Eugene's 30th in Emsworth

Last weekend Shaun, Robyn, Jacks and myself travelled south to the village of Emsworth to join Eugene in celebrating his 30th. Emsworth is on the coast, not far from Chichester, and after an hour and a bit on the train we arrived in Havant, where birthday boy picked us up. We spent the evening in one of the 12 local pubs, having a good meal, and a couple of pints. The food was great, and the atmosphere in the pub transformed from relaxed oldies vibe, to young chav smoking haunt. Good fun, but after passively smoking a box, we decided to get back to the flat.

Eugene and Heidi, who have recently moved from Plymouth, have really found themselves a great spacious flat in peaceful surroundings. A few steps from their front door is a massive pond (which must have the highest swan count in all of Britain). The village folk (average age 60) are all incredibly friendly, and have welcomed the 2 young South Africans with open arms. Tony, the chap who lives under them, even joined us on our saturday afternoon pub crawl. A hugely varied bunch of pubs with some great characters.

Most of our weekend was spent chilling, chatting, and pretty much bumming around, which was good for a change. I thought I should mention sunday lunch, and make sure nobody ever goes to the Sussex Brewery (a Youngs Pub in Emsworth). We were looking for a place to eat, and I had popped into the pub the day before. The menu boasts about 30 varieties of sausage (even ostrich), and it seemed like a nice enough venue. We walked in at 11:45 on sunday, only to be told by a woman behind the bar that they only open at 12:00. Now, surely any normal human being would welcome 6 hungry clients, let them sit by the fire and explain that their kitchen only opened at 12:00. On top of that, if they are so strict about opening times they should lock the door. IDIOTS! Anyway, we found a much better spot, and enjoyed some good home cooking.

After a relaxing weekend we made our way back into London on sunday afternoon. Welcome to the 30's club Eugene. Jackie, you're almost there!

Way to Snow

The weather in the UK has suddenly become wintery, and we woke up this morning to the pretty picture of a snow covered landscape. Great to see, but my walk to work was a bit too much like ice-skating for my liking. My shoes have got as much grip as an ice hockey puck. I knew those sessions on the rink would come in handy, just never expected it to be for the pavement.

Dreams

I've been having the strangest dreams for the last month or so. I do have a history of bizarre sleep activity, so haven't been too concerned about my current episode. Up until my early 20's I was a big sleep walker. On one occasion I was found sitting on the edge of my bed playing games on an imaginary computer. I also once woke up at 3am, fully dressed for varsity, with my bag (packed) on my back. I was unlocking the front door, car keys in hand.

A few nights ago I had a dream that stood out from the rest. It wasn't so much the storyline, it was the fact that it had advert breaks. All of them were original, and some a lot better than the dribble we are often exposed to on TV. Maybe it's a sign that I need to move into the advertising industry. What do you think?

Old Westminster

The weekend before last, the London walking team (made up of myself, Jacks, Shaun and Robyn) took part in another guided walk, this time around Westminster. There was a huge amount of history to absorb on a late and chilly sunday afternoon, but it was something I think we all enjoyed. Not as entertaining as the 'Jack the Ripper' walk, so if you're only going to do 1, that should be it.

Amongst all the historical blurb, I picked up a couple of interesting points:

1) Two examples of Winston Churchill at his witty best.

- He was at a political function, and had overindulged on the drink. A woman came up to him and told him that he was horribly drunk. He replied that she was horribly ugly, and that at least he would wake up sober in the morning.

- He was invited to a play, and on his invitation it read 'bring a friend, if you have one'. He replied, 'unfortunately I won't be able to attend, but invite me to your next performance, if you have one.'

2) There is an area west of the Houses of Parliament called St John's Smith Square. A church in the middle of the Square was built in honour of Queen Anne, and on being asked to describe what sort of design she wanted, she kicked over the footstool in her bedroom, and said 'what about that'. The church looks like an upside down footstool - quite funny.

3) There is a light above the clock section of St Stephen's (Big Ben's) Tower. When the light is on, it means that Parliament is sitting.

4) Around the area of St John's Smith Square there are various badges/emblems on the walls of a couple of the now very exclusive houses. A few decades ago, various fire companies sold their fire protection services to the residents of London. Each had a different badge, which would be placed on the owners house. In the event of a fire at the property, the specific fire company would arrive and put out the fire. On many occasions, rival companies would arrive first, not to put the fire out, but rather to show that they were quicker.

A walk around Arundel

On sunday we decided that we needed a breath of fresh air, so made our way out of the smog of London, and into the countryside of the South Coast. I found a great circular walk from the village of Burpham (ber-fam) which passed through the impressive Arundel. Arundel Castle was established at the time of the Norman invasion, and has been home to the Duke of Norfolk since the 1500's. It is an impressive structure, looking remarkably similar to Windsor Castle.

Our walk took around 3 hours, and besides being extremely muddy at times, it was really enjoyable. For a short walk it was extremely varied, taking us through woodland, forest, village, farmland, alongside both rivers and a lake, and along the ridge of the South Downs. We even passed a buffalo farm, which, although I haven't come across it on any menu's, is apparantly becoming increasingly popular in the UK. We rounded our walk off with a compulsory thirst quencher at the local in Burpham, and waved goodbye to Eugene and Heidi.

On the way back to London, Jacks and I popped past Worthing for a quick bite to eat. With a take away cod and chips in our grubby paws, we sat on the seafront, and observed the locals at play. Worthing, which is like the shy little sister of Brighton, was buzzing. Every local and their dog was enjoying the weather, and taking in a late afternoon stroll along the promenade. We managed about 3o minutes, and started freezing, so made our way back into London, with tired legs but happy lungs.

Jack the Ripper

On recommendation from a few people, Jacks, myself, Shaun and Robyn decided to go on a Jack the Ripper walk through London. London Walks has been taking people on walks all over the capital since the 1960's, and is the original walking tour company.

We met at Tower Hill Station at 19:15, ending near Liverpool Street Station, 2 hours later. Our guide was immensely knowledgeable, and as we toured the scene's of a few of the murders, he described the events in all their gory detail. Jack the Ripper, who gave himself his famous nickname, murdered 5 prostitutes in 1888. The murders became increasingly brutal, although his signature mark, of slitting his victims throat all the way down to the vertabrae, always remained. He was the first major serial killer, and amazingly, was never caught. To this day, his identity is unknown, although there are a multitude of theories.

Phantom of the Opera

2007 started really well, with us being treated to Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre. Our seats were 5 rows from the stage, and we were in the middle, which made the whole experience truly awesome. Without a doubt the best set design I have ever seen, and the singing was outstanding. Thanks very much Eric, you can come and stay with us in london whenever you want.

Happy 2007

I hope you all had a fantastic festive season, and that you are still able to fit into your jeans. We spent New Years Eve at Guarabana, a Brazilian Club in London. There were 700 people, and it turned out to be really entertaining night. Good music, great Mojito's and even better company. We managed to get away at around 2:45, and made our way home through the chaos of the crowds.

All for the best for 2007, from Jacks and myself.