British by birth, English by the grace of God.

Good morning you guys ('Come on you guyth migraythion')

This is possibly the most uncomfortable typing experience ever. I am trying to type with 4kg of fat ginger purring moggy on my lap & am reluctant to disturb him cos he is lovely. Imagine how you hold a new-born baby, this is close, but hairier. Think I may try smuggle him in my room 2nite altho strictly speaking no mogs in the house at night-time


Had a great day today but may have to end this msg shortly cos dinner is soon.

I asked Q to ring my Mum & let her know I was safe & well. I then receieved a tel call from my Mum who was very amused to hear from Q. He insisted upon reading Blog to her saying that he would post big chunks of it daily. When she said it would cost too much & he should only send it weekly he told her that it was like 'Heat' magazine & it was no good if she was behind. She had to be 'with it' on a daily basis.

My granny has just arived at my Mum's for the weekend (understand it's a Bank Hol over there ?) & the idea of the following scenario made me laugh out loud. Picture the scene ...

My Gran (she's 88 you know) is watching tv.
My Mum has turned the sound down so she an speak to Q.
Q is racing thru' Blog telling my Mum all the messages to people she has never met in her life.
Sometimes he says 'This bit won't mean anything to you' (then reads it to her anyway)
My gran is wondering why she cant hear the tv & looking for the remote to turn it up.
My Mum is laughing at Q who is speaking faster & faster.
My Mum's cat is searching thru my Gran's case (like a drugs dog but less methodical)
My Gran wonders who my Mum is speaking to ?

The whole thing is so surreal. I am in Zeeland & my friend, a camp copper, is on the phone to my Mum who he has never met, reading Blog to her. Just think how difficult it is to follow Q's train of thought at the best of times. Now imagine that on the fone when you have never met him. Well done Mum. Oh well, needless to say Mum is thoroughly charmed by Q & I suspect they will be new best friends by the time I return. They finished the conversation with talks of chip-shop consortiums.

After that phone call from Di which was lovely as we had a girly gossip & catch-up.
It seems she has made an MDF thermometer-shaped placard which she has positioned outside the house.
You know the kind of thing which shows funds raised for local church roofs ?
She is going to paint the weeks I am away on it. So far there is 1 down & 51 to go.
It also seems she is thinking of letting another of her friends stay in MY room, albeit for a couple of days. Hmmm. I hope she doesn't disturb the shrine to Briggsy ?

After that a call from Q which lasted about an hour.

Took all 3 fone calls without crying after any of them. Way to go Briggsy.

After tha, quick shower, checked my guide books & off in 'The beast' to Picton.

Picton is at the noertherly most point of South Island where you get the ferry to go to North Island.

My description won't do it justice but I will try.

I thought the drive from Seddon to Blenheim was beautiful. I was wrong.
That drive is only pretty. The drive from Blenheim to Picton IS beautiful.
Imagine that you are driving along gently winding roads. Alongside you the brown hills give way to gentle, rolling, greenery. The land is greeen, not just green but greeeeeeeen. Do I make myself clear ? Imagine a green bottle, on a snooker table, on a football pitch in Ireland. Got it ?
Greener than that. It is lush, verdant & loads of other words I would know if I had stuck at English A level instead of running away to join the circus (help me out here Mum)



Di, you think I was good at making your English sound 'posh' in NYC for your reports ?
My mum shames me with her grasp of the English language. One smart cookie.

Anyway, where was I ? Oh yes, green.

The hills gradually got steeper, but still equally soft & rolling to the point where you were climbing thru 90 degree corners, left, right, left, like a snake. On either side of the road, nestled into the hillside like ickle models are rickety farms. They always have sheep (the v.cute woolly ones which look like teddies), cattle, either Jersey, Aberdeen Angus (black or red) or Herefords (solid black or red with white faces).
Then there's the obligatory farm dog. Usually chained, always ugly, frequently barking. At the highest point in these hills the descent to Picton begins.
The countryside now has changed to something which looks sub-tropical.



The plants are packed together so tightly that you wonder how they all receive enough air.
Just as well the sky is so huge here. The road meanders down

dinner-time

Back from dinner, home-made pumpkin-soup, home-made bread & raspberries & whipped cream. Yum.

cont ...

to a very pretty green & off that the high street & the drive to the marina.
It looked incredible today & it was overcast, I can only imagine how lovely it will look when the sun hits the water.
Up to a place called Rakara point via twisties you could only tackle at 15 mph, then parked up & out on foot to take the lovely walk down to the beach via a stunning look-out point.



Foto opportunity then down onto the beach to breathe in some beautifully clean ozone.

Back to the car, then into the High Street for a meander. Picton looks a much wealthier, more touristy kind of town than Seddon & the shops reflect this. They are more artsy & pretty. You now he kind of thing, jewellery shops, curios, things made from driftwood. bought a couple of raffia baskets for corres (UPO's are kind of dear here) from one of these 'Fair-Trade' places.



The lovely lady who worked in there, chatted with me & thanked me for doubling her takings in one transaction.
New Zealand's like that.

Also popped into my 2nd favourite kind of shop, a stationers. Picked up some stamps, some calligraphy pens , a photographic guide on NZ birds & a beautiful journal which has gorgeous foties of NZ coastal shots.
Plan to keep it daily & record my more personal thoughts. Q, you would be impressed with the one I got, much nicer than any of those we saw in WHSmith.

Who knows if Blog sells to the Daily Mail for serialisation I may consider selling the journal too ?

Stopped for lunch at the Picton Village Bakery & had a v.tasty pasty then onto the music store to try & pick up a tape as the radio in The Beast doesn't work. The range of cassettes had to be seen to be believed, Roger Whitttaker, Foster & Allen, Charlotte Church, Russell Watson, I kid you not. And there, just when I had given up looking, nestling like a niblet of corn amongst the poo, was Paul Young's 'No Parlez'



Come back and stay
Love will tear us apart
Wherever I lay my hat (that's my home)
Ku ku kurama
No parlez
Love of the common people
Oh women
Iron out the rough spots
Broken man
Tender trap
Sex

Number 1 Album 14 Jan1984


I handed over my $6.95 & made good my escape. I played this album to death in the 80's & thought it would be great to hear it again. Funny how your memory tricks you because if anyone had asked I would have sworn every track on there was a classic. Listening to it again had me forwarding some of the tracks but great to bellow along at top volume remebering how much I loved Paul Young in the 80's.

My Mum met him recently in the pub she was working with & said he was a lovely chap with no airs & graces

so I obviously had good taste in men even in the days of big hair & 3/4 length leather jackets.

YOUNG, Paul
(b 17 Jan. '56, Luton, Bedfordshire) Pop singer. Had one-off hit with Streetband's 'Toast', UK no. 18 '78; then fronted band Q-Tips '78-82, popular with critics but releasing only Q-Tips '80. On their split he signed a solo deal, released excellent No Parlez '83, a hit incl. no. 1 single with Marvin Gaye's 'Wherever I Lay My Hat', top fives 'Come Back And Stay', 'Love Of The Common People'. A cover of Joy Division's 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' found little favour with that band's cult following, but was an imaginative and soulful interpretation. Strain on voice due to hard touring delayed follow-up; The Secret Of Association '85 built on vocal strengths but lacked variety of the debut, incl. no. 1 USA cover of Daryl Hall 'Everytime You Go Away', other hits. He duetted with Alison Moyet at Live Aid '85; Between Two Fires '86 incl. engaging 'Wonderland', followed by Other Voices and Crossing. From Time To Time compiled singles; he carried on becoming more eclectic with Paul Young '97 on East West.

Have to tell you about a surreal toilet episode today. Used one of those super-loos & was a bit non-plussed to find it the most immaculately hygienic experience ever. Electronic everything & you even had Burt Bacharach's 'You're just too good to be true' serenading you whilst you did your stuff.
Talk about being treated like a goddess. The only disconcerting fact was the door opened directly onto the street & there was a notice informing you the door would open automatically after 10 minutes.

It certainly sharpens your time-keeping skills I can tell you.

Left Picton in high spirits & headed for home. Couldn't resist stopping at The Warehouse. Was only going for pj's (mine are too light-weight) but came out with :

Winter-weight duvy (to add to the 1 that's already on) brrrr
Flannelette jim-jams (green, men's) 'Shexsheee, everything about you is sho shexsheee'
Green polar fleece d.gown (ditto, above)
Spathiphyllum aka Peace Lily for my bathroom

All for $87 (30 squid) 'Everyone gets a bargain at The Warehouse'
Came back & looked at all my purchases but didn't have any1 to show them to (please imagine I have shown you Di) Put the extra duvy on & crawled in for a min to test. Satisfyingly weighty.
Looking forward to a proper test-drive tonight.

Right, going to load the disc now & see if I can suss the foties. After that big hot bath, neddy mag & beesies. Fancy exploring Havelock 2moro. Some quickies.


Trudes - the e-mail address to reach me is exactly the same as it was in the UK ; carol_briggs2003@yahoo.co.uk

Weeny - If you were worried about me being skinny - dont. They drink full-fat milk here & margerine hasn't been invented.
The kids also have a 'goodies-drawer' which my hand gets trapped in. Frequently.

Lovely Col - Hear you are driving the big car. Take it easy out there. Just remember, any injury puts you straight back inside with The Riddler.


' Frank Gorshin aka The Riddler '

Q - On Monday could you ask Julie Froud about my pay for my a/l. I need it to pay for the South Island tour & I e-mailed her just b4 I left so she knows about it. It was supposed to come in the end of April pay run but didn't. She assured me it would come at the end of May. Could you give her a polite prod please ?

Rampart - The KFC here does 'mashies & gravy'. mashies being ickle dollops of mashed spuds.
See, if I hadn't travelled I would never have found that out.

KFC : New Zealand


ttfn

Cx

G'day

Up at 7 today for an easy child-free day (almost)
Spent the day in the classroom being instructed about trucks. Being a weird chick I found it fascinating.
Now I know what HGV drivers have to know, especially the self-employed ones, my respect for them has rocketed & it was pretty high before.

