1466 A great Day in London at the Dome and RFH

This is the first of the three full days of my visit to London but I cannot believe that anything will match the overall experience of yesterday.

I wake around six am after a night where I cannot remember having to get up, I make myself a cup of coffee and have the croissant. Later I have the Danish Pastry and a second coffee. I log on check emails reminding that I must remember to buy Eurodraw lottery tickets before I set off for the day and then confirm that there was no play for the third day in succession in the match between leaders Durham and Nottingham. There have been no additions to Britain's Medals at the Olympics for two days. Has the national bubble burst? There have been several disappointments. It is make or break weekend.

By eight o'clock there is brilliant sunshine outside and feels that it is going to be a warm day. It raises a question about spending too much time in doors including going to the cinema but I need to pace myself to do what I want to do. On Thursday morning I made extensive notes on the film Bridget and before commencing this writing I considered if the attention given had been justified. It was a film which fitted nicely with the earlier viewing Toyko Eyes and to some extent Elegy as all three are about the human condition in which we try and balance our need for relationships with independence and a continuing sense of freedom.

The heroine of Bridget has no respect for herself, a feeling which is well justified by her previous behaviour and she focuses her life on regaining her son, rightly removed from her care by the authorities. What we learn of her life now, which confirms her unfitness as a parent and yet we quickly come to sympathise with her predicament and wish her well. I did not grasp, from my experience of the film, the cause of her delinquent and subsequent criminal behaviour as a young women. We learn that she was an erotic dancer and a tart and the mastermind of a successful million dollar bank heist which involved her first and her second husbands. The first reappears, a black man called Black who shoots and kills her second husband and injures her in front of their baby son. He wants the money which she insists she does not have or know what happened to it. Late in the film we learn she lied when cashing in the money in attempt t buy him off. The son is fostered with a Manhattan couple and their other children. A couple who are willing to allow contact visits for a thousand dollars a time and to let Bridget have the son's care without the knowledge of the authorities for half a million dollars. In England this would be lead to the foster parents being sent to prison but it would not lead to mother regaining the care of her son, unless she could show a transformation of her own behaviour over a period of time.

I thought of this when on the train to London later in the morning. I had four seats to myself when the train arrived for the 9,34 departure at East Croydon station. Then two young women with two adorable looking girls aged under five years I guessed but both capable of recognising words for children's books. One, who sat next to me with the two girls read a story with an American accent and I was struck by the intensity of the attention to two girls gave to the reading. A couple of stations before reaching London Bridge Station the other mother who had sat on one of the adjacent quartet of seats came for her daughter and explained to the other girl who enquired that they could not be together to day because she was taking her daughter to be with her daddy for the weekend, thus signalling to the train compartment and me that the parents were not living together. I knew nothing of them and their lives as couples or as parents but the strength and nature of the relationship with their daughters was such that it was evident they were exceptional parents. This did not mean they were exceptional adults who had exceptional adult relationships but I knew it would be surprising if this was not so. The North American sounding lady apologise for having spent the time reading and I briefly indicated my approval. She therefore responded when her daughter requested another story and the rest of the compartment fell into silence as it was read with some feeling, capturing again the attention of the child whose facial expression was a joy to behold. As the film begins Bridget works as secretary and performs sordid and dangerous tricks at night. She and a friend party with a group of masked men who persuade the girls to do naked press ups while they bed which will continue the longest, without telling the girls that whoever gives up first will be shot dead. Bridget is released, hands tied, blindfolded and naked, later into the morning and as a consequence loses her job. Given her background, lifestyle and intentions she does not advise the authorities and we are not told how she manages to extricate herself from the situation without their active involvement. Perhaps this situation is as uncommon in New York as it would be in London. Bridget losses her apartment ad well as her job and symbolically is forced to take a grotty room for around £75 a week in the house of a teacher, perhaps a few years older, and who turns out to be lesbian. Earning six dollars an hour as a supermarket check out girl she needs to sell her body in some way if she is to continue to see her son. She is constantly approached by customers with offers. I wonder if this also happens generally in the Big Apple and here in the UK. She take a job providing serves for the father of a customer and I may have understood the situation because I thought she was to move in in a form of marriage to the widower. She continues as a check out girl, is kind to a young man who is educationally challenged and consequently immature and accepts the offer made to her by his father. That she formally marries and lives with his son for five years, after which if he remains alive she can walk away and receive half a million dollars banked without interest, but not beforehand , although if the son, like his father, who has a heart condition, dies beforehand then the amount will be paid pro rata for the length of the marriage. They have separate rooms and she fends of his questions about the nature of marriage and becoming a parent. He is an adorable young man little different from the young girls in the train. While the film suggests she plays the role of a mother figure and playmate friend with enthusiasm, she still needs funds to continue to see her son in the meantime. She takes a job working as a peek booth girl stripping only to her pants and talking suggestively, but again this is only for a few dollars an hour so even with the two jobs and whatever financial support the son receives it is not enough to achieves her goal of a financial buy out. She is introduced to a Miami retired gangster who fixes for her to be a drug courier into the Lebanon. This involves taking in half a million dollars and bringing back the drugs. She hands over the money and is then told she is to be killed because the drugs are fake. She talks her way out of this situation and out of a capture by a border guard inside Israel. Instead of high tailing out of the country she spends time at the Wailing Wall and meets a Rabbi, who looks into her soul and says that whatever she has been her fortunes will change. On arrival home she hands over drugs which believes are fake but they are not, or at least the financiers do not say so, claiming they will be worth a million dollars on the street and reward her with twice the original feel of 50000 thousand dollars adding that the money was fake money anyway, as if they would trust such a sum with a stranger.It is at this point that the film moves quickly into its climax. She has been with the son now for four years and the father in law has died having a hear attack when at his request she turns him on at her continuing job in the peek booth. The relationship with the son also changes and they becomes lovers as well as friends. Then Black turns up for the money three months before the five years of the deal for half a million is due to be paid. She tries to get a part payment but the lawyer explains that arising from the death his role as executor is set and he has no room for manoeuvre. It is at this point she cashes in the million dollars from the bank job although we are not told if she hands over all or half the amount. I presume she uses the other half to buy her son and then plans to get away with husband and son, the half million from the marriage deal and whatever money the son is getting for his on going care from the estate of his father.The couple are woken as Black and two of his present gang break into the apartment and she kills all three before they kill them. She has also exacted revenge on the man who killed the friend in the press up game murder. The film ends as the three have got away to a beach side residence in a sunny paradise, She knows the situation is unlikely to last but she savours each moment of happiness and adolescent son and husband son enjoy beach life together and we have the impression is no longer having to use her body for money. But do any of us believe she can give up the excitement of the danger?

