Stonehenge

Today's adventure was a trip to Stonehenge. Its just under two hours away in Wiltshire; on the Salisbury plains.

When James awoke I sat him down and hold him that for today we're visiting Stonehenge. "Yeah - we're going by train", said James. "No - today we'll be driving". "Can we sit on it?", he asked. "No - its ancient so we will be able to look at it but can't touch." I explained a little about the history. James - although he can't really comprehend - certainly takes it all in. When we called Papa and Granny before leaving he told them he was visiting Stonehenge and that it is made of old rocks.

Again for this trip we traveled with UD and his family. So we set of about 9:30am and headed south to Ascot and then on to pick up the M3 for our travel west towards Andover. We anticipated a lot of return traffic in the afternoon (being the end of a long weekend) so wanted to get an early start. The weather forecast suggest a relatively fine morning/early afternoon with some showers moving in later in the day.

The trip was easy enough. Not too much traffic and the motorway cuts through some lovely countryside. A feature are the lush fields and hedgerows.

Traveling west along the A303 we topped a crest and virtually fell across Stonehenge. Its located on the ridge of a hill and only a few hundred metres from the road. I have to say it made me catch my breath. Its one of those iconic sites you read about as a kid. Needless to say I was looking forward to seeing it.

We parked the cars and headed for the visitor's centre. I thought the entrance fee was reasonable and James was free. Included in the admission are audio handsets that provide a guided audio tour. It turned out James was fascinated by the buttons (not the commentary!) so we spent most of the time sharing. But I did think it added to the experience.

Making our way under the road and up to Stonehenge we emerged in a queue snaking its way around the circumference of the henge. The first thing to hit me - It was cold! Ambient was probably about 14 degrees but there was a pretty fierce wind that really bit into you. I couldn't believe I was rugged up and we are almost in Summer!

Walking around Stonehenge we were able to get good views of the sarsen stones. These are arranged as the familiar uprights and lintels reaching to about 33 metres. The lintels are attached by mortise and tenon. There's a single upright that clearly shows a tenon.

Moving around to the south we passed one of the station stones. This one marks the winter solstice. Whilst researching Stonehenge last night I noted that the summer solstice (21st June) sees a special managed tour at the site.

From the henge we walked to some nearby burrows. These are ancient burial mounds that are clearly visible rising from the fields. I understand that the burrows pre-date the henge and may in fact relate to the significance of the site in general.

We finished our visit about 12:30pm and drove to nearby Andover for lunch. There's not too much there but we stopped in a cafe. Merrilyn thought a pub would be better and in hindsight she was right. The food was pretty ordinary - mostly fried and frozen. Still can't really complain. Most meals we've had to date have been reasonable.

We arrived back home about 4pm and were relieved that there was not too much traffic. To stretch from the drive we headed off for a walk to the Castle. As we arrived James was thrilled to see that the main gates were open at the top of Castle Hill. He watched the boom gates going up and down and the bollards too! He's into the boom gates at the moment. We often catch him pretending to be a boom gate. His little arms going up and down!

You can see our photos here.

First day trip to London

Today we had an opportunity to meet Doug (Grandad) and Muriel (Nana) in London. They are on the final leg of a European holiday that's taken them on an exciting tour of countries such as France, Italy, Amsterdam, and of course England.

So at 9:30am we left for the Windsor-Eton station for the train to Waterloo. After buying our tickets and heading for the platform we bumped into one of my colleagues and his family. Seems they had the same idea of a day in London. James was thrilled as he loves spending time with "the boys".

We arrived in Waterloo at 11:10am and disembarked to meet Doug and Muriel. We weren't sure of the exact exit we were to meet and, of course, ended up having to walk a bit to find them. It was wonderful to meet family in this "overseas" location.

We decided on the spot to head for the Thames and grab a coffee and some lunch. Heading north we basically headed for the London Eye. This is a very popular attraction; the full circuit takes about 30mins. By my reackoning I think the queue was somewhere between 1 and 2 hours wait. This weekend is not only a bank holiday (long weekend) but is also the start of the school holidays. So most places are busy at the moment. We found a lovely little Italian restaurant on the Thames and ordered a wood fired pizza and coffee. (At 3.50GBP per coffee I think this is what people refer to as "London prices"!)

Over lunch we got to hear about some of the places Doug and Muriel had visited. Turns out that they left no stone unturned. Some favourites were Pompei, and the Moulin Rouge.

Walking back to Westminster we said our goodbyes. Doug and Muriel, in wanting to pack as much sightseeing into the last few days, headed off to the Tower of London. Merrilyn and I had decided on a path that would see us heading to Westminster Abbey, on through St James Park to Buckingham Palace, on to Kensignton Gardens and then perhaps finishing off at Covent Garden.

Crossing over Westminster Bridge with throngs of people we stopped for the obligatory photo at St Stephen's Tower (Big Ben). I guess it was about 1pm and James was completely exhausted. I picked him out of the stroller and he was asleep in my arms in minutes.

Being Sunday the Abbey is closed to tourists. We were able to wander about the grounds and I know that Merrilyn felt a few tingles. She's looking forward to revisiting London with Lynne. So I'm sure a visit to the Abbey is on the cards.

We then made our way to St James Park. Again - its a lovely time to enjoy these spaces. They trees are vibrant with new leaves and the flower beds are full of annuals. It was very pleasant just to wander down the paths along the lake. Ducks and geese followed many children hoping for tasty morsels. We even managed to see a few squirrels.

On we went to Buckingham Palace. James was able to peer through the gates to see a Guardsman marching and stomping in his routine. "Does he have a drum?", James asked (with reference to the Guardsmen he's seen marching en-route to Windsor Castle. "No. But he has a red coat and big black hat like the ones back home."

We then headed for Kensington. James hopped out of the stroller and just wanted to climb the fences. When we couldn't do that he decided he had to touch each black bar. I think we ran out of patience by about the 20th and I lifted him onto my shoulders and off we set.

