Winter and the NHS

I'm feeling like winter is almost upon us....it's dark by 4pm and very very cold, even though all the locals keep telling me it's quite mild for this time of year. Maybe for the initiated! The last week has seen me add an extra layer for the walk to the tube and leave my coat on for the train journey (has up to this point been too hot while sardined in with other commuters). We are also relishing the discovery of Sainsbury's home delivered groceries, particularly with the cold. The thought of pushing through the crowds, lining up then lugging everything home on the bus just doesn't appeal!

We now have a car for a little while, courtesy of James's mum and dad who are back in Australia until next year. Took me three months to get used to not having a car, now it feels like a bit of a luxury to have one again....especially knowing there are only certain places you can take it (congestion charge, parking issues and traffic mean you wouldn't go anywhere near central London or busy areas). Will be nice to do some trips out of London though.

Will also be easier for us to get to Bodyflight for James to make use of his birthday present - a lesson at the indoor skydiving centre outside of London which is essentially a massive vertical wind tunnel! Fun :) I'm sure there will be hilarious photos to come!!

Christmas is approaching, have all my Christmas shopping done which is just as well because the shops are soooo busy! Never thought I would say this, but shopping at this time of year here just isn't really an enjoyable experience. I know, shock horror. But the Christmas lights are up, shop windows are filled with fake snow and all things festive and best of all...they aren't playing Christmas carols yet :) (can't stand them!).

Christmas dinner this year will be a free range turkey from the local butcher with all the trimmings, am busy looking up recipes having not cooked one before, suggestions welcome! Also have a feeling that I'll need to find leftover recipes as there are four of us...and 5kgs of turkey! Will be different having a hot dinner with the cold outside rather than a cold dinner with the hot outside like back home. No firing up the BBQ this year!

This week also saw me register with a doctor. Can't just call a GP here and see whoever you like, you have to register at one in your area and then they have to accept you. The process was quite easy for James, being a Brit, and should have been easy for me. Except in true British NHS style they lost all my paperwork I filled in. All 3 or 4 pages of my complete medical history. Lovely! Then proceeded to tell me it wasn't an issue as I could just fill it in again. Hmmm! So I shouldn't be concerned my details were floating around somewhere? Ok, will just have to take their word for it! Then went into the appointment with the nurse, who you have to see before being allowed to make appointments with the GP, only to be asked every single question that was on the paperwork. That I filled out twice. Looooving the NHS. Although it is free so shouldn't complain too much!

Some shots of the last few weeks......

Bonfire night at Wimbledon Park.

Massive Guy Fawkes bonfire, could feel the heat from about 100m away. Good thing, was damn cold!!

Christmas lights at Regent/Oxford Street.

Christmas window at Hamleys toy store on Regent Street.

Colin Firth turning on the Christmas Lights at Regent Street, promise....it is him!!

Sunny but cold day in Oxford.

Oxford

Mmmmm pies in Oxford.

Wimbledon Common, only a 5 minute walk from our new house.

Beautiful Wimbledon Common (didn't spot a womble, will keep my eyes peeled next time).

Moving House, Jamie Oliver and Food Food Food!

Well last weekend was moving time....we are now in Southfields, just a stone's throw from Wimbledon tennis stadium (literally....can see it from the street). Long story but let's just say our previous flatmates weren't all there and we are very very glad to be out of there. Being abused at 10pm for making too much noise getting a drink in the kitchen was the last straw!



Southfields is also a much nicer part of London, nice and leafy and green and quiet. And we are also nice and close to Putney, Richmond and Clapham.



We went over to Clapham yesterday, my first venture to the area. Bought my first English winter weight coat and needed it already today....was only about 10 when walking to the tube this morning. And found my favourite shop so far in London (anyone who knows me won't find this out of the ordinary!). Jamie Oliver's Recipease!! They sell all of Jamie's kitchen equipment/crockery etc, as well as freshly baked breads and Jamie Oliver ready meals. But the best bit is you can book in for lessons to learn how to make pasta, bread etc, but also lots of Jamie's recipes. They give you the ingredients all prepared and the recipe, you cook and then take it home for dinner! They also have a great pizza making area at the back of the shop where you can walk in anytime of the day and make your own pizza. Fantastic idea! For anyone who wants to check it out - www.jamieoliver.com/recipease/index.html



We have also discovered Sainsburys online grocery shopping. Sooooo much easier than standing around the shop wondering if we can add in that extra bottle of beer or pint of milk in case we can't carry it home, standing in the line to pay and then lugging it home on the bus. They were 15 mins late with delivery today and so we even scored a £10 voucher to use next time, bargain!



