30th June Arundel and The Dockyard day

We signed out of the Travel Inn and under the guidance of our trusted tom-tom set off to do historic Portsmouth. How people made their way through the maze of old streets without a navigator is a mystery to me. Even with the system I suspect we took at least one wrong turn. But without to much stress we made it there, however the parking system was not very clear. Though the car park was well marked it was one of those places which had areas reserved for various special groups. This is ok by me but would they please be clearer where the general areas are, as with special signs on every other pillar it can be very unclear as to wether you are in some special area or not. After a bit of discussion Gemma and I decided we had located a normal use slot, I guess we were successful as we were not ticketed or towed, and off we went.

We had originally only intended to do the Mary Rose as I had seen the other exhibitions before and Gemma was not really interested in them. However the single option ticket was no longer available it was everything or nothing. Having bought an everything we started out with HMS Warrior. The worlds first iron warship, it showed it in it's mixture of fittings from different ages, some would have looked ok on a Roman ship others normal today. The route through the ship was not marked very well to insure you saw it all and we think we might have missed something but it was fine.

Then across the dock to HMS Victory which was closed for a tea break or something. So we walked around to have and had a look at the M33 in it's dry dock. One of the smaller monitors designed in WW1. Quite a bit smaller than I expected but well preserved. However it was not open for inspection which was an disappointment as I would have considered it well worth a look at.

HMS Victory was now open again and in we went. The beams are low but surprisingly I only hit my head hard once, but Gem enjoyed that once! The same can't be said of a group of German students making their way round as they seemed to be continuously hitting their heads, being German they had probably organized a roster or something. Still you could tell where they were from the noise, Gem and I found it very amusing, getting them back for towels at the pool or something.

The magazine system in the Victory was much better and complex that I had expected. They had put some real thought and work into making it as safe as their technology allow. It would have been hell down there during an engagement. They had a system of stripping down and packing away barrels to reduce the fire risk that surprised me.

After some more climbing around it was out onto the dock again. But no Mary Rose! They are spraying it with something highly poisoned so nobody gets anywhere near without a biohazard suite. We watched a band of some kind blowing brass things and beating drums for a while then had a look at some exhibitions etc.. Gem and I had quite different opinions about the visit to the dockyard, what I thought was good she thought boring and vice-a-versa. Still I got a T-shirt and she got a spoon so both of us were happy.

By now it was after 12 so our food homing systems turned on. Just near the car park was a pub that looked ok so we decided to give it a go. It was a traditional British pub that I miss so much in NZ. An old fashioned layout, good beer, good polish waitress. I am starting to wonder if the joke about all staff in british pubs are Polish is true.

After testing their food and drink for a while we decided to head on. It was now time to go to Arundel. Not a bad trip, quite relaxing, thought the end of the trip was complicated by a crashed truck which was across the exit we wanted and if course everything was backed up. But after a bit of back lane navigation we were in the Premier Inn. Initial impressions of the Premier Inn is that it is smarter than Travel Lodge. Though the room was very worn again. At the start they thought Gem and I were mr and mrs which put Gem's nose out of joint. It's got a smart pub/restraint attached which makes food hunting easy.

After a bit of a break it was into the town centre as they had managed to clear the truck out of the way. It's tight country lanes territory and parking was a bit complicated but not overly so for a Jersey boy. I think Lauren would have been a bit taxed. A nice small town, dominated by a cathedral and a castle. We will do those tomorrow. So we just walked around absorbing the culture. I bought some more stamps at the twee little post office and sent some cards. As it was after 19:00 now we decided to hit the trough again. We chose a nice looking Indian which turned out to be a mistake, the food was ok but the waiter was really off-putting. His attitude spoilt the meal. One thing which puzzled me during the meal was on of the diners at another table. I could not work out if one of them was a she or a he! Really weird, neither voice or appearance was a giveaway.

Sat on the river for a while then back to the inn.

29th June 2010 Fort Nelson

Fort Nelson

Had breakfast in the same pub as yesterday, it's convenient and reasonably priced but not that good. Gemma had veggie full and I had full english, this time they forgot the black pudding until I asked for it.