Turns out I have to do the theory test Monday & my assessed drive at 0930 Tuesday morning.
I learned loads today about maximum loads, how to restrain them & how to fill in a driver's log book
Not a V23 here but a record of your work hours.

Our teacher today was Grant Ingersoll ( I promise, I don't make these names up.)
He was 6'06", dark buzz-cut with greying temples, excellent Tom Selleck 'tash (I know, I know) chest like a barrel, hands like shovels, 21 years in the air-force, very, very nice & you've guessed girls - married.



' What 'tash ? '
Oh well still eye candy.

When I arrived at the testing station I was looking at the other people there & thinking it was obvious they were all outdoorsy workers cos they all had the same brown complexions. When I went to the ladies for the 1st time & looked in the mirror I realised I did too !

The mirror in my bathroom is too small to see anything so I havent seen myself since arriving.

Unfortunately, I don't look so much sun-kissed goddess as Eddie Grundy.


' Barry Farrimond play's Eddie Grundy '

Speaking of which, Alan Titchmarsh is to be the celebrity judge in the upcoming garden competition in the Archers - double whammy - how exciting.

Anyway, I digress.

The day was incredibly interesting & all the way thru Grant kept referring to the police or the 'God Squad' as the truckers call them & telling everyone the best way of how to deal with them. At the end of the day, what does he ask me in front of the whole class ?

You're ahead of me aren't you ?

I told him I would rather not answer but when pressed I told him I was a slurry-shoveller from Slough. Think I got away with it too.

An interesting fact about a place with so few inhabitants is that every1 knows every1 else, as I found out today.

We were told that if we were driving we were only allowed to be 'on duty' for a maximum of 14 hours in any 24.

I asked how that works when we go to shows on a w/e & I am 'on-duty' for 48 ?
Whilst replying he said 'Anyway, the kids won't be hard work will they, not like the horses ?'
I replied 'You haven't met the kids & there are 6 of them'

One of my classmates piped up "If you live in Seddon, that must be The Redwoods?'
'I'll get my coat.'

It's interesting & amusing to note that rivalry is alive & well in NZ today.
Whilst reading out the class rules about how we all had to respect each others rights & yahdeyah Grant said

'Are there any Australians here today ?'
'No ? - in that case any North Islanders ?'
'No - in that case, we will have to pick on you Carol'
"Fair enough' said I. (thinking to myself, let's talk about rugby - shall we ?)

Forgot to tell you of my funniest conversation to date with Mel, Trish's dad.
He follows me whils I work & thinks I am a terriffic, captive audience.

After I had finished lungeing one of the ponies yesterday he said "What are you going to do now you have finished fiddling with that one?' When I had stopped smiling at that he started to tel me about the Maoris & how they have just been awarded compensation by the Kiwi govt for all the oil which has recently been used on land which used to belong to them.

I asked Mel if there was any animosity towards the Maoris from the Kiwis. I am keen to learn about the history of the area & hoped for an insight from this wise, old, local. 'You betcha' was his reply. "Why is that ? ' I asked, suspecting the reply was going to be along the lines of a dispute over land.

"Cos they're a thieving bunch of lying bastards'

Touche.

Q, well done for the piccie of Blenheim although I was hoping you lot would be able to see the hills closer.

Don't know about anyone else but I think the Pastis cartoon-strip is getting a little repetitive with this latest theme. ( ED - Yep )

Shall we start a petition for the return of 'Naive Zebra' & his advice column ?

Still think I will have 'Tell dem how you feeeeel' as my epitaph.
A word about the weather. Bugger.

No seriously, since I have arrived, it has been incredibly mild & I have spent all day outside in just a t-shirt
(well jods as well but I take it that's a given ?) It has also rained at some point every day.
The locals are paying homage & calling me a Rain God as it has not rained properly here in over 2 years. Great.

Today was absolutely awful. Just like a wet November London day. Freezing cold & p****** down all day.
The locals are ecstatic whilst I am piling on the fleeces (The Warehouse $17.99 each)

Q - you made me laugh out loud with "Everyone gets a bargain' When I told 1 of the guys on my course
today about 'Pants in a bag' his reply was 'Everyone gets a bargain'. Superb.

I made another friend today. Emma, on my course gave me her tel no at the end of the day,
told me she lived in Havelock, (haven't looked on the map but it must be nearby) said she had
neddies & did I want to go riding with her on my days off ?
New Zealand is like that.

Speaking of days off, I have 1 2moro. Deep joy. Haven't actually planned anything yet. Will probably ride Jess am & go off & see some sights pm. Just not havng to think about anyone else will be blissful. Note to self, ALWAYS use contraception.

Had a very interesting motoring experience today.
The family needed the Hi-Ace to lug the kids off to hockey so I was invited
to take the Holden. Holden is the Kiwi equivalent of Vauxhall in the UK.
It looks like most cars here, a bit tatty but functional. Kind of an elongated estate car.
I got in it & set off in high winds & lashings of rain at 0730 to make an 0815 deadline this morning.
Blenheim is a relaxed 30 mins away & I had to find the test centre & park so I didn't want to be late.

Suffice to say I decided to give it a bit of rhino (copyright approved)
The back end decided it would like to be on 1st name terms with the front end & after that initial scare
I feathered the throttle the rest of the way there. Imagine the power of a Porsche with all the
handling finesse of The Herald of Free Enterprise & you're coming close.

Couple that with winding, narrow roads & drops of 500 feet with only a single strand of wire between you
& soiled pants & you have a driving experience to sharpen your concentration.

When I got back home in 1 piece I asked Chris what engine size the Holden was ?

3.8 litres. Hmmmmm.
Henry would love these roads, I have seen a few of his ancestors here.

In my days off I hope to master the enigma that is camera plus computer & entertain my readers with piccies.

Have just spoken to Stu. It seems he is sending out an aid parcel complete with Yorkshire tea-bags.
Stu, have been thinking about my Mum & was thinking it would be nice if she could read Blog.
Only draw-back is she is not on pooter.
Was wondering if you would mind periodically printing off Blog & posting her chunks ?
Don't know if you want to liaise (2 i's) with Q & see if there is a fool-proof way of printing it in an orderly,
reader-friendly fashion ? Can I leave it to the 2 of you ? ( Ed - Stu drop me a line please with wellphone number )


' Hellifield Chippie '
If it's poss her h\a is 17,Drovers Walk, Hellifield, Skipton, N.Yorks BD23 4DW. MRS JE GEORGE. Obliged.

On that same note Q, tried looking in 'general' under 'properties' for history, still no joy
There OS is Windows '85 to 2001 does that help ?

Also, no Blog today ?
V.poor.

How am I supposed to keep up with tales of Lovely Col, JFP, Sqwark & the VS mafia ?

How is Ken getting on. Has he stolen your love yet with bits of tuna ?

Do you make him fresh fruit salad for brekkie on e/t & if so, does he leave the grapefruit ?
V. impressed to hear you have kicked the weed. Big supportive hug.

Hope you lot don't mind if I reply to your mails on here ?
It just saves time.
I will try not to embarrass you with lurid revelations.

Lolly - thanks for the foties. He looks like a human coconut shy. Almost as entertaining as you doing air-guitar
in just your tiger-print mini-knicks with a floor-mop. Oooops - did I type that out loud ?

On a final note, charger has arrived & fone is working now so will be a bit more contactable. ( Ed - Note to all people trying to phone , only call her on her mobile if it is mega mega urgent , as Cx will be having to pay the bill as it's still on UK network )

Right, off to bed with Bill (Bryson) thought I had better clarify.

Happy Friday you guys.

Cx
ps Thanks again Stu, much appreciated, wasn't free to speak when you rang.

Hi guys,

Thanks for today's mails. Glad I wasn’t there to be blamed for the boiler Di!

This may have to be part 1 of 2 cos the growed-ups have gone out & left me in charge & I have to make dinner soon.
Luckily there are a squillion eggs to use up & all 4 kids like boiled eggs which is nothing short of miraculous.

2nite is the 1st time I will be telling the tin lids to go to bed which should be interesting.

Methinks there may well be an attempted coup. I have already had the 'You're not my Mummy & you can't make me do anything' speech from Genevieve. Luckily emotional blackmail works great on 7 yr olds & my reply of "You are right, I can't make you do anything I just thought you might like to help cos you are a good kid' seemed to nail her (for the time being)

Drove into Blenheim today to do all the corres I needed to. The drive there is beautiful. It takes about 30 mins & the views take my breath away every time. You pass through a range of hills which are exactly like Glencoe in Scotland. That will probably only help Lindsay, but for the rest of you maybe Q can find a piccie on tinternet?



Today I

1. Opened a bank account
The manager shook my hand & addressed me as 'Carol' throughout. She also recommended I join The Young Farmers.
When I asked her how to go about it she took my tel no & said her daughter Louise would call me.
That is what NZ is like. Imagine your bank manager doing that for you in the UK. Yeah - right.
She then told me the best place to buy my camping/walking (called tramping here) supplies, which was "Warehouse"

The Warehouse New Zealand - Where everything's a bargain

2. Went to "Warehouse" - what a fantastic place - imagine B&Q but without the glamour. If you need it Warehouse sells it.
I had previously gone to a 'posh' store called Smith's. The salesman wanted to sell me a sleeping bag for $169 (about 55 squid)
He told me that it would keep me warm at -5c & it packed down 'real small' I told him that for that much money I expected it to roll itself & carry me. Actually I didn’t cos 'nobody likes a ' come on altogether now.

But I thought it.

Publishing break ...

I bought the following in Warehouse.

Sleeping bag
Holdall
Rucksack
Plastic bathroom bin
Bedroom lamp (the one I have makes my room look scary)
Woolly socks
Torch (for glow-worm caves) ( ED - You will not be allowed to take it in with you matey )
200 litres of shampoo (for $1.99)

And possibly the buy of which I am post proud

Drum roll please...

