Express By Holiday Inn Lichfield

... Friday, and I am going to be ready for it if it does. I have a huge chunk of admin blocked out so will have time on my side but fingers crossed it all goes well. <br><br>The weather has turned pretty horrid today with the first major winds - had to wear a beanie to the bus stop for the first time today as my hair was blowing madly and obstructed my visual field - and even then it was tied ...

... the moment.<br>Spent the day doing boring things - reading up on some CPD/Professional activities and sorting some files/photos on my computer. Made a cake to take to work - Guinness Chocolate Cake (A Nigella gem (she really is a domestic goddess if this is anything to go by - recipe available online for anyone interested)). Should have got out and about and see Brum for my last weekend here but got sidetracked and figured I ...

Finally worked out my route.<br><br>Fly to Armenia, travel through Georgia to Turkey and fly from Istanbul to Mumbai. Work my way across to Calcutta and fly to Bangkok. Through Thailand and Cambodia to Vietnam, then onto China.<br><br>I am setting off early September 2010 and aim to be in China early December, maybe.<br><br>And then I have to get back...

... certainly have all the gear, including a solar panel charger for all things electrical, (thanks to JT for that), a torch/smoke dectector/emergency signal (thanks to RW for that one) and enough medical supplies to kit out a small hospital (having doctors as friends is most useful). <br><br>So one 55l rucksack, a lot of tears and tantrums later and I am ready for the off...<br><br>P.S - Does travelling business class count as cheating???

... br><br>Much to the amusement of some people, I have planned my entire trip by the week! Yeah, yeah, I know it is likely to change in the first week, but without preparation I might miss out on something I wanted to do, so it's good to have a skeleton plan.<br><br>Only 16 days to go and counting ... I wish I was going tomorrow, having said ...

... for many years and started Ilkeston's own museum. He's quite famous around these parts and Anthea's new name in Ilkeston is "Cyril Hargreaves' grand-daughter"<br>Whilst in Ilkeston, we made our way to the Ilkeston fair - one of the oldest street fairs in England (it's been running for 800 years!) and is also the biggest street fair in Europe. I'm not quite sure what we were expecting, but it was just full of side-show games and overpriced rides ...

Afte a lazy start to the day we headed out to go see some locals of the New Forest starting first with the donkeys then the ponies, cows, pigs, squirrels, ducks and geese - oh and manybe some sheep too! <br><br>We headed up around Frogham, over the High Corner Inn to the pub at Fritham, the Walter Tyrrel and the Rufus stone, thru Beaulieu and back up ornamental drive before heading home to have dinner at the George! Great day not too rainy and very entertaining!<br>

... only thing in common is the wish we were back snuggled up in our warm beds dreaming our own private dreams. There is mostly silence as we sit protected from the cold wind blowing outside, watching the clock on the wall as the minute hand moves unceasingly towards 6.30am and the beginning of a new day at Derwent Printing. As if by gravity those already there and those that continue to arrive are drawn together in the lunch room into the various work groups that make up Derwent ...

Arrived in Lichfield in the evening. We stayed at a bush camp near the big waterfall. We were pretty much the only ones there so we lit a fire and cooked up some found on one of those metal grates. Later on, a Maui camper van pulled in and Leon went over and asked them over ...

August 13, 2000 &#8211; Sunday<br><br>London to Stratford to Oxford<br><br>We arrived in Stratford and took a tour of Anne Hathaway's house (the wife of William Shakespeare). Very short people must have lived here, because there is no head room for me in this house. (BevNote: There are SOME advantages to being short!) There are ...