Then at 10:30 we set off for the fort. The Tom Tom did it's job again but the signposting for the car park could have been better. You have to drive past the fort before you see the signs. As we were going in three cars missed the turning and tried to drive in through the main entrance and had to back up to the main road.

Spent until 2:30 in the fort. It is very well presented with guns from all ages on show. The fort itself is in a very good state of repair with almost all areas open for view. I found the Caponiers very interesting, I had not realized how restricted the field of fire was from these positions. In the smoke of battle (gun power not smokeless propellant) it must have been chaos. We had a look at the mortar battery that seems to be a feature of forts of this age.

The main gun hall was across the top of the fort and full of stuff. I took a lot of photos there, many of the guns were much larger than I expected, moving them on a muddy battlefield must have been a real challenge for the crews!

Some of the displays were in the underground galleries of the fort. The main Caponiers was open with some 32lb SBBL being present. Again it would have been hell in there if the fort had ever seen action. There was a small canteen where we had a unimpressive lunch even though there seemed to be a chef on site, there was also a gift shop on site where Gemma and I made some purchases. I would have liked to spend more time there but we had other places to visit. On the way out we had a look at the only surviving 14" guns from a KGV battleship.

When we got back to the car it had been baking in the midday sun around stood around while the ac cooled the car, thank god it was fitted to the car!

Then off to Portchester castle, (GMaps)it was a bit confusing as we were much closer than we thought and the GPS took us down some very small roads in a sort of short cut. Plenty of space in the car park and a short walk over a stream and into the castle. It's a odd mix of roman and Norman. The main fort is roman and covers a large area, must have been very impressive in it's day. Inside the roman fort is a Norman one. Much smaller, we intended to go in but discovered that they wanted 4.50 for an area about the size of my house. Gem muttered that English heritage overcharges for their sites and we just visited the gift shop where Gemma bought a spoon. I should mention that she did this at almost every place we visited and she ended up with quite a collection of them. Gem should put them on her flicker page to show off.

Rather than go in we bought ice creams and sat in the Roman area to consume them. The roman fort also contains a church which was simple but interesting.

We still had plenty of day left so we decided to visit the sea front.

Quite peaceful down there, we went to the D-Day tapestry museum. I had been there before but gem had not. Not very much had changed. Gem had a moan about people taking flash pictures were there were clear signs saying not to. This is something that we saw a lot of people ignoring the flash rules, do people not realize how much flash damages the pigments or do they just not care?

Then with some time left we walked along the front to Southsea castle. As you can see it's a small fort but again they wanted 4.50 to get in, English Heritage again. We chose not to go in and while I was standing outside a group came up and made the same decision. It's a lot of money for a family of four for such a small site! After a while Gem came out of the shop muttering and cursing about English Heritage and saying how much better The Nat Trust is at this sort of thing. I was surprised that she did not have a spoon but she explained that though the shop had them they were the most expensive that she had ever seen and she just refused to be ripped off.

Then we were tired and it was really the end of the day, everywhere was starting to close. On the way back we went via a small Aldi store next to the hotel as we wanted some real coffee and tea for out travels. Some of the places were a bit stingy on their room supplies. Aldi was interesting a bit like a small warehouse, I was not sure if everybody got a bargain of not! (only NZ will understand that comment).

Then back to the pub for dinner. There was nowhere else close and we could not be bothered to loom further. Not only Thant but I had noticed Chicken Tikka Masala on the menu, real British food!

28th Portsmouth

Portsmouth

Fairly early start, 8:30, well for Gemma at least. Dad drove us to the hire car place after a short breakfast. It seemed to be in chaos with a different crew on from before. However found a teen who knew what she was doing and picked up the car. It's a black diesel golf, manual and 1400 cc. This is going to be interesting driving. It's a long time since I drove a manual and it's a fair bit of car for only 1400 cc. Gmaps Page.

We set off for Tankfest. It's only at Bovington which is about 40 mins away. It does not take me long to find out that the car is completely gutless. This engine could not pull the skin off a rice pudding. I an going to have to work the engine and gearbox fairly hard to get any reasonable performance out of this car.

