In South Woodford with Rachel & Kevin

Hi there folks,
All is going well here in suburban NE London from where we can strike out using our all day travel passes to quickly get to Central London and beyond. Last weekend we arrived to the best weather so far this summer, with warm sunshine drawing out huge crowds to attractions such as the London Eye. That was where we made rendezvous with two second cousins, born Brenda [1947] & Irene [1941] Snusher. Their father & my grandmother were brother & sister. My brother John was there, as well as Rachel & Kevin. Pic shows Brenda, me, Irene, John & Rachel.
After that John & I went out to have a few beers and I ended up at his place in Downham on the very south side of London. He then took me on a trip down memory lane as we revisited homes & schools that we had lived & studied in. I then went on to the Imperial War Museum, bus to Euston Station and then home via Shoreditch.
Lyn & I are booked to go to Lille in France next Sunday for four days.

In the West Country

Have been out of internet range for these last few days, but am doing this update from an internet cafe in Minehead, Somerset. Last Saturday we picked up our hire car from Europcar in Manchester, a brand new Fiat Punto 5-door hatchback manual. It has been a delight to drive. On the first day we got from Manchester to Somerset in easy time. We have stayed at first Dunster, then Wheddon Cross and now Porlock. Weather cold, grey and damp. So much to see and do in this amazing and picturesque part of the world. Petrol is at £1.25/litre, £35 to fill the tank. Luckily I have been able to switch my brain over to pounds stirling and simply forget about the conversion rate!!!
The bed & breakfast accommodation has been sumptuous, and most days the breakfast has been a full cooked English bacon, eggs, sausage, baked beans, mushrooms & toast. That has kept us going for the rest of the day; for evening meal we have been going to local pub or restaurant.
Today Lynne has gone by bus to Lynmouth and I have come here to Minehead from our base at the Rose Bank B & B in Porlock. Tomorrow we will head of to the east of the country to Cambridgeshire, spend Friday there and get to London on Saturday morning.
Love to all

In Manchester

Yesterday [Wednesday] was our first full day in Manchester; I went for my usual early morning walk. Went along the length of Oxford Road into the city centre, then got a bus back to Fallowfield. After breakfast Steve drove us out to the big sports complex on the East side of the city; while there we bought tickets for the FA Premier League match Manchester City v Liverpool on Sunday 05 OCT.
Some morning rain sent us inside, but then it fined up for us to all go for a walk along the banks of the Mersey River on the edge of Manchester. Everywhere boggy & saturated under foot after weeks of rain. Had a lovely pub lunch in the Jackson's Boat hotel on the other bank of the river in Cheshire.
I went out in the evening to the local pub the Wecome Inn; Lynne & Steve watched a video. I am off now for my morning walk; more rain forecast.

On the ground in Manchester!!

It is mid-morning here in Manchester at Steve Archer's place in Fallowfield,Manchester. A slow steady rain is falling from a miserable grey sky, but we have been given a warm welcome by Steve who met us at Manchester Airport after the 13 hour non-stop flight from Singapore. From Sydney Airport right through to Manchester all flights with Singapore Airlines were on time and up to high standards. I am surprised by how 'normal' Lynne & I feel despite an obvious night of broken or no sleep. From door to door was about 30 hours.
The Airbus 380 flight was an awesome experience; the big plane was smooth & roomy. Cabin service and food was excellent. 8 hours non-stop to Singapore, then an hour or so to change onto the red-eye special leaving Singapore at midnight and arriving Manchester at 0630 local time.
Right now we are just unwinding after the flight & catching up with Steve before we decide what comes next & in what order.

On our way!!

Up and away on schedule from home. Canberra Cabs failed to deliver again, so we were rescued by our good neighbour Ian, who drove us to the Jolimont coach station. Canberra was cold, sunny and pink (plum blossom) as we left exactly on time and pulled into the Sydney International Terminal three hours later at 1200. Check in and security were both routine; we had a bite to eat as we watched Serena[?] Williams win the women's tennis final in New York.
I am using the free [and rather slow] Optus internet terminal in the departure lounge. No sign yet of our Airbus 380. Nine hours to Singapore will be about the time I was on the operating table for my cancer surgery. Then will come the red-eye special non stop to Manchester.

Plans are developing

Well, we have now passed T-48h and check-in on-line through the SIA website was a breeze. So we now have our allocated seats for both legs of the flight to Manchester. We have been following the English weather at the UK Met Office website, but of course all that counts is what we get when we arrive there. In any case, I expect that the early autumn weather will be favorable...and we are not going for a beach party!!
Tks Kevin for your comment; we are firming up in favour of the option of spending the last week in Flanders Fields. Ferry to Calais, then stay somewhere in the area to visit localities between the Somme and Yser Rivers,from Amiens in France to Ypres in Belgium. Everywhere there are placenames burnt into the Australian psyche in the First World War. We will also experience the attractions of the area; I am keen to try Belgian beer & sausages, there is the glassworks at Arques and no doubt innumerable museums, galleries & cafes.
I would like to walk from Ypres to Menin if there is a suitable and safe track...that road was said to be the most dangerous place on earth during the third battle of Ypres in 1918.

PSD

Car hire in England

A quick search via the web throws up the attractive option of renting a small car through Europcar. Seven days for about 200GBP. Especially interesting is the fact that there are Europcar depots in Manchester City and airport to pick the car up and one at Woodford Green, London, to drop the car off, close to Rachel & Kevin. Anyone have any experience of car rental in UK?