Of course the walk go the better of us so at Victoria Station we jumped on the tube for a train ride to High St Kensington station. There are many top shelf shops around here but today wasn't the day to sample them (phew!). Its only about a 10 minute walk to Kensignton Palace and Gardens. Last time we visited was about 9 years ago and in October. Today was a completely different atmosphere. It was warm(-ish!) and people were out enjoying themselves in the Gardens. We didn't stop long at the Palace (another trip I know Merrilyn will enjoy with Lynne) but instead wandered down the paths eastward towards Hyde Park. James just had to stop to play and was fascinated by a man flying a huge kite.

We managed to locate the Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park. So we wandered amonst the granite channels and James played with the flowing water. It was a nice break. From there we headed to Knightsbridge tube station and decided to head straight for Waterloo where we arrived at 4:15pm just in time to catch the train back to Windsor. As luck would have it my colleague and his family were also on this train. On the way back we talked about our adventures but I could see James was again exhaused. I have to say my legs are tired too. In the tube we had to carry James and the stroller up and down many flights of stairs. Something to remember if Merrilyn had any ideas of travelling into London by herself.

James and Merrilyn are in the bath at the moment. Its and early night for all and then another adventure tomorrow...

Here are the photos from our day in London.

A break in the weather

Today I visited the Staines office. Its a pleasant 20 minute drive along the Thames. Although coming home in the peak crush was a little different. Still only about 30 minutes. The trick is definitately to leave outside the peak.

We've had rain on and off for the past few days. This afternoon however the sun was out and it was pleasantly warm. Arriving to an empty home I called Merrilyn. She was with James at the Long Walk kicking a ball. I quickly changed and joined them.

When James saw me approaching he came running. Its good to be home.

Taking advantage of the good weather we decided to have a meal at the King & Castle in the ground floor beer garden. It was very relaxing to sit under the tree canopy and enjoy a pint of ale and a meal.

Afterwards we meet one of our colleages back at the Long Walk. He came with his three kids; 2 boys and a girl James' age. We had James' soccer ball so they spent the next hour chasing each other and generally running ragged.

Then it was back home via the Castle and Peascod Street. Life is good!

Wednesday

Well, with Martin back at work James and I are getting ourselves back into a kind of domestic routine.

We started this morning with a stop at the toy shop, halfway up Peascod Street to the castle. He loves the 'bouncing animals' in the window. They are suspended on springs and seem to bounce all day long. It's a great way to coax him to walk 'just a little bit further!'

My plan was to choose a cafe within the old Windsor Royal Station concourse and treat ourselves to a coffee and babcino. It is a lovely, huge, restored station from the old days when one travelled in style. To my pleasant surprise the babycino was only 10p/25c. I was expecting to pay through the nose for frothy milk! But it was delicious and James behaved nicely and very much enjoyed his first babycino outside Australia!

We timed our stop so as to be up at the castle for the departure of the Old Guard at 11.20am. They delighted us with marching music. We 'chased' the Guard all the way down to the barracks - opposite our 'new' driveway. James was keen to watch the boom-gates go up and down so we loitered there for a while.

Home via the park (as usual!) for a rest then out at 3pm to visit the first of our short-list of day nurseries. This one was only 3 mins walk away and I was impressed. However they don't offer a 3 year old kinder program so the search continues. We continued walking up and around and down then I decided it was time to go home. We are doing a lot of walking and I really enjoy detouring down new streets and around corners. I have a few short cuts up my sleeve!

Martin came home from a busy day and James was happy to see him and his bed. As I will be in about 5 minutes...!

Clocking on

Today was the first day on the job. We've been fortunate in that I've had two good weeks to settle the family and find a home before needing to work.

So it was off to London this morning for a customer meeting. In preparation last night I studied the southwest trains and London underground network maps and timetables. The most direct route suggested was Windsor-Eaton Riverside (station on the Thames and next to the Castle) changing at Richmond for the "Underground" at then on to Holborn. This journey takes a little over 1:15 mins and leaves Windsor at 7:20am.

The colleague staying with me in Windsor picked me up at 7am. We had arranged this earlier as the forecast for the next four days was rain. As it turned out this morning was clear blue sky. A little ironical but then again England has very changeable weather.

Its only about a five minute drive to the station. On foot its about 10 minutes so I'll be legging it most times.

Arriving we purchased an all day Travelcard. This allows travel from Windsor to London and then all day travel on the London metro network of Underground and buses. But at 18.50 GBP its not cheap. (Just don't convet to Aussie dollars are you're OK).

An advantage of Windsor is that its a terminus. So the carriages were mostly empty. The seats are well designed for longer journeys and have small fold down tables that can be used to perch your laptop on. Handy. Leaving on time we headed for Datchet. Not long out of Windsor we're passing through fields. I noticed a lot of rabbits munching on grass under trees.

Although we planned to get off at Richmond we decided to go all the way in to Waterloo. The idea being that there are lots more route options from there in the event that there are tube problems. So we arrived at Waterloo on time at about 8:20am. This is an international terminal. Three Eurostar trains were lined up at platforms.

changing to the tube was very easy. Although the underground it a web each line is colour coded and you quickly get used to the subterranean navigation. And at peak there are plenty of services - and plenty of people! The only hitch was a breakdown at Holborn causing about a 10 minute delay on the line. We were running a little ahead of time so we didn't let it bother us. Arrived on the customer site at exactly 9am. Not bad!

The meeting was successful so we headed for some lunch and then in to one of many company buildings in and around London. As it turns out this was is the new HQ and I can say it was very swish.

We wrapped up in town about 4:30pm and headed for the tube to beat the rush. Arriving back in Waterloo we just missed the Windsor train. Its about a 30min wait for the next one. I think next time we'd head to Richmond as this it further out and lets us catch up with the earlier train. And it seems that the Windsor trains at this time of day are not crowded.

