Sat, 28 Dec 2002

author Tim	location Golders Green, Greater London, England
posted 14:34 GMT 30/12/2002	section Europe2002/Europe/UK/England/Carlisle/Carlisle for Christmas ( all photos )

Driving "Home" ( No photos )

Some time while in Carlisle, we also went ten-pin bowling to kill an evening, where Liz will proudly tell you that she beat me. Actually, I'm surprised it slipped her mind in the her updates!
The driving day from Carlisle went fairly as un-eventfully as the one there, but as always it seemed to drag on.
We arrived back at our new house, ready to Work in London.

author Liz	location Golders Green, Greater London, England
posted 14:34 GMT 30/12/2002	section Europe2002/Europe/UK/England/Carlisle/Carlisle for Christmas ( all photos )

Dalston ( 1 photo )
On Friday, Tim and I went up to the local computer mega-store to look at getting a set of speakers for our room. They don't seem to be nearly as crazy about the sales over here as people are in Oz. A lot of the stores don't open until after Boxing Day.
Not finding quite what we wanted, we went back to Peter's and then decided to go to the pub. We have been to a nice little pub in Thursby a few times (just outside Carlisle), but when we got there it was closed. Tim jumped in the drivers seat and took us for a high-speed spin around the country back lanes (don't read that bit if you are a mum/dad/protective relative!), before we came across another pub on the outskirts of Dalston. We had a great afternoon enjoying a few drinks, some games of 8-ball and me learning all about how a gear box and clutch work (at my insistence).

author Liz	location Golders Green, Greater London, England
posted 14:34 GMT 30/12/2002	section Europe2002/Europe/UK/England/Carlisle/Carlisle for Christmas ( all photos )

Boxing Day with Graham and Rosie ( 22 photos )

Boxing day was wet, cold and foggy, but still no snow :( We jumped in the car and went and visited my Mum's 2nd cousin Graham, his wife Rosie and son Ivan at their beautiful big house in the middle of nowhere (otherwise known as just North of Newcastle). They even have their own woods! After the obligatory cup of tea, we all went out for a walk in the woods and down to the river. I can't describe how difficult it is to walk around when you are wearing nine layers of clothing that make you look like the Michelin Man. Try it sometime.
After our walk, we had a huge big lunch, and sat by the log fire for the afternoon. Tim and I rugged up again and went outside with Graham to show him how to use his new chainsaw to chop up the trees in the woods. We haven't touched a chainsaw in months, so it was great to start one up, and I was surprised to discover I still remembered how to use the thing after so long.
After more cups of tea, we left and drove back to Peter's.

(A bit more by Tim)
While at Graham and Rosie's place, I managed to catch a native red squirrel with my camera. These are quite rare now, all but displaced by the evil and much more common grey variety. There were plenty of birds there, right outside their window. Very close to nature indeed.

author Liz	location Golders Green, Greater London, England
posted 14:34 GMT 30/12/2002	section Europe2002/Europe/UK/England/Carlisle/Carlisle for Christmas ( all photos )

Christmas Continues ( 21 photos )
The rest of Christmas day was spent eating chrissie dinner, chrissie nibbles, drinking chrissie drinks and looking at chrissie presents. We all stuffed ourselves too much, and we were still left with loads of food at the end of the day.

author Tim	location Carlisle, Cumbria, England
posted 13:56 GMT	section Europe2002/Europe/UK/England/Carlisle/Carlisle for Christmas ( all photos )

Merry Christmas! ( 21 photos )
I know it's now a little late, but then most people aren't going to be reading this over Christmas anyway!
We have had a nice slow morning, doing not much until present-opening-time somehow arrived. Thanks to friends and family who have sent us wishes, cards and presents. We got a few text messages from people we haven't seen in a long time, which was great.
Liz was kind enough to give me a webcam (the one I am using at the moment is on loan), so we can engage in more of the video chatting we did with family back home. It was great seeing them all together, people we haven't seen for over four months now. From what I've heard, they liked seeing us too, even commenting on my haircut which Liz gave me yesterday. No, it's not too bad.
I gave her the book of "Jamie's Kitchen", which is a cooking show on TV here staring Jamie Oliver, aka. The Naked Chef, who is extremely popular over here. I'm not sure if she has managed to integrate any of the recipies into the Christmas dinner, which I can smell roasting away in the oven. It's nice to actually walk into the kitchen and enjoy the heat of Christmas dinner cooking - something which was always a pain back home. That's Australia home, if you are getting confused. Not London.
Other presents included a few books, more warm clothes, and some coasters from Mum and Dad saying "Tim's Bar". Not sure if they are trying to tell me something... Also a boomerang from Celia and Peter in Oz ("make sure you come back", says the card), and Liz of course accrued enough girly things to open her own shop.
We aren't even close to a White Christmas here. We awoke to sun streaming in our window, and the ever-present wet everything (although curiously it doesn't rain much). The temerature is even bearable. It was a cold snap a few weeks ago which has now gone, leaving us with 12 degree days. Not what were expecting (or hoping for, even) at all.

author Tim	location Carlisle, Cumbria, England
posted 13:56 GMT 25/12/2002	section Europe2002/Europe/UK/England/Carlisle/Carlisle for Christmas ( all photos )

Not Much ( 2 photos )
Lazing around the house today, waiting for Christmas to arrive.

author Tim	location Carlisle, Cumbria, England
posted 13:56 GMT 25/12/2002	section Europe2002/Europe/UK/England/Carlisle/Carlisle for Christmas ( all photos )

Across to Newcastle ( 4 photos )
We took a drive across to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne to watch (and join in with) Peter sing Christmas carols with the Newcastle Symphonia Choris in the Newcastle Catholic Cathedral. Stirring stuff, and just topped-off our carols for the year nicely.

author Tim	location Carlisle, Cumbria, England
posted 11:01 GMT	section Europe2002/Europe/UK/England/Carlisle/Carlisle for Christmas ( all photos )

Relaxing around Peter's Again ( No photos )
There are some very rough plans taking shape for us to go across to Newcastle tomorrow to watch Peter sing carols at lunchtime, then have a look around what he describes as "England's answer to Sydney Harbour".
We shall wait and see...
I have borrowed a webcam to attempt some Christmas video-chatting, so if you have one too, or even if you just want to watch us be silly in front of a camera, get in touch and we can sort something out.

author Tim	location Carlisle, Cumbria, England
posted 11:01 GMT 22/12/2002	section Europe2002/Europe/UK/England/Carlisle/Carlisle for Christmas ( all photos )

A Great Suprise ( 5 photos )
(Continued from London 3).
As we walked in to Peter's place (he was out and had left a spare key hidden), we saw that he had put up a fairly comprehensive array of Christmas decorations! Everything from a real tree right through to the little Frosty and Santa heads sticking out of our beds! Perhaps this was to make up for the news that there is little chance of a White Christmas, although almost 100% certainty of a wet drizzly one.
The night was spent relaxing and cooking nachos for dinner after a walk to the local supermarket (Liz on leaving the house: "It's not that cold"; Liz on arriving back at the house: "It's bloody freezing out there!!!").

(customised)