I left the Travel Lodge in time to buy two fresh Danish and a bottle of cold water which I transferred to the flask. £1.61 (175.42). At the station before I was able to buy the cheap day travel card but was able to do so to be on the platform in time for the first eligible train to London Bridge £7 (182. 42). At the terminal I made my way along he subterranean arcade created from a tunnel under the station where there are now various attractive food outlets including one selling olives which tempted me but at that point I was inclined to resist as still determined to get to the cinema at the Millennium Dome in plenty of time for the only showing of the 3 D edition of Journey to the centre of the earth. It is 8 years since visit's the Dome although last year on my to the Cineworld I left the Docklands Light Railway at the wrong station and was insight of the Dome. Like everyone else I had balloted for tickets and made a special trip to London and was impressed with what had been achieved and would have gladly returned again as it was not possible to see everything at the pace one would have wished. I was struck once more by the depth and vast space of the Jubilee Line stations at this part of the line. The exit to the Dome does not provide a good view the building despite a vast external concourse. This is because of building development work which is continuing on site and in the surrounding area. Because of the number of concerts at the arena which forms the central core of the arena there is a large bus and taxi area and some 2200 car parking spaces in four parks at a cost of £20 for over four hours. There the majority of people come by public transport and the underground although there is a regular and fast boat service from North Greenwich into central London about which I shall write about later. The entrance into the Dome does not indicate anything of what is within except the main entrance to arena which appeared to be four and five stories high and a large two three story building the left which housed ticket office a two storey American bar and Grill restaurant, a large area for buy merchandise related to specific events at the arena and immediate facing but at some distance in what is known as the London Piazza is the entrance to the 20000 seater stadium and where there are 10 food areas restricted to when there are events. To the left of this space there was my first surprise for here, covering two thirds of the perimeter to the arena but within the Dome is Entertainment Avenue, a wide thorough affair with three story permanent buildings closest to the sides of the dome and four tall storeys next to the Arena. These are impressive structures in their own right and whole refurbishing inside the Dome cost £350 million but for once I have no quarrel with the cost as the end result is impressive. Before commencing my visit having enquired that the Vue Cinema was within the complex, I had to go through a highly professional security system, in which all bags with phones and M3 players went through one electronic X ray system and human forms another so there was no need for personal frisking. I made my way around until reaching the second Piazza area where to one side there is the Vue Cinema Digital. The is a three story staircase to the large entrance foyer and then there is a further soaring to the roof area with a tubular lighting feature with circles of coloured lights. You have the impression of moving to somewhere special and you are not disappointed. There is a clever marketing approach in that of instead of a box office you buy tickets from the counters selling drinks, ices, sweets, pop corn and the like. The prices are midway between outer London and West End. My concessions seat was £6 plus I had to pay £1 (189.42) for the special glasses these are a strong pair of uncoloured lens in a black frame. This is the hire charge as they are collected at the end of the performance. It is several decades since I watched 3D using a red and green pair of glassed set in cardboard which one took away. I have no memory of what the effect was like. Today the effect is impressive as you get the sensation of depth but more significantly of creatures, rocks and other things coming to within inches of you. However the dimensions of the screen changes to achieve these effects so you have a more personal and intimate experience where the rest of the cinema and its audience are removed and it you alone that is involved with the events before you. In fairness it also has to be mentioned so that the film can be enjoyed as an adventure film without the 3D effect. There is a good story as a scientist and his nephew successful make the journey to the centre of the earth on the basis of the Jules Verne book as if he ahs written an account by someone who undertook the original experience. The level of my involvement was unexpected. The toilet also enters a new area and the space age hand dryer has to be experienced.It was time to explore the rest of the building with my camera and note book to hand. First restaurant at the main entrance Piazza is Guacho, Argentinean and enclosed space on two floors with external atmosphere of sophistication which is likely to put off casual visitor especially as there are no outside table, or inside tables visible. There is a tireless young woman at the front attempting to attract customers to attract customers. To the left is Raan a bar and Grill but there was no evidence of custom. This was not the situation in the rest of the Avenues as many were busy especially the majority with there outside tables. The prices were West End Holiday Tourist although there were also several excellent bargains. On the right there is also the 2000 smaller venue for live performance Indigo2 where there is a mixture of sanding and seating at tables. Tapas Tapas on the left is Spanish with a selection costing between £14 and £20 although something can be bought singular with a drink. The Thai restaurant was offering a lunchtime special for under £6, There was the Slug and Lettuce English roadhouse without TV screen whereas it was the Thai showing the Olympics. Radizio Rico is Brazilian. The Pizza Express is self explanatory and the Sushi Restaurant Wasabi popular with adult s and young people. Nandos is Nandos as everywhere as was Frankie and Benny's to one side near the Vue. Café S and M had an English café style but on a large scale and selling traditional dishes. Zizzi was a popular Italian. Next to the Vue is a French Brasserie and Jimmy Morcoss a burger speciality. Spur is American with Steaks and Ribs while the Eater Margin offered a buffet for £7.50 unlimited 20 options and £14 in the evening for 40. Iquanas is Latin American. The next surprise was a large organised and supervised children's activity area where the parent can lounge in deckchairs and watch the Olympics. There were a few benches in the main thoroughfare where I was able to enjoy two rolls with crab pate and a the cold water. Here there is also Starbucks and a sandwich, newsagent and sweet shop and hen on the left is the Tutenkhamun Exhibition on several levels with its own security and escalators. There is work going on in he third of the pediment area not opened to the public and which suggests a further of phase in development in future. I suspect this area was hoped to be used as a Super Casino. I left around 2.15.2.30 and made my way to the ferry landing. This is a long walk under a covered ten like avenue and then on to the pontoon out into the river . I missed one cruiser and the next was taken out of service for a break but then two came together with everyone crowding to the first enabling the few who sensibly remain to get seats at the back.However be warned the boar is fast and functions as speed boat so there is spray and it is difficult to stand and take photo without having support. Because I had a Travel card I paid only £2.40 (191.82) proved to be a thrilling experience in what has become one fo the great City river trips in the world. I am not exaggerating and the river between Waterloo and North Greenwich has been transformed. So that one wanted to get off at anyone of the dozen stops and explore. The views of Canary Wharf, Tower Bridge, The Tower of London and the other sites will be lasting although I intend to repeat the trip as soon as I can as well as walk along the river bank.It was soon after departing that Dave came up and introduced himself. Dave is an American, about my age he suggested recent diagnosed with Diabetes having the time of his life on a world wind trip doing London in a couple of days. He had seen a show the previous night not destined for the USA, The Tutenkhamun and on his way to Greenwich. He was so engaged conversation that he early missed his stop. I had time to tell him of my stay in Greenwich thirty years ago and mutual experiences of being old. I was tempted to join him for the rest of the day when he then headed for Harwich a boat to St Petersburg. It was very difficult to take photos when the boat was moving between stops but the number of people getting and off was such that I was able to do at these times. It was just before 4pm when I arrived at Waterloo and decided to have a cup of tea before walking along to Tate Modern for a quick visit before the free concert by Barb Jungr in ballroom. I was struck by he number of people already drinking in the vast seating area on the first floor veranda overlooking the Thames, In side they were getting the Ballroom area ready with tables, table clothes, glitter on the clothes, and flame lights to create the effect of a night club space, although this was designed more the burlesque show at 10.30pm after the young audience for the Wizard of Oz summer show had departed from the evening performance, I found a settee free overlooking the ballroom and decided to reward what had been an excellent day with a pint of lager £2.40 (194.22) I was very pleasant so I decided to write and then rested my eyes although I did not sleep. Although it was approaching two hours before the performance I stayed on and moved on the ballroom when a few others came. By the time the performance commenced all the seats were taken with all those in the vast area of lounge space above. In between numbers one could also hear the sound of talk from outside the Hall and it was only when I left did I find the hundreds of tables filled by young people with hundreds of others standing overlooking the Thames drinking before whatever they were doing over the rest of the evening. Barb Jungr was born in England of mid European parentage in 1954 and has a international reputation as a nightclub singer in the mould of Edith Piaf but also jazz and blues and original interpretations of standards. She a couple of dozen albums to her name and is highly regarded by other singers but without ever achieving celebrity status among the general public. I had not heard of her beforehand. She is a skilled professional performer but was warmly applauded by the audience in a programme which ended with a delightful interpretation of Somewhere over the Rainbow after collection of songs with the theme of friendship. She is also fan of Bob Dylan and included his music as well as the songs of Nina Simone. Given that the hour long concert was free I am being uncharitable in saying that I understood why she is not and has never been a household name. There is the lack of the wow factor.I felt I was ready to return to the Travel Lodge for a picnic evening meal. I had not bargained what a beautiful evening it was and the extent of activity along the South Bank. Outside the Queen Elizabeth Hall ,the National Film Theatre and the Hayward Galleries there are the second hand book sellers on the river bank. All the riverbank seating along here were occupied including by one young woman writing in what looked like a large diary book. Near us at that point were the skate borders against the background of professional Graffiti. There was a huge queue of people waiting to get on the Millennium Wheel, The London Eye and similar number waiting to go on the river, either for the stopping speed cruisers or the eighty minute special trips. From here to just before the Blackfriars bridge and stations and past Tate Modern and the area of restaurants and art market, the designer stores there was an almost continuing line of statue artists and street musicians. Unfortunately I had exhausted the available photos on the memory and had left the other in the computer. There were some forty of these artists some exceptionally skilled drawing the crowds especially Charles Chaplin and someone in a wicker box. Some were so motionless that they was doubt they were human until money as donated when they briefly indicated approval. Under one bridge there was a group of musicians playing an hypnotic Latin American ban which drew applause and some passers by dancing. Then I came to cellist playing Marie and other pieces including music from Swan Lake I was able to sit on a bench under a tress for 15 minutes watching the evening come to an end. There were young lover and family groups. Further along the blue lights in the trees were becoming visible. To get to present Blackfriars station it is necessary to walk over the adjacent road Bridge across the Thames and one appreciates the width of river. The station is doe of a £350 million development to herald a second cross London link, It closes this weekend for engineering works but I was able to catch one fo the half hour trains towards Brighton and which only involved a stop at London bridge before East Croydon. I had timed the return well for with the sundown there was a chill, I stopped at the supermarket for a pack of ham, four rolls, some buns as there was no croissants,. I thought soup with a roll would not be enough and bought a cheese pasta without checking that it was not one where not water was poured and discovered too late that it was the microwave. I made do with the ham and two of the rolls. The total purchase was £6.20.(200.40) However I enjoyed the food and after checking the TV and the internet decided to try an early night although it was only 10 am as I wanted to try and wake up for 3am when Rebecca Arlington was attempting a second gold medal in what is her best event. It had been a day I will long remember with the only regret forgetting the second memory stick.