We approached Windsor through the fields with a lovely view of the Castle lit up in the afternoon sun. Alighting the train at 6pm we walked back home circuiting the Castle. Its very relaxing to be in a place like Windsor after the bustle of London. But then that's why we were attracted here.

My day doesn't stop here. Its some more work tonight and then off to Bracknell tomorrow morning.

Saturday morning in Windsor Great Park

Looking at the weather this morning it seems we are in for an afternoon shower. The morning sky was a little overcast but still relatively warm. So, following a cooked breakfast of eggs, bacon,and toast we all decided to go for a walk through the Windsor Great Park.

We jumped in the car around 9:30am and packed an umbrella and, of course, James' stroller. Looking at the map we decided to head for the Copper Horse. It is a statue of George III on horseback and was erected by his son George IV around 1830. This statue is clearly visible from Windsor Castle three miles away at the end of the long walk.

It's only a short drive to Rangers Gate on the A332. We were parked in about 5 minutes. Crossing the road we made our way into the park. The first thing you notice is the large expanse and the many oak trees. There are sealed gravel roads that make their way to The Village. This morning the few cars that passed us were towing horse floats. The park is very popular with those riding horses and ponies.

The roads are boarded by mown grass verges. Beyond, there are fields of grasses; most with spring flowers blooming. Of interest were traditional hedgerow fences. If you look at this photo you can see how the branches are woven to form the fence.

Shortly after passing the Royal Farm and village we crossed Queen Anne's ride. From this vantage we caught our first glimpse of Windsor Castle. Its was a spectacular view; framed by this wide grassy avenue. Queen Anne's ride dates back to 1708 and, like the Long Walk, is three miles long. I think it stretches almost to Ascot.

Beyond this avenue are a set of automatic gates. These, and its associated fence, enclose a large portion of the Great Park in which deer are kept. Not long after pasing these gates Merrilyn caught sight of a herd of deer standing under an oak tree on a rise above the road. They were all looking intently in our direction. I'm sure they are used to people and didn't seem too nervous. Apparently May is calving season so I guess I was expecting them to take off in a moment's notice.

Two ladies taking a walk stopped for a chat. They explained that during November, when the deer are rutting, the stags make loud calls for doe. Hmmm. November will be COLD. Maybe we can venture out to experience this for ourselves. They were on their way to the Savill Garden - again in the Park. Apparently the rodadendron are something to behold at the moment. There is only a short window when the're at their best so I think we'll make the trip soon.

We all walked together for another few hundred metres until we came across the Copper Horse on Snow Hill. We left James' stroller at the path and made our way up the hill - more like a mound. Standing at the statue you can imagine the view looking down the Long Walk all the way to Windsor Castle. There were bands of light moving across the landscape as the clouds started thickening. I was suprised to see another heard of deer moving across the Walk a few hundred metres from us.

As we were admiring the statue a group of horses cantered past heading for a wood. The park is popular with horses, walkers, the odd jogger, and bikes. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful place right on our doorstep. And I have to say, there is a little tingle when you look back at the Castle and think 'My home is just down there'!

We snapped a few more photos and then decided to wander back through the wood. James took off to chase some birds. His arms waving and bellowing! Just as we entered the wood we saw a squirrel cross the path and jump up an oak. And not a minute later we saw a pair of pheasants walking through the low bushes. Wow.

Just then it started raining. We were expecting it and out came the umbrella. It rained heavily for a few minutes- we decided to keep going. No sooner had it started then it stopped and the sun came out. Seems Melbourne is not the only place with changeable weather.

We were back at the car within about 20 minutes. I'm sure this will be the first of many trips to this area. An we're sure our visitors will equally enjoy the experience. I think we made the right choice with Windsor.

Here are all the photos from this morning.

Success!

Well the wait is over and today Stephen advised us that the landlords of our most favourite apartment here in Windsor, the one overlooking theLong Walk, were willing to accept our application for their beautiful property. We are over the moon! Martin and I knew the moment we entered the top floor 3 bedroom home that we would be comfortable and happy here. I can barely wait the extra month until the refurbishment is complete and we can put down some roots. It is light-filled, modern with tall windows and even has a little balcony. Too small for a BBQ but I am already making a mental list of herbs for pots! In my mind I am also organising the well-equipped kitchen and arranging our personal items on the wide window-sills. Maybe a little homewares shopping at M&S to complete the look...?!

Just to be sure we have made the right decision we spent the day again with Stephen looking at potential homes in Kingston-upon-Thames. The attraction here was much better value for money as well as considerably closer to London. Kingston is a bustling centre with every store and amenity one could wish for. We inspected a lovely 3 bedroom, top floor apartment overlooking the Thames in a complex that included Borders and Antonio Carluccio's Caffe. Another good one was ground floor in Hampton Wick, adjacent to the grounds of Hampton Court Palace.

But the Windsor property prevailed for all the right reasons and phone calls were made. Because it is gated we unfortunately can't sneak in for a look. It will be a long month of waiting!

Frogmore House

Today (Thursday) we find ourselves at home in Windsor with no home-search duties - a day off! Back into it tomorrow, though.

This morning we walked up to the post office, bank and Cornish Pasty shop then decided to meander home through Park Street and down the Long Walk. We just never get tired of the lovely surroundings and view! There were cars on the walk (the Queen's driveway!) making their way down to Frogmore House, the beautiful 'country' home of Queens Mary, Charlotte and Alexandra, the Duchess of Kent, many other Royals over 400 years and most famously the Mausoleum of Queen Victoria and her beloved Prince Albert.

Built in c.1680, Frogmore is special because Queen Victoria loved it so much that she broke from tradition and planned to be buried there, instead of Westminster Abbey or St George's Chapel. Plans were privately underway well before her and Albert's deaths. The gardens are large and sometimes boggy (hence the name Frogmore), with interesting exotic foreign species and the Frogmore Lake wanders prettily through the property. It is only open a few days a a year and not really set up for the public. In fact the numbers through the house are limited. I think this made it more personal, like being granted special permission from the Queen herself.