Well here we are at Tankfeast. We are of course in the overflow car park as the whole area is taken over for the festival. As we are walking towards the event I start getting an inkling of one of the aspects that will dominate this holiday, it's HOT! This whole holiday is going to be hot!

Just as we get in they start a display, modern tanks rolling and growling around loud bangs etc you know the drill. We have only been outside for less than an hour but Gem is wilting. It occurs to me that as everybody is out here that visiting the inside museum would be good. Inside it has changed a lot from how I remember it. Much larger thought I do find the layout a bit confusing. Anyway tanks tanks tanks!

Here is the link to my Flickr tanks page.

I find a UE which is much like I expect it to be. The Tiger II us vast as is the Conquerer. For some reason many of my photos don't turn out very well but unfortunately I don't realize this until much later. We have lunch which was ok (Cornish pasty) but unimpressive. I have seen what I wanted to see and Gem is tanked out so after about 3 hours at the festival we head off. Before we go we spend some time in the shop where I would have expected more to interest me but in the end I bought a desert rats hat that I end up wearing for the whole trip around Europe.

As we pull out of the car park Gem is busy punching in coordinates to the GPS. I was expecting cars to come with GPS now days but this cheap one does not, however just incase that was the situation I had brought my tom-tom GPS with me. Before I came I loaded up the Europe maps. It was an absolute god send. It made driving the UK so easy and Gem and I were able to keep talking to one another for the whole trip. How did people survive without GPS?

Our next stop is Clouds Hill. The home of T E Laurence when he lived in this area. I had never hear of it but as it's only 10 mins away off we go! I am not sure what I was expecting but not something this small. It's the smaller than Dads trailer. We drive into a car park (stall) the size of a lawn, stop in one corner (stall). There is a ticket hut in a garden shed then a short walk to the house. It's really just 4 rooms, 2 up 2 down. The down is a reading room and a kitchen, the up is a bed room and a wash area. It's how he left it but its all very Spartan. It has a customized reading chair that looks like a good idea but other than that very simple. I sit out side for a while and wonder what it would be like to live here, there is no internet and no cell coverage. Very peaceful, I would not mind retiring to a place like this as long as the essentials were provided.

Then we are off to Kingston Lacy. It's a nat trust manor house, set in a large grounds. Quite a nice look to but inside there are just to many pictures. It's like somebody had two houses worth of pictures but only one house so they just jammed them in anyway.

We decided to visit the gardens but that's when things went a bit wrong. I wanted to see the kitchen gardens having seen the TV series and wondering what it looked lime for real, however we got there 20 mins late and it was all locked up. Gemma wanted to see another garden (there were about 8) but despite one sign we could not find it? Then we decided to follow a marked path back to the house. Little did we realize that it would be three miles!

We even had to climb over the fence and walk across the staff car park to get back. I can't believe that was what we were supposed to do but neither of us could see where we had gone wrong. Fortunately the tea room was still open when we got back as we really needed a cup of tea. I decided that as we were clearly going to be visit nat trust properties that I would join up. So after tea we visited the membership shed and did the paperwork. I did indeed get my value out of the membership as I visited enough properties to get my membership fee back but additionally as of this writing I have never been charged for my membership. All the debit details etc were correct but nothing has ever shown up?

As it was getting really late and we did not have accommodation sorted out yet we headed for Portsmouth. While I drove Gem used my iPhone to search for accommodation and then phoned ahead and booked us some. Portsmouth travellodge was our destination, our trip there was uneventful other than at the last bit the GPS path went wrong as it tried to take us round the back of the lodge and directed us to drive through a brick wall! Just as well I did not follow those orders, anyway as I could see that actual entrance by that point we made it safe and sound by about 7 pm.

I had never been in a Travellodge before it's very spartan. T E Lawrence would have liked it. Just a small check in desk, we had to wait a while and I suspect that most of the time there is only one staff on duty. However the room is ok, I had the bed and Gem the pull out couch/bed contraception. The taps leak in the bathroom and the shower will through you against the wall it's so powerful but as a rest and refuel stop it's fine.