Travel to London Summer 2008

I could have called this writing Freedom Day, or Britain's Electronic new world, or two performances meriting Oscar nominations, but I settled for chicken soup and a roll without fatty chips. I have also written the opening paragraph four times. Twice long hand scribble on the train journey here, once before going out this evening around 4 pm and then beginning again at 10 pm after chicken soup an a roll, some ice cold water and the remaining chocolate peanuts purchased at Sainsbury's Local, Clapham Junction. I awoke this morning after 6 am, the third waking after going to bed at 1am. I returned to bed for twenty minutes or so feeling the need to relax and to wake up fully. I had well packed prepared the previous day so it was relaxed but purposeful activity after rising. First I washed up from the previous evening and then prepared two salmon and cucumber sandwiches and a flask of cold water from the refrigerator. I also put in the packet soups which had proved invaluable on the previous travels. After washing myself I put a couple of more items in the wash bag and placed by it the camera together with the lap top computer, camera and phone mains connections and battery chargers. Above this I placed the shirts, having previously placed the lap top between a tracksuit, a spare pair of trousers some underwear and socks. I added a second note book, telephone address book to the rucksack, completed a birthday card and the package of the DVD Bridget. Then I checked that doors were shut, switches were off and before dressing enjoyed two slices of toast and a coffee. I finished the washing up, put on my suit with a short sleeve top, a new pair of socks and underwear and the one pair of shoes I was taking with me. I added a spare of shoe laces and indigestion tablets and the cinema ticket vouchers, a small London Street guide, and bus and underground map and the reference for the train ticket purchased on line. It was just after eight o'clock, two and half hours before the train would leave Newcastle station, but it was not raining and sky looked threatening and there was evidence of persistent heavy rain on the floor of the patio. I decided to leave by the rear of the house into the back lane so it might not be evident to anyone that I had travel bags with me, even if neighbours heard the sound of the garage door raised and lowered. I held the main travel bag off the pavement until reaching the grassed area between housing as the bag makes a loud noise out of proportion to its size when wheeled along the roadway, with less on the pavement. I continued to the station where I purchased a ticket £2.80 according to a note. The next departure is at 8.30 and I am surprised how few other travellers there are at this first stop on the line, although those needing to reach work before 9 15 will have travelled on earlier trains. Before we set off a man clears away all the used copies of the free Metro morning papers discarded by earlier passengers. He says good morning how are you as he passes. I smile back and say wonderful. The next passenger says, "and how are you?" and I regret that I did not think of saying this. There are more passengers as the train progresses towards Newcastle. I decide to write about the film Bridget viewed before going to bed, but first I note that I have set off in a mixture of positive and negative emotions with the anxiety of leaving the security of my home and the anticipation of new experience. It was worse three weeks ago. On reaching the station there are conflicting announcements. Onboard there is an apology because the lift to the main railway station level is out of order but on approaching each of the two levels of escalators from the Metro to this level, we are advised not to take heavy luggage and to use the lifts. A young man with a giant of case exchanges smiles as we mount the escalators with our luggage. I make my way to the battery of electronic machines to one side of the main ticket office after being greeted with a "good morning" by a watchful assistant at the door. I place my credit card in the machine after touching the screen to indicate an advance purchase. Three tickets are printed, a receipt for £27 (29.80) which reminds it is not a ticket, the single journey train ticket and my seat ticket. I do not need the purchase reference number. It could not be more simple thanks to the great computer in the sky. I make my way to the coffee shop and decided it is too cold to sit on the outside tables and find one by a window looking on to the station and the serving counter. I order a medium size Americano and add the cold milk and sugar, another £2.20(?) (£32) and continue writing until just before 10am. It has been a relaxed and enjoyable hour and I do not speculate on how much of the writing will survive subsequent editing. The young man who placed an order immediately after me added a bacon roll to his coffee and I stood for a second in contemplation of this to an the extent that the assistant drew my attention that the coffee was ready. I explained my contemplation of the bacon roll and the decision to just have the coffee. The young woman before me who was having her Cappuccino on the go, gave me a great smile and said," well done," as if she had needed positive reinforcement herself in past times, or perhaps she was just kind and unafraid of strangers. It was a great start to the morning and my adventure. I waited in the appointed room after visiting the new modern toilets but decided to go out and stand in the fresh air around 10.15 and watched the train at the platform sets off to the midlands and then to the west country all the way to Devon, including Taunton the county town of Somerset with its cricket ground. It stops at the other end of the platform to avoid passengers for London boarding, something which I suspect some have done in the past and may still do. The was a good number of passengers assembled where the signboard stated wait here for carriage D so I moved on to what I thought would be several carriage lengths down the platform where there were less people. I naively thought this could mean spare seats where I use two for luggage and lap top. I am being unfair on myself because I had done this many times over the four decades of travelling to London from this station. Note where the bulk of the passengers were congregating which meant the area for booked seats and then go to where there the least and perhaps the impact of the escalation in fuel prices. What I had not appreciated is the policy of National Express, the coach firm which took over the line last autumn. In fact when the train arrived several minutes ahead of the departure time I found myself at one end of carriage D, the wrong end from allocated seat. Fortunately the first occupant of the adjacent seat to that allocated was from York and then another from Peterborough. Most of the seats were taken up, many who were just travelling to Durham, Darlington and York but who did not have advance booked seats. As we set off there was an announcement about free Wifi being available so I went to my main bag, removed the lap top and mains lead which I fitted to the plus below the seat and set about logging on. I made the mistake of trying to log on to the mail service provider and MySpace without success and then had the bright of idea of using the Firefox browser and came to the National Express log on site where it was required to submit an email address and I was instantly on line. Everything was at a snails pace indicating the volume of users and that we were travelling at speed. I commenced some writing and then looked at emails, the main, the sports and the Olympic news and to M Space. Before I knew it we approached York and the family occupying the four seat table next to me left so I jumped at the opportunity of the table and the window seat. My jubilation was short lived as a young man came to claim his seat but volunteered to take mine when I explained the position. I was joined by another young man who managed to spend the rest of the journey to London without acknowledging the existence of any other passengers around him. A young mother and her seven or eight year old sat opposite with luggage everywhere around them including below the girl which made her sit awkwardly and restricted my foot mobility. It meant that I did not feel free to write so continued to keep breast with the news and also to confirm, the time of the film Elegy at the new Wandsworth Cineworld and then how to get there from Croydon. I will book a window seat in future despite the restrictions as at the aisle one is constantly knocked by those passing by. After Peterborough I was fascinated by the conversation between a middle aged gentleman and a student at York University who was visiting friends in London. He said he was studying chemical engineering which could not have been better for the middle aged middle eastern gentleman who revealed a family history living in Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey. He had business interests involving industrial engineering in India and China and talked confidently about the economy and political situation improving over the decade, The conversation commenced after a mobile phone call in which the man spoke in variety of languages, reminding me of Gibraltarian, explaining that he spoke English, French, Arabic, Turkish and Parsee and combined according to the situation but he could not speak any as perfect as most English speakers of their own language. He was a very interesting and cultured man but I was puzzled that he was the standard accommodation. He was the kind of person I used to meet and talk with when travelling first class and enjoying full meal breakfasts or evening meals on the way home. I would qualify for such an all inclusive ticket with free car parking when choosing to take the red eye to London rather than going the night before and booking hotel accommodation in central London, although in my instance if I travelled the night before I stayed with my birth and care mothers and therefore did not claim the accommodation allowance. It was my scrupulous keeping to the rules and accurate record keeping which was to prove invaluable later. The changing nature of a large chunk of Britain revealed by other conversations around me including two young women comparing their experiences of adjusting to New York life on visits. I still have this tremendous sense of England being countryside on this journey with only a few seconds passing housing, work and shopping centres on the stops Durham, Darlington, York, Doncaster, Peterborough and Stevenage, less than half an hour of population in a journey of three hours. The lives of the people in two spaces being so different. It was also evident that every seat on this train had been sold for throughout its journey so that instead of one sale and then a vacant seat, every time someone left, someone else replaced them. This resulted in some passenger having to stand for parts of the journey. I enjoyed half a sandwich shortly after the train was underway and then the second half between Doncaster and Peterborough. Late in the journey the buffet trolley arrived and I enjoyed a coffee and a mars bar for £2.25 (34.25)Imprisoned in my seat and with the toilet fully engaged I needed to pay a visit on arrival at Kings Cross just before 1.45. The journey had taken three hours and ten minutes. I considered using an on board toilet after leaving my carriage at one end of the train as the male toilets at the station were down stairs and the other of a different platform. I decided it would. easier to find somewhere at St Pancras. The new entrance to the undergrounds now serving both station was completed as was all the other work at the front end of both station. It was sunny again. The sun had come out brightly after York and continued until approaching London and the skies had darkened with spots of rain on approaching the Arsenal football stadium. I crossed over the roadway dividing the two stations and walked across the inside front of the station and then found a male toilet to my left passing a queue of women waiting for a cubicle in the adjacent service. Now comfortable I made way to the inland rail extension noting that all the shops were in business and the station looked completed. I used a machine to buy an all zone travel card for £7 (41.25) and took the lift to the appropriate platform. There was ten minutes for the Brighton train which stopped at East Croydon so I took a seat. In times past I would have to make my way across London by underground to Victoria and then take the train to Wallington or latterly if staying in Croydon, a fast train to East Croydon. There was a cross London link to a station several hundred yards outside Kings Cross and which involved a change of trains to get to Wallington. The journey would take over an hour to over an hour and a half depending upon connections. Before the creation of the Victoria Line one also had to change underground stations, Now there was a ten minute walk over between stations and a frequent service to East Croydon. The train stops and several station on the way to London Bridge and then it is fast train to East Croydon. I eat the remaining salmon sandwich and a second helping of cold water from the flask. Although it adds weight the cold drink flask is now an essential on my travels. I decided to treat myself to hot coffees and hang the expense, leaving the second flask at home. This route is now a great introduction to central London as the Blackfriars station is on the river Thames close to the Tate Modern, St Paul's and with Tower Bridge in the distance. As the train leaves the river it passes close to the New Den Millwall's football stadium. There was more light rain on the journey but bright sunshine on reach East Croydon and I was booked in and in my room just after three pm. The room was on the third floor and midway along one corridor. It is rear view over noise workings with the windows open, but closed and the inner window closed the noise is muffled. There was great noise soon after arrival as a great thunder storm enveloped and last for about one hour. I had a problem with the kettle which was replaced. I had been warned that although I would be allocated one room because I had made four separate bookings to get the cheapest rooms I would have to renew the lift and room key card each day but the assistant at the counter said the card had been authorised until departure time of 12 noon on Monday. The cost for the four nights £106 (147.25) There is an unlimited English Breakfast for £7.50. Excellent value until I remember that I can get such a good plate with coffee for £3.50 a pub restaurant within ten minute walking. I am quickly on line paying for another week at £20. (167.25) I decided to leave the coded voucher for two days free pass because of failure to get on line at Nottingham on one night there for another occasion. I recheck the travel times to the cinema and decide to leave just before 5pm having enjoyed a cup of tea, checked the email and the TV. I also decide to travel light as soon as the storm cleared. A short sleeved top, my sleeveless jacket and a change of trousers, plus the small umbrella, my mall street map book and a free book the London Planner with information on Museums, theatres and travel. I was struck by a great sense of freedom as I left in which all anxieties and hears, guilt and ,need to atone departed. It was not a feeling I had experienced for many years. In fact it was not a feeling I could remember previously experiencing. I need to clarify what I mean there have many great and moving experiences in my life, some spiritual some passionate, many unrepeatable. This is not to also imply that the journey had not been without is negative moments and I have mentioned the seating constraints after I moved. I also noted that when walking pulling one travel bag to one side and rucksack on the other shoulder that some people are not prepared to move to one side when approaching in the opposite direction although it is easier for them to do so One young woman and walked almost on top of me before realising that I had no intention of moving to one side possibly in the pathway of someone moving a quicker pace behind me. My solution on reaching London, when I could see this happening again was just to stop and wait for the individual to pass on one side on the other. It was an effective policy. The common courtesies are vanishing and many pay no regard to old age and that we move slower and with care, especially when loaded with luggage. Abandoning my rucksack was a symbolic gesture. The feeling might not last but it was a food one. Back at East Croydon station there was one train at the platform on arrival and left I could reach it without running, but another came in a few minutes later all of 12 coaches to bring back commuters to Brighton, It is only a dozen minutes to Clapham junction. It is several years, perhaps a decade since visiting this part of London non a regular basis, sometimes via the station or others by car. I could not remember the entrance between the platform area and the main road but there is now a local Marks and Spencer's and a Local Sainsbury store. I missed the former until the return journey but at Sainsbury I bought a six pack of crisps, two Danish pastries and a packet of chocolate raisins. Oh what luvely wickedness.£ 2.80? (170.25)I nearly got on a bus going in the wrong direction I had been given three the 37, the 170 and the 737. I was later to learn that the 39 stops outside the entrance to the shopping centre on the way back. There have always been restaurants, bars and pubs in this part of London but since my previous time of visits the number has grown and the majority now have tables on the pavement to cater for the smokers. I remembered watching Newcastle on Sky at the Slug and Lettuce within view of Dagenham's by the station but the greatest memory from past times was when the bus stopped just across from Wandsworth Civic Hall where fifty years ago, yes fifty years ago I represented Croydon Local Government officers in a chess match with officers from that authority and was where I got my first points, a draw. As the bus continued I suspected we had passed the cinema contained within a new major shopping precinct noting that the entrance was opposite Diana's fish and chip bar. I made my way back to the place thinking I might enjoy a bag of chips after the film. The cinema was on the first floor some distance from the entrance and then another floor to where the individual theatres were located. I had forty five minutes to wait and fortunately some young men vacated the comfortable seating area in this part of the theatre. I exchanged the voucher for the seat ticket. As soon as I reached East Croydon station to wait for a train I had noted the cosmopolitan range of languages and races. Waiting as I did at the cinema I noted that only about ten percent of the 100 or so patrons coming and going to films were white and therefore that the majority were a wide range of colours and races originally from across the glove. The main reason for this is that the cinema is a Bollywood theatre and families comes from other parts of London. There are 14 screen and twenty seven films listed. Although there were four films aimed at children none were in evidence at six o'clock. There were three Bollywood films. However for the first day of showing of Elegy there was only one non while in the audience of a couple of dozen. Having looked at the dozen or so critic reviews afterwards while several rate the film highly and rated the acting performances of Ben Kingsley and Penelope Cruz they do not share my belief that both actors and the film should be nominated for Oscars. None understood the film as I believe I have. " A chilly world of intellect, sex and selfishness" said one, "A haunting testament to the sentiment that we should take love whenever we find it" the second, "a small scale drama that is insightful and affecting" a third, and "there is much tragedy and truthfulness" , the fourth There are aspects of these of all the4se assessments in the film but they all miss the point that this is primarily a film about equality and balance within a relationship. Ben Kingsley fails to grasp what is being offered to him because of the thirty year gap in ages, and that he knows he should have never embarked on any kind of serious relationship with such an age gap as a matter of generality. I am not going to say more about the film because it is one every thinking and feeling human being should see although there are challenging truths and great emotional moments. It will be a very difficult film for some to see without an emotional or intellectual flinch. There is also an ending which I believe few if anyone will predict. There is also an excellent supporting role performance from Dennis Hopper and from Kingsley's long standing girlfriend played by Patricia Clarkson with both meriting consideration for best supporting actor nominations. The music background is fabulous and I will break my rule about not buying more C's and DVD and look out for both when the pass their must have top price season. I can think of only a handful of films which moved and affected me more. Afterwards I decided against the packet of fatty chips and settled for buying rolls for the supermarket between the station and the travel lodge, one to eat with the packet soup and the others to eat with pate for lunch or tea tomorrow. I bought a croissant for breakfast and a bottle of cold water which I am continuing to drink from the flask, £3.46 making total expenditure on the trip so far £173 81.I am now in a dilemma. I am tired and ready for bed but if I do not get up early tomorrow and will be unable to finish before getting to the station again around 9.25 to buy a travel card and journey to the Millennium Dome to see the 11am performance of Journey to the centre of the earth in 3D, a very different experience and then visit Tate Modern in the afternoon before the evening free concert at the Royal Festival Hall. I still need to write about Bridget before this day's writing is done. I elect to try and sleep. When I wake early the following morning I review and rewrite and decide to leave Bridget to another time. The films was not part of this good day, anyway.