"Anorak in a bag" & also "Pants in a bag"

Navy blue, silver reflective trim, zips on the legs AND they pack into their own pouch!

Both for $34 or 10 of your English pounds! I am going to go try them on before tea; I am so pleased with myself.

Di - you would be horrified. Stu - you would be impressed, cos they are also perfect for golf.

I spent less in 'Warehouse' on all of the above than I would have done on one sleeping bag in Smiths. Result.

Right - off to 'cook' dinner now. Oh, I forgot to mention. Chris approached me this morning looking a bit worried.
He said 'there's good & bad news' the good news was there has been a cancellation on the Class 2 heavy traffic theory test.
The bad news is it's tomorrow & I have to get thru the truckers equivalent of 'Roadcraft' in 1 night. AAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH

He then said 'Make sure you pass, cos it's expensive' No pressure then

Upon opening the book the bit in bold that I have to know commences

Front axis - On a veh that has 2 axle sets & is steered by the front axle, the axis means the centre point of the front axle.
Fairynuff. It then goes on 'On a vehicle with only 1 non-steering axle the axis is the centre point of the non-steering axle'
Still awake? We continue merrily 'Rigid trucks under 9.5 metres in length must not exceed the lesser of:
3.2 metres or 60% of the wheelbase, i.e. the distance from the front axis.

The book has 150 pages.

Bugger.

Right, move over Jamie Oliver (he's huge here by the way)

Wish me luck for bedtime, will hopefully post Part 2 later.

Cx ps. no time to check grammer/spelling, please forgive any mistakes.

Well, they are all in bed & quiet so they are either dead or asleep.

Cocky - I will never complain about Harry again. Actually, that's probably a lie.

All was going swimmingly, then Stu rang.
I wonder why phone calls from home make me cry ?
You would think they would cheer you up. I suppose it just emphasises the distance.

Anyway, sorry Stu, I have stopped sniffling now & I am ok. Sounds like he has done well in his exam which is great to hear & a weight off my mind.

Have just plugged in my new lamp, room looks less scary now.

Neddy story for Cocky.

Rode another gee today, Fliss who is 23.
Nobody has told her she is 23 & after reaching the river, we turned around & she decided to bolt for home.
Luckily, she is about 14.2hh so I just eased my weight onto her back & explained that it wasn't good manners to cart the new groom flat out all the way home.
Once we had agreed on a suitable canter speed she went quite nicely albeit I would prefer decent leather reins to stop her & not the canvas ones she has.

I take my hat off the Zoe, who does x/country on her.
Zoe's description of riding Fliss is that you 'are a passenger'.

Stirrup lengths are interesting.
Even on the last hole my knees are around my ears & now I know how William Fox-Pitt feels when he gets on an ordinary horse.

The neddies here are as follows

Jess who is my borrowed gee. 15.3hh, mare, fine dark bay, 2 white feet.

Fliss, mare, 14 something, 23yrs, dk bay, white star, 4 white feet. Looks kind of New Forest/Arab x

Millie, mare, 14 something, neurotic but v.pretty. Light bay, 4 white stockings, white blaze. Bit chunkier than Sable.

Fegus. Imagine gelding pony 2/3rds size of Snips. Exactly the same looks. Will send fotie. V. cute.

Shrinky. Bright bay, not sure of gender. About 11hh. THE cutest thing I have EVER seen bar none. Another Snips lookee-likey.

Honey (palomino) & Ben (dk.brown) are turned away so I haven't seen them but must be quite big as the 15yr old twin boys ride them. Honey is apparently a v.good jumper.

Then there are the 2 I am lungeing for the Pony Cub because thay have to much attitude for the little kids to ride them.

The grey who was new to lungeing yesterday remembered very well & I actually had a trot out of her today so I am marking that as a success & will be advising Mark Todd shortly.

Right, I am off to study trucks & panic about this test tomorrow.

Night-night Blighty.

Cx

PS Weeny-your description of the 'star-kitty' made me laugh out loud. Keep me up to date with more mog-tales.
I opened my door on Ginger-Tom's head today, if he wasn't brain-damaged before, he is now.

Hello my little poms

Pooter is exreeeemley slow 2nite so don't know if this will post ok ?

Have tried pushing coal in the slot, but it won't go any faster ?

1st, thanks for all the e-mails today, you have no idea how cheering it is to read all your funny messages.
I may not be able to reply individually 2nite but pls don't let that put you off mailing me.
2day has been manic, but peace & quiet at last, kids in bed, dishwashers x2 churning away & a bit of 'me' time.

Lunged 3 neddies today, 2 were fine although one kept trying to bite me whilst I tacked him up & I had to tell him to
PACK IT IIIIIN ! The 3rd looked at me, the whip & the lunge-lead so much as to say 'You want me to do what?'
Turned out she had never been lunged before. I took it easy on her. I know how it feels to have people think you know what you're doing when you don't.

After that I went into Seddon for the 1st time to pick up the passport which I had left n Rangiora with Geoff & Rochelle & to get some milk. Seddon has a school, a general store, a cafe, a bike dealership, an arts & crafts store & an information centre. That's it ... I kid you not. No bank, post office, clothing stores, supermarket, public telephone. Not even a Starbucks.

Quick pause whilst I publish b4 I lose this chunk, 'stand by unless urgent'

The light dawns, I think the pooter is going slowly cos the Q-meister is simultaneoulsy editing.
Anyway, to continue, the postal system here is unbelievably sweet, here's how it works.

I call Geoff & explain I have been a Dilbert & left my passport with him. He says 'no problem' he will send it to me recorded delivery. I expect a liveried postman to deliver it to my door, post-haste. No no no no no.

It gets sent to the 'Cosy Corner Cafe' in Seddon with a note on the envelope to 'Ring Carol at the Redwoods'
I then have a 20 minute drive into 'town' & present myself to the lady in the cafe.

I was longing to do a Walton's impersonation & walk in & say 'Believe you have a parcel for the Walton family ma'am.




But then I remembered - nobody likes a smart-arse. Turns out the postman only delivers letters to your door round theeese paaarts for the simple reason that it would take him too long to deliver anything else.

After some lunch I decided to clean 4 of the numerous sets of tack. As I laid them out onthe verandah (rocking chair & pipe obligatory, even for ladies) Chris asked me suspiciously 'What are you planning to do with that tack ?' When I explained he looked at me very oddly. I could tell exactly what he was thinking.

It was the same look he gave me when he watched me clean the kitchen work-surfaces during my first day here. He watched me in total silence & then said 'You will have to lower your standards to work here' I know what he means.

The kids are bemused when they find head-collars tidied away, bridles cleaned & oiled & most miraculously, hats & coats
hanging up

gulp of tea & publish again .....

Still haven't opened a bank account or purchased the bits & pieces I need for my adventure tour (sleeping bag, walking socks, shark repellent) which is rapidly approaching so I am hoping to go to Blenheim tomorow. Blenheim is a beautiful town & has the added bonus of having retail outlets so that's a novelty. With any luck my charger will arrive tomorrow but no doubt I will have to pick it up from Old Ma Skillet.

It was my turn to cook tonight so pooling my considerable culinary skill I served ... sausage, mash, peas & carrots with onion gravy. It went down a storm. 6 clean plates. Kids know good food when they see it.

Request-time.

Although I don't have 1 yet, I am hoping to pick up a cheapish cassette recored. My room is far too quiet.

Tapes of any of the following would be gratefully received, but please liaise (2 i's Di) with each other, would hate you to be doubling the cost of sending the same stuff..

All from Radio 4 93.5 FM

Any Archers please, especially the omnibus. Sunday am 10 til 1110
or weekdays 1402 or 1902 hours.
'Gardeners Question Time' (don't know the time or day)
Any weekday drama/play 1415 til 1500
'Home Truths' (my favourite) Saturday morning 0900
'I'm sorry I havent a clue' (not a programme, just how I feel) weekdays 1830
'The News Quiz' weekdays 1830
'The NOW Show' (not sure)
'Just a minute' weekdays 1830

Think I had better stop there, starting to sound a bit obsessive.

Right, off to beesies for me. Currently enjoying a Bill Bryson & reading it far too quickly as usual.

Oh yes, I remember, I said I would tel you how I am feeling didn't I ?

Well ... NZ more than lives up to my expectations. It is all I had hoped & more, as soon as I have time to work out putting foties on pooter I hope to share it with you. On a personal level, I am awake every morning at about 0430 & cannot get back to sleep. It is during these hours it is hardest. I don't want to dwell cos I know I have lovely friends who worry about me. Suffice to say, I have some strong reservations & don't want to make any snap decisions. Whatever happens I am going to wait a month to see how I feel then. I love my routine, I hate change & I have just undergone the biggest change ever & I know how hard it has hit me.

Enough gloom, keep the e-mails rolling in.

A few quickies ...

Di - Please stay strong for the sake of the babies. If it persists - rub his nose in it (joke)
ps...they TELL me to leave the pegs on the line here-so there & I leave my toilet LID not SEAT
up all the time, cos I can.
How's the study ? Have you got a board date ?

Ang - Good luck with the tests, if all else fails, tell them about your cats paws
Glad to hear you enjoyed an Italian the other night.

Andy - Teeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaa - I have to make all my own tea here:(

Creaky - Welcome. Sorry I couldnt hook up with your off-spring in Singapore. Is she made-up too ?

Col aka Rocky I have driven a petrol-driven sit-on lawn-mower & a Toyota Hi-Ace 8 seater van.
They are sorting out my Heavy Traffic Licence soon. How's the Cad room these days ?
Any joy with the AA ?

Q - It is on all the time so - broadband ? Thanks for the erasure tips, will try them 2nite.
Trying to give more - it's hard. Will persist.

Agent Rampart - Wingwalker safe stop The geese fly West at midnight (that's left Di)

Bill - Cost to get to North Island via ferry is at least $200NZ so trip will not be in immediate future as budget is stretched.
Hope all ok & your Haka offer remains a good substitute for GOWISE.