After we had got sorted we went looking for food. There is an Orchard pub (The Sovereign) next door so we went there. Modern looking pub but very water stained floor, later we heard it was water from the ladies! We waited to be spoken to by staff,Gem went back to room to get something, when she got back I was still being still ignored. After I while we went up to the bar to order some food. Got told off because we had not selected out table and made a note of its number. Food was tatally average and the staff were having a set to behind the bard over shifts or something like that. Other than its attached to the travelodge I cant see why anybody woul dgo here? Anyway we refued and decided to turn in for the night early. After all the head a etc we were both a bit nackered and we wanted a sharp start in the morning.

27th Honiton

An Admin day.

The night was quite cold but the morning was warm. It was a bit of a shock to find that dad no longer has coffee for breakfast, fruit juice is his thing now. I unpacked the asus netbook and soon had the 3 stick up and working. I was surprised to get 3G coverage in the trailer but as I discovered it was quite unreliable. Gemma with her 2G stick had a slower speed but at least it did not keep on dropping out on her.

I spent some time on admin stuff, looking up train times, hotel bookings, moving money around and the like. Dad and I decided that we would go into town and sort out the hire car and my accommodation. Honiton does not seem to have changed much since my last visit, there seemed to be more street traders and the independent newsagent has turned into a Smiths but other than that it seems to be much the same as always. The hire car is a local trader garage on the other side of the town from Dads trailer. Seems to be an all service garage that does some hire cars on the side. We sort out the car for pickup the next day, it will be a black Diesil golf. Its a manual so I have a bit of a challenge ahead of me. Gemma is glad that she can't drive. Everybody at the garage seemed to be a bit eccentric, inbreeding or small town? Dad tries to convince me to have two hire periods so as to save money as there are a couple of day in the middle where we do not really need the car but I resist as I can't be bother to do it like that, it's just to much hassle to save a couple of days hire and I have not got time to waste buggering around. Dad does not seem to understand that I am time limited not money limited on this trip so I am quite prepared to spend a bit more money if it saves me time.

Then it's just across the forecourt to the Turks Lodge motel. A bit seedy and run down but what do I care? I make my booking and chose the double room with breakfast as it's on special and does not cost anymore than a single room. It should be ok for three nights. The place is about 12 rooms around an open parking area. I am a bit bothered to discover that there is no laundry, forgot that it's just NZ motels that always have a laundry.

Then it's off to Tesco for some travel supplies. This has to be the most run down Tesco that I have ever seen, peeling paint and cracks everywhere. Dad explains that they had been trying for ages to build a new one nearby but had just been refused planning permission again, they had been running this one down in expiation of closing it. I would have liked to spend more time looking around the shelves but Dad was getting fractious. I don't think he has any idea what it is like for me after all these years, he just wants to get a move on. I bought a real pork pie to share with Dad for lunch

After the pie it's off to Castle Drogo. I have been here before but it's an interesting place, I would not want to live here. It was built in the twenties but styled as a medieval castle. I think the owners must have been a bit mad. Large halls, very cold in winter despite the heating. I of course are more I treated in how the house worked than the portraits and works of art.

They are having a real afternoon tea event but don't seem to be having much trade, after I saw the prices I understood why. While we were walking around dad put on some of the props and insisted on having his photo taken. I guess we were lucky not to get thrown out.

The whole system is setup to make the staff as hidden as possible with hidden doors and corridors etc. It's really more like a manor house than a castle.

We manage to resist the bouncy castle as we return to the entrance. Dad and I had our photo taken in the garden. This place is now a national trust property and there is a new combined tea rooms and shop at the entrance. We have a nice afternoon tea and Gemma joins the national trust, I think about it but decide not to. We buy some things at the shop and I stock up on cards to send Clare

Back to Honiton where Gemma is cooking the tea. We have cheese fritata potato salad and I make a green salad. Hilda come across again and we have a good time other than dads foul wine. I will have to do something about that wine.

After a lot of talking I realise it's 22:00 and time for bed. I hope I will not be so cold tonight. It's time to hit the road tomorrow what adventures lie ahead and will I be able to conquer that manual gear box!

26th Honiton Devon

Honiton

Down to Dad

Fairly early start. Oh! What a surprise the safe has broken again!