I left Martin and James on the Long Walk and they returned home via the Coldstream Barracks and were excited to see the uniformed guards in their red coats and busbies as they exited Sheet Street and marched up to the High Street and Castle for the change-over at 11am. All this literally on our doorstep! James especially likes the boom-boom of the big drums! He waved to them - I wonder if he got a wink back?

So I bought my 3.50 ticket and walked into the grounds and firstly to the Royal Mausoleum. Not having been in a Mausoleum before I felt a little tentative. There weren't many people inside and the air was hushed and reverent. It is a truly beautiful building inside, the dome light-filled and covered in paintings, stained glass and there are angels everywhere you look. The huge central Aberdeen granite sarcophagi are enormous and eerily life-like. Prince Albert died in 1861 and Queen Victoria 40 years later in 1901. There were memorial tributes and other tombs within the small octagonal buidling, including the Queen's friend John Brown, and 35 year old Princess Alice holding her 4 year old child in death. She succumbed a few days after the child of the same illness and the marble monument was dedicated by her mother, Queen Victoria. It made me want to cry as mother and child looked comfortably but eternally asleep in each other's arms.

Back out into the bright sunshine and along the winding gravel paths to Frogmore House. The line of viewers snaked slowly through the lower floor of the house which was imposing and grand but not as over-the-top as I imagine some palaces would be. It really is a stately country home and the vistas over the lake and lush estate through the tall windows are lovely. Especially when the sun is shining and spilling warmth and light into the richly decorated rooms. Some of it was chintzy, some of it gaudy but these rooms are relatively untouched sine the mid-1800's. It was hard to place myself in the same room as royalty.

I walked back toward the entrance past the Gothic ruins, covered in masses of wisteria. The wisteria was so beautiful I almost forgot to look at the building beneath it!

It occured to me as I crossed the Walk, strolled up Brook Lane, right into Sheet Street and left towards home that I am extremely fortunate to be here. I am soaking up the history for all it's worth!

James is asleep and Martin has gone to Frogmore this afternoon. The weather is holding and I'm making soup. Bliss!

Here are some photos from Martin's visit this afternoon. They're a little out of order. Sorry - but is a Flickr thing. You can always view the album and look at the most recent. They're in order.

Windsor changing of the guards

This morning we were running some errands in High Street. On the way back we decided to take the Long Walk. Frogmore House is open only a few days a year - and today is the last in the small window in May. So Merrilyn is off for a visit.

Meanwhile James and I headed home. On the way we pass Victoria Barracks - home of the Coldstream Guards 1st Battalion. This is the oldest regiment of the Army in continuous service apparently originating in 1650 with Oliver Cromwell.

It was 10:40am when we passed. The guard change starts around 10:50am with the replacement guards marching from the barracks to the Castle. The relieved guards return to the barracks around 11:30am.

We set ourselves up directly opposite the entrance to the barracks. Right on time we hear the drums and then the guards in their red coats and black bearskin hats. Other guards played small flutes (not sure what they were). Behind the band were guardsmen shouldering rifles- most with bayonettes fixed. They were flanked with signalmen carrying radios.

Its a grand sight indeed. Once they passed, James and I followed them down High Street until they turned into the Castle entrance. The actual changing of the guards ceremony is performed in the Castle grounds. You can watch this but of course need to be inside the Castle. I'm sure we'll see this many times.

We returned home via Peascod Street. At 11:00am we hear bell chimes. James is always listening out for these and annouced - "Listen Dad - church bells!"

First day of house inspections

This morning our relocation guide Stephen met us at just after 9am. He explained over coffee that we'd focus our attention in Windsor and that there were about a dozen properties to look through. We were happy to hear that there was reasonable stock available. It turns out that there is nothing in Henley - but this is no suprise given our research.

So off we went to look at predominantly 3 bedroom apartments with the odd terrace thrown in.

By lunch time we had inspected 8 properties. I'd have to say that I was a little disappointed. By this time we had seen only one apartment that was a possibility. It happenend to be the first place we say. It was a gated apartment block about 15 minutes walk from the High Street. From the secure underground carpark you take a lift to the second floor. Whilst the apartment was 3 bedrooms they were a little on the small side and had some angles that cut back on the usability of the rooms. The family room was of good size and the communal gardens very attractive. But it just didn't quite grab us.

In contrast we saw a lovely modern 3 bedroom apartment with all the features and good sized rooms. However, it was located next to a major round-about and was not really within walking distance to the town centre. Strike that one out.

We also saw one or two older terraces. These feature three levels. The stairs tend to be small and steep; a worry for James. Also - what's with the carpeted bathrooms? Seems is was the vogue a generation ago. Can you imagine it? Not very hygenic. Stephen tells us that some landlords are flexible and will consider removing the carpet and replacing wih a hard floor. Another feature of these older homes is that there are several small rooms. I mean - really small. So the floor plan can be a little strange.

Other places we looked at were close to the city centre (one had the Castle Guards march past during the changing ceremony!) but with a rather sombre outlook.

Stephen dropped us off for lunch and Merrilyn and I had a chat to review. Seems we may have to consider upping the budget to see if we can find something with more character and a better floor plan. Ironically, Stephen advises that once you get to a certain size landlords will tend not to furnish. It is expected that the tenant will bring their own furniture for larger homes. So we'd have to be careful not to be hit with the double wammy of higher rent and furniture leasing.

Straight after lunch we visit what we knew to be our most favoured place. Again its a 3 bedroom apartment in a gated development but its location is ideal. Very close to the town centre and also very close to the Long Walk. We'd seen this place a number of times as we have set out for walks to the Castle. Turns out that the landlord has had a bitter experience with the previous tennant so wanted to meet with us personally.