New Zealand ferries - Inter Island ferry

Weeny - Squeeze passed on to H, who remains in hiding under pillow for fear of ridicule by kids.

Trudes - Remember what it was like to sit on something half-wild with not much brain (horses not men)
Snap. I will either fall off a lot or get very good. My money's on falling off.

Stu - I am desperate to know how you did on the 20th ?
I know you haven't been at work so you can't e-mail, if anyone is reading this who has spoken to him since
Tuesday, could you pleeeease give me an inkling of how he's done ?

Barley - Please hurry out soon. I would love to see that crazy grin, those hairy ears & that funny wiggly dance.
If your Dad can't make it then just come alone ! I haven't had a hug for nearly a week & it's starting to show.



Why Dog's Kill Their Owner's

If I have forgotten anyone, please forgive me but its 2300 here & I am getting thru the matchsticks.

So long for now.

Cx

Q - You are editor extraordinaire - love the Waltons photo, makes me smile to know we are Blogging simultaneously 17,000km apart.

On a scary note, just had a really painful grabby sensation, all up my femoral artery from my knee to my groin. Never had it before & wouldn't think twice about it normally except for just having done a long-haul flight. Oh well, at least if I get rushed back to Blighty I can cuddle aooooah. If they find me collapsed here, please let them know my diagnosis was DVT. Ta.

Proper night-night now.

Cx

Hi guys,

Sorry about the delay for those of you who may be wondering just what exactly it is I have been up to since Saturday.
I plan to backfill those days during the 'downtime' I hope to have soon. As it is I haven't had time to s my a in the last 2 days. I will do it all properly soon but a brief intro about where I am & who I am with ...

I am staying on a farm in a VERY dry part of NZ, so dry in fact that aside from the farm which is fully irrigated the land around here resembles tundra. The scenery is breathtaking as expected, the wind is also breathtaking & that wasn't.

I am staying with Chris & Trish Redwood. He is very nice & totally manic. He explains everything at a run & his catchphrase is 'We haven't got around to that' Today he explained the working of a petrol driven mower (woohoo) complete with fuel, oil, gears, brake, clutch & blades which could take your hand, off in 30 secs flat. As he left he shouted over his shoulder 'You can't go wrong with it really' Mmmm.

Trish is lovely too & fiercely proud of her kids.

Onto the kids, Genevieve is the youngest at 7 & is very sweet & has latched onto me already.
Lizzie is 11, she is a very good kid & stunningly pretty, although I am not allowed to tell her as too many people already have.
Think Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet.
Innes, a boy, is 13, he has a shock of untamable red hair & looks like neither parent. He thinks a lot & says some very funny things.
Zoe is 13, going on 33. She is extremely opinionated. She said to me this morning 'If they ever find Saddam Hussain they should drill a hole in his head to release the demons'

Other people around the farm are Mike, a shepherd who I wateched round up 100 sheep today with 3 dogs & a motorbike -cool.
Mel, Trish's Dad who loves to yarn .. I have learned already not to stop when I speak to him but to keep moving, if I stop, he has a wealth of stories to tell & I find 30 mins has slipped by.
Troy (honest) is the skipper of one of Chris's boats. Chris farms saltwater green-lipped mussels up in Marlborough Sounds.
Troy helps out around the farm when the mussel business is slack. It is slack at the moment because the US are hacked off with NZ's lack of support over IRAQ & the Americans have stopped buying NZ mussels.

The aminals are 'Boy' v.old mutt 'Waiting for God' in Trish's words, 'Don' a collie & three cats called, wait for it,
'Ginger Tom' 'Black & White Cat' & 'Black Cat' They think the ginger one is brain-damaged because he likes to be cuddled. I shudder to think what they would make of how much time I spend cuddling Jeeeefffrey & aoooooah.



I rode for the 1st time today, Linda, following detail is for you, the rest of you can skip this paragraph.
The neddy I am being loaned is 'Jess' she is a 15.3 bay mare, kind of Sable's build.The 1st ride today was pretty hair-raising, partly due to the wind which threatens to take you out of the saddle & partly because after UK horses she feels like sitting on a fence. However, apart from being a bit spooky, because she hasn't been ridden for a month she behaved pretty well. She apparently loves hunting but hates x-country & they have said I can hunt her. (hares overe here!)

There is more to tel about the horses & stuff in general but reporting restrictions apply until Q has explained a short-cut to me. say no more.

After riding I was let loose with the mower & spent about 3 hours cutting about 3 acres of lawn. Bliss.

After that, picked the kids up from school, took them to their private tutor about 20 mins away in Blenheim then brought them all home for tea. The journey home was what can best be described as lively and about 10 minutes from home, Lizzie's plaintive cry came 'Please can you all shut up ?, I have a headache'

Bought not 1, but 2 adaptors today & returned home, very pleased with myself to find that I have left my phone charger in Rangiora - bugger. Still can't use my phone. Q-can't retrieve my Mum's no as I said I would until phone is charged again. Will forward it to you as soon as charger arrives.

Phone call from Q today. Lovely to hear a familiar voice but took a few minutes to compose myself after putting the phone down. I try not to think too much about where I am, or how far away but although calls from home are a lovely surprise they can make things temporarily hard.

Must sign off for now, queue to use the pooter.

Will include more detail & touchy-feely bits tomorrow.
Bye for now.

Cx

Ooooooonly me !

God - I'm knackered.

Arrived here today at about 3pm after a 4 hour drive from Rangiora in Canterbury.

Rangiora , ( There are several possible meanings - good weather after a bad spell ; an invalid getting better ; or a day of peace. It is also the name of a shrub) has a population of 8,500 and is only 30 minutes drive north of Christchurch, enjoying a smog-free atmosphere and rivalling Nelson for sunshine hours. It is the nucleus of a prosperous agricultural, horticultural and fruit-growing area, including racing stables boasting many famous horse names.


KA-PAKIHI-WHAKATEKA-TEKA-A-WAITAHA
( THE CANTERBURY PLAINS )

ka; the ; pakihi ; open grass country ;whakatekateka, seedbed ;a Waitaha , of waitaha , a tribe.

The place where the Waitaha people increased and grew


I felt pretty good on Saturday & Sunday but have to admit the lag is catching up with me now -
or was that dinner with 4 kids ?

Apologies if any of you have sent txs which havent been replied to but my phone died on Sat night
& the adaptors I have are no good, cos they are roundy-2-pin Continental types & here they have flat, slanty, 3 pin types.
Hope to borrow an adaptor tomorrow, so if I have ignored a tx then I havent really.

Just a brief entry now to say I am ok cos I really need some sleep, it's 9pm now & I have been awake since 4am.

I will do a full Blog tomorrow giving details of what has been going on since Saturday.
Suffice to say the welcome has been warm & the weather cold.

Stu, huge big good luck for Tuesday. You don't need it but I am keeping everything crossed.
Just remember, if you don't know the answer, give 'em an SO7 reply & claim you are 'too busy to do that'

Q - great to arrive & have your host say 'Hi, there has been a phone call for you already'

Turbo - thanks for the pep-talk, doesn't feel so much like wing-walking as hanging to the under-carriage !

Until tomorrow

Cx

Whilst we are waiting for CX to actuallly go live on Blog! from NZ . I will be posting aomethings on a day to day basis so it leaves spaces for her to write about the day's at a subsequent time.

Look I have found Cx on the net , look under AWATERE, MARFELL DOWNS, SEAVIEW ROAD, SEDDON

Pony Club Directory

This net thing makes the world seem so much smaller.



I also came across this site today , God how old do you feel now when you see the dates pertaining to all the subject matter on all the old program's we used to w@tch as child.

SausageNet

She's there.

I have just been texted ' I is in zeeeland '

I have posted the latest ' Pearl's comic strips ' to fill in the time and bring you up to date on naive Zebra & Co, and for you to have something to read , until Cx get's net ready.

Hello from Singapore ! 1134am for you guys 7 hours later here.

I am so pleased I am wearing jeans, thick socks & walking boots, it's 32 degrees here, that's 89 in old money.

Singapore airport is beautiful, potted orchids everywhere & an internet cafe that you can actually sit down in rather than standing to type a la Heathrow.

I cannot recommend Singapore Airlines highly enough. I have always dreaded flying cattle class ever since flying back from New York Business Class

(did I ever mention I went to New York ?)

But all fears were groundless. Wendy, the following detail is for you, cos about now, you will be bored & reading Blog, the rest can skip it.

Individual video screens, 29 blockbuster movies including Gangs of New York, About Schmidt, Maid in Manhattan & loads of others I am too excited to remember.

Nintendo games, including Super Mario golf woo-hoo !

A spare seat between me & William. William is my 1st new friend. He was very chatty. Must be something to do with the name.

Trudes, you would have been in heaven - purple tartan blankets (nicer than they sound) Lilac pillows (gutted cos I bought an inflatable 1 in heathrow for 6.99)

Lavender seats. Every couple of minutes a stunningly beautiful stewardess brought me someithing I didn't realise I wanted until I had it.

Lemon scented heated towel ? Facial spritzer ? Ickle bag of Bombay mix ? Complimentary drinks (haven't partaken yet-don't want to get onto the habit of becoming a solitary drinker just yet !) Nothing was too much trouble for these 'lovely ladies'

My viewing consisted of The Two Towers (watched the fight scenes twice - calm down Turbo) then Mr Titchmarsh to calm me down again & finally 'Shot-savers' with Nick Faldo cos I am not allowed to watch sport at home (joke) Hello Jeffrey Heeeeerreeeeet & aoooooah.

The woman in front of me 'Bangle Woman' cos she wore excessive amounts of jewellery, talked incessantly but there is a god because when the steward was reaching my rucksack to get my purse from the overhead locker her clonked her on the swede with my camera bag.

Was I the only passenger to shout 'Mind the camera ?' Only 15 mins left, please excuse any blah, mind is racing.