Went to go down to breakfast but where oh where is my room key? I spent 20 minutes searching and still no sign. Gave up and went down for breakfast. I had a good feed (well even though it was not that good it was all you can eat, and I can eat a lot) then went to the front desk to ask for another key. They did not seem very bothered by this request, guess this happens quite often. It was 8 pm by now so it was time to be on my way but where is that damn key? Finally found it down the side of the bed! I had kept it on the desk so how it made it there will always be a misty.

I decided to take a black cab to Waterloo rather than try the tube partially because of the busted bag and partially because I always find riding in a London taxi to be a bit special. The taxi system is one of the cities special assets, some thing that cannot be said about the toilets at Waterloo.

For a start you have to pay (30 p) and then they are down steps and behind an automatic barrier that won't let bags through. What an appalling system. You can't just leave your bags while you rush in, especially when every couple of mins there is an announcement telling you not to leave your bags unattended. Watching people from a bench (another thing that there are not enough of) while trying not to burst I noticed that people were indeed leaving their bags unattended as there was not enough space in the shops to take them in. It just does not make sense to me, it's such a contraction, they want you to shop but not leave your bags well you can have one or the other but not both so make your mind up managers!

Lots of school kids (almost all girls, where are they boys do they keep them locked up?) all wearing the same uniform. That is very short shorts bright top and cellphone. If they were a bit older it would be very enjoyable. They were demonstrating herd behavior, occasionally I see one separate from her herd working her cellphone frantically trying to locate them. The station seem busier than I remember, seems a wider variety of people traveling than on the streets. I do enjoy people watching the whole world seems to be happening in front of me here.

I had purchased my ticket from a robot intending to take the 10:20, but I noticed that it seems to be a open ticket so I decided to try for the 9:20 instead. It's then that I realise the crappy trolley system. It's really a con job, first you have to get a trolly, of which there are not that many. You have to put a pound in the slot to release it, then when you have to return it to the racks to get your money back. But the only racks on the platform are at the gates at the head of the platform, there are none along the way. So how does this work? Well you walt all the way up the platform to your carriage and put your bags on and return but wait, you are not allowed to leave your bags both because you don't want to and because the voice in the heavens is telling you (every 10 mins) not to. So how can you get your trolly back? Well, of course you can't. So you abandon your trolly and some staff member takes it back and keeps your pound. What a rip off, airports don't charge so why do train stations.

A class 159 is waiting for me, it's actually two trains joined together, I make sure that I get in the front three as I don't want to go to Axminister. The train is almost empty at first but fills up as we get closer to my destination. But again something sucks, the catering trolly only makes one pass through the carriage. When I go looking for it I discover that the train has already split in to two and the trolly has gone with the other carriages. So no catering for the last two hours of the trip. That sucks!

Still other than that the service is reasonable and look here is Honiton station. I suffer a slight anxiety attack as I am not sure that they got my message about my change of train times but there is Gemma on the platform. We do the squeezing thing and I wonder where dad is! Turns out that he is turning the car so it's off the platform to the car park. There is my old man looking the same and sounding the same as always. He seems to be invincible.



It's lunch time by now so with just a slight delay to drop my bag off it's out to lunch. Dad sometimes goes to a local airfield for lunch where you can eat and watch the planes landing etc. It's a cheap cafe and though the real English ale was nice it must be the chefs day off. I ordered place and chips, the place was frozen supermarket fish as were the chips and peas. Dad was not happy with his either so we assume it's just a bad day in the kitchen. He assures me that usually it's better than this. Even the entertainment is a bit unimpressive as only two planes come and go in the hour that we are there.

Then it's back to the trailer for a bit of a rest. All my aching muscles and over heating is maying me walk like dad! My room is gems usually and you can tell it's full of stuff but some how I find enough space to fill it even more. Nothing much seems to have changed here other than he now has led path lights. The sort that charges from a small solar panel during the day and then illuminates at night. Gemma is staying at Hildas while I am here.

