Half the world away (nearly)

I promised some exclusive pictures of packing cases and empty rooms and the like, so here they are.

I think we've managed to get around to see everyone and what fun it was too.

Speak soon, when we're half the world away...

Calendar for your cheap holiday in Bangkok

I'm sure I'll work out how to permanently pin this on the Blog eventually.

However, here is the definitive final draft of our school calendar for 2009/10.

http://www.sis.edu/bangkok/download-calendar.php

Check out this website: http://www.netflights.com/?refid=nfgb&partner=google&adgroup=Flights_Brand&googlekeyword=airline+network&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=airline

for cheap flights to BKK (thanks to Mr J. Coath and his Bangkok connections- say no more, wink wink, nudge, nudge etc)

You'll need to monitor it regularly to get the flights around £300 and book accordingly- don't worry about transfers from either Bangkok airport, we'll sort this- just bring your spending money!

Please let us know, via facebook, the blog or email (perhaps even in person or long handwriting on Basildon Bond paper for you oldies) when you'd like to come.

Apart from family, it's first come first served.

We are off on the weeks that are in purple, however, we won't be in BKK at Christmas 2009.

Folks are welcome when we're not there or if we're at work (don't all cheer and plump for these weeks either...)

Hope to see you there.

J and D
X

One doth journey south?

Journeying south has always brought me a lot of pleasure...

It's something I also try to keep quiet. (shhhhhhhhhh...)

Most northerners would like to pretend that, despite the concentration of the nation's wealth being unfairly proportioned in the south east, (this wealth built up by the industrial north and the midlands- with a bit of slave trading from Brizzle and Liddypool) we don't like, want anything to do with and would prefer to not mention- that London and anything to do with the ridiculously named Blandshire and Forgetthenamesex provinces around it!

Alan Partridge spells London, S.H.I.T.H.O.L.E with any train stopping on the way at: '...Disappointment, Backstabbing Central and Shattered Dreams Parkway...' (but he's from the carrot crunching capital of Nowheresville that is Norfolk- so what does he know!)

The slow but effectively cheap Chiltern Railway from Birmingham's Snow Hill station passes these places but secretly I and everyone else north of Watford always get quite excited when we recognise certain landmarks and the distinctive orange brickwork of suburban London as it comes into view.

See Larkin's poem 'The Whitsun Weddings' for a perfect literary example of what I mean. It might be me reaching middle age (there's no use denying it) but this is quintessentially what middle England is all about: heritage, nostalgia and sometimes mythical and real England that might have existed at some time when I wasn't yet in double figures- something that sadly might never return despite which political party you might vote for...

No plastic and artificial representation of culture in 21st century Britain in the shapes of super concerts by Blur, Springsteen or Take That, Rugby buggering of South Africa or glimpses of the new Wembley and Gay Pride can ever really make up for what has gone before and happily still remains in memory, perception and bricks and mortar in this part of the world.

However, I digress, we don't want to tell anyone but we (Professional Northerners and the like) get a bit giddy when we arrive in, especially on days like Friday 3rd with the glorious weather, our nation's capital.

We had a great weekend thanks to Parv and Jas in Harrow on the Friday and Rebecca and Lucy on the Saturday ably assisted by Row and Glenn. Visiting places that we've never been before: Harrow boys' school (the application is in the post) the Millennium bridge swinging and great views over London on the only day I've ever been when it rivals, aesthetically, any city in the world (I agree with Wordsworth here "Earth has not anything to show more fair..."), drinks on the Thames (£1 for a bag of crisps!) and staying in an exclusive, private W1 address for the first time ever...(no Travel Lodge this time...)

Saturday night out in Notting Hill and hearing about Madonna at the O2 at Marylebone station on Sunday morning from Niki and Sean.

Sadly no celebrity spotting this time to recall (how could Fisher from Home and Away ever be bettered in one of my first visits anyway) but lots of good memories of real people (great Londoners like Parv, Jas, Lucy, Rebecca, Glenn and Row and fuckwitted ones like the drunken weirdy-beardy who nearly got a Stannington kiss for his troubles) as we move from one great city to the next one halfway across the world and hopefully meet lots of new great friends from another great world capital.

And my ailments (like a visit to a spa town), seemingly clearing up. (see the last blog post) It must be all that pollution- roll on BKK and more black bogeys!