London sight seeing - Feburary 8

Up early this morning for a 7.55am pickup. Down to the Victoria Bus Station and by 9 am we were of on a morning tour of London. A tour around central London seeing The Palace, Westminster  Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament and lots of other places. Walking up to the front of Buckingham Palace and seeing the guards being changed. Guards not in bright red uniforms, but in more suitable grey winter coats--it was 10 degrees with a cold wind blowing.

Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palce

Later the bus stopped and we  walked across the Mall to see the changing of the Horse Guards. Two sets of guards mounted on horses sat facing each other,without moving, for thirty minutes. Then the old guard returned to barracks and the new guard stayed on to guard a castle that no longer exists.. As our guide said "Not very interesting", but it was colourful and worth a few pictures.

Changing of the Horse Guards on the parade ground used for Trooping the Colour

Later walking down the Mall, on the way back to the bus, one of our group took my photo so I could prove I have been to London

In front of statues of George 6 and Elizabeth,the queen mother to be.

Finally two modes transport, possibly miles apart in there speed capability?

I arrive in London - February 7

A little after seven in the morning we touched down at Heathrow to a temperature of seven degrees. This wouldn't have mattered as I expected I would walk off the plane through the connecting tunnel into a warm airport. Pass through immigration, collect my bag then take my coat and scarf out of the outside pocket and be ready to head outside.  No way!  The plane stopped somewhere miles from the terminal. We had to descend to the ground via some steep steps mounted on top of a ute and get into one of the fleet of buses waiting on the tarmac. All this in my shirt sleeves!  The we drove for miles through tunnels and narrow roads. I started to think we must have landed in Southampton.

Anyway I got into the terminal, passed through customs, got my bag, put on my coat and met up with my lift to the Hotel Amba at Marble Arch.  An extremely modern hotel with friendly staff that made you feel welcomed. Made an appointment with the Insight tour for 3 pm and then went up to my room unpacked and grabbed a couple hours sleep. At three kept my appointment with the tour director and learnt about the bus tour on Monday over a glass of beer. Later I had a meal and was in bed by 5.30 pm and slept through to six the next morning

Transit Hong Kong - February 6

It is 11.30 here in Hong Kong and still two hours to go before I lift off for London. That is 4.30 am tomorrow NZ time. I know this because although I have set my mobile to HK time my watch is still on NZ time. I am using my watch to track my pill taking and mobile for my calendar and alarm to make sure I don't miss my plane. 

I am spending my transit time in a paid lounge here at the airport. Started of with a shower and then a light meal and a drink. At moment I am sitting in a tub chair in cosy lounge area looking out into the dark, through glass wall, to some parked planes. The roof above me and extending behind me can also be seen reflected in the glass.

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I leave for London - February 6

Early this morning I flew from my home town,Palmerston North, to Auckland. Here to board a two stage  Cathy Pacific flight to London. A flight with a four hour stopover in Hong Kong and a change of planes.

The weather had cooled bit from the 32 degrees on Wednesday to around  22. Blair and Jessie picked me up just after eight and dropped me off at the airport. As I was early, as usual, they waited around to see me checked in and left me to it. Checkin or self checking was interesting especially when I discovered I was checked all the way to London. Something I didn't expect seeing I was travelling on two different airlines.

Cafe at Palmerston North Airport

Good flight Auckland--misty rain and 22 degrees. Looking at the departure board for my gate number and all I see is "Relax"

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I am Travelling Again

Just a few months ago I found that Probus had a new travel insurance that relied on your doctor's say so, rather than a computer-based medical questionnaire that I always failed.  Now I have Travel Insurance and a booked trip to England. Not only am I traveling but I have restarted my research on Scott's Northern Party. Research I stopped because I could not travel to Cambridge to access the original diaries I needed.

Now back to the trip; I am heading to England in just 11 days. Spending a week in London sightseeing, then two weeks in Cambridge at Scott Polar Research Institute, SPRI, continuing my research. Ten, seven hour days going through diaries and photographs. Hope I can cope. I have been retired for sixteen years and a full day's work, day after day, is something I only remember from my distant past.  After Cambridge, and on the way home, I will be having four days in Hong Kong.