a day in Newatk and Southwell in the rain

This was the day of the great rain storm. Last night I had taken the wrong route home and came out at the road above the service area and continued northward unable to find a cross over at the subsequent service area and having to continue yet further towards Sheffield before travelling back and addition of 20 odd miles which I could have done without. The consequence of the longer journey to the accommodation together with a day in the fresh air resulted in going to bed and sleep around 10 pm for the second day in succession. It was therefore not surprising that I awoke early and started to write around 5am. I continued until seven or so when I lost the work which was irritating. It was not surprising that I felt tired around 8 and returned to bed and slept a little. When I woke and checked the day it was dark and full of heavy rain and I was content to stay in rewriting and relaxing for most of the morning. I had purchased a four pack of pan au chocolat and two for £5 pasta salads and fruit salads for the next two days, plus some skimmed milk. I also had drank most of a bottle of lemon and lime still water, a large bottle, for the same price as the smaller plain still water but there was sufficient for half a flask together with some coffee for the day's trip. I decided to visit Newark on Trent rather than head for the City centre as the rain became torrential. Although the heat rash had cleared up I was in no immediate mood for walking in such rain which was a great pity as there was much to see in this small market town with its imposing parish church of Mary Magdalene and the ruins of its castle laid waste by Charles the first.
The town is the heart of the road and railway network although the Great North Road, the A1, now b passes the town but the main East Coast line uses one station the two railway stations with the second connecting to Nottingham/Leicester and Lincoln. There are river trips and canal type boats and there are buses services to Nottingham, Lincoln, Mansfield and Southwell my next destination. The weather conditions caused me to abandon exploration by bus travel and I toyed with going to Nottingham for a performance of Journey to the Centre of the earth in 3 D as the local Cineworld did not have the technology. The town has a mixture of buildings with many fine examples of Victorian architecture and on one circumnavigation I stopped to turn around as a shopping development where I was surprised to find a new Woolworth store, given the closure of many such stores in towns such as Sunderland although that at South Shields has recently had a face lift. It was an odd place for a picnic lunch followed by a siesta but the rain continued be fierce. The road to Southwell took me past what I later learnt is the best preserved workhouse building in the UK, rescued by the National Trust when it was to turned into apartments. It is the kind of find I would normally jump at but I wanted to return to the Minister which I had briefly explored on a my previous visit to the area. I was imprisoned in my vehicle in the car park for a long during further cloud burst. It happened suddenly and one poor pedestrian was caught in the open without an umbrella and was soaked.

