back again.

On Monday morning we woke up early (again) and had some breakfast before setting off to Bristol. The first place we went to was our house. It was very strange being back and knowing that we weren't staying and even stranger that someone else was living in our house! Once we'd caught up with neighbours (our neighbours, not the TV show) we headed into the centre of Bristol to sort out a few things (Estate Agents and banks etc). By late afternoon we were shattered and went to check into the hotel we were staying at. It is called Jury's Hotel and is right on the water front in the centre of Bristol (see picture below). It was very nice - seemed very posh! They even had a white baby grand piano in the bar area (which my fingers were itching to play but there were too many people about)!

















Later in the evening I caught up with Sarah (a friend from the school I used to teach at), which was lovely. We finished off a nice day with kebab and chips (which to a lot of people is nothing special but for us ... we haven't had a kebab for nearly a year and it used to be a weekly meal for us when we lived in UK)!

On Tuesday morning Penri was working in Bristol so he dropped me off outside the Axa Centre where my friend Jackie picked me up. I spent the morning with her catching up over tea and cream cakes and then we went to Cribbs Causeway Shopping Mall at 11.45 so I could meet up with some students from my old school. It was so good seeing all my Bristol friends again and I must admit, it did make me feel a little sad knowing that I was only there for such a short time.

Trip to England

Well it is literally months since my last posting (appalling, I know) but I will make a real effort from now on to try and update this at least once a month. We are still in London and leave tomorrow to go back to India so I am updating this blog from our hotel room in the centre of London. I have so much to write about the trip that I am going to put it in sections based on the area of England (or Wales) we were in at the time.

For those who don't already know - we arrived in England on Saturday (two weeks ago) and have been to Swansea, Bristol, Chester, York, Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Lincoln, Sandwich, Norwich, Radlett, London in that order. Penri has driven 1,300 miles in 10 days as well as working in between!!

In addition to all the info I am going to put on my blog, I also have some photos to include (which I find always makes it more interesting to read).

The flight over from India was 10 hours and 27 minutes. I actually managed to sleep for about 5 hours of it, which was brilliant as it made it feel at lot quicker. Anyway, onto my next post and destination one: Swansea!