June 2003 Archives
Popped into Arding & Hobbs on Thursday, and ended up chatting to the store manager, who tells me that they've sold the part of the building closest to the cheapy shoe shop to.....
.... Sainsbury's! Yay, a decent, relatively big store to fill the gap between Somerfield and M&S.
More high street changes on St John's Road between Blacks and CarphoneWarehouse; the WorldChoice travel agents has closed, and the posters tell me that a Tony & Guy will be opening up there. That's quite a smart chain for once, rather than another mobile phone shop, or a cheap clothes outlet.
Been in the throes of digital dication pilot kick off meetings, demos and workshops all day so far. Well, it's a million times better than reworking my CD Narrative International paper - yawn - although that is next on my pile of things to do....
I was quite glad of an easy start to the day seing as I was feeling a leeetle peaky after last night's tapas and vino extravaganza with the ladies network thing. Good old Mar i Terra!!
AND - Hazel emailed!! So I'm going to look into and book my flights. Woo hooooo! She sounded really pleased that I was definitely coming out to visit/travel, which is nice.
I had a lovely but exhausting weekend in Suffolk with TJBR, and will be uploading photos this morning. Here are Jo's.
I have a bit of a rosy vissog, due to sun and sailing at Waldringfield on Saturday and bracing sea air + ozone at Southwold on Sunday, and Waldringfield School Fete on Saturday was a gem; Harry Potter themed, of course, but with great games - Coconut Shy! Spin the Wheel! Lucky Dip Cauldron! Name the Potion! Ninepins! Facepainting! Wizard Tales! Toy stall, cake stall (yum!), plant stall, tombola, raffles.... all very, very fab.
And to balance things out, the trains were well and truely buggered this a.m. so i caught the 344 in, thereby missing my walk :( and so have resorted to coffeeeeeeee. It's cool, it's overcast and it's been raining.
As I was walking in this morning, I ws greeted by a strange sight as I neared Tate Modern, and the Wobbly Bridge; Waterloo Pier - a thethered, floating wooden jetty/quai/riverboat stop. So I stopped and took some photos.
I've no idea what it was doing there, and from whence it came. There were no notices up about it or on it, and the only other craft on the river were a Police launch (equally mystified by the looks of it as the zoomed off) and the silent yet looming, Damien Hirst decorated, Tate-to-Tate river shuttle.
I've got four weeks holiday...
I've got four weeks holiday...
I've got four weeks holiday...
I've got four weeks holiday...
I've got four weeks holiday...
yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
Chile here I come.
Roll on November.
Last night I got home in time to wave a slightly nervous Hazel off to her dad's. She'll be on a plane somewhere now.
It was weird being in my flat without her and her stuff around. 5 weeks of lodging, and having H in situ had become normal.
I asked Peter on Monday if I could have 4 weeks off to go out to South America to travel with her - he said he'd have to speak to Chris and Personnel about it.... Still no news....
I was just about to board the 242, when Phil comes rushing out after me bearing a foil-wrapped slice of Auntie Phyl's fruit cake. Now boyfriends don't get much better than *that* in my book!
Hazel and I drove up to Syresham in the heat of the day, on the hottest day of the year to-date. And yes, the MGB did overheat again, this time due to stop start traffic on the M25 just before the M40 turn off. We sat it out on the hard shoulder for 20 mins or so, and were lucky that the traffic started flowing again so that we didn't have to coax the car through more stop-start jams. And I did swear that I'd never get into H's MG ever again. But I reserve the right to change my mind....
We had a lovely afternoon with Charlie, Helen and Lizzie, who'd come up from Bath earlier in the day. It's always lovely to see Lizzie, she's just so chilled. After a sit in the sun, and dashing off to catch the ice cream van man, we started preparing food for the BBQ, while Charlie watered the garden and set up the table and chairs for tomorrow. We dined on pizza al fresco before retiring indoors to watch Notting Hill on video. All very convivial and relaxing.
After breakfasting outside on coffee and croissants, we spent Sunday morning preparing salads, kebabs and dips, as Charlie got the BBQ up and running. People started arriving around 1pm ish, and we ignored the passing drops of rain enjoying BBQ grub in the flower-filled gardens of The White Cottage.
And I got to meet Hamish Aitken and William Ritchie for the first time! And the drive back to CJ was a breeze. I do miss having a car. But I don't miss having to hunt out parking spaces....