The White Hart Buckingham

Right...23 Days to go!! Not long now since i started counting at 385!!!
Only 10 actual days of my "real" work left to do then i'm out of here! I can't actually belive i'm going it somehow does not seem real!
I think the nerves are setting in and the waves of happiness and fear come and Go!!!!!
I never though for a minute i would leave the comfort of a perfectly good job, home and my family and friends to travel on my own ...

With time rapidly dwindling I went down to Banbury way this afternoon to visit my brother et famille before I leave, taking the opportunity to say goobye to two young nephews - one of whom was able to appreciate some of the implications of what I am doing, "But what if you get sick?" he asked. :-)

Back up to Stoke in the late evening. Last day of preparations tomorrow.

A quick update. Things have moved on, including us. We're pleased to report that a few days ago Brian the van was declared healthy, after some serious re-constructive surgery!

On Monday we left Norfolk and began a series of public transport journeys that would take us from Norwich to London, London to Cheltenham (to visit with friends for a couple of nights) and then Cheltenham to Birmingham to finally pick up our beloved Brian. We ...

... to work, then during the day we kept losing broadband connection. With an over booked plane it was imperative I checked in as soon after 7.20pm as possible so as I could to preserve our precious seats. Eventually after fraught nerves but good assistance from son Stephen I got the job done.

Off to bed with some relief.

... for them: clearing cupboard andwardrobe space, and giving the place a thorough spring clean. Vanda has spentweeks getting the (already very clean and tidy) house in tip top condition.There are places I’m not allowed to go now for fear of making them dirty oruntidy again.

As a riposte I preparedanother list: “The House Sitters Guide to Living at Nsansa”. At least Barbaraand Steve will know where things are and what to do if they go wrong.

... up early to be first in the check-in queue, smile at the check in lady and, standing on tip toe, ask for the emergency exit seats, because you say, with such long legs the other seats are too cramped. But airline have now got used to the wily passenger and have started charging extra for extra legroom seats.

To find the best seats (and there can be several which are not exit seats), find out what plane ...

... may be few and far between, so take a lot.

My view is several tee shirts and pairs of shorts will cover most situations, any anyway I don't want to be lugging a heavy case around for three months, so take a little.

And at the moment Vanda is sweating - she's right on her weight limit and still not finished packing. I've not yet told her that I'm 7 kg below my limit ........

No doubt over the next few days we'll find a compromise solution!

... We were trawling through accommodation and found somewhere we fancied & fired off an e mail on Boxing Day morning and got a very helpful reply within the hour. I've always wanted to go on a pelagic boat trip (sail from Cape Town out to the fishing fleet 25 miles out where the sky is full of 1000s of up to a dozen species of albatrosses - trouble is, the rougher the seas to better (it'll be worth it)) but they are only on Saturday's and as ...

... the hedge then they will loose their funding from the government. The houses too are different some with thatched rooves. When we were getting diesel at the garage, I was amazed to see a young fellow buying a bottle of coke and a bottle of vodka from the garage - can't do that in Australia! We arrived at Steve and Jayne's at about 4pm and were made very welcome, having dinner at an Italian restaurant in Buckingham.

... the designer of many great British gardens, started his career at Stowe. On Sunday the 25th. Peter's brother John took us to see the Crofton Beam Engines near Marlborough. The oldest of the two beam engines was built in 1812 by Bolton and Watt. On many weekends a group of enthusiasts run the restored engines so that they pump water to feed the canal, just as when they were originally installed. We saw the 1812 engine running, but unfortunately did not take any photographs.