20050428 Settling Down

Hi All,

Wow it has been over a week since our last update and a lot has happened since. Last weekend we popped off down the road to Windsor to go and see the Windsor Castle, the oldest working castle in the world if I am not mistaken. Windsor is set right alongside the Thames, and is a very bustling little place. The Queen was in, indicated by her Royal flag flying, and as luck would have it, we got to see her. The Aston Martin club was doing a charity event at the palace, which the Queen gave her Royal treatment.

The Castle itself is so full of history it really humbles one. It dates back to the 1400’s, or something as unbelievable as that and when you start thinking about the people who must have walked the same passages as you, it is really awesome.

Yesterday was my Birthday, getting old I am now 27 -Thanks for the Birthday wishes you all sent me, I really appreciate it! I had a great day, got lots of presents and was spoilt rotten! Gwyn even got me a Personalised Thornton’s Birthday cake, amazingly yummy. We went “down the pub” at Putney Bridge, not far from where we are currently staying, with a view over the Thames, and said a big “Cheers” to all of you guys back home thinking about us!

The job hunting is going well and I have some really nice companies which I am getting interviews with, so if all goes well I will soon be out of the relaxed holiday mode and focused on work, actually looking forward to getting stuck into some work.

Some more exciting news from back home is that Nick and Michelle’s have set the date for their Big Day, the 18th of March 2006, enjoy the preparations, and see you all then!

Keep Well – L&G

20050418 London Update 17 April 2005

Another week down and Lawrence and I are settling in nicely. We now wake up in the morning and say “What a nice day, clouds but no rain. 15 Degrees…get the sun block!”

I have completed 2 full weeks of work and am client based now, doing some work for an Education authority called City and Guilds. Interesting work and we are hoping to get some more coming our way, which will be nice for me. The client is in the city, near St Pauls Cathedral, anything in London is great.

Lawrence has been very busy with interviews, and we are holding thumbs for a couple of them. We really think that he will get something soon, the end of the month coming and all…let’s hope so. He is getting so frustrated at home. You can imagine, there is nothing to fix and no garden to play in.

Yesterday (Saturday) we took a trip to Wimbledon to find a barber for Lawrence. £22 for a hair cut, crazy people. So Lol is taking a trip to Oxford tomorrow to visit Shawn’s £7 barber, much better.

We then went on to IKEA…oh my word. What a place! You can imagine how big our eyes went. So many ideas, especially for small places. So before we come home, Lawrence and I will be doing some huge shopping there for our small townhouse. We only bought some tea towels, a lamp shade and some excellent Swedish Sweets, mmmm.

Today, we went to watch the London marathon. We went to the London Eye, about 5 miles from the finishing post and we saw the leading wheelchair athletes, men and ladies. They were going at a pace of note. We then strolled down to Buckingham Palace were the race ended and then walked through St James park to have a look at the flowers and ducks (Lawrence). There were so many people but the vibe was amazing. No drunkards and rowdy people, oh so civilized.

After that, we joined Nadia and Shawn at a little tea garden in the Wimbledon Common for some lunch and a stroll. There were so many people and families our enjoying the sun, quite a nice way to spend the afternoon (even got a bit of sun burn, amazingly). Now we are all ensconced in the flat doing Sunday night activities as per usual.

Next weekend we are planning to go through to Greenwich, something for Lawrence’s birthday!….watch this space.

Missing you all!

Gwyn and Lol

20050403 2nd of April Update

Hello All,

It is a Saturday evening, going on 20h00, not dark yet and about to put up the feet up and relax with a 12 year old whiskey, but first let me give you a bit of an update.

Just had a traditional “Bangers and Mash” for dinner compliments of Shawn and Nadia, the two of them are rather talented when it comes to cooking!

You know the saying “go big or go home”, we went big and we got a home, yip we signed up to rent a 2 bedroomed place in Ealing today (14 Abinger Court, Gordon road, Ealing, W5). Very well appointed little ground floor apartment, 5 minutes walk from the Ealing Broadway tube station, where we can catch the District or Central tube, as well as the overland rail, for Gwyn to get to Stockley Park. Ealing is very open and full of character, the people almost feel like they come from PE, lots of shops and places to eat too. The agent who got us the place, strangely, comes from the little town of Bloemfontein -- what are the chances…!? So on the 1st of May we will be moving…

Otherwise all is “ohRight”, Gwyn and I both had a bit of a cold this week but are coming right now, Gwyn starts work on Monday (4th April) with RWD Technologies, all very exciting, I am starting to get into the job hunting Process and have some interviews and good looking prospects coming up in the week… so hold thumbs!

Missing you all… L&G