And next week we are heading to Babylon restaurant in Kensington for James's birthday. Is supposed to be very nice with a beautiful view of the rooftop gardens. Keep those scales away from me....need to start back at the gym!!

Aussie Food Stash

Our boxes from Australia finally arrived in the middle of last week. So we have winter clothes (much needed as the weather has started to turn a bit colder), DVD's, CD's, books etc. But most importantly we have:

• Cherry Ripes
• MILO!!!!!!!!
• Twisties
• Fanta
• Mint Slices
• Rosella Pickles
• Beetroot - the real aussie kind!
• Butter Menthols

Yummo! Although I must admit it's a little unnerving knowing there's so much junk food just within reach and once it's gone it's not easily replaceable!! And we did already make ourselves feel a little ill eating a big bag of Twisties and a Cherry Ripe the first night we had them!

So....rationing is the order of the day from now on (yeah right!).

Weekend Down South and New Job!

Last weekend we headed down to Bournemouth to visit James's parents and for him to show me around the area. Was lovely to be out of the hustle and bustle of London, however not so lovely was the coach trip on the way there. NE doesn't stand for National Express, it stands for Never Ever....as in never ever travel with them. Not only was traffic out of London bad (ok so we should have known leaving on a Friday evening), but there was an accident on the motorway meaning we were trapped on the bus for almost 4 hrs....and no toilet as advertised on our ticket! Let's just say, there was a quick drive to the flat at the other end!!

We had a sleep in Saturday followed by an enormous and lovely cooked breakfast courtesy of James's mum, then set off for a day of driving and sightseeing in the countryside. Made our way through Poole, Swanage, Weymouth, Portland, Corfe and a few others I can't remember!

Another lazy sleep in Sunday was followed by a shorter and somewhat more pleasant coach trip back (but never again, next time it's the train!!).

But all in all a perfect weekend away before I started my new job this week....am officially a UK civil servant contractor/project manager. What was I thinking, back into the public sector! But 3 days in I'm enjoying the work and the people are lovely. It's great finally feeling like I'm living here instead of being bored at home and getting despondent about my job searching. Plus if you throw in the few eccentrics (ie. nutters) that you always get in the public service it makes for a rather entertaining day ;)

Will say hi to Her Maj for you all (she's my neighbour, work building is right near Buckingham Palace....maybe I'll run into her at Friday afternoon drinks? Shall I get her a beer, a cider or a G&T do you think? Or perhaps she should get me one!!).

Sunset over Portland

Sign in Corfe.....obviously didn't get on with the in-laws?

On the walk up to Corfe Castle.

Stream near the bottom of Corfe Castle

Beautiful sunny day at Corfe Castle


View over Corfe from top of the castle

The castle from our place of choice for an afternoon cream tea...mmm scones with clotted cream.

Swanage

Portland/Weymouth

Lights, Camera, Action!

Since arriving in London I have discovered the joys of free audience tickets to see TV shows being filmed...yes free!

Over the last couple of weeks I've been to see two tapings. The first was for UK Ready Steady Cook at the BBC in White City (so much more professional than the aussie version, no cards with pictures of capsicums...sorry peppers....and tomatoes here....electronic voting pads!). However, having not had dinner beforehand it was agony seeing and smelling all that lovely food being cooked and not being able to eat any! Of course for health and safety reasons they couldn't possibly offer the audience any food (UK political correctness strikes again). Mental note: eat before doing something like this again.

The second was a filming of My Family (very funny sitcom) at the BBC Teddington Studios. Ironically the episode of My Family we saw was called The Melbourne Affair with a very ocker aussie actor in it! Slightly annoyed however that after arriving early to receive our numbered sticker then retiring to the pub next door for a pint, that we were all then shepherded in in groups ignoring number order, meaning we all couldn't sit together. Oh but weren't we told that at the door? Uh....no! But I know I know, the tickets were free...

London Snapshots

Some happy snaps of our wanderings in the past few days....

Sherlock Holmes tiles in the Baker Street tube station.

Parking: Smart Car style in Notting Hill.

Great antique store in Portobello Road.

Paella at the Portobello Road Markets.

Natural History Museum in Kensington.

Natural History Museum.

Shopping at Selfridges - Louise - don't look ;)