I have just txtd Stu to find out how BM got on at the vets with her blood test - he is STILL waiting for what was meant to be a 10.05 appt.

That's no joke with B cos she shakes like a leaf & gets very sweaty paws at the vets, so the waiting room will be awash by now.

Thanks for waiting with me yesterday Stu, you were a godsend. Eternally patient whilst I repeated my mantra 'tickets, passport, camera, money'.

Right, I am off to see which gate my next flight leaves from, I have about 2 hours to kill to am going to see how much these places charge for a shower & massage.

Q - we landed over Singapore to the strains of Kenny G's 'Songbird' 'Nice ... smooooth ' 'Jazz'

God it's hot, like Blackpool but more sultry. 'Come in children - IT'S SPITTING'

Cx

What a result, here on time, checked in, not charged for xs baggage (allowed 30kg } & bag weighed 34kgs.

Singapore Airlines

Heathrow Airport

To top it all, there is only a bleedin' Harry Ramsden's here ! How lucky am I ?

Welcome to Harry Ramsden's

Then I find an internet thingy that gives u 15 mins for 1 squid.

Mind u, this keyboard is so archaic I may just finish this in time :-)

Q - how impressed r u ? ( ED - Very Well done )

3 months ago a tinternet virgin & now sending Blogs from the airport.

Move over microsoft - here I come.

Anyway, enough bragging, off to swap some bras (long story) & buy a Bill Bryson. ( Ed - what another one ? )

The Official Bill Bryson Website

Big hug to everyone

Cx

Remember when you were 16 & just had to have the latest drainpipe jeans ?

You had to lay on the floor, breathe in & use a coathanger through the zip in order to get them on.

The whole day was spent wondering if the zip would give way & how much irrepairable damage you were doing to your organs.

Closing my case was like that.

I have a small Kiwi on a keyring which I was planning on attaching to my case so I would recognise it on the carousel.
I don't think I'll need to bother - mine will be the one which has spilt it's guts.

If it gets all the way there without breaking I will be v.impressed.

This will be my last post on this side of the hemisphere so I wanted to tell you something that one of my guests at my BBQ said.
They said how lucky I was to have such a 'top bunch of friends who so obviously care about me'
I couldn't agree more. It's like most things I suppose, you don't realise how great until you say goodbye.

I have friends who know every single move I have made, we are always right up to speed with each other.

I have friends who I don't see from 1 month to the next but the bond never lessens.

I have friends who I know I bore rigid with any talk about 'personal stuff' but we enjoy each other's company nonetheless.

I have friends whose advice I ask when I want them to say what I thought anyway.

I have friends who tell me the truth whether I want to hear it or not

eg 'Did you know you are more likely to be killed by a terrorist than to marry happily after 35 ?'

I'll let you decide which category you fall into - nothing like a bit of controversy.

These last few months have been very difficult & I am very grateful to each & every one of you who have supported me, encouraged me, sympathised with me or generally kicked me up the ass.

I am very proud of what I have achieved since February but the truth is I don't know if I could have managed it without you.

Hasta la vista.

Speak to you from the other side.

Cx




' The graft has started '

This is a pose that you will have to imagine Cx adopting over the next couple of month's , Kids are grafted to their water bottles from birth in NZ , a litle bit of ' Kiwiana ' 4 Ya . Ask Bill , 'Pump' is like the face huggers in Alien it graft's itself to all R/Hands.....

Just back from Epsom.

Met Cocky at the stables for a crash-course in plaiting manes & tails.

Snippet was none too impresssed at having girls fussing over him whilst he was waiting for his meal.

Boney M merrily ate Snippet's poo whilst we fussed over the neddy.

How convenient when one of your animals eats the other's deposits. Just need to sort out what Harry & Garth are going to eat now.

Snippet looks in terrific form at the moment, he is a glowing advert for horses who live out all the time.

Linda's sound advice when we were saying goodbye was

'You will be very lonely for 2 weeks then you'll have a great time'

I hope she's right.

Then onto Wilkinsons in Epsom for a case (Thanks for the tip, Col) I bought a much bigger one for the princely sum of ?23.99

Now back home & about to make a cup of tea before I start ironing & packing.

And Breathe get on ‘ Tinternet and blog ‘


Have just finished ironing 16 t-shirts & a dreadful thought occurred to me. It's a tragedy, it's a disaster - I can't go.

My newly bought BLUE suitcase will not match my previously bought GREEN vanity case.

It's all off.

I listened to a play on Radio 4 whilst ironing.

It was about a woman who becomes obsessed with her diary & stops interacting with her real friends in order to spend time writing in her diary.

Was it a warning for me ?

Will I stop speaking to real people to Blog ?

What's wrong with that I hear Q ask ? ( ED – Too Bloody right )



Back to ironing/packing.

I have charged the battery for the camera.

I have inserted the memory card.

I have even taken some pictures of the mogs & the chaos that was ironing & packing.

I have absolutely no idea how to put them on Blog, because I havent had time to read the destructions.

( Ed - Have you installed the software of the CD that came with the camera , that might help quite a bit I feel - Pleeeeeeeeease let us have pics to show us how Cx can take pics on new camera pressie from your chums )


Thought I would show this to those of you who would appreciate it. It's Bill's latest E-mail.
Excuse Bill's typing, his brain works faster than his fingers !

Cx

"quick thought.. if you find one you like you can have it set by in the duty free section at heathrow and pay less and also have 12 hours to work out ow it works or secondly be brave and buy one in singapore but a lady in a camera shop yesterday mentioned you might find you warrantly olny useful as emergency absorbent paper.. also it may have lots of words in Nipponese.. just a thougth

Well time is flying by eh.. think what you have accomplished so far and what you will go on to achive , i have my usual 44 min journey home by plane tonight i am getting used to it now , get a free buscuit and the company of some huge maori woman in half my seat. i can speak quite a few words now , tena catore cartora.. greetings.... kiaora (keya orah) hi/bye/yes/no/cheers/maybe/ monday/ gorrilla in fact quite a lot of meanings for that one i understand we went out topping cars last week and i hoicked some big bro' (maori) from his car and he did not understand me , tlaking too quick still!! Asked me if i spoke maori and i said i could do the Haka if it helped !! anyway he turned to the car and said to his equally bro like mates something in maori and they all relaxed.. can only thing it was something like this fool is from england dont worry , put your guns down and carry on taking your drugs... all very menacing but by law there is no requirement for a person to speak to you in english !! maori is a recognised second official language .. thank god aukland is full of chinese/koreans

Well time to sign off.. i could not open any of the attachments that queenie sent me as i have some sort of default on it but i did see the blog one's

enjoy your last few days and i l mail you monday

billy x "

Have done as much as I can do for 1 night & am pooped.
Now waiting up for Di who has had a polacc this evening, ( ED _ GIVE HER A HUG FROM US )she says she's not injured, but she sounded upset on the phone so I want to wait up to make sure she's ok.
'Michael Buerke's '999 Lifesavers' is on as I type. 1 of the emergencies tonight is apparently a 'Dressage test which goes horribly wrong'
Don't know I should be watching it really.

I spoke with my mum for an hour this evening. Still very calm, think it's harder to be the one that's left, than the one that's going.

I then rang NZ & spoke with Trish Redwood who is going to be my new 'family'. She was very pleasant but I can see why June said she was blunt. I rang at 22.30, which is 09.30 there so I expected her to be up & about. When she answered she sounded a little groggy so I immediately apologised & asked if I had woken her up ? I think she must have been offended because she said 'No - it's 9.30 here you know'. Ooops

I have managed to set the time & date on the camera but am too knackered to even contemplate loading a CD to learn how to download the piccies. I will take a look tomorrow morning. Honest.

1 more sleep to go. Tick tock.

STOP PRESS

Queenie & Maria are planning annual for a month from the 18 Dec to 18 Jan.
Guess where ?
At least if I haven't worked out my camera by then I will only have to wait 7 months !
It's fantastic news.
Colin has asked if I can hide his passport once he arrives.

Yesterday I spent the day shopping with Queenie. I arrived feeling a bit detached, having felt all that way Sunday but have to say he was, as ever, a tonic. We set off with a plan to buy a digital camera & a budget of £200. We left having spent £350 but it has to be said the camera is a work of art. We went to a local camera specialists Jessops. Need I tell you that as we walked in Kirsten, the manageress, greeted Q with a smile & a wave ?

We had a whole range of cameras shown to us that were within my budget. They weren't anything special & were made of plastic. Call me picky but if you're spending £200 shouldn't a camera be made from metal ? Unfortunately, I then clapped eyes on a camera which I previously hadn't seen due to being a short-arse. It was lovely & did loads of things (don't ask me what cos I havent read the destructions yet) suffice to say 'I am ready for my close up Mr de Mille'

We were very mature & went & discussed the budget over a froffee & a sticky. The decision I came to was that this is my once-in-a-lifetime experience. My pictures HAVE to be top-notch & if the difference between average & good is £150 then so be it. Anyway, I figure I saved £300 on my flight. I don't know why I am justifying my spending to you lot, it's not as if we are married.

'This old digi-cam - but I found it in the wardrobe darling'

Luckily Q agreed with my rationale so we went back & stumped up the readies.

Huge thank you to everyone who contributed, I am very grateful

We then went shopping for fleeces (couldn't find any cheap enough) UPO's (only allowed to buy 1 thanks to Q's embargo) & big pants for horse-riding. Q held a very voluminous pair aloft & shouted 'I am in big pant heaven !' much to the staff's amusement in M&S. He then went onto examine another pair & proclaimed 'That's not a gusset - that's a tarpaulin' You learn very quickly not to get embarrassed in public with Q.



After a quick pit-stop to take a piccy of the camera we met up with Maria & headed off to The Sovereigns to meet Turbo Rampart Esquire for Monday quiz-night. Our team the 'Short's Straws' were on blistering form & came 1 point away from winning. I did consider appealing to the ref along the lines of 'I am a princess & I am going to NZ', but decided not to embarrass my team.