We arrived at the apartment and was immediately impressed. It has such a lovely outlook. And the floor plan is well proportioned. Its currently undergoing a refurbishment - although its only just over ten years old. New carpet, fresh paint, and new furniture. Even the interior curtains and fabrics were to be new. Merrilyn and I knew this was the place for us. So we were understandably a little apprehensive when we were introduced to the landlords. They turned out to be an Australian couple. We had a relaxed chat for over half an hour. James got a little fed up half way through (he'd only had about half an hour sleep and had been draged through properties all day long). We caught the landlords glancing at James once or twice and Stephen was very quick to offer to take him downstairs for a while.

Given that they have had this bad experience, and that the apartment will be completely refurbished we hope that they will accept a young family over a shared tenancy. We think we made a good impression - bu the wait will be tough.

When we got back to the car we found that James had made a new friend in Stephen. They were both sitting in the back seat with James opening and closing the windows. Ahh - he's so facinated by such things.

We then went on to inspect a 19th century terrace in Eton High Street. Not a bad location althouth the parking is tough. Again the floor plan is not great (three levels) but the ground floor kitchen was very nice. Large slabs of polished timber line the floors. Exposed beams and low entry doors are also present. Its really quite attractive. But this place is not for us.

The final place we looked at was a modern four bedroom apartment again not far from the city centre. Although it is larger than we need (3 levels) it is fully furnished and would easily accomodate lots of visitors. It also features a lockup garage and a car space. Of course it is very expensive - over our allocation in fact - but we're keeping it on the table at this time.

So at the end of the day we have found at least one very nice place. We've left the strategy in Stephen's hands. The key will be to sound out the landlord's impression of us - and if we have a chance - to make an offer. Hopefully we'll know by the end of the week whether we have a chance or not.

Air freight arrives

Our seven cartons sent by air freight arrived at our apartment Tuesday afternoon. Although we wanted to spend a little time checking the contents for any potential damage, James was keen to get his hands on some of his toys. We had only carried a few essentials with us on the flight over. His favourites were packed for air freight. So he was delighted to see his "Screwy Looey" toy. I had to charge the batteries but that didn't stop him grabbing the screws and sitting on the floor in his bedroom to play. We're happy he has some more familiar items around him.

Home search begins

This morning we met with Steven; our home search guide. Steven has some 20 years experience; 12 as an agent and a further 7 as a relocation guide. So he understands the market well and able to provide us valuable input on the areas we are searching for a home.

During coffee we discussed our requirements. Essentially an apartment that is close to the town centre and in an area that offers us some unique English character. Of course there is no suprise that such areas command premium rent.

Having spent several days on our own researching towns we decided to review areas to the East and South East of Windsor. The expectation is that such areas afford better access to London but the tradeoff is a higher rent.

We started out looking at Egham. It is located accoss the Thames just to the west of Staines. Its a rather small town with a basic High Street. On balance it didn't offer much for us.

So we drove through Staines (my work has a large office there) and on to Kingston-Upon-Thames. It has a major retail centre that feeds most of Surrey. So there's plenty on offer in terms of shops, cafes, restaurants and bars. Its also been modernised and the High Street features pedestrian centric malls and walks. We wandered along the Thames and looked at a number of apartment complexes. It seems that 3 bedroom apartments are scarce. Most are either 1 or 2 bedroom.

Another attraction with Kingston is that Hampton Court Palace and the associated Hampton Court and Bushy Parks are across the Thames. Whilst we didn't stop to visit they occupy large tracts of land and are sure to be fun to explore.

We then moved on to Woking. Again nothing really special. Its pretty much suburbia so I don't think this is a priority.

Our final desination was west to Camberley. Again, a smaller town but it turns out that a fully furshied 4 bedroom house is coming on the market. Not knowing the house number we toured the tree lined street that is on the high side of a hill above the town centre and its train station. Its quite an attractive area and we will likely tour this property to give us a point of comparison between the apartments and a house in a smaller town.

Arriving home Merrilyn and James visited the Windsor library. Ostensibly to collect some childcare information. As is happened Merrilyn came home with an armful of books (of course some of them Diana and some for James). James was carrying his own book bag that he proudly called out to me from the ground floor as he arrived. In his bag were a number of brand new books for him to keep. Just a reminder of the quality of the services that are available here in Windsor.

So it seems we are still keen on Windsor as a priority, possibly followed by Henley and Kinsgton. On Wednesday we start inspections.

Martin's 36th Birthday

Today we celebrated my birthday in a rather unique way. Not only was it in England (of course a first), but we also decided on a lunch. And it was wall-to-wall kids!

My new UK extended family (both colleagues and their familes) all piled into the pub/bar Fifty-One. It was rather like an onslaught. The waiter kindly found us a group of tables at the rear which also afforded some space for the kids to run about. And they did! The food was good and some tucked into a Sunday roast.

Gary spent much thought on a "Go England" football supporter pack for the car. It included England flags, ariel ball, dice, bumper stickers, and - would you believe - an England air freshner. Whilst I don't think this will find its way onto the Volvo there are keen English car owners we've passed on the motorway with these damn flags fairly ripping off the side of the cars. That's what the World Cup will do to you in Europe!

This afternoon I sneaked into a local toy shop and bought James a small England soccer ball to play with in the local parks.

Whilst I'm making this entry, I'll also mention that on Saturday we returned to Henley-On-Thames for coffee with a colleauge that lives in the Greys Court Keep. We were keen to get a local's picture of living in Henley. Meanwhile James was intrigued with the two cats - Money Penny and Bond, James Bond. Afterwards we went for a walk through a footpath winding its way past the property and into a wood. It was the perfect place for a picnic. I've posted some photos in the Greys Court collection.

All together

Today we caught up with the families of my other two colleagues who have joined us in the UK. They arrived yesterday - although on seperate flights.

