Hello, I Am Back! Off To Blighty Part One,

yes I am back, good news for some but bad news for many!

before I left a last meal at the food stalls, whilst there I spotted this moving shop, I just wonder how many times he must bump into things, I mean it is hardly 180 degree vision!

Diana waiting for the soup,

it looks busy but in fact it was pretty quite whilst we were there, then to the airport, a nice display of orchids,

and a life sized series of statues,

one team to the left,

and the other team to the right,

I must say I like the new airport, unlike Heathrow, which quite frankly I feel a little ashamed of when thinking that it is the first impression of Great Britain, the fight was nearly deserted, 2 customers in first, only about one third full in economy de-lux, so plenty of room to move around,

Steve and Kai very kindly let me stay with them in the UK, he is a keen aquarist, this is his aquarium in the living room,

this is a coral red pencil fish, it's Latin name is Nannostomus mortenthaleri,

as soon as we arrived from the airport Kai made a delicious Thai chicken curry,

then on the Saturday I popped down to see some friends in Rainham, Duncan and Melina and the kids, Jade and Amber above, then Lisa and Holley,

Melina, Amber and Melina's sister Melody,

Duncan and Amber, Duncan publishes an oil and gas magazine,

Amber just loves story time,

Lisa and Amber, I think Amber likes to have her picture taken, she is almost in every shot!

Duncan having nodded off will be awake soon,

this is the local pub in Rainham, called The White Horse, or know by the locals as The Wobberly Donkey,

but first a curry next to the betting shop,

Alan Joined us for the evening, he supplies magical tricks,

Duncan and his family eat here quite often, the chef prepared a special chicken dish for us,

Saturday morning and off to the shopping mall,

I have not seen one of these for years, it is a DOT, standing for Devoid Of Trouble, years ago many manufactures would use a similar naming ploy, as in winalot dog biscuits, firstly used for racing greyhounds, win a lot,

and certainly never in this fine condition,

it has a 197 c.c. engine made by Villiers, strangely enough the first motorcycle I ever owned was Villiers 197 c.c. powered, it was a Francis Barnet,

but on to Saturday evening firstly we met Glenn and Valerie in the vaults in Rochester High Street.

Alison and Dave who works in Duncan's office was also there,

Alan, myself and Duncan,

we also bumped into Tony,

Melina and Duncan,

Martin is another one of the oil and gas crew,

"Cheers!"

then Sunday and Duncan takes the family to church, the London Dome in the distance,

one the way going through the Blackwool Tunnel, that gave the name of "bends" to workers who got bent as the engineers of the time did not understand decompression sickness, the tunnel was built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who is best remembered for his construction of a network of tunnels, bridges and viaducts for the Great Western Railway,

after church and it is home for Jade and Amber,

the sky line of docklands is dotted with cranes and docklands is where I shall be next week,

and a little more shopping on the way home,

then Sunday night at the Atrium in Rochester High Street,

a very quite Sunday night,

in both directions,

but the resturaunt was packed,

shank of lamb for me and I have totally forgotten what every one else had, short term memorary shot to pieces!

what ever it was Melina enjoyed the main course,

and I enjoyed mine and a glass of wine,

all day I had been struggerling to set up the Internet connection on my Nokia N97, I had read the instructions, but as I had bought it rather than leased or had a contract with a phone company there was no surporting downloads for it, I was not having much luck, even the company I bought it from Phones4you could not solve it but surgested I went to Vodaphone whose card it was, but no luck there, anyway this guy was at Duncan's when we returned, he played with the phone for a couple of minetes and hey presto! all done,

then Monday evening and back to see Steve, not to much to drink as tomorrow I had to see Richard, so off to his office I went,

when I say office I should say house as the office is in Ian's house who is Richard's business partner, and in the back garden a huge railway, about 5" gauge and it is live steam, unfortunately when Ian moved in the railway was in a very poor state of repair, the bulider of it had let, due to ill health, the track and rolling stock to deteriate,

the track goes compleatly round the garden,

with points and a marshaling yard at the half way stage,

tracks everywhere,

and it is a big garden to go around,

it goes through the orchard as well,

the now disused points levers,

then for Richard and myself it was off to the "other" office, whilst we were there who should be working there but Patrick, he used to clean the windows at my business,

just oppisite is the art decor Odeon, many years ago in the late 70's there was a ballroom school of dancing upstairs, run by I seem to remember Courtny Castle, no drinking allowed, they used to say I had feet of quicksilver, or did they say I was clumsy? I can not remember, but that was where I meet Duncan as he was learning to dance at the same time,

the outside of Richards other office,

but as the food is not so good there we decided to go to the other office, this one,

a Spainish resturaunt/bar,

a quick look at the menu,

and "Cheers!" from us,

the rain has dogged my stay in the UK, the one time it looked OK I still got soaked in the car,

in the evening off to Miso in Bromley, a noodle bar/shop,

Kai trying I guess some type of Thai food,

and the gang is here Neil, me, Kai, Steve and Steve Hackwood, you will be hearing more of Steve later in my stay and we will be going to Neil's party next weekend, unfortunatly Bob and Debbie could not make tonight so we will not see them till Neil's party,

this is the flower seller that took a bit of a shine to Neil, the strange thinge was for the next 3 nights or so every pub or resturaunt we ate or drank in the same guy would walk in, he must have travlled miles every night.