Things I learned during the quiz ...

The Saltash bridge spans the Tamar river.
A Chinese sub sank recently.
The barman's surname in 'Brushstrokes' was Elmo Putney

& perhaps most controversially ...

The Krankies are not, in fact, as we have all been led to believe father & son but husband & wife !!!
(sorry TB, couldn't resist - made my night) :)

Don't know if any of you caught it but have just watched the BBC2 programme 'Get a new life'
It featured a family from Coventry who were given a month to decide whether to set up a new life in New Zealand.

Despite their accident-prone toddler & a Mum who was so house-proud she made my Mum look slovenly they appeared to have decided to stay.
I was very keen to see the programme for a taste of my impending home.

The opening shots were very promising & every shot of a beach or sea looked beautiful. However the impression I got of the actual housing area was one of suburbia. It looked flat & uninspiring & despite the sunshine could have been most towns anywhere.

It made me very glad I pressed for South Island.

TE WAI POUNAMU
( The South Island)
Correctly Te Wahi Pounamu : te wahi , the place ; pounamu; greenstone.
The place of greenstone.

I am hoping for somewhere much more rural & I would be thrillled if there is no other property visible for miles around.
I am probably judging North Island a little harshly, after all Leith Hill is only 7 miles from Dorking yet I would quite happily spend a year working in Leith Hill but would be disappointed to be placed in a town like Dorking.

We will see.

I really felt for Zoe, the little fat kid who was new at school. Apart from the fat bit, that was me. I was always the new one at school & it
sucks.

Watching it made me wonder how you explain to kids that you are leaving everything they have ever known & starting all over again ? At least if you ae the growed-up it's your choice. I suppose Bill's lucky in that respect - they are too young to argue & NZ is all they will remember.

I did a 'practice-pack' tonight.

You know the scene in Jaws when they first see the shark & one says to the other 'We're gonna need a bigger boat' ?
I am going to Walton tomorrow to look for a larger suitcase.

Off to bed now, bit more to add on this one & still have to add entries for Sat & Sun.
I hope you lot don't expect daily updates once I am working. I can only manage this rate cos I am a dole-scrounger.

Glad you are enjoying 'Naive Zebra'. Isn't he heart-breakingly trusting ?

'Tell dem how you feeeel'

Night for now, 2 more nights on the sofa-bed.

Cx

Fank EWE sooooooooooooooo much

With all your kind gift's Cx finally was able to get a Digi-Cam . so you will all be able to view her photo's of the adventure.

Please note she did not purchase any Useless Plastic Object's for storage

Phewwwwwwwwwww

I have to take CX shopping today , for her leaving pressie , God shopping , shopping .
Where are the coven , when I need them.

Hayelp heyelp. ( Penelope Pitshop voice )

Oh nooooooooooo.

It's raining , no picnic .

Ohhhhh it's that fine rain , that goes right through you

Just think this time next week , she''ll be down ' The Red Lion , playing connect 4 '

Early start on Saturday for a trip to Camber Sands with Lindsay & Barley.

Camber is my favourite beach on the South East Coast because whether the tide is in or out, there are acres of sand for a Spangle to run around on.

She had a fantastic time beachcombing, running, digging & of course fetching.

We walked amongst the dunes, stunt-kites & crab-shells for over 4 hours.

At the café where we stopped for hot-dogs (sausages, not proper frankfurters) we got chatting to a lovely couple with a 3 yr old Border Collie, ‘Brock’. He was surprisingly calm for a Border & even happily shared his lunch with Barley.

On the way back to the car we saw the most fantastically named ‘Mini-Vegas’, an amusement arcade which covered all of 15 square feet. Seated in 2 beach chairs next to their car, in the car park, were an elderly couple.

Barley approached them & dropped a filthy, sandy ball onto the man’s immaculate chinos. I went to grab her & as one they chorused ‘We have just lost our dog’ & made a huge fuss of Barley. I was probably a bit more easily affected than I would be normally but it struck me as tremendously sad when they said that they hadn’t got used to her not being there any more & still expected to see her in every room in their house.

We took our leave of Camber & headed to Rye, a pretty harbour town for a stroll.

Numerous antique shops & a cold Guinness later, we headed off for the long drive to Brighton & one of my all-time favourite meals … Harry Ramsden’s fish & chips. For anyone who doesn’t know, Harry IS fish & chips in Yorkshire.

I have never found fish to rival the haddock they serve & quite frankly most Southern fish stinks of wee. Sorry-but it’s true.

It was the type of day that reminds you of all the good things about a person with none of the pain.

On returning to Bookham we watched some videos on trout fishing in New Zealand.

A good end to a perfect day.

The beginning of letting go & saying good-bye.

I look forward to being able to think of Lindsay without it hurting.

v

Played my last game of UK golf with Stu today.

Had hoped he would, out of a sense of posterity, let me win.

No such luck.

Big news, got over no. 4 Andy, took 5 balls but I did it !

There was an extra hazard today, in the form of a newly-wed couple having their photos taken in the ornamental sunken gardens around the 18th hole. I noticed them for the first time as Stuart was taking his back-swing to chip over the water. It was one of those moments where you don’t know whether to shout a warning or not. Afterwards he confessed that if I had shouted he would definitely have hit them. I know it’s my sick mind but imagine how funny those wedding foties would have been with the bride spitting teeth out and little yellow birdies flapping round her head.

The other memorable moment was on the 15th when the groundsman was cutting the grass on the tee as we arrived at the hole. He moved his mower out of the way & politely turned off his engine to watch us play our shots. Stu turned to me & joked ‘Watch me make a real mess of the tee he has just mowed’ He then promptly misjudged his shot & dug a furrow the size of a shoe out of the tee.

As we walked briskly away we risked a look at the groundsman. He was sitting holding his head in his hands. Poor man.

As we enjoyed a cool drink at the end of a round I spoke to lovely Colin, Andy & Q who were just starting their late turn – shame.

It turns out that Colin got involved in a bit of bovva after leaving the party on Saturday. He went to the fair to meet his wife & several of her friends to watch the fireworks. A group of rowdy, drunk blokes were pushing & shoving each other & knocked into Mrs Colin & then Colin Jnr who is only 4. Colin asked the ringleader to be careful & the next thing he knew they were on the floor grappling.

After separating Colin moved his party right away to the other side of the fairground. Some time later the brave ‘man’ found him after changing his top. The next thing Col knew he was on the receiving end of a punch up the bracket.

With classic Col understatement he said that 2 thoughts occurred to him.

The 1st was ‘What big arms he has’ & the 2nd ‘That was a good punch’

Needless to say Surrey police ignored 4 ‘999’ calls & didn’t send anyone.

My first thought after hearing of his plight was ‘What a shame he didn’t come back to the party & get some help’ Then, after further reflection, I thought that perhaps a bunch of drunken Old Bill rampaging around Hersham Steam Fair wouldn’t really have helped.

Colin is now called ‘Rocky’ at work.

After golf we went back to Leith Hill & took the cats for a walk. I know that reads oddly but if any of you don’t have cats – it’s true, they will come ‘walkies’ with you. We went about a mile, very slowly for them to stalk & ‘kill’ things. It was a beautifully sunny evening & after returning with the mogs we then took Barley & Jasper aka Ann Widdecombe for a much more boisterous walk. We discussed his study plans for his forthcoming Chief Inspector’s which he is working hard for. It gives me some semblance of hope for the Met to know that people like him will be moving up the ranks.








Cx

Good cartoon Q, but you will in fact find it is pronounced 'aooooooooolaaaaaaa'

Went to the hell-hole that is Croydon this morning to collect my tickets. The laaydeez there dress in an unusual way in tight & shiny fabrics and there is much orange flesh on display. I know how Captan Kirk & the one in the red top felt now whenever they beamed to a strange & inhospitable planet. I'm not even going to mention braaaaaahn babies.

I turned up at the appointed time & place & announced myself cheerily into the intercom. I was met some minutes later by a nervous, acne-ridden youth who wrote down my details on a pad whilst shifting uncomfortably. I should add at this point that I had spoken to them twice on the phone as as instructed prior to my arrival so that 'my tickets could be brought straight out to me as soon as I arrived'

Some 20 minutes passed & just at the point where I had my princess speech ready a totally different youth appeared with an envelope.

I don't know who was more relieved him or me when he approached a middle-aged man with not much hair sittiing opposite me & announced proudly 'tickets for Miss Briggs' I would have thought with just 1 male & 1 female in the waiting room he could have sussed it out. Maybe I expect too much. I told Einstein his delay had made me nervous. His reply 'Not as nervous as me - I haven't been able to find these for 20 minutes cos the girl what did em is off today' 'Where did they turn up?' I asked. 'On er desk' replied Sherlock.

Now I am back home with packing to do & still some official letters to send.

So why did I get another cat-nip mouse, this one goes by the moniker of 'Glitter-mouse' , out for the cats t
o play with ?

Unfortunately to add to my distress there is also golf from the Belfry on tv. I must be strong & go & pack (after checking another NZ website first of course)
Di, Ang & I have arranged a girly Sunday lunch at a restaurant called Red Peppers in Esher. Wendy can't make it as she is entertaining the outlaws, however I thought I would invite Cocky as she was unable to make the BBQ due to prior commitments ie. Badminton. The last time I saw her I told her I was due to travel on Monday so I texted her today to pass on my flight details for Thursday & to invite her for lunch. The phone rang & when I answered, her first shouted words (adopt strong Northern Irish accent) were 'Aren't you ever going ???????' Linda is also the one who cheerily informed me that 'Everyone will forget you a month after you've gone'

Apparently she does a lot of voluntary work for the Samaritans. Their call rate plummets on the days she works.

When I was waiting for my tickets in the reception this morning I got chatting to a lovely old chap who was selling biscuits for the Guide Dogs for the Blind. He asked where I was going & I was very surprised to hear a growed-up voice replying 'Christchurch in New Zealand' I looked around to see who was mad enough to travel 1/2 way around the world on a whim - then realised it was me !

