Seasons in the Sun

To show that there's more to Hurley than just pictures of water…..

Spring - Rain - Bluebells.

This one is not in the sun, but note the matching umbrella I'm wearing.

Tithecote Manor, Hurley

Driveway envy.

House on the Littlewick Green. 

Not a made up place, but a quintessential English village.

The Rising Sun Public House.

'Our local'

Retro Weekend

This banner really says it all. A weekend of retro fun for old retro people. The air display was worth the entry fee alone but for the price they threw in stalls full of clothes and memorabilia (also a lot of junk), vintage cars, bikes and caravans. Loads of fun and already in the diary for next year. Here's a few pictures I took:

Air Display

Annie's Cake Bar

Amazing clouds too !

Van Improvements

Sporting a new look for the summer, latest picture of our weekend retreat at Hurley showing off some home improvements.

1. Boxing in around van (to keep out the cold and wind).

2. New replacement fencing at back. 

3. Repainted picnic table (half hidden by garden re-arrangement).

4. Painted green gates. (even if you hardly notice, please tell us how nice they look, as they took us ages to do. I thank you).

First year Wedding Anniversary - photo call

This picture is brought to you by Seven Seas Trying for a baby - vitamins and minerals - proud sponsors of the ITV weather.

Shocked ? We all look it !

*Actually 4 months old Jack is my second cousin's little boy. We just borrowed him for a while.

Cape Town (Part 2) finally!

As students and followers of our blogs may have noticed the final 'part two' of our Cape Town holiday has yet to make an appearance.
After taking longer to conclude than anticipated we can finally reveal "THE PLANS".

While 'it' was rather long winded, it's best that we aren't, so here's a summary, some pictures and the location, location, invitation!

I have previously mentioned this part concerns swallows and flying south, which is roughly how it all started....
Having spent the best part of last year searching and looking for properties we thought we'd just take a look around after friends spoke of people coming to Cape Town to escape the northern winter, calling them 'swallows'. This certainly appealed to me.We eyed up Hermanus first and then, in Hout Bay, realised this too was affordable. We wanted a simple lock-up and go that we might be able to rent out. Hout Bay, which as well as being a lovely place to be, offered the added bonus of good friends living just around the corner.

KEY:  25 minute drive to Cape Town centre         30 minutes to the airport.

We were shown a place we liked and with the owner selling the flat fully furnished and at the money (plus a favourable exchange rate) it appeared like a good investment. "Let's give it go and see how it works out" was my view.

We made an offer, agreed a price and our final day in Cape Town took us back to the agents Rawsons to go through the paperwork and sign documents on a two bedroom, fully kitted out flat. Confident in the ability to complete the purchase via email we retired to the 'Woodcutters Arms' for a celebratory drink with Lynne Fouche (our appointed inspector and henceforth known as Agent Fouche).

Following a number of hold ups, beyond our control, we have finally completed. Have a tenant in place for a year, after which, we hope to go out next year to spend some time there ourselves.

We've had slightly mixed reactions to all of this and not wanting to get to philosophical - but "Life's to short" and "Nothing ventured, nothing gained" are two cliches that spring to mind and this philosophy has been under-pinned since by various friends and family who have recently suffered serious health problems. So YOLO. ("You only live once").

Our invitation to everyone is you're welcome to come to Cape Town. We have the ideal place to stay.

First floor flat – front door and separate balcony to the right. Parking space below.

Living Room

This aerial shot probably doesn't tell you a huge amount unless you know Hout Bay. 
But it does show the sea (bottom left), about half a kilometre away. We're near Hout Bay Manor.
For more location info, check out www.houtbaymanor.com/contact-us

Thailand - Lang Suan

Helpful location map.

Let's start with introducing everyone.
(Left to right) People first: Bryan, Leila, Margaret, Kyoko and Colin. The dogs: which have names based on their colour, Psycho, Gogo, one of the Williams sisters, Bia, Sticky (in front) and finally the other Williams sister with Colin.
If I have this wrong or you want the names explaining, see Colin!
The remarkable thing is they are all in the same place at one time.

Lang Suan aka Colinland.

As promised an expanded entry of our stay with Colin and Kyoko at their lovely beach house.

Various location shots and people walking dogs pictures. I hope this shows you how nice it is and what a great time we had there.

Location shot.       Bay                          Beach                            House

     

The view North

The main house and a small part of the garden.

View of the main house from the guest house.

Let's end with another picture of us and all the dogs. Did anyone move ?

  
















Leila had this great idea that Kyoko should have her name on the entrance sign you see as you arrive. I tried to copy the original style and Margaret painted it and as you can see Colin hammered it home. Here we are at the unveiling ceremony. 6th March 2014.

Cape Town Part Two (2):

For those fans and followers of our Blogs (and I know you're out there) who have been waiting diligently for the final and concluding part of our recent trip to Cape Town, please bare with us awhile longer. There has been a hold up in proceedings and we'd rather wait for the outcome before telling this tale. Something about counting chickens before they hatch ! – so "Part Two: THE PLANS" is still TBC. For now let us entertain you with another picture from Hurley-on-Thames of the Hight Street last week that resembled more a tributary of the river rather than a road. Things are improving, but we are not out of the woods (or rather the water) just yet.

Hurley-under-Water

Ring in the NEW

A Happy NEW Year.... only so far it isn't very new and has a distinct 'déjà vu' feel to it.

Budget cuts, debt crisis, increased train fares and if that's not enough wet blankets there's the weather!

Floods, rainstorms, rivers bursting their banks, more floods! It's been so dramatic the geography and coastline of Southern England has changed forever.

See: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2534511/UK-weather-50ft-waves-hit-coast-1-6inches-rain-fall-sodden-ground-today.html

London and the Thames (due to the barrier being closed) has largely been spared, but upstream it's a different story. Our van at Hurley is cut-off, unless you're prepared to wade knee deep through the road that's become, along with the adjoining fields an aquatic habitat more suited to the ducks and swans. 

It's worse than last year (see our January 14th 2013 'déjà vu' entry). And it's not over yet, there's more where this lot came from.

Still we're not as badly off as some folk, judging from the nightly news bulletins.

For the record here's our photographic contribution .... with a few comparisons for you to see the difference.

This is the road.... ! (Our car (the tiny red dot) parked as near as I could get)

The 'Normal' view of the road we take out of the park. (Rainbow effect is occasional)

The scene yesterday. Can you see the Swan floating along in the distance ?

Our usual view from the van (see below)

NEW Lakeside view

And a NEW Water Feature