Both families were adjusting to the 9 hour time difference and were up early this morning. One even went for a walk through Windsor at 5am!

We met for lunch at what is becoming a favourite place - the King & Castle. We congregated around a few tables in the ground floor beer garden. It was a lovely sunny day of about 24 degrees. James was a hit with the other kids. Although they are older it was nice to see him running amok and enjoying himself.

We retired about 3:30pm after James had well and truely had enough. We didn't bring the stroller so he feel asleep as I carried him back to the apartment. He slept soundly for an hour and a half.

Merrilyn cooked a wonderful home meal tonight. When we had finished at 8pm it was still warm, although overcast, outside so we made our way to the Long Walk and circuited by Windsor Castle and back home again. I think we are starting to enjoy Winsor.

Cotswolds

It is now 10.45pm - about an hour past my new bedtime of 9 o'clock. We've had a fantastic day and I'm feeling refreshed after a bath and cup of tea. Oh, and Toblerone!

Today the weather forecast was 24 degrees so we decided to head off on a drive to the countryside instead of trawling some of the housing estates nearby. For the first time James was up and happy to eat breakfast (vegemite toast) with no fuss. Looks like we've turned the corner!

I am becoming more confident being Chief Navigator in our family. At least if we get tooted at it's because we're Volvo drivers, not Aussie tourists! Martin is driving really well under sometimes stressful circumstances (M4, M3,most roundabouts etc!) but we are still happily married!

From home we headed north through Slough and up to the M40. Vehicles in the right lane travel at 70 miles per hour, approx. 120kms. Well, that's the limit but they do go faster. They speed past like rockets, even the huge lorries! The countryside up to and around Oxford was just lovely, even so close to the motorway. The fields alternated dark green and the brightest yellow crop you've ever seen. We think it's canola but it flies by in a blur so it's hard to tell.

Turning off the A40 at Burton we drove to Stow-on-the-Wold but made a hurried exit as a Horse Fair was imminent, police presence high and traffic on the one tiny road bumper-to-bumper. We turned south and drove to the heart of the Cotswolds - the Slaughters. Martin had warned me that the two towns are tiny - blink and you miss it - and that's so true. Being a Thursday there were few people about and we wandered freely and took heaps of photos. James just loved the ducks on the stream that runs through.

We stopped for lunch at the Washbourne Court Hotel and thought how lovely it would be to be guests here. From here we made a stop at the Old Mill shop and bought ice creams - Berry for James, Butter Crunch for Martin and Brown Bread for me. I know! But it was like brown bread with brown sugar and it was delicious and James had too many licks! Sufficiently cooled (24 degrees is a heatwave here!) we walked up through the right-of-way fields to Upper Slaughter. The lovely woolley sheep were not bothered by our presence and James thought they were funny. The lambs were bleating to their mummies - so cute!

The drive home was bit of an obstacle course - 2 lots of roadworks and a lorry in a ditch. It took 2 hours but James got a good sleep in, waking up as we parked the car at home. It was great to answer the phone and it was Mum at 2.30am Melbourne time! A quick stay at home then out again to the King & Castle for dinner (the Queen was home as the flag is up) and Martin commented that Windsor has such a vibrant atmosphere. We had dinner in the terrace beer garden and there were many other people out enjoying the evening light and warmth. I especially like listening to all the different accents.
Two couples stopped Martin to ask directions so he must look like a local. Imagine their surprise when he speaks! So another busy day. James is always happy to snuggle down into bed after a couple of books and lots of cuddles. And so am I!

We've uploaded some more photos from the Slaughters. See them here.

Greys Court

Rose Garden at Greys Court
Originally uploaded by Martin Pittard.

Monday 8th May,2006.
This morning our rental car was swapped out. Would you believe that in place of the Ford Fiesta we received a brand new Volvo V70. Very nice! Its an estate wagon with sunroof, power seats, and - to Merrilyn delight - heated seats. Its a diesel but to my suprise it is extremely refined with plenty of power. Should be good for some touring. We'll have this car until my new company car arrives.

We've all been itching to get out of Windsor so this morning we decided to check out some high-end prospective areas. We get the sense that we probably can't afford these areas but want to see what some of these towns along the Thames are all about.

So we started off at Datchet. Just out of Windsor. Its only small and doesn't have much in the way of local convenience stores such as grocers or milk bars. So we ruled it out straight away.

Next stop was Maidenhead. Whilst on the Thames we felt it had a little more of an industrial feel. We walked through some estates and back streets to get a sense of the types of properties that are on offer. At this time we're thinking about an apartment that has access to communal gardens and perhaps with local parks close by.

Leaving Maidenhead we drove north along the A404 to Marlow. As soon as you enter this town you get a sense it's affluent. As we approached the river we saw Bentleys, Mercs, BMW, etc. Pretty much a prestige car show. We parked on High Street (I'm finding most towns have a street with this name) and walked to get a sense of the shops. There is a small local Waitrose and M&S although these are more convenience stores with prices to match. You'd have to do your shop out of town. I dropped by a few Real Estate agents and my thoughts were confirmed. There's not too much on offer and what is, is priced circa 2500BGP per month. Ouch!

We grabbed some sandwiches and ate lunch by the Thames. The geese were obviously well catered for and were very bold approaching us. Merrilyn and I alternated defence.

From Marlow we drove west to Henley-On-Thames. I'd been there on a previous business trip. Although I had initially ruled out Henley because its difficult to get to Bracknell by train, Merrilyn and I have been considering that its likely that I'll either be driving to work or driving to a train station. Its just too restrictive to think you can only live within a 10min walk of a station.

As we drove we passed through a spectacular series of woods. One even had blue bells blanketed thick at the base of the birch trees. I think we're lucky to be here at this time. All the leaves are new, the apple blossom is either in full bloom or starting to fall, and the tulips and annuals are at their best. Its a very pretty sight. I've snapped lots of photos so check out our album to see them.