My patience was rewarded and as soon as there was a break in conditions I walked the short distance from the car park, where the stay is free for the first two hours to the entrance when a volunteer was anxious to greet me and would I am sure conduct me around had I not indicated firmly that I wanted a period to reflect as well as revisit at leisure on my own. The church was founded in Saxon Time and rebuilt by the Normans as part of the Diocese of York. The church became the Cathedral of Nottinghamshire in 1884 and for practical purposes has been divided into two parts with for everyday services there is an altar and choir area at the end of the Nave. I sat at the back any my attention was immediately taken by the Sculpture of Christus Rex by Peter Bull 1987 fixed high above on the crossing arch. With hands outstretched the figure appears to be lit, to glitter and I am still not sure of its impact within this ancient building. Similarly I needed time to appreciate the1996 West Window, the Angel Window created by Patrick Reyntiens. This creates a great sense of light and contrasts with the traditional 15th century side widows with Victorian glass. Unfortunately the leaflet and web site do not provide information on two features which affected me most. The first were sculpture to represent the stations of the cross, each a small table on which are scenes in contemporary forms. I was also affected by the Kelham Madonna and Child made in wood. I had hoped to also sit alone the chapter house and think of all those who had sat here in the past deciding upon the affairs and interests of the church but on two attempts I had to share with other visitors as the weather cleared, for a time and people ventured from their vehicles. At the end of my visit I spoke with the volunteer about the town and its community and my conclusions was reinforced after managing some walking. The town centre has a good array of traditional looking shops with several attractive Inns where eating and drinking out at tables in courtyards and pavements is a feature except for days such as this but everything is on a smaller and more intimate scale than Beverley. Similarly while there is green space it is comparatively small. The Burbage Green with Old Court House is the traditional Village Green and is used for roadway car parking but also has the house where Lord Byron reluctantly spent his holidays from school and college with his mother (Burbage Manor).My approach was to locate car parks before exploring, given the weather conditions and that they were free. I followed one sign down a single track lane to where it is located opposite a large parkland and play area but I failed to locate this on the internet with included a virtual tour guide which views fro, the town centre, the Leisure centre and the Minster School. Overall this is a very prosperous, middle class community where there is not the visible signs of poverty although from one car park ticked away used before exploring Burbage Green, the possession of a home were being loaded on an open lorry truck and had clearly been the process of loaded during the storms. The most likely explanation was a house or flat clearance and the furniture looked old and inexpensive. For a town of 7500 it has a 25 metre pool, fitness centre with squash and badminton courts at the Leisure where there are also facilities for young children. Southwell Minster school nearby is considered to be a private school but is a state funded secondary establishment which has recently been rebuilt with the latest facilities as a specialist college in humanities and music. There is an annual folk festival held in June and a race course and in August Ladies Day is the social event of the year where ladies are encouraged to dress up with prizes for best hats and shoes as well as best dressed. A final insight into Southwell life is that at the public toilet visit before I left there were tiny discrete typed notices advising that two good looking gentleman offered male to male escort service which would blow ones mind and that they could travel and accommodate. The treat of the day was an early evening meal at a nearby village restaurant converted from a former Inn which will remain nameless as it rightly should remain a treasure for local people. There is a £15 early evening menu from which I enjoyed a mackerel starter with horseradish, followed by pork with fresh vegetables and small pieces of roasted potatoes served to the table in attractive and keep warm containers appropriate for the rural setting. The third course was a slice of apple pie with a raspberry sorbet ice cream. I drank still water and regretted not having coffee. I was in such a good mood after this meal that I did not get into a state when on the way back to the motel I saw a sign Southwell eight miles after I had travelled at least eight miles from the area, not realising until afterward that this was a different route to the town. This time I worked out that I needed to go south rather than north on reaching the M1 with only a short distance before the service area and crossing over to the motel. There was not much time or inclination for recording and writing before another early to bed night. I kept in touch with the Test Match through the car radio and which revealed that there had been some play in the cricket between Durham and Nottingham, where the home side had reached 100 runs for four wickets and instinct based on experienced suggested that the match was moving towards a draw with two evenly matched sides aware that they had a chance to become county champions for the year.

Ruskin College at Headington 2008 and where first home used to be

On waking the first thing I thought was that, the weather had broken. The rain had been tropical, fierce and prolonged and on my first look outside, to reload the car, the impression was of more rain to come. It was also chill, a damp chill. I was still governed by the heat rash so made a priority visiting a chemist as soon as I reached Oxford. Having walked Burford, through the town to its riverside and worked out where the Magistrates and Juvenile Courts had been located, there was no need to visit again. Burford marked one extremity of my patch as a child care officer 1964-1967. The Marques of Blanford chaired the Magistrate's Court, his wife the Juvenile Court, and once every six months we reported to the juvenile benches of Witney and Burford on the progress of those children committed to the care of the local authority by the courts instead of an Approved School, following an agreement reached between the Children's Officer and Magistrates in the County. Memories of individuals with whom I worked and of those for whom I worked remain vivid but on those of the children's officer and her husband can be included in the work. Barbara became deputy chief Inspector of Social Work, while her husband was an important child psychiatrist who gave me self confidence in my ability to understand and to communicate with clients in a constructive way. I had heard about the measures taken to cope with influx of visitors to Oxford city as the volume as built up since the 1960's but I had not idea that it had become impossible to park anywhere unless you held a resident's permit, except at the park and ride system and the few official public car parks around the city, The situation was not helped to day with work, to improve bus lanes, taking place along several of the main routes in and out and around the city. This was so along the road into Summertown where I had first lived after successfully completing the Certificate of Child Care Course at the University of Birmingham and awarded the Home Office Certificate to practice as a qualified officer. As a consequence of work along the shopping area I missed the entry to the car park, if it continued to exist. Summertown is the home of the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief and of Oxford City Radio. I had two partially furnished rooms at the top of the house and a tiny alcove of kitchenette, with other facilities shared, including a young couple and their first infant who I befriended as well as one of the other residents who lived at the house for a short period of time. Others I rarely saw, let alone knew. I took the road to Marston, this runs parallel to Ring road around North Oxford.

The existence of countryside within the city as well as the Parks and the river areas is a feature of Oxford which help creates its uniqueness and compactness. During the drive I did come across one small area of road where it was possible to park as the houses all had long drive ways, however by this time I was aware that the cooler conditions had not affected the inflammation rash which made walking difficult and I decided against leaving the car and taking a bus to the city centre. I would investigate if I could park within the city. I continued until joining the London Road turning down the Headington Hill passed where Sir Robert Maxwell had built up the Pergammon Press as well as his family home, before becoming a Member of Parliament briefly and buying the Daily Mirror. The site is close to the former City Polytechnic with both now forming the second city University. Reaching the bottom of the hill I decided against continuing to Magdalene Bridge with the College on the right and St Hilda's on the left and made the sharp right discovering a new college building in the process of completion and ended back along Marston road and this time decide to continue to Headington and the car park next to one side of the Bury Knowles Park and supermarket . I take a ticket for a four hour stay and park the car against the wall which forms a passage way along one side of the park. From the car park around the supermarket and turn left reaching the park where the public toilets comprised a building with a row of four facing the street and a row of four facing into the park each with their own door and available for both sexes. This is a novel approach which present undesirables although does provide personal space for drug users and for those on the street to have a home at night or when the weather is poor during a day, although from their state of cleanliness I assume their use is monitored. Across from the park entrance is the coop supermarket at the end of the road which leads to St Leonards Road where the pair of semi detached houses was made into a top and lower flat each with their own garden space. I occupied the top flat for over a year before buying a first home at Teddington in the Borough of Richmond and Twickenham. It has was demolished, soon after I departed and replaced by a small block of flats. On the corner still is the garden shop and five doors along the post office in the same building as before. It is still as busy with three assistants. I top up my mobile. The four shops between the garden and the post office are now involved with catering. The first offers coffees and pastries at this time of day with street tables and appears popular. Equally popular as the morning progressed is Posh Fish which in addition to the take aways, functions as a restaurant offering a range of fish dishes from £7. There is a Chinese which looks closed and a Turkish restaurant which looks pricey and popular. I try to remember what was the building opposite the cinema looking building. This is now a new block of flats nearing completion available only for key workers in the city. On the opposite side of the road there is an internet café and a bistro type restaurant with street tables. There is a pizza takeaway my side. The traffic light junction here is one of the busiest because of the constant stream of luxury Wifi buses coaches to London. One offers a service every ten minutes and the other appears to be just as frequent. Headington appears to be the second city stop after the central bus station en route to the capital city. From the junction I take the left turn where there is still the hardware and household store used over forty years before and the bakery with café, although there are also a couple restaurants one also looks closed. There are over a dozen such places including a fashionable looking bistro further down the main road, as well as two popular Inns and a small hotel. I found a chemist where during my examination of potentially suitable products a talkative young women who had lost he mobile phone while talking to a Russian man the previous night had come to consume her ration of Methadone which she said was going down well. The product selected appeared to be the most suitable and worked so that within twenty four hours I became fully mobile without discomfort. I debated having lunch at the Dew Drop Inn but decided on a carton of orange fruit juice, half of which replaced the cold water I had drunk from the flask. I bought a couple of rolls although I still had some of the baguette and a small tub of rice pudding which I fancied but no spread which I decided to do without. I enjoyed lunch al fresco using the Havant bought Ham, with the rice pudding and some orange. I finished off the flask coffee. It was then time to revisit Old Headington, where I lived in a converted stable block for my first year at Ruskin College. Old Headington is amazing, an ancient rural village within seconds of the car park and used to be the homes of Tolkein and C S Lewis and other notable academic such as Sir Isaiah Berlin and David Marquand, of Lord Nuffield who made his money from cars and founded Nuffield post graduate college. It is also the family home of Emma Watson who plays Harmione Granger in the Harry Potter films. There is one new building, a church and which is opposite the Christian Counselling centre. The Black Boys used by locals and the White Heart where in term time there is a mixture of accents between Oxford and Ruskin. I continued along what is a country lane as the main college building is set back in tree covered grounds with only the former stable block against the roadway wall. I lived on the first floor in cubicle cell like room with a single bed on one side and a desk on the other with limited area for clothing and books. If someone entertained a wife or girl friend the experienced was shared by everyone.

