Claire & Todd's engagement

Claire & Todd
Originally uploaded by Martin Pittard.

Saturday night we caught up with my oldest friend Todd and his fiance Claire for a feed at a favourite Japanese restaurant not far from home.

Although the night was a chance to see each other before we leave for the UK it was also a celebration of their engagement only a few days earlier. Merrilyn and I are thrilled as we know how happy Todd has been since meeting Claire.

We talked about the possibility of meeting up in the new year in Denmark - Todd's home country. It would be a fantastic experience to share. Merrilyn and I have talked about the possibility of a Christmas in Copenhagen. Let hope we get the chance!

Merrilyn and I had had a hectic day continuing to pack the house and sort our gear into the various piles: carry-on, air freight, and sea freight. So we appreciated the time we spent together with these close friends.

Last coffee at Brunetti

Every Saturday morning for the past 15 odd years I've spent with good friends at Brunetti. For those familiar with Melbourne this is a iconic cafe in the heart of Carlton. Although I think the coffee can be a little variable the pastries and cakes are divine and the staff tremendously friendly.

But for me its been a haven and a perfect start to the weekend. Its been a constant in my life. Each Saturday we travel into Brunetti around 9:30am. Its a relaxed atmosphere. A regular circle of friends congregate around the streetwalk tables. The mornings are spent talking, laughing, and perhaps a walk down Lygon Street to either King & Godfrey or perhaps a browse through Readings.

This is one experience I'm certainly going to miss. Although we'd like to maintain the habit of a Saturday morning coffee its really been about sharing great times with wonderful friends.

So it was with a little sadness that we said goodbye to this familiar part of our life. Of course, David - a talented barista and a long-time familiar face - dropped by our table to say goodbye carrying some delicious cakes and a small gift. Two Brunetti espresso cups. Using these in England will bring back some wonderful memories.

Saying goodbye this morning I can reflect on our good fortune in having such friends.

Caio!

Anzac Day 2006

The Bennett family

Today was one of those glorious Autumn days that Melbourne is famous for. Which was just as well for those that spent the early morning at the Dawn Service - a touching salute to those that have fallen in service to our country.

Merrilyn's brother Steve and his family was one of many that attended. Living in Yea meant a 3am wake-up. Although they had intentions to staying for the march down St Kilda Road the early start got the better of them. So following a kip we met them, together with Lynne and Rick, at Kingsley Gardens in Mont Albert for a BBQ.

James loves playing with his cousins on the play equipment. Chloe scrambled up the rope "spider web" and promptly claimed she was a "red back". Of course, James wanted to climb the web as well. Maybe when he's a "big boy".

We had a tasty BBQ - thanks Lynne for the marinated chicken. Merrilyn excelled with one of her creative salads. It had pear, blue cheese, olives - yum.

But I think the highlight was enjoying time together with the family. A chance to chat and enjoy a glass of great Aussie red wine (thanks Rick). I have to say that I found it particularly enjoyable to take time out from packing and generally trying to keep track of all the "to-do's" in my head. As Merrilyn said to me today - 10 more sleeps. I wonder how long it will be once we reach the UK before we can relax like this?

You can check out the other photos in the Anzac Day 2006 set.

The big pitch

Over the past few weeks I've learnt never to take anything for granted. Although hectic, we had found a degree of comfort in our plans to see us leaving for the UK. Today - that all changed.

But first a little catch up. With Gary's return from the UK last week it became clear that we needed a little more time before we leave. My colleagues have more on their plate - especially considering the need to rent their house, finalise school, and search for a suitable school in the UK. With all that in mind we decided on Tuesday that the 10th of May was more realistic. For us, that meant pushing out the date for our mover and co-ordinating with the UK on temporary accom given our new arrival date of the 11th May. Truth be told - Merrilyn and I were a little relieved to have the extra time. Particularly as it allows us more time to catch up with family and friends. And a little more time to enjoy the final weeks in Australia.

Last night, on our way to say goodbye to our wonderful coach and friend Jenny, I got a call from Gary. I was driving at the time so Merrilyn took the call. When we arrived at our destination I thought I'd give him a quick call back. Thats when I heard that the UK had advised that a meeting had been set up with a major client (probably the major client) for Monday 8th May. This was based on the assumption that we were all arriving on the 6th. Turns out that Gary can't make the appointment at the UK. So the baton, so to speak, has been passed to me.

Bottom line. I'm going to join a few colleagues in the UK in making the pitch. My first reaction was one of trepidation. Its a big opportunity. And a big challenge. Although I feel confident in my technical abilities and I'm not particuarly daunted by the presentation itself, I am anxious about the amount of work required in the lead up. You can imagine. I'll need to bone up on the company, its background, and to collaborate with my colleagues in the UK in pulling the broader pitch together. So, of course, this is more work to do when I feel I'm already running at capacity. And it means we are all now heading off on the 5th May. One week ahead of my other colleagues.

Whilst I have to say I was pretty stressed about it all today - Merrilyn continues to be great support. And I look at my family and its clear to me what matters. I'm sure we'll find a path through this. If its one thing I've learnt well in the past few years - its that these times of stress are transitory. Its family that matters - so that's where I intend to try to focus my energy.

Tonight I'll be on the phone to our agency assisting us in the relocation. I need find out what this change means to our temporary accom we just booked yesterday! The aim will be to see if we can get into this place a week earlier. Its a serviced apartment in Windsor. Two bedrooms, kitchen, communal garden. Its sure to be much better than a hotel room. But we'll have to see how that pans out. Worst case I guess we'll spend the first week in the hotel.

Contract signed

Hi family and friends,

Welcome!

We decided to create this blog as a way to keep in touch with all those that are interested in our move to the UK on assignment. We intend to keep the blog updated regularly with posts sharing all our experiences as we settle in to our new life. There will also be links to photos so the hope is that you'll be able to get a feel for what we're up to.

Speaking of photos, if you look to the right of this post you'll see a link to our photo album in flickr. You can click on this to see all the current and past photos.

You probably know that back in mid January I was approached by my employer to take a role in the UK. The timeframe would be around 12 months with the company picking up most costs. Of course, we jumped at the opportunity. Merrilyn and I have both been to the UK before (and I have been there a number of times on business). We are keen to experince life in another country - and with continental Europe at the doorstep - we are intent on making the most of travelling. Particularly to Itay! Its a favourite.

And with our little James at 2.5 its an ideal time in our lives to take this opporunity. Although he'll surely miss his many friends, we have no doubt he'll make new ones.

So since accepting the opportunity we've been divided between preparations for leaving and getting the contract finalised and signed. Along the way we've sold our home, cleared out the junk, and made our to-do list (now somewhere north of 30 items!). Well - the good news is that we finally have a signed contract. This also gives us a planned departure date of 5th May. What a relief. Now we can focus on all those things that need to be done to get a family over to the UK.

I've been flying to and from Sydney quite a bit over the past month. So on Sunday night we took James to the airport for the first time. He was able to see all the planes as they taxied and loaded up. "Look at the BIIIGGG one!" He'd point to the night sky seeing a plane with its light on and say "Look Dad, is that you're plane?"

Merrilyn has been reading books with a travel/moving theme. James is now well aware that we are moving home to the UK. He'll coming running up and say "Are we going to London? With Daddy, Mummy and James".

So its an exciting time. With lots to look forward to. Of course, we'll miss our good friends back home but know that we'll be rewarded with some wonderful experiences.

In the mean time - our Easter long weekend is to be filled with endless chores such as packing our kit into boxes. Sorting stuff into the: Storage, Shipping, Air freight, or Carry on piles.