Later in the evening Hilda comes around for dinner. She is a caricature of a little grey haired old lady. Seems very nice other than being a bit indecisive. Dad decides it's time for the Duke at Sidmouth which is about 25 mins away on the sea side. So off we go in his new car. Sidmouth turns out to be a nice town on the sea side, at bit touristy but not to bad. Before food we have to have a look at the cliff. Gemma and Dad have a project of watching the sea slowly eat away at a cliff at the end of the sea front. We take some pictures then to the Duke. The Duke turns out to be a food pub which the English do so well but that is so missing from New Zealand. Again I have place but this time it's fresh caught and could not be more different than the sorry over frozen over cooked specimen that we had at lunch time. When it's all over we all declared that it was very good food. ( potted mackerel, place and toffee pie with Devon cream for me).

Then it's back to the trailer and coffee. Soon after I realise that I had better turn in other wise the sky is likely to fall on me. All together a very good day

25th tourist day

Well to day I played tourist again. But first it was down to reception to remind them of my broken safe. They assured me that it would be fixed soon and that it was almost certainly a flat battery. I was just glad that it had failed in the unlocked position. I left my important stuff with reception for them to look after.

Time for breakfast from the Cornish pastie shop in tottenham court road. It's really a takeaway with a couple of chairs in the window, I managed to get one while I munched my cheese and bacon,not bad closest I could get to a breakfast pastie.

Then on to TCR tube station to catch the Northern line to Waterloo and then number 59 bus to the Imperial War Museum. The Oyster card really does make this easy. One swipe into the tube, another one out of the tube and one onto the bus. There is only one swipe on the bus as it's a single charge no matter where you go on the network. I worked out my route via the London Transport web site. It's such an improvement on the old ways. I am not sure I have ever caught a London bus before.

The bus drops me the other side of a small park from the IWM. As a result I get a short quiet walk. It's a clear summer morning, at the side of the park a NZ style coffee and cakes stall is opening up. It takes me about 5 mins to walk there time to collect my thoughts and start to enjoy the morning.

I have been there before and each time it surprises me with how small it is. Still plenty to look at. Today is themed "wartime food". There is a small stall and an exhibition that you have to pay to see. It was all quite good, half way through I stopped for second breakfast. The MOF films showed a humor that I did not expect. Then off to V&A in South Kensington.

Gemma loves this place, I can't see why? I was done after about 20 mins. I almost made an awful mistake and went into a history of quilts! just as well they were charging for it. There were lots of school tours around, large number of teens all trying to out shout one another, then across the road to the science museum.

Now this is my sort of place. Large machines, boilers and things that go whizz. Even a Dan Dare display, what more could I want. Well I could do with my feet not hurting so much. With all this walking at a fast pace is starting to take a toll. The museum does have some issues. It does not flow very well and several areas are closed for various reasons. There are odd mixtures of styles of presentation. But still a great place. Good steam boiler display and ship engineering that I was strangely alone in.

Outside after about 2 hours. I was originally intending to do the nat history today but it's mid afternoon and I have worked up some really impressive blisters. I decide to leave it for another time. Back to the hotel via the pastie shop. Had a “traditional” this time, it was good but something was missing that prevented my taste buds agreeing it was the real thing like from my student days. Up to my hotel room for a bit of a rest, no surprise that my safe is not fixed. I ring and complain and after 30 or so mins two guys with tool kits turn up. Apparently the safes are all life expired so they are having to spend quite a lot of time fixing then. They try various things without much success and then replace the whole front unit.

I rest my poor feet and have a bit of a nap. Then I try and book cheap tickets for Honition without luck as I have left late as its less than 24 hours to the trip.

Some London thoughts.

• Lots and lots of people in all shapes and styles. Reasonably dressed but not as well as HK
• Street life is loud and 24x7 but not that entertaining
• London is a building site
• London underground has reliability problems. Lots of signaling failures
• The girls are really into short skirts particularly 15-18 year olds. It's almost like a uniform or union rules. It is summer I suppose and I don't mind
• I don't think schools have broken up but there are school trips everywhere
• Roman sandals are in!
• London black taxis are still the best what a pity Auckland does not have them
• I still like London but it would be better with company though she might want to go to the wrong places like the V&A for example

London Shoping

I start the day the best way (well almost the best way) a cooked breakfast. I am down at 07:30 which turns out to be a bit early for the breakfast room,despite what the signs say. I hang around for 15 mins talking to the other guests and get called "gov" for the first time in a long time. I don't think that I had realized that kiwis never use that term.