The majority of students were accommodated in the main house. Now it has become a teaching centre for a Certificate in Social Work Course and there are small residential blocks as well as an additional teach area built around the extensive grounds with border countryside. There were some cars parked by no movement of people so I saw on a seat under a tree for a while and reflected, I moved quickly when I saw the changing colour of the clouds and reached the White Heart when there was a heavy but brief shower I stopped inside for half a pint of diet cola. There was a party of student from diverse lands ordering lunch, and one other inside the Inn who stepped out into the garden area for a smoke when the rain stopped. There were to others in the garden who stayed out under protection during the rain There was only occasional traffic outside and no movement of people anyway in the village until leaving when someone came out of their attractive three storey country town house. On the way back I tool the side road entrance the public Library building located at one end of the park, It is a large park given the size of Headington. With a vast area of grass land and trees. Near the car park and main road there is a good children's safe play area and dotted around a few picnic tables. The area neat the Library building has attractive formal beds of flowers and plants and then an interesting garden of exotic bushes and plants. In the opposite corner there are several tennis courts and activity areas and some men were felling trees nearby. I sat again and reflected more. Down the hill used to be the Oxford City Football ground then dilapidated and playing outside the football league we went occasionally during term time in that first year. Oh dear me I have just lost again all that I have written over the past half hour and I need a bath, and to pack and journey home. The most interesting building in Headington used to be the Cinema where my most memorable experience while living in college during the second year was to see Les Enfant du Paradis with Marcel Marceau and which together with the cinema in Walton Street near the college were cinema art centres with the cinema next to the bus station and the theatre showing popular films from the Sound of Music to Marlene Dietrich and Tosca. The Oxford Playhouse theatre where Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor performed was in the a nearby street with the Randolph Hotel on the corner on the other side of the bus station. I digress because the well known building today in the whole of Oxford is also in Headington opposite the former cinema. This is the house with a full size shark embedded in the roof. I kid you not. My time was up in the car park without paying more and contact with the garage revealed the cost of the work and that a road test was still to be carried out. I therefore made my way towards Bicester and stopped at a service station with a Little Chef to one side and a garage with extended facilities for the traveller including small Wild Bean Café. I waited here until the call of ready came but then circumnavigated the town first to find the garage and then to find my way to the M40 and onto the A34 and A 43 to Northampton and the Motorway. I had a sleep and also loaded the software and inserted the hardware for Wifi connection. There were two available services at the stop but I waited until settling in to the travel Lodge for the next four nights at Trowell on the MI north of Nottingham City. The cost of repairs and services was £300 which I believe is of a similar order to having hired a car and where I had lost about three hours on the first day of travel and a couple of hours this day but where I also was not in any condition for activity. What did I get for £9 a night? A large first floor room with a king size double bed , a full size convertible into a second double bed settee, A large wall length desk with working TV at one end and tea making facilities before a large area to place my case and the hanging wardrobe and shelving plus a bath and other facilities. Admittedly this was an almost on motorway located room so noisy with windows open to let in the air. But I was able to sleep well after dining on red wine with large green olives, soup and a pasta. The rest of the grapes, a Danish and coffee. I had enjoyed fruit juice on arrival and later in the evening. At the Marks and Spencer's store I bought a two for £5 large carton of fresh fruit salad which included strawberries and grapes as well pieces of orange and apple. It was a good portion worth £2.50. I also bought a pack of four pan au chocolat and a single pasta salad. I also decided on an ordinance survey Map of the city area rather than a map booklet. Then miraculously I got myself on line and was sable to eliminate without reading of 90% of the accumulated emails. One alerted that I won £10.60 on the Euro Lottery and two were from cousins to ask that I join in an electronic petition to number 10 in support of a specialist hospital for service categories. Previously I supported the government view and that of the High Command that it was better for the injured to bet treated as close to their families as possible getting the best specialist treatment available. There is still a strong case for this especially as many of the wounded will not be able to continue their service career and therefore using a civilian hospital will help adjustment to what will be a major change again in their young lives. However given the number of casualties, that individuals can be transferred for specialist operations and that medical personnel can be given short term or sessional contracts I am in sympathy with those who want to be with others who have undergone similar experiences and to do so in a service. I suspect costs will be a factor. It is still shocking how we appear to be treating some of those who are wounded and the media could help more by keeping the public informed about what is happening on a daily basis

A visit to Portsmouth Harbour part one

Although handicapped by a heat rash in an intimate area I was determined to make the most of Monday before heading north to Burford in Oxfordshire for an overnight stop. I had reorganised my luggage in such a way that I would only need to take the communications and entertainment bag, plus the attaché case and food out of the car for the overnight stop. I planned for an early breakfast of, well by now I had a pattern of two croissants, grapefruit segments, fruit juice and coffee taking a pan au chocolat for later. I also planned to reach Havant by 9 am, giving me half an hour to get sun aftercare lotion and investigate a wireless link for the lap top before being eligible for a cheap day return train ticket into Portsmouth.

I considered using the bus but wanted to spend as much time as I could in the city before heading northwards for the overnight stop. I had difficulty putting money in the machine for a place in the almost full car park and fortunately an assistant came to my rescue and took the coins to another machines and brought me over a ticket to where the car was parked at the far end of the park. I must wrote about the contrasts in the behaviour of people towards me now that I am regard as old by others. In order to reach the shops I had to walk over an external bridge which involve a walk up over gardens to the left where one house had to large trampolines, another a single trampoline with side protection to prevent falling off and a play pool while a third had a larger pool possibly a hot tub and a barbecue patio area. This confirmed my impression that when one neighbour goes for something others tend to follow as if they give permission to each other. In this instance they were being brave as any activity in the gardens would be under constant observation not only from all the users of this foot bridge but there was a second linking pathway to the side of the house with the most expensive array of garden furniture. In contrast them there was one house which had attempted to create levels of privacy by a series hedges between gardens and within the garden although the height of the bridge still enabled passers by to overlook. They also had to contend with the noise of trains to Waterloo, to Victoria and to Brighton. I found a major electronics and appliance store in the shopping centre but they did not have the wireless device in stock but I felt I was making progress. I then found a chemist, not a chain store, where three assistants were waiting for their first customer of the day. Yes they had some sun after care sun for 2.99 but it was part of a two for one special offer and but they only had one tube, would I like some sun tan cream instead so I chose factor 25 and threw my existing out of date supply which appeared ineffective at the earliest opportunity. On the way back to the station I noted a car on this side of the station which would have avoided having to walk over the external bridge. I was determined to make the trip into the city although I was handicapped by the heat rash which made mobility difficult. On the train I was entertained by a mother with one or two daughters and pre school son who was taking three other teenage girls on a shopping trip singled handed, five teenage girls and small boy was a challenge for anyone. I quietly wished her success (to myself).I was able to tale a quick look at the free London based Metro newspaper when the main story was the survival of Gordon Brown as Prime Minister. It is significant that the Cabinet have not rushed to his defence and that a momentum is building up behind my Member of Parliament, David Miliband. It would be a mistake for him to stand, unless as with Heseltine it is to make way for someone's to take the crown although whoever won would have to go to the country for an endorsement. My instinct is for Harriet Harman. I decided against going to the Spinnaker Tower and chose the Naval Dockyard and although I knew I had time for only a couple of attractions I took the annual season ticket at the concession price for Seniors of £15.50 and which included gift Aid, providing entry to four major attractions, HMS Warrior 1860, The Marie Rose Museum and Ship Hall, the HMS Victory Walkup and a Boat trip around the Harbour, plus unlimited access to the Royal Naval Museum, the Dockyard Apprentice and Action Stations, the various restaurants and other facilities on what is n exceptionally large site and which in turn is only a small area of the restricted naval dockyard, I found the experience overwhelming and moving and regretted that I was handicapped and with a limited time. It is my view one of the most important attractions in the British Islands. My first interest was to take a boat trip around the port which included a view of the warships remaining in the secured naval docks and where the next trip was at 11am. I considered visiting the HMS Warrior but the assistant advised that there would not be time especially if I wanted a good seat on the boat. I took the advice and made a slow walk around the site finding toilets and getting my bearings. There is a cavernous store of naval antiques would could have occupied the rest of the morning. However my mind was on my previous visit to the Naval dock gates which were close to where the public entrance is now. Sometime between 1947 and 1949 the son of one my mother's brothers who had become a USA citizen and arrived in his ship at Portsmouth and at least a dozen of us went to see him. There was the three aunties. There was the son and his wife of one with both recently demobbed from the army after serving in world war two. There were cousins and a friend of one on whose lap I went to sleep on the return journey. It took us all day to get there and get back. (I need to know who went as I remember some but not everyone).We waited at the gates with lots of young women anxious meet American sailors with their presents of nylons, chocolate and chewing gum. Everyone came out at the appointed time except our relative. Enquiries were made and it was discovered that he was confined the ship for some misdemeanour. Representations were made and it was agreed he could meet us at a nearby café but under escort and on hearing about the numbers he had managed to acquire nylons for the lasses and chewing gum and chocolate for everyone else. It was the second great peace time event of my life after seeing the street lights come on for the first time, with oranges, lemons and bananas the third. The trip around the naval harbour was extraordinary especially as we were able to watch three visiting Japanese vessels depart, police launch ensured that we kept our distance but there was no restriction on photographs and film. Everyone had crowded on to the top deck whereas I quickly discovered the best place was at the front or rear of the saloon deck where I was able to photograph without the heads of others appearing in frame or blocking the views of the children. There were a score of vessels which we were able to see at close quarters, the majority in active service. There were decommissioned vessels including several who had participated in the Falklands campaign and had been replaced after their vulnerability to modern rocket assault had been exposed. The running commentary was excellent. In the distance we had pointed out the Submarine training facilities as well as the vessels used now a training ships. We then called in at the new marina type shopping development which includes the tower having also passed close to what is called Spice Island and is now given over to a huddled collection of Inns and restaurants, both areas to visited, hopefully. I then visited HM Warrior, in its day the most powerful fighting vessel on the seas. In order to explore the three below levels it is necessary to use steep ladders with for the most part ropes help one up and down. I had difficulty and discomfort butt grateful that I did not miss out, The main deck comprised a score of large breach loading cannon type guns each requiring 18 men to fire and maintain. The men slept in hammocks slung over the guns and improvement to when they would sleep on any available hard space and they eat at tables between the guns with food prepared at a central galley. There was no privacy or room for personal possessions and as one observant young pointed out to his parents there are no toilets or bathrooms! The captains quarters were impressive in contrast with all the atmosphere of a London Club. The quantity of other weaponry and ordinance was impressive but only served to emphasise the danger to everyone although in the instance of the Warrior it was a fast ship with the power to sink opponents using just a couple of forward mounted guns. I also explored the next deck to see the quarters of other officers, the workshops and. I did not go lower to the steam power house which made every other warship obsolete and can be regarded as the most ship to have ever been built. For those who can travel within a day I would recommend making a visit to the Warrior as one trip other wise there will not time to digest the information provided or speak at length to the available crew guides. This also applies to the Marie Rose, the only remains of a fighting vessel for the time of Henry the Eight. Known to have been sunk in Portsmouth Harbour in 1545. Like many people I witnessed the raising of the remains on television in 1982 and have since watched one or more films about the finds of objects and the restoration projects. I did not see the hull in this instance which is kept in a "dry dock " sprayed previously with water and not with a waxing preservative to prevent the timbers from drying out and disintegrating. Some 190000 objects were retrieved and many of these are on display in the museum, Shortly after arrival there was a showing of the hour long BBC film about the location of the wreck, the raising to the surface, and the information which the objects have provided about the life of naval men at the time. I watched half the film which I have seen before and then the rest of an hour in the museum, but it merited a whole morning or afternoon of a visit. I had been on site for four hours and felt that given my condition with increasing difficult in walking without painful discomfort, I had had to end the visit in this instance but determined to return and to the Isle of Wight. I decided to return to Havant where I left by rucksack the car and made my way back to the town centre where I purchased a sandwich, a bottle of water and a packet of crisps from Boots for £2.99, My dyslexia meant that when looking to see what was included in the meal deal I missed the hundred or so notices in deal in deal in deal marked on the display units. That evening or maybe the next I watched a programme about commercial sandwich making in which those from Boots rated the best in terms of healthy content. I eat these on a bench in the shade under a tree. Having not heard from the garage about my car I decided to withdraw cash from the nearest machine and called in at the nearest supermarket on the way back to the station where I bought a baguettes, a jar of large olives a three for the price of two deal on packs of salami and cured natural ham for a picnic feast that evening. Why I did not go back to the chemist for advice o the heat rash is a puzzle. It was around 4pm when I decided to commenced the journey to Burford in Oxfordshire which formed the end of my patch as a child care officer 1964 1967 and where I had represented the county at the juvenile court chaired by the wife of the Marques of Blanford and where her husband chaired the Magistrates Court which I also had occasion to attend in my professional capacity. To get to Burford I decided to journey west along the M27 and hen take the MS back north and then across from Oxford via Witney, However the MS was closed because of an accident and traffic was also congested at the next exist so I continued on taking a route to Salisbury, Marlborough Swindon and then directly to Burford via Lechlade. This journey takes one through some of the most glorious of British countryside full of quite villages with thatched roofs, However Salisbury was busy at rush hour so seeing a large supermarket and a Staples office store and left the traffic for some cold water and to see if Staples had a wireless link. This was a very successful detour using the toilet and drinking down a bottle of cold water before finding a helpful assistant to recommenced a Belkin wireless card to go min to the external slot thus keeping free the USB slots. The cost was £20.The weather changed and I reached Burford just before a tropical thunderstorm. The Travel Lodge and Little Chef were at the junction at the end of the road I had taken as it reached the A 40, thus avoiding having to extend the journey in search of the over night stop. Both building are built with stone facades to fit into the Cotswolds character. The location meant that I did not get to see the town again but I had visited within the past five years so my memory remained, Unfortunately either because of the location or the storm or both there was not mobile phone reception so I did not try the wireless. The receptionist seemed surprised that I was on my own so perhaps there is no mobile phone link anyway and the rural isolation would make it an ideal retreat for lovers of all kinds. I enjoyed my Picnic feast with two glasses of red wine, bathed and had an early night going to sleep, waking sparingly and rising early. However the rain was torrential at times and I wondered if the hot spell was over.

