In and around Epsom on Saturday. A little bit of shopping, and a walk around the town.
I saw Ian at his Bread and Cheese stall, all a very impressive little business all run from a converted Ambulance.
He invited me in and made me a cup of tea. I also purchased some great cheese, ham and a bread roll to make a sandwich at Mums, before setting off decorate 24 Burghfield.
I ended the evening late, with a meal at Helen and Micks.






Some Photos of Epsom during my walk around in the cold chilly morning the wind was very strong yet the sun shone. it was a lovely day. The view from the Downs was great could see planes landing at Heathrow and clearly see Battersea powerstation, Westminster, The London Eye, St Pauls, and the City of London right around to Canary Wharf just behind Epsom College






















So the time has come to get ready to leave the UK.
Not sure if and when I will next return. Work having brought me here is undergoing a lot of change.
It has been a long stay this time, seemingly longer than most, for many reasons and now is the time to say goodbye and also hello.
Goodbye to Heathrow, Sunbury and Epsom.
Hello to Chicago and Houston.

Goodbye to my little Ford Focus rental car.
Hello to my Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Liberty, and Windstar van.

Goodbye to driving on the left
Hello to driving on the right.

Goodbye to all the English and Eastern Europeans.
Hello to all the Americans and Mexicans.

Goodbye shopping at Tescos.
Hello Kroger, Walmart and Target.

Goodbye Marmite, Digestive bisciuts and Jaffa Cakes, Sausages, Back Bacon, Baken Beans and Smoked Salomon breakfasts.
Hello Cookies, Burgers, salads Barbeque and Tex Mex.

Goodbye Scones and Cream Teas
Hello Bicsuits and gravy.

Goodbye English countryside, small country lanes, quaint Villages and Greenbelt.
Hello freeways, Power lines Strip malls, Cypress trees and copious miles of potential building land.

Good bye cozy Pubs and warm beer, low beamed ceilings, smokey atmospheres, and pub food.
Hello smoke free dining, loud background music, cold beer and obscene portions of food.

Goodbye hotel rooms and the sound of planes taking off and landing at Heathrow Airport.
Hello house , garden, light aircraft flying into the local airstrip.

Goodbye foggy calm, chilly mornings, grey days and cool sunny days with bright blue skies.
Hello sunny hot days, Tropical storms, Hurricanes, humidity and searing sun.

Goodbye Bird flu.
Hello Mosquotoies, mold spores, allergies and Fire ants.

Goodbye for now to Mum nana Ruth, Helen, Mick.

Hello Hazel, Jonathan ,Timothy and Macie.

Time in the UK coming to an end..



Found this suspicious looking banana in my coat pocket. I forgot about putting it there, over a week ago.


So this was supposed to be my last weekend here in the UK, but some changes due to needing to spend some time doing a few chores on the rental house before I return to the US. Now with my week in Chicago before returning back to Houston and all those that I love and owe time to, enables me to see more of the English countryside, relax a little after some grueling work weeks.
Also to re tidy my room up and start the process of packing.
I had to be checked out of the hotel today and re checked in for another week.. A necessary process when you stay so long it seems.

This was an interesting and enlightening experience and I realized how quickly hotel systems update the departure of a guest to the various housekeeping staff.
In an attempt by the hotel to efficiently clean up after the old guest (me) and prepare the room for the new guest (me). When I got back to my room minutes after leaving the reception desk there was a continuous stream of women knocking and immediately entering my room. Each had their own excuses about how the system had alerted them that the guest had checked out, and confused and embarrassed expressions on their faces, each had wanted to either change the bed clean the bathroom, or just check the state of the room or top up the mini bar etc.

Thank fully I was fully dressed and with my music playing, and the mess everywhere alerted them that either the previous guest (me), had not moved out yet , or the new guest (me) had already moved in. As it was the hotel had already assigned Air Itaila Pilot to my room. I was nto moving to another room...I’m now trusting that they reallocated him to another room and that he will not turn up tonight and join me. ..
It all reminded me of the time I was in India and my early morning call consisted of a man walking into my room to wake me up only to find me already up and in the shower.
"Most sorry Sir "he said "I was coming in to wake you up Sir"
I was glad I was already up and fully awake to be honest, despite the fact i was in the shower.

Anyway back to the weekends events.


Yesterday was another road trip opportunity. This photo looks like I took a short cut through the gate , but not....it was just a desperate pee stop.. And nothing gets in my way then......


Unlike this person who must have had some serious driving difficulties trying to stay on the road...










Anyway I found out that setting off in a Westerly was a good decision as it rained everywhere else it seems. I had sun and a little grey cloud and fog to start with but I had a dry chilly day. . I headed West no real idea where I was going . I found myself driving down single lane country lanes and then stumbled across Hell Fire Caves, High Wycombe, Marlow, and then ended up driving back to Helens to see her and Mum. Again captivated by the everyday beauty in the countryside and buildings. How I used to take all this for granted.

That book I’m reading 'notes from a small island' by Bill Bryson, is excellent and some facts really hit home last week.
In stark contrast to the US and Houston in particular. The author from De Moines, Iowa said he had more 17th century buildings in his little Yorkshire village than in the whole of the USA.
Britain has, 445,000 ancient or historic buildings, 12,000 medieval churches, 1.5 million acres of common land, 120,000 miles of footpaths and public right of ways, 600,000 known sites of archeological interest. So setting off in a car or on foot to just see what I find has always, for me resulted in an interesting day out.
Here are some of my photos from Saturday (dont forget you can click on them to get full size).

Leaving the Sheraton at Heathrow and then off to Epsom via Shepperton



Another weekend, another opportunity to take advantage of the countryside and opportunities to see family.
Saturday, I drove to see our house in Epsom, via Shepperton. Later I took Mum to lunch and then visited most of the afternoon with Ray, Pauline and Cousin Richard.










I also took a walk around the cemetary off Downs






In the evening I joined mum at a small concert at her Church . A 4 and 6 piece Claranet Ensemble. Their web site is under construction currently. www.mistralquartet.net

On Sunday the weather was,rain , rain , rain. But undeterred I decided to go out and walk and get fresh air . I took the airport shuttle from the hotel to Terminal 1 and then the Heathrow Express directly to Paddington Station a 15 minute journey, from their I got on Tube to Baker Street via Edgeware road, Sunday rail maintenance always leads to interesting diversions it seems. I walked passed hunderds of people lining up for Madame Tussaurds. Somewhere warm and dry on a rainy day.
I continued umberlla in hand up through Regent Park to London Zoo.



A lot of the zoo is under construction and will be ready in Spring and Summer 2006 / 2007 but it brought back many memories from haveing been there as a child. Where were the elephants? Neither could I find the nocturnal area but the list of endangered species that they specialise in breeding is truely enlightening , some species only still just being discovered 50 to 100 or years ago. The most dangerous living species on this planet is of course man.
Here are some photos from the weekend exploits.