The breakfast starts up after a while, it's 9.95UKP for the buffet. That is a bit costly but it's the only choice. So I fill myself up on eggs, bacon and hash browns. Not the best quality but it's ok. Then its time to go out to the shops. I can remember London opening at 08:30 but that seems to be the old days! Over an hour goes past and almost nowhere is open? Where is everybody. I am waiting for the “three shop” on oxford street to open, it says 10:00 on the door, I wonder if that's going to turn out to be true.

Oxford street seems to have smaller shops than I remember, many of them are small discount end of line shops, I would expect to find them I the side streets not on the main one. I wonder up and down but very little catches my eye past a shop claiming "real Cornish pasties". We will see later if that is true. Decided to find out if Foyles is open, it's not. Then to books etc also closed. Then around Soho also mostly closed. I am sure there would be more life in Auckland than I am seeing here.

It looks like they have really cleaned up Soho! It's all wine bars now, all the dodgy sex shops and clubs have gone. It's about as interesting as a supermarket now, no soul to the area at all. Boring! One thing that is going on is building. Oxford street in one long building site, as is the TCR tube station, it actually makes it problematic crossing the road as the building screens close so much of it off. I head back to Oxford street and the “three shop” as I really want to get my sims sorted out. They are still closed so I wander for a bit. What is this? A sex shop on Oxford street they have not died out lol. It's very up market though. Very posh and professional. It also seems to be very explicit, it seems the UK has fondly given up on their stupid laws, does anybody remember the black spots?

Back to the shop but as it's still only 09:30 they are still shut. This meant I have to do something really awful. Yes dear readers I have coffee in Starbucks. They are opposite the shop and open. As I use their toilet I feel I have to buy something. As I sit in their window I realize it's a good place to people watch. They are finally turning up in numbers to go to work. I should think so to lazy buggers. That seems to be one think that has not changed. Londoners are still all shapes types and colours.

At 10:20 the shop finally opens and I am their first customer. All I want is a sim that can do roaming and data but that turns out to be hard to work out. I buy a USB key and a sim with a data plan on it in under the understanding that I can do voice as well

Then off I go to Covenant garden. It's a fair old walk but I am in no rush. At Leicester square, the thing that always happens to me happens, I get asked for directions! Why when I am in a foreign city do people always ask me for directions. I am usually lost after all. I can't really help them just give them a general direction. At Covent garden there are not that many people, certainly no as many as I expected. At it's past 11 I am suppressed, will people come for lunch? It's split into two sections, one selling expensive crap and the other cheap crap. The cheap area is getting all the business. Lots of people looking at the expensive stuff but I suspect they are not buying. How's do these shops survive?

I notice the London transport museum. So I go for a look see. Very well laid out and quite interesting. I suspect I have seen it before as it's very familiar. There are lots of groups of school kids going round. Rather that school uniforms they have school tabards on, all very bright. Suspect it makes control easier than in my days.

I decide to ride the underground back to the hotel so I go to the unground station and buy myself an Oyster card. I am still full from breakfast so I just have coffee and play with my new toys.

I can get the USB stick working on my net book but it looks like voice is disabled so much for being able to use it in the iPhone. So then it's back to the shop for another sim. This ones works for data and voice in the iPhone. Then I get a shock, they filter the Internet ! This is the net access on the sim in the iPhone but not the USB stick. How anal is that! Are we all children now. Its not like I want to visit those sites, I can't remember how I realized it was active it's just the concept of a ISP filtering like that that offends me so much.

Then its time for the British museum, what a dud. I just could not engage. There was more interesting stuff going on outside where a couple were having a domestic over her navigation. It ended up with him dumping her and the car on the pavement! I do wonder what happened in the end. Perhaps the next time they come into London they will get a GPS and a A to Z. Oh I just bought myself one of those this morning. Just can't do London without one

Went to Foyles. The old foils is dead this shop could be any other shop in the world now. All the interesting bits that made it more that just a book shop have gone. Oh well RIP it was fun.