Childhood holidays recreated

It is becoming difficult to switch back to my feelings of only four days ago when I decided to visit Sandown and Shanklin on the Isle of Wight for the first time since the early 1950's. After the amazing experience of 20 20 finals day I did not fancy joining the tens of thousands rushing to the Naval dockyard to see the twenty vessels, including visits on board ships, and considered that it would be quieter going in the opposite direction. I pondered what to do over breakfast of two croissants with marmalade, grapefruit segments, orange fruit juice and two cups of coffee, leaving a “pan-au-chocolat” for later, which was just as well because as the wrapped tin foiled sandwiches had to go and I did not fancy the bananas or pears, there was just one container of prepared salad mixture for the day, together with one flask of hot coffee and one of ice cold water. I hoped I would have sufficient to keep me going on my travels and my practice of eating as I felt I needed to rather than according to conventional times.

Following the previous night's route into Havant I saw a sign to railway station before reaching the town centre and found a large car park where for I could park all day for £1.50. This proved to be the first of several occasions when strangers asked fro information and I was able to pass what I had just learnt on. The individual commented out aloud ask a visitor of you want an answer. The train fare was something like £3.60 return and for this day only the train stopped at the next station because of the navy days, before going to Frat ton Park the home of Portsmouth Football club, the central Portsmouth and Southsea before Portsmouth Harbour. It is only a short walk from the platform to the entrance of the Fast cat Ferry service every 30 minutes taking 20 minutes with five minutes for passengers to alight and five for them get on board. Because of my age I was entitled to seat by the exit and there was just time to acclimatise to this new environment before reaching the end of the pier at Ryde and my first memory realization. Memory has blocked out unnecessary information for half a decade. It was only on arrival that I remembered the length of the pier and that only first timers or people like me walked into the town and bus station with everyone else being picked up by friends or taxis or taking the island train which goes some six miles from the pier to Shanklin. This is made up of carriages from the London underground (Tube) system. After finding the male toilet I was prepared for the interesting walk take care when two vehicles passed by in opposite directions and the other first time visitors who stopped to admire the view. I watched the train depart and wondered if I was making the right decision given that the morning was progressing and I longed for coffee and the pan-au-chocolat. Sadly I watched, unknowingly, the first bus travelling in the desired direction, a single Decker, leaving the small bus station at the end of the pier, and to wait for sometime before the next, a double Decker, arrived, unloaded, and reloaded but was then immediately away, through the town into the countryside. At the ferry office I had picked up a copy of Wight Life which contained a double page spread map of the Island, providing a calendar of events. I am going to leave to another day reference to my interest in the island arising from relayed information related to "child care" issues as none of that information has been independent verified although it does provide a potentially challenging perspective on island life away from that presented to the tourists, see however what is happening now re Jersey and the "child care" revelations emerging The island which is just under 150 square miles with under 60 miles of coastline has a resident population of around 140000 with an imbalance of elders who are attracted by the climate and living abroad where British is the main language unlike parts of London and other major cities and towns and an a for a major part of the year as they go to further education on the mainland many meeting their future partners establishing their occupations and first homes away. The residents, especially those of generations will have mixed views about the extent to which the island is given over to long and short stay tourism. At the ferry station I acquired two excellent guides to the island for free and both contained a map. The first is magazine style island which begins with a calendar of main events plus and second list all notified events at the time of publication, called Wight life and the other a pocket guide. Later I also obtained a tourist map book and all three provided information to the extent that I immediately wished to make a longer stay. Traditionally the Island is known for its Cowes Week sailing regatta, when all the posh hotels are taken by the country and London smart set of the day. I have a poster of the first Rock festival now established in June and there is a second music festival, the bestival, There is the food "Garlic festival with 300 stalls and 20000 visitors and an international sporting event with 500 competition, with action sports in the air, land and water as well as art and live music, On the day of my visit I quickly discovered that Girl Aloud were appearing the former summer residence of Queen Victoria Osborn House. There is also great access to the Island with several crossing points for vehicles and pedestrian/cycle travellers, some 400 a day which is over 15 an hour. My route from Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde, with the vehicle ferry from Portsmouth to Fishbourne, From Southampton there is a passenger Catamaran to West Cowes and vehicular to East Cowes. From Southsea there is foot passengers to Ryde, vehicle Lymington to Yarmouth and passenger from Keyhaven to Yarmouth. There is also a chain ferry between East and West Cowes.I did a coach tour or two wishing that we were able to go in our own time. There is the needles areas where for many year I had a souvenir container of different coloured sands and several Chines small gorges or ravines but the various wildlife and adventure parks, the historic sites, river and steam engine trips are all post 1940 developments.I alighted from the bus at Sandown which I remembered well with its street of shops parallel to the road beach where wooden ladder take you down to the beach unless you go to northern area where there is no road and direct beach access. I believe the first time we stayed at Bembridge which then had a country village atmosphere but no beach so we had to take the bus to Sandown. I also remembered the pier which looked the sane externally. It follows the traditional organisation of arcade amusements designed to separate you from your cash, then a place to have an all day breakfast or fish and chips, or dunkin donuts, then an open walking area with a few seats, then a couple of rides and then a precarious area for fisherman. It is not a long pier which is why is has survived whereas that at Shanklin became derelict and was destroyed altogether in a storm. There are still the canopied high back deck chairs which I eventually persuaded the aunties as doing so was considered superior to lying out on the sand. It was time to move on to Shanklin where I had forgotten that the town is some distance from the sea front, missing the town stop at the small bus station and then deciding to get off at the Old Village, making key way back and have a look at the theatre where I was unable to remember if we were able to afford a visit or if in deed there were summer shows.. I bought the map booklet in order to work out where I was, sitting at a bench by a church and then made my way down the steep hill to the sea front at the most southern end of the bay where there is a miniature golf course which I always wanted to play but was not very good at and where there were public toilets. There used to a great long pier here but it became derelict and then was destroyed in a storm. I vaguely remembered that was a lift to the cliff top but was not in operation when we visited and the present one was built around1955, has two lifts and costs 60 p for pensioners one way. My memory is that we went to the children's parade although whether this was at Sandown where it take places to day or at Shanklin I cannot remember. I am certain that one year we did go to Shanklin rather than Sandown for the illuminations. On my way back I found a bus stop just before the town bus station where I missed one again and though I did not have long to wait thinking that the time table applied to the stop. There I met a grandmother who was waiting for her son in law to take her his home so she would baby sit while the parents and older children went to see Girls aloud. One of the daughters was to be Princess in the parade. I did not recognise much about Shanklin on explore much although I was tempted by one restaurant hotel offering a dressed crab salad and another which offered steak on a slate like hot slab with vegetables served on a second plinth. The journey back was not enjoyable, first a half an hour weight for the bus. Then although I arrived in time for the 6,15 ferry it was cancelled for operational reasons so there was a great queue and scrum for the 6.45 which set off five mins late which was crucial because although I made my way directly to the station and along the platform past the five coach train, it pulled out before the stated time, When I challenged the station attendant he first lied and then admitted that the off was signalled some thirty seconds before departure time and that he worked for the railways and had nothing to do with the ferry service which sums up just what is wrong with the private enterprise system. As it happens I had a choice of train with those going to Waterloo and Victoria also calling at Havant as well as the departing train along the coast to Brighton but for some, including one family off the ferry there was an hour's wait. Back at the motel I enjoyed a made up evening meal of packet soup, packet pasta, Danish and fruit, water and coffee. It had been a very short visit back into childhood and at the point I was not certain when or if I would return, despite remembering that we had stayed at the third resort Ventnor. I was also experiencing personal discomfort with what I hoped was a mild heat rash in an intimate area of the body but nothing affected the sense of having recaptured part of my childhood.