As he left he wished me safe trip & hoped I enjoyed my year. Even in Croydon there are people to keep you on the straight & narrow.

Definitely going to pack now - with Radio 4 for company.

Q - thanks for the Osama fotie on Blog, didn't even know until Weeny told me ! :-)

Tonight is the first night, since I found out I got the job in NZ that I have been able to sit & relax & watch tv without feeling guilty about not doing something more productive. Since 6pm I have been packing the contents of my bedroom into plastic boxes (what else ?) and lugging them up into a very hot loft. I now just have my bedding & the basics for the next few days. I am horrified at the amount of stuff I was proposing to take with me & will have to have a serious re-think about what constitutes a necessity.
The problem with neddies is that all the stuff you need to ride them is so bulky.

The basics are :
Riding hat
Knee length boots (for shows)
Short everyday riding boots
Half chaps (the zip up things which go from foot to ankle to protect your jods & assist with grip)
Body protector (for jumping & cross-country)
Full-length waxed jacket (cos I like to look like Clint in 'Unforgiven' to keep the locals on their toes)
Wellies (green, naturally)
That's not including jodphurs (at least 7 pairs) tops (long-sleeved & short-sleeved) some fleeces & a lightweight coat.
There's me thinking I would be able to take a dozen or so hardback neddy books. I may just have room for the Little Book of Calm
I have achieved loads today & next door on the table as well as all my lovely cards are :
My passport (complete with Visa)
Tickets
Notebook with things still to do (you would be proud of me Ange, Ange is list woman)
Squidgy things for putting in your ears for equalising cabin pressure for those of us with delicate lugs

The only downer today was my Mum. She told me last week that she was off Thu & Fri. Then speaking in that code that Mum's do she said she didn't mind if I didn't get up to see her before leaving. This calmed me down because I was panicking about having so little time to get things organised. I then told her I would not have time to get up to Yorkshire, whereupon she said 'Please come'

So now I feel lousy because the only days I can see her now are Tue/Wed next week & she is working. Sigh.

She then went onto say it was probably a good thing as the goodbye would be very hard. Having done far too many of those recently I tend to agree. I haven't told her yet but plan on paying for her to join me out there for a break if I can manage it. Who knows, my bike accident claim might even be settled in the next year & I could use that money ?

Off to bed now as I am zorsted.
One day closer, tick tock.
Cx

aooooooooolaaaaaaa

Got loads done today. Wrote to all the people who need to know where I am going. Not friends but banks & that kind of thing.
Looked & laughed at the foties Q had sent, I had forgotten about my impression of Osama Bin Laden.



Can anyone tell me what I was actually doing ?

Didn't manage any packing because now I have 3 extra days i figure I have loads of time (ha ha)

Thanks for the Marlborough website address Bill, very informative & nice to know it's 16c there at the mo, perfect for neddies & BM's.

I am going to their Autumn.

Sorry I couldnt get back to you Wendy but your e-mail made me laugh out loud. Why do over-weight men of a certain age think they could 'pull' Kylie ? I will try again tomorrow.

Off to beesies now & my nightly impression of Johnny Weismuller grappling with a crocodile, that is to say Tallulah trying to wrap around my neck & me trying to disuade her.

Sunny South Croydon in the am & ticket collection.

Cx

Good Morning all,

The deed is done.

Spurred on by Bill who was a bit aghast at my laid-back attitude to booking my flight I decided to get on the phone & sort it aaaaaht !
Just as well I did really. I have never booked a flight before & was looking at all the deals in the paper thinking 'No problem, loads of flights here' Little did I know about that magic word 'availability'

Oh yes, they have loads of cheap flights ... but on the day I wanted to travel ? Not on your nelly.

So, after a bit of bare-faced bluffing ie. 'Oh yes, I have had a quote from suchandsuch who only wanted to charge me £30 - yes really' I have booked the flight thru a company called 'Biggles'

I leave @ 2215 on Thu 15th May from Heathrow.
I arrive in Singapore @ 1800 on Fri 16th May (sealed transit bus to avoid all the plague-ridden SARS victims)
Leave again @ 2105 16th May
Arrive Christchurch 1030 on Sat 17th May

All in price of £568 which is very good, downside is I have to venture to the badlands of South Croydon to pick the ticket up tomorrow.

If Queenie's jouney was anything to go by I will arrive an exhausted heap. Having said that I wouldn't fancy sitting in an airplaine seat for 23 hours if I was 6'03" so hopefully I should fare a little better.

I am relieved that it is done & the good news is I now have 3 extra days to get all the stuff done which I was panicking about doing.

Had a bad night on Monday night. Woke up at 3am Tuesday morning & started having a case of the dawn-jitters.

Strange how your fears become hugely out-of-proportion when it's just you & birdsong isn't it ?

Luckily I had company in the form of Tallulah who has discovered the joy that is wrapping yourself around a human neck imitating a feather boa. I have to say, I didn't mind at all, the contact was most welcome, if a little ticklish.

Luckily, 3am here means 4pm in Auckland so I texted Bill & told him how panicky he was feeling.

First of all he asked if there was anyone with me who could fly the plane ? When I said there wasn't he took the microphone & talked me down. No lives were lost but a few meals were spilled.

He has recommended a website

Love Marlborough

which I am going to take a squint at.

Played golf at Gatton Manor with Andy yesterday. He won't mind me telling you that he played worse than he ever has in a misguided attempt to let me win. I, however was determined not to take 'charideee' & proved as much by hitting no less than 7, yes 7 balls into the river on the 18th. We decided it was kind of a draw. The weather was absolutely beautiful & we enjoyed the day despite the golf rather than because of it. Think I disappointed Andy by not falling in the river whilst fishing out 4 balls with my 7-iron. Who says I don't know which clubs are for which jobs ?

Then onto Linda's for my tea, her version of an Ulster fry, essentially a fry-up but with mash substituted for chips. Yum.
I also played with Harry (do not adjust your set) we found something to bond over ie. his scooter which was fantastic..
I am sure we didn't get too much in Linda's way doing wheelies & 3-point turns in the hallway & kitchen whilst she cooked tea.
We then sat down to watch the cross-country at Badminton & marvelled at the guts of the riders who throw their heart over a fence, then follow it.

Just spoken to Q-we have arranged to meet up Monday to choose my digital camera.

Right, must go now to have a brew, pack some boxes, answer some e-mails & possibly venture into the garden.


Sorry the last bit's not very reader-friendly, there were gaps & paragraphs but Blog has squashed it all together.
That's obviously the maximum I can publish at any 1 time.


later,

Cx

Spent a very enjoyable day at a horse show today. Unfortunately, wasn't dedicated enough to get up in time to see Linda's double clear-round which was at 9am. Met Trudy & Stuart and Barley at 11 & headed off for a day in the sun being ringside critics. The part of the day I wasn't looking forward to came all too quickly & I had to say goodbye to Trudy for a year. She goes to Cyprus tomorrow for a week so we knew it would be our last opportunity. We stood & hugged & didn't need to say anything. It was obvious. I admire Bill for being strong enough to say permanent goodbyes to friends & family. I am struggling with just 12 months. It occurred to me today that I was looking forward to coming back already.

For the 1st time in a long time last night I struggled to get to sleep. As soon as I closed my eyes all the jobs I have to do were swimming in my brain. It seems to have crept up on me with a vengeance that I am going in 6 days. I am not packed, my stuff is not in Di's loft, my flight is not booked & what am I planning to do tomorrow ? Play golf with Andy. I know I should be doing useful things but I am trying to cram in seeing all my friends as much as possible before I leave. I know that in the next few days I have other people I have to say goodbye to & it's not something I relish.

I was pleased that at my party there was another week to go before I left. I think if it had been my party & the last time I was seeing everyone it may have all been a bit much.



" I am a pwincess "

Speaking of the party. I want to thank everyone for making it such a great night. I said to Di afterwards that the very best thing about the whole night was knowing that every knock at the door was one of my friends. I can't wait to have another one when I get back !



" The coven "


A huge 'thank you' to Di for providing the venue & 48 hours of unstinting labour.



" Clever Pukka - I know what a bi metallic strip does "

Thank you to Stuart for the lovely All-Blacks top & for organising the Argos vouchers. I have over £140 worth. If any of you don't know I am using the vouchers to buy a digital camera so that I can keep you updated with lots of foties.



" Mr D."

Thank you to Angie for being able to come at the last minute & for bringing such a beautifully-behaved small person (quick, save that & print it, or people won't believe I said it) I am sure everyone who met Nicholas was just as impressed with his demeanour & manners as I was.



" The Blonde Childminder "

Thank you to Pete & Joy aka the Hersham mafia for the kind loan of loads of stuff, BBQ, gazebo, tables, alcohol, the list goes on.

Thank you to Queenie for the biggest towel that folds tiny I have ever seen & for being able to make it. I know it clashed with other arrangements & I am very gratified you & Maria were able to juggle your arrangements.

Thank you to Andy for such a lovely card, it almost made me want to come back to work, but not quite.

Likewise, Colin, & no, you can't have your lucky key back (which he picked the National winner with this year) I figure I need it more than you.

Thank you Trudy & Wendy for making my evening. Great to see you 2 boogeying & hair-shaking again. Wendy, you play a mean inflatable guitar, eat your heart out Hendrix. Trudy, you uncomplainingly spent the evening covered in white wine thanks to some old lush chucking their drink over you.



" CB & Wendy "

Thank you Lorna for arriving early & pitching in with the remaining jobs. You also get the award for best ever prepared party guest. Not only did she arrive with alcohol but dips & marinaded chicken too. What a star.

Thank you Lolly for bringing a big bike for me to play on. Hope you didn't get into trouble for being late the next day ?



"Lolly"

Thank you Lindsay for coming to see me off & wish me well.