Dinner was Burger kings and I bought some beer at the hotel. Oh I just discovered that my room safe has broken. I reported it to reception, they say they will look at it in the morning. The room is very stuffy and I wonder why no aircon when I realize that the window can be opened a couple of inches. Great cool air. I go to sleep to the sound of the street life outside.

London LHR

This A319 is a very minimal affair. It seems to have been fitted out to a very low price. No screens to help the crew with getting us to pay attention to the announcements. Most of us don't as we are almost word perfect with them. I sometimes pay attention not because I need to know but just so as the crew don't get to depressed.

I have almost completed my second kobo book by touchdown, in between my short naps. LHR goes smoothly with my RFID UK passport I sail through. I really do mean sail through as it's so fast I almost don't break my step. The UK could show the yanks a thing or two, as I pass through I remember the 45 min queues at LAX!

Baggage claim is fast to, how Heathrow has changed. Then I need the HEX, otherwise known as Heathrow eXpress. There is a direct connection to the platform and by direct I mean a lift. That's the way to do it, at the top of the lifts there is a guy running around waving an EFTPOS machine so you don't even have to use the ticket office. I almost make a mistake and bought a return ticket before I remember that I am here for more than 30 days. It's the first time that I try and use my ASB chip card and I am a but apprehensive. Still it works no problem though the way you use these cards is a bit different from NZ ones. More about that later. I have my ticket and it's onto the platform.

I knew everything was going much to smoothly. As I enter the platform the dispatcher screens go blank! What! It turns out that a train has hit somebody and services are indefinitely delayed. Could be 15 mins or a couple of hours, nobody is saying. The pa is telling people to take a taxi. I don't want to as my bag has lost it's wheels and after my HK escapades my feet are hurting. I elect to sit it out. Time passes and I talk to some others that have also chosen the same path. The pa announces that the guy who was hit committed suicide, it was not an accident. I decide that as it's been over an hour I will ask for a ticket refund and try for a taxi. I assume the hotel will hold my reservation but it is getting really late and I am not sure of their policy. I ascend back to the terminal to the main ticket office to be greeted by the announcement the the next train is due in 10 mins. Back down I go and true enough in pulls a train, packed of course but I get on. I have visions of waiting more hours with everything getting worse and worse with no toilets on this train when much to my delight we pull out on time.

Paddington.

Still busy even late at night. I have 5 min wait for a taxi (ah London black cabs how I have missed you). It turns out to be further from the station to the hotel than I expected. I expect that yet again my mental map of London has let me down. I was expecting of about 10UKP fare but it was 20UKP including a round up of almost 5UKP tip which seemed to surprise the driver but after all the excitement I really needed to pee and did not want to wait while he made change. Must tip less next time. 22:30 into the St. Giles hotel.

I was not sure what I was expecting to find. I had chosen the hotel for a combination of rate (98UKP a night) and location ( tottenham court road tube station). What I did not realise was that most of the world made the same choice! The place is heaving and it's just off midnight. There are five staff on reception and I still have to wait ( doing a sort if Scottish jig now). Then into the room what joy what relief. After that I have a look at my room. It is the size of a double bed with a single bed in it. The space between the bed and the desk is about the size of a tea tray. I have seen larger walk in wardrobes. Still it has power, a very small (though given room size that reasonable) CRT TV, no air conditioning, a desk and a bed. The toilet is in a cupboard that is also the shower. Still it will do I have arrived!

I decide to look around the hotel. There are three terminals in the lobby with coin slots, 3UKP an hour, an ice machine (free) and wifi which is 1UKP per 15 mins or 8UKP for a day. I will examine other options for that me thinks. I see the breakfast room which reminds me that I have not eaten since my flights. Outside of the hotel is or rather was theatre land however there does not much seems to be going on. What is with all the piss? The streets are covered it in! It's almost 1 in the morning and I find a small sausage stand or cupboard that is trying to close. I have a real UK sausage in a roll for the first time in how many years? I look around the outside of the hotel but it's all dead and I really should check out my small bed in my small room, for tomorrow will be exploring London, wahoo!