1445 A challenging journey to Portsmouth

It is just as well I wrote that I had prepared myself to expect the unexpected during my journey of 340 miles on Friday from the North East of England to just outside Portsmouth.

I had packed my main suitcase the previous night and gathered together in an organised fashion everything required in three medium sized soft trolley bags, plus haversack and document briefcase. The first task of the early morning was food. I prepared four sandwiches of cheese and ham wrapped in foil and then placed in containers for Saturday and Sunday and then prepared two mixed salads in containers of lettuce, salad pepper, cucumber, olives, tomato and chopped fine pieces of salmon in a tomato and basil sauce. There were two Danish type pastries and fruit, strawberries for Saturday with a banana and a pear, and grapes for Sunday with another pear and banana.

In the second bags I prepared a large salad for the journey, some prawns in shell, two Danish type pastries, the remainder of ham, cheese, lettuce cucumber and tomato which would not last my absence but my last until Monday Tuesday. There was also picnic cups, glass and plate, knives forks and spoon, kitchen roll, waste bags, tea towels.

I posted two Blogs where I had difficulty doing so before bedtime. I assembled luggage in vehicle as would be required during the day, in the evening and could be left overnight in the vehicle. I check weather forecasts. Plants inside and outside the house were watered, washed up and had a cup of coffee. It was still 9,30 when I left having hoped it would have been closer to eight o'clock. I had decided on the Benny Goodman Carnegie Hall concert, the two LP's of the Music Hair and Miss Saigon tapes, her first back up tapes of Long Play records and the second a back of the double tape.

I love Miss Saigon I saw the original London production three possible four times enjoying the music, the spectacle and the Madam Butterfly storyline. I adore Madam Butterfly have a CD Performance. I began the day with Miss Saigon and completed the work before arriving at the Scotch Corner service area for prepared coffee and a Danish. It was a glorious sunny morning and I remember remarking to myself that the vehicle was running like a dream. Ho Ho Ho!

Before reaching Scotch Corner there were already roadside earning notices that the M25 was already a crawl between the junction with the M1 and the M3. It was time for plan B and in fact I kicked myself for not checking the alternative beforehand. This involved continuing on the M1 until Northampton Service area and turn off and taking the A 43 on the road to the Midland cities by Silverstone race track and then taking the A 34, joining the M40 briefly, and then following the A34 all the way until connecting with the A3

I continued in good spirits deciding on lunch at the Nottingham Trowell Service area where I would be staying for the cricket the following week. It was very hot and later I learnt the hottest day of the year. The radio had advised of significant chaos on all major roadways with several closed for hours at a time because of accidents as families sent off on their annual long holidays intermingling with the usual Friday rush to complete travels and get home for the weekend as quickly as practical. I remember what Friday afternoon on the M25 was like and chided myself for ever contemplating going that way.

The shock of the day was the news that Labour had lost their second safest seat in Scotland to the Scottish Labour Party. This was not a surprise to me as it was evident that the Prime Minister and the Labour Party hierarchy had lost touch with the mood among their own supporters as well as the middle ground of those without party political allegiance. I anticipated that despite all the arguments about changing leadership there would be open talk of doing so. As the day progressed, especially the run through of the first editions, it was revealed that Cabinet Ministers had told the PM directly or indirectly that he had to change his position and that of the party over the summer or there would be a move to replace him.

I also listened to Dr Mark Kermode do his run through of the Top Ten box office films of the past week before reviewing the latest releases. Just after Silverstone as I approached a junction the traffic became stationery and within a couple of minutes police arrived to close the road ask the oncoming traffic to take the slip road as I was able to do and then find that the road was clear the other side of the junction and have time to look back and see a horrendous accidents. Shortly after leaving the A43 for the A 34 I pulled up at a lay-by for a cold drink and because I was tired, There was a great sign earning that the area was a lorry theft hot spot so I decided to continue to the M 40 Cherwell Valley service area for a longer break and where the A34 then went via Oxford to Portsmouth and Southampton.

A couple of minutes after setting off I note that the radio had stopped and then as I approached a roundabout and was going round the engine cut out completely and there was a smell of burning. I got out as quickly as I could removing my coast and brief case on an island junction rather than the central roundabout. The car was in a dangerous position as vehicles swept round and also continued from the direction I had travelled. I contacted the AA who advised it could be up to an hour before I am reached despite advising of the dangerous location I try and direct traffic away from my stationery vehicle so I advise the police. I sped the next half hour directing traffic. Police contact to say just has information passed to them and will send two officers to assist. AA then phone to say 5 mins away. I am taken off round about to safe lay-by near by and the officer then attempts to sort out the problem. Definitely electrical burn out but what ? Two community police officers to establish everything is OK so there must have been communication between police and AA. Possibly some of the motorists/ lorry driver advised of my situation and efforts.

AA officer works out that when I left the lay-by the starter motor had jammed and then burnt out and would need replacing. Vehicle jump started and then road tested. I then drive vehicle with AA following to Bicester, garage of Worldwide Automotive Ltd. They will arrange starter motor and advise of cost Monday, cash payments only and then be ready for collection on Tuesday. Later all out cost £35 ho ho but provide Citroen Car T834 AKX for my use until then, Find garage in Bicester and add fuel. The slowly get only way having transferred all the luggage from one car to another. There is rock festival at Blenheim this week which may or may not account why road is choc block ahead so I follow other vehicles as they take a different route joining in A 34 later when the road is clear but stationery opposite direction. Road goes round Oxford towards Newbury. Decide to go to services to stop and find out about car lights, radio etc. Miss turning and go to new private secured village situation and motorist impatient as I try and work out what to do. It is a weekend of impatient motorists!

Go to McDonalds at Service area and have McChicken meal with Diet Coke on outside bench in the warm evening. Before leaving car note an alarm sounding and that rear lights are on. Because of what has happened before mind has stopped thinking. Ring mobile of garage and they think it is to do with having unintentionally put side lights on. I turn off lights but alarms sounds continue. Only later do I work out this is clock alarm going off at wrong time. Muppet. Will decide to tell garage later. I write down the car registration number on garage card. This was brilliant given subsequent events.

Drive on anxious to try before darkness but must have misread map because road takes me away from Portsmouth to Southampton and the M27. This is OK as it will help re morning but it is getting later and darkness descends as I am on M7 towards Portsmouth and A 3. Pass junction 8 required for the morning and note roadwork’s area for extra time morning. Come of junction before by mistake and read of map in off road area does not really help. Rejoin M27 and take A3 but which slip road at the junction do I take. In the end decide on Waterlooville and what luck as once approach end of slip road there is sign saying Havant. This involves taking dark area of overhanging tree. At end of this area there is a road to Leigh Park and to Havant and decide to go to Havant and before reaching town centre see sign Rowlands Castle and follow this road for sometime and then straight ahead I see Harvester and next to it Innkeepers. Park. Register at Bar as requested and alas my room is on first floor which involves negotiating three doors with luggage.

I eat greater part of salad in lettuce bowl, Danish pastry and coffee. By the time I have done this I am tired and ready for bed. Must have arrived around 10pm and with unpacking and food and preparing for morning and then some writing midnight passes and onto at least 1 am. I am so looking forward to tomorrow do not sleep well and wake up during night do some more writing.