We parked by the Thames and went on foot through the main streets of Hart St, Duke St, and Market St. There's lots on offer here in terms of restaurants, shopping (there's a large Waitrose), and pubs. The reggata must be close as we saw a large row of marquees set up as rowing sheds. Hope we get a chance to come and see the race.

After scouting a while we stopped for a coffe. I got a call from one of my colleagues back in Melbourne. He sounded exhausted. He and his family will be flying tomorrow to the UK. We know exactly what he's going through. It was 12am in Melbourne and sounded like there were still more things to do. We're glad that is all past us!

On the way back to the car we decided to make a visit to Greys Court. Its a castle that I think harks back to the 13 century. Will need to do some reading on this. In any case, I had been there before and knew Merrilyn would be interested. Its a little difficult to find and we did get lost. It doesn't help when there are no street names on your map. But I can say we were glad to find it. A stand-out feature of this castle are the gardens. And of course, now is the time to view them. There were blossom and annuals in full glory, together with well maintined hedge rows, and climbing wisteria.

I showed the family a contemplation path. Its basically a brick path than meanders about a central sun dial with inscriptions on each of its four side. Following the path you will encounter each inscription in turn. James decided he was going to be a train an took off following the bricks making chugging sounds. How cute!

The castle is located in a lovely dale with fields all about. On the way back to the car we had to say hello to the highland sheep repleat with spring lambs in tow.

At about 5pm we decided to make a bee-line back to Windsor. The trip home took us through Wargrave and Twyford before we picked up the M4 to Windsor.

We had dinner at a local restaurant and then ventured to Waitrose for our first real shop. It was a bit of an eye opener. Not so much for the price (we had done some good research before we left Oz and the prices were expected) but rather the range. Waitrose seem to have a lot of self-branded products and we felt then range wasn't as goo as Melbourne. Anyway, with that chore behind us, we feel one step closer being settled.

Exploring Windsor

Picture 139
Originally uploaded by Martin Pittard.

Sunday 6th May,2006.
Windsor is a particularly beautiful town with historic building and of couse the Thames. As it is spring time the flowers are out and the trees are budding. The morning was a little cloudy but there were patches of sun. We decided to go for a walk to explore the river side.

Again we made our way up to High Street taking time to look at the variety of shops and pubs. James took a fancy to a side street so we followed that through to the Alexandra Gardens. This comprises a path that has annuals planted in beds on either side. I think the most stunning were the blazing red tulips (?). From there we walked down to Barry Avenue and the Thames. It was a lovely time in the late morning with the tourist boats moored against the stone walls of the river. Looking back towards the town centre you can see the Eton College Boathouses and the Windsor Bridge. In the other direction the river was fringed with willows. Swans and ducks, obviously accustomed to tourists, were keen to make our acquaitence. James decided he wanted to push the stoller so off we went following the river.

We eventually found ourselves back in the town centre. We had lunch at the King & Castle Hotel - directly opposite the Castle. As the sun was out we decided to eat outside in the beer garden. It was a lovely relaxing time. Merrilyn and I reflected that it was a nice payback for the stress of packing and leaving.

After lunch we returned home for James' afternoon sleep. He was still very tired and a little cranky.

Given that we still had a rental car we couldn't drive we decided to make the most of our time in Windor. So in the afternoon decided to visit the Windsor Great Park and its Long Walk. So we headed off to the now familiar High Street and from there turned left down Park Street. Its only a few hundred metres until we reached the park where we were confronted with a grand vista of the Long Walk. It stretched far into the distance with trees (don't know what they were) lining each side. Windsor Castle stood at the other end. James ran up to the gates and asked "Is the Queen home?" Merrilyn had been explaining to James that when the flag was flying the Queen was in residence. So she pointed out the flag and replied that yes - she was at home and we were standing in her driveway!

One thing you can't get away from in Windsor are the aircraft. Being located so close to Heathrow when the conditions are right the flightpath takes them directly overhead. Today they were landing right over the Great Park. And frequently. We timed them at 1.5 minute intervals and what seemed to be only about 1000 feet altitude.

We walked down the "driveway" for a while and, as it was getting late, turned off to a side street we knew would get us home. It seems that many of the lovely homes that face the park are Crown properties. They are beautifully maintained and the spring gardens are spectacular. We stopped to chat with a local lady walking two terriers. We had a good chat about her apartment in the nearby Adelaide Square. It was in the final stages of renovation and she was looking to rent it out. She was interested to understand what letting company we had used to find our accomodation. She invited us for tea next time we were in the area. How nice! I only hope that we have similar experience when it comes to settle in our permanent home.

Arrival

Saturday 5th May 5:30am.
Getting out of Heathrow was suprisingly simple. Unlike the many times I had arrived on business customs was practically empty. We were prepared with our visa documentation so there was no problem at immigration. Our visas were stamped and the official explained that we could re-enter the UK any number of times for the duration of our stay. This is necessary as we intend to travel whenever we get the chance.

Following immigation we collected our baggage from the carousel. It took a while for all items to come through. James caught sight of his car seat and stroller. He was keen to approach the carousel to pick them up but of course we had to explain that he had to stand back. We had two luggage trollies and piled everying onto them. Meanwhile Merrilyn gave our agent a call to meet us at our Windsor apartment.

We exited through customs and located our driver - Andy. Thoughtfully this transfer had been pre-arranged so that we didn't have to worry about finding a taxi that could carry all our kit. He was parked just outside the terminal so we loaded the station wagon up (they call them estate wagons over here) and headed off to Windsor.

We're staying at a lovely 2 bedroom apartment that is only a few hundred metres from Windsor Castle. Andy gave us a tour of the city to help get our bearings. From there we met the agent who showed us through the apartment.