I know it is winter in England with temperatures around twelve degrees, but for two weeks in Cambridge, I will be indoors. Hong Kong looks better at twenty degrees--better than the 38+ the last time I was there.  This time, I won't need to walk from one air-conditioned shop to the next just to keep cool.

London weather for the next week

Back in Christchurch

This morning after breakfast I eventually headed out the Ferrymead Museum and Historic Village.

But first about the breakfast. When I booked in they asked if I wanted a continental breakfast--I said yes. Expecting a couple slices of toast and jam I was pleasantly surprised. First three slices of bread, two punits of marjorine, one butter, four jams and two marmites.  That in its self was good but then there was a small packet muesli and another of wheatbixs, a yoghurt, pottel of fruit, a tomato, a tube of Nescafe Vanilla latte and a bottle of fruit juice. I am having the latte and yoghurt tonight after the meat pie I picked up on my way home.

Now back to Ferrymead. It was a long drive, right across Christchurch, that became all the more confusing as I saw signs indicating I was going to Timaru, Akoroa, the city centre, and once to the West Coast. I soon told my self to ignore all of them and trust my Navman and of course watch out for the traffic lights. This I did until the last half mile when the road was closed for repair. So I turned around, ignoring Mr Navman's order to "make U-turn as soon as possible" until he got the message and recalculated a new route.

Ferrymead is certainly much larger than my last visit, sometime in 1980 I think. Several of buildings are still closed due earthquake damage. Unfortunately the two large aircraft buildings were close but I did see their Mosquito and the work being done to restore it. I saw trams, trains, an old railway station, a large butter churn, old electrical substation equipment along with four large mercury vapour rectifiers. Then there were the old houses, both cobb and wood, an old printery, a lawyers office, school, bakery, church, and old post office and telegraphic equipment. A great day.

On leaving, set the Navman for my motel and followed my orders. Most of the time it worked, but as its maps hadn't been updated since I bought it in 2005 it made mistakes due to local road changes and realignments. On the way I picked up a pie and filled the rental with petrol. Here Sod's Law came into play. On the way out I say plenty of petrol station on the other side of the road, but on the way I  didn't find one until about 2 km from the motel. Yes I am OK with real miles as well as these new fangal kilometres.

Add My breakfast for one.

The Mosquitos rebuilt tail plane

There is a still a lot work still to be done

The four mercury vapour rectifiers

Now I finished my pie and this writing so I will post the Blog and go and have the yoghurt.

Two nights in Oamaru

A good drive on Monday to Oamaru. Stopped at the Café at the turn-off to Waimatai for an orange drink and rosemary and bacon pie. Finally getting to David's place just after 1 pm.

After settling-in I set up my scanner and laptop and began copying the colour slides David had picked out for me. Slides from Jim Lennox-King, the leader, and Colin Baily, the doctor at Scott Base during the winter of 1960. Most of slide were taken in the mess hut during birthdays and parties and other celebrations. throughout this processing we had a good discussion about our separate work on the history of Scott's Northern Party. In the evening we went to the Star and Garter for splendid feed of belly pork, some garlic bread and red wine.

Tuesday was another sunny North Otago day and a lot more talking about the Antarctic and people we knew. After sitting outside for lunch we headed to Adventure Books to catch up Bill's latest Antarctic books. Yes, I bought some after all it was book shop not a lending library.  Later that afternoon we headed for Scotts Brewery and had a couple of their wonderful beers. From here we trotted around to and Italian restaurant for a meal of blue cod cooked Italian style. The restaurant had some marvelous old picture of Italian scenes. Some showing people standing outside cook houses eating spaghetti with there fingers.

Wednesday morning, at about nine  I headed back to Christchurch. I drove straight through because the weather forecast was for rain and gale-force winds and I wanted to get there before it started. So far neither has eventuated. I am sitting here at 7 pm typing with the sun is streaming through motel window and outside there is only a slight breeze.


A birthday party during the winter of 1960



Our doctor's birthday cake.



What we found after open Scott Bases front door after blizzard



The winter party at Scott Base 1960. I am second in from the right.