Thank you Barley for peeing with excitement when I said hello to you. You get the award for most excitable party guest.

I laughed out loud when I saw Q has preserved the Blair Witch me for posterity on this.
Top job Queenmeister.
I wanted to tell you all what a fantastic night I had last night but to do the entry justice I must go get some sleep.
Promise to tell ALL tomorrow.

Cx

PAGE 36
I am losing hope. Actually, I may have lost it. I didn't think it was possible to be where I am at. Staring. Waiting. I have nothing left to say. Tape Tape Film Film Film. We are being stalked and whatever is stalking us will at least be documented. Please God, let someone find our tapes.

Cx decided that the blair witch had come to her farwell c ya later party

What a day. Remember Treasure Hunt with the catchphrase 'Stop the clock I've found the clue' Today was like that. We were taken by Di's surrogate mum Joy to a shop in Reading called Costco. If you have been to Makro it is similar, a huge warehouse & everything is sold in bulk. For someone who doesn't like shopping - boy did I shop.

Di had to be back in Hersham for a 2pm appointment. She confessed later that had she appreciated the sheer scale of Costco we would have spent an entire day there. I can't accurately convey the speed of our purchasing, suffice to say we arrived about 10.30 & left again about 12.30 having filled 2 industrial-sized trolleys with all the major food-groups.

Di was very tired & my car needs MOTing so with apologies to her I want to repeat the conversation we had about driving when I set off in her car, a Renault Clio.

Di ' Are the controls the same in my car as yours ?'
Me 'No, in fact Japanese cars tend to be the opposite of French cars. (I drive a Honda)
Di 'Oh, is your car French then ?'

I will miss our conversations.

After Costco we then hit, in rapid succession, Wilkinsons, Woolies a party-shop & Safeways.

We left the house at 9am & did not return until 5pm. I collapsed into a hot bath after a lovely brew.

I have felt strangely calm today but was hit by a totally unexpected wobbly moment. We were driving back home & I was looking in my diary to see if I could squeeze in a visit to Yorkshire to see Mater before I leave. I looked at the date I am due to fly, the 12th May & realised something odd. When I copied my shift pattern into my 2003 Diary in January this year I decided to only do a few months due to this vague notion I had of taking a career-break. Would you believe me, dear reader, if I told you that the last day I actually wrote any of my shifts onto was the 11th May. The 12th May is the 1st blank day. Fate, karma, laziness, pen ran out ?

Anyway, to continue, I looked at the 12th & for no reason I can really put my finger on I suddenly wanted to howl my eyes out. The feeling passed as quickly as it came & looking at the torrential rain beating on the windscreen helped. I just hope all the rain has been & gone today. More for Di's sake than mine, she has put such a lot of effort into tomorrow & I know she is looking forward to having lots of guests in her lovely new home.

There is also 'something' afoot. It's not difficult to work out. When we came home yesterday, Di had some ansaphone messages on her phone. She listened to them on speaker for ease & the 3rd one was from Stuart apologising for missing her call. I looked at her, asked 'Captured ?' & being a useless liar she laughed & replied 'Totally' It's hard being surrounded by control freaks.

The good news today is that as I was drifting off to sleep last night it occurred to me that I had not asked Clare what the hacking was like ie. the terrain. I have been pretty spoiled hacking in Headley because you can access the Downs or Headley Heath within minutes so I hoped the hacking in NZ would match-up. Clare told me that I can either ride straight to the beach, or to the river, or around the 440 acres of farmland. I told Di that I had visions of me riding, bikini-clad & bareback through the waves on a stunning grey stallion with my hair streaming in the wind. She replied that I had better buy a wig. She is not a very nice person.



The other update was that my bedroom window overlooks the fields where the neddies live :-)

For any of you who haven't lost the will to live, there is an entry on here about the Society Golf day. Queenie has slotted it in somewhere near the front so you may have to look in 'Archive' if that makes sense ? On that note, thanks for the positive feedback from those of you that have waded through my diatribe. Bill, in answer to your request for more smut, scandal & gossip, I can only recommend you take out a subscription to Heat, OK or similar. It's probably called G'day or similar in NZ.

Wendy, in answer to your request for more foties, especially of the moggies, Queenie has put my 1 & only foto on so far. I will have to consult with him as to how to put more on.

Best news of the day ? Angie can now make it tomorrow as I have agreed that she can bring a small person along (no, not Andy) a child. She arranged to babysit months ago for her 7 year old godson & this was the only way I could have 1 of my bestest friends in the whole wide world attend. Barley has been warned & will be on kid-sitting duties.

On that happy note, bon-soir & a la mode Roderney.

Cx

ED- Carol want's us all to suffer knowing she is going to be looking at this everyday , It's as they say in Kiwian ' Awesome ' , I know I have just come back from ther and miss it heaps.

I adore this. Q mailed it to me

I identify with every, single point.
Some made me laugh, some made me very wistful.
If a man wrote this he is suitable boyfriend material.
If a girl wrote this-we could have a great night out together.
Thank you Q for forwarding the singularly most entertaining e-mail
I have ever received.
Wish I had thought of it.






According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids
in the 50's, 60's, and 70's probably shouldn't have survived, because...
Our baby cots were covered with brightly coloured lead-based paint which
was promptly chewed and licked.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, or latches on doors or
cabinets and it was fine to play with pans.

When we rode our bikes, we wore no helmets, just flip flops and
fluorescent
'clackers' on our wheels.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding
in the passenger seat was a treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle - tasted the
same.

We ate dripping sandwiches, bread and butter pudding and drank fizzy pop
with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always
outside playing.

We shared one drink with four friends, from one bottle or can and no one
actually died from this.

We would spend hours building go-carts out of scraps and then went top
speed down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running
into stinging nettles a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were
back before it got dark. No one was able to reach us all day and no one
minded.

We did not have Playstations or X-Boxes, no video games at all. No 99
channels on TV, no videotape movies, no surround sound, no mobile phones,
no personal computers, no Internet chat rooms. We had friends - we went
outside and found them.

We played elastics and street rounders, and sometimes that ball really
hurt.

We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there were no
lawsuits. They were accidents. We learnt not to do the same thing again.

We had fights, punched each other hard and got black and blue - we learned
to get over it.

We walked to friend's homes.

We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate live stuff, and
although we were told it would happen, we did not have very many eyes out,
nor did the live stuff live inside us forever.

We rode bikes in packs of 7 and wore our coats by only the hood.

Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected.

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of. They
actually sided with the law. Imagine that!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem
solvers and inventors, ever. The past 50 years have been an explosion of
innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and
responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

And you're one of them. Congratulations!

Forgot to say .. If anyone is reading this & the party invite has reached you ok - could you let me know ?
Have been having some problems e-mailing Word Docs to Q just lately. Ta

Must sign off for now - have to go check the moggies,
who are using the cat-flap in the new door for the 1st time
and get some brekkie.

'I'm off to new Zealand, to drive a big lorry, la la la la, la la la la'

C x

Clare went on to say that the Redwoods are keen for me to take my Class 2 HGV license as soon as I arrive.
This will mean I can drive a horse-box which takes 6 neddies ! This has to be the 2nd best bit of news after finding out I can take BM (Barley Marley) They are apparently going to buy this lorry shortly & have said they will pay for me to take the HGV. They wanted Clare to do it but because she has only been driving for a year she was ineligible for it.

I cannot believe my luck, I have always wanted to drive big lorries (yes Di, I know, I am really a bloke) eat your heart out Dave Farr (lovely PC at VK who quit lorry-driving to join the police, never could understand it myself)

Clare went on to say that she has really enjoyed working for the Redwoods, they are a very laid-back family & she thinks I will really enjoy myself. She said the kids were very successful at competitions but neither parent rides. Dad doesn't take much interest in the neddies & is more into the farm, but Mum is very knowledgable

The other bit of good news was that the Redwoods have had trainees (that's me) who have brought their dogs before.
They have always allowed them to have their dogs indoors althought the 2 farm curs live outside.

So, always assuming cost is not prohibitive, (received a quote for £1,200 the other day, she can come with me)
Stuart wondered if BM had asked for the quote herself & requested Concorde outbound & QE2 home-ward ?

A nice man just knocked at my door and gave me a package containing my passport.

IT HAS A VISA INSIDE IT !! :-)

I CAN NOW BOOK A FLIGHT !!! :-)

I have just sent out the party invite, artwork courtesy D.Herrett (available for weddings, barmitzvahs etc)

I also spoke with Clare this morning. She is the girl I am replacing. After trying every possible permutation of +64 which is the dialling code for NZ I finally conceded defeat & rang the international operator. (Perhaps I should have tried that yesterday, Bill ?) It appears that if it is a UK phone you just ring the no. with no prefixes. Duh !

She has told me my average day will be as follows ...

Up at 7.30, help 4 kids to catch the 8.30 bus (how hard can that be ??? )

The 2 eldest are at boarding school & are seldom seen (triple hurrah !)

Catching, feeding, riding & lungeing neddies until 12 (lungeing is when they run round & round in a circle on a rope)

12pm - 4pm My time ... Clare says she often goes into town. (Seddon) They are fine to let you use their cars.

4pm - 8pm Allsorts - could be tractor work :-) Could be rounding up stock (that's what us farmer-types call sheep & cattle now)
Could be teaching kids to ride, especially dressage which they apparently hate
' Legs, legs, PACK IT IN !!!! ' etc

8pm Kids go to bed. Are you taking note Cocky ?

Will save this now, for some reason Blog only lets me publish ickle chunks.

Today a friend (you know who you are) suggested there may be too much detail on this Blog.
So for today ...
Went to Lester Bowden's in Epsom, best shop in the world. Spent my neddy vouchers on lots of gee clothing.
Had dinner with Zara (crazy Russian lady who owns 1 of the horses I ride)
Got a kick in the guts when Lindsay told me he saw my Blade parked up at NSY :-(

Night-night,

Cx

ps BBQ is on Sat. Invites to follow.