More from London

Hello again blog followers

Its Sunday morning in beautiful down town London and the sun is shining magnificently. The temperature is expected to be in the high teens so it is a typically gorgeous spring day with just the slightest hint of a cool breeze intermittently reminding us that it isn't quite speedo and block out cream time just yet.

I have loaded some additional, and more contemporary, photos for your viewing pleasure. The first shot is of a particularly interesting vehicle Jane and I were able to hire (not without some notably aggresive bartering on Jane's part I might add) to use on a day drive around London. I must admit that once inside the vehicle, my childhood memories of being an Italian in Kurnell came flooding back and I automatically felt right at home inside the lavish interiour fit out coupled with the distinctively adorned bumber bar. It seems we were mistaken whilst driving around for someone obviously both famous and funny, which would explain the continual pointing in our direction coupled with belly laughing and general guffawing. For anyone intending to come over, the vehicle is available from Karma Cars and comes complete with enough unleaded fuel to actually get out of the sight of the hire firm. I am since advised that the spare tyre was an option (which we hadn't taken out as part of the policy however had no need for same as it turned out) and the road map, curiously, came with instructions which indicated it could only be read using the glow from a low amp torch behind barracaded windows during air alerts or periods of sustained blackout (I did note the version we had was printed in 1943 so perhaps a couple of the street names have changed). None the less, a great days driving around the thriving metropolis of London in our own little "Merryness Motor".

Whilst walking around the streets of Soho, Jane and I happened upon a little Hotel called the Crooked Ledge and by chance witnessed an early heat of the "Junior Miss Britain" competition. I was fortunate enough to meet the early winner and got this photograph of her going through one of her posing routines, this one depicting her shy, profiled image. Very demur don't you think? No wonder she was an early favourite with the judges.

The next couple of shots are of Amy Pearce from Wodonga who is teaching over here and has been for about 4 years. Amy's mum is Jane's cousin so we made a point of catching up with Amy last night in an irish pub called Waxy O'Connor's and it truly was one of the best pubs I have seen in a long time. Amy showed us a great night out including Japanese dining in China time (made sense at the time!) and on to the night sights of Picadilly Circus, the West End and finally a night viewing of Big Ben, The Eye and parts of Charing Cross. The photo is of the girls in front of the Houses of Parliament at Westminster with Big Ben visible on the right. A truly beautiful sight at night however, the wind cut through us but the view was well worth the momentary discomfort.

The final photograph is of Jane with her good friend Santino - old mates from Sydney - and this was taken outside of great little place called The Sun (its a pub) in Clapham Common which is where Santino lives with his gorgeous wife Anna and the newest little addition to the British population, 6 day old Eva. We had a great visit with them and really enjoyed the change in scenery from the built up area of London and its immediate surrounds to the more gentle countryside of Clapham and the surrounding rural vista.

Jane and I have both been astounded by the simplicity in which the British move about by rail. In describing it, there are only really two things that need to be remembered (in the borough of Westminister and surrounding areas at least). Train routes are coded by colours and destinations fall within Zones. As such, it is extremely easy to determine both where you need to go and what the cost will be by simply identifying the colour of the line you need to travel on and the zone in which the end destination falls within. We have taken to using what is called an "Oyster" which is a card you buy for £3 pounds and then "top it up" with however much credit you wish to put on it. You then swipe the card entering railway station turnstyles and swipe it when leaving at your point of destination and it automatically calculates, at a reduced rate, the fare you will have paid (eg we paid cash for one fare and it cost £4 yet the same fare using the "Oyster" cost us £2). You can top up the credit level at any time you want to do so, electronically via machines at railway stations, and when we leave England tomorrow to go to Ireland, we return the card to any railway station and receive a refund of whatever credit remains on the card AND the original £3 purchase price of the card. Simple, smart, convenient and terribly British!!!

Alas, we leave tomorrow for the green pastures of Dublin and the wonderfully gregarious reputation of the Irish. We have both thoroughly enjoyed England, or at the least the bits of it we saw, extending in contrast from the solemness of St Pauls Cathedral, the majesty of Westminster Abbey, the historical significance of the Marble Arch and Trafalgar Square to the sheer entertainment, and delight, of Portobello Road and the West End.

I for one have certainly come away with an altogether different view of the country and its people. Jane and I could not have asked for better hospitality on the part of the Brits and it really is a place worth seeing time after time after time.

I give London a "Rick's Rating" of 8/10 and would encourage anyone even thinking of coming over to do so. The architecture, the history and the magnificence of the place, albeit viewed daily through over cast skies, is worth the 23+ hour (business class of course!) trip.

Hello to Leigh and Ian Pearce - my apologies for my alcohol encouraged wife insisting that your daughter ring you at some ungodly hour this morning to say hello.

Thanks for continuing to monitor the blog - keep the comments coming because when we read them "it's just like having you here with us"!

Love to all

Jane and Rick