By this time poor little James was clearly exhausted. So we spent a little time unpacking the cases and putting things away. To our suprise James room has a double bed (we had been told it would contain two singles). So the little bloke has gone from a cot to a double bed! Out front a man pulled up with a blue Ford Fiesta wagon into our car park. He jumped out and pulled from the back a small motor cycle in a few parts. Turns out this was our rental car. The bike was the means for the delivery man to make his was back to the office. Of course, the car was a manaul. As I don't drive a manual (probably unusual for the UK) we had to contact the rental company and request a change over. Just was well - as it turned out the car could be driven until Monday anyway for insurance reasons.

James was very clingy so Merrilyn decided to jump in bed with him. Unfortunately he didn't sleep so after an hour we all decided to go for a walk and explore our new home.

The weather was fine so we decided to head off towards the Castle. As we headed up the main promenade (Peascod St) the castle turret came into view. It reminded me somewhat of the Duomo in Florence in the sense that this icon is visible peeking through a number of side streets. This was the first time Merrilyn had seen the castle. It is impressive!

On returning James had really had it. He was crying at little things and really over it all. Of course, this was understandable and Merrilyn and I were very focused on helping him cope.

We went to a local Italian restaurant for dinner. James had a small pineapple pizza. I had a Calzone. Following that we went home and crashed. Merrilyn set pillows up beside James to help contrain him in the bed. Whilst we kept an ear out for him during the night he slept 12 hours straight. I don't think he moved!

Sunrise over Eastern Europe

Sunrise over eastern Europe
Originally uploaded by Martin Pittard.

The flight to Singapore was approx 8 hours. After the meal service we tried to settle James down for some sleep. He was snuggled into Merrilyn but had difficulty getting to sleep. He was down for only an hour when the cabin lights were turned up for the final meal service. This startled James and, coupled with his lack of sleep (now only 1 hour out of 17) this pushed him over the edge. Merrilyn and I took turns walking him up and down and comforting him. After about 30 mins he was settled and we buckled him in for landing at about midnight AEST time.

This was a short stop - made even more so by the delay in Melbourne. So with only about 45 minutes we made a quick visit to the Qantas lounge for a change, a drink and a nibble. Unfortunately no time for the shower I was so looking forward to.

We re-boarded and took off about an 1:15 mins later. Once in the air we again focused on getting James off to sleep. We had decided back in Melbourne that we would try to keep James on his local time and worry about the adjustment once we arrived in the UK. Poor little one was very tired by this time. So following another meal (!) James finally fell sound asleep stretched across two seats; his feet on my lap and his head up against Merrilyn. We all managed about four hours sleep.

We awoke somewhere over Eastern Europe with the start of sunrise. James could look out the window (we were at 38000 feet) and see the faint glow. Above he pointed out the moon and a few stars.

Whilst we waited for the breakfast service James played with the headset pretending it was a coffee machine. He pressed the buttons on the armrest controller as he made boiling noises. I think he made Merrilyn and I a dozen cups of coffee!

Following breakfast and a change from his pyjamas, James looked out the window to see England. Merrilyn pointed out the patchwork fields and towns. Soon the Thames came into view. This was the "big river" Merrilyn told James about before we left.

At 5:30am we landed at Heathrow. It was a strange feeling. On the one hand you feel like (and realy are) a tourist. On the other you realise that this is to be your new home.

We're off

Friday 5th May. Today we fly off to the UK - finally. We've all had an extremely busy final few days preparing for departure. There have been so many details:

• Packing the suitcases (all three),
• Cleaning our house following the pack,
• Organising UK bank accounts,
• Repair and pickup of my broken brand new laptop (!!),
• Backing up all our family information on the PC we're leaving at home.

And on top of that there's been preparation for work. Its involved a few nights in telecon with the UK. So when you add the family visits to all that it's no wonder that there has been very little sleep lately.

With that in mind I had hoped to have a more relaxed Friday morning. Little wonder that this didn't eventuate. We were all kept very busy right up to the moment we left for the airport.

Arriving at about 12:30pm for a 3:30pm departure we unpacked the two cars stacking the suitcases, car seat, stroller, and numerous carry on items onto a single trolley. Whilst Mum and Dad parked the cars we headed off to have a number of items wrapped in plastic. This was Merrilyn's idea and proved to be worth while. It allowed the stoller and car seat to be enclosed to make sure that loose staps did not foul on the conveyors. James was facinated with the process of spinning the luggage as a man wrapped the plastic sheet.

Check-in was very smooth. Being Qantas Club we checked in at the Business Counter. All our luggage was weighed - 90kgs! Although expecting a hefty excess luggage bill - the excess was waived!

We were met at the airport by Steve and the family together with Lynne. Goodbyes were had at a coffee lounge. We chatted about the good times ahead and when we'd next catch up.

At about 1:30pm we went through customs. As we still had about an hour before boarding we visited the Qantas lounge for a small bite to eat. At 3:00pm we were permitted to board the aircraft ahead of the other passengers. We were greatful for this as it allowed us to settle James and all our kit into the seats at leisure. We were seated in the window side adjacent to the wing. Merrilyn sat at the window, then James, then myself.

Shortly after the plane boarded. It was a full flight. Although there were two seats in the row in front that did not have passengers. This was to prove useful.

At 3:30pm we pushed back. In preparation for the flight Merrilyn had been reading James a book that described the process of flying on a plane and moving house. So James was listening intently as the attendant ran through the safety drill.

During this the weather closed in it started to rain. As we taxied out to the runway the pilot announced on the intercom that due to heavy congestion we had to wait for our slot to take off. It turned out we waited almost an hour! Although we did get to see many planes land right in front of us.

Finally our turn came and we advanced onto the runway. James was restless by this time - he had been buckled into his seat the whole time! We explained that he would hear the sound of the engines followed by a push as we took off. Merrilyn and I both held his hand as we rushed down the runway.

Postlude

Have finally got broadband installed at our apartment. Its been 5 days since we arrived in the UK. I've been bloggin offline so will added these now with the date of entry.