Rain, Rain Go Away

The last week or so the weather has been miserable, constantly grey and rainy. Today was no better, I had to drag myself out of the house for a run around the Regents Park, my last proper run before a week of rest and carbo loading! Was nice to come home to a hot bowl of pumpkin soup served with some of Tim's home made bread, yum!

Friday Night

Friday nights have traditionally been our chance to relax after a busy week with a couple of drinks at home, along with a few nibbles serving as dinner rather than bothering to cook properly. But Tim's new job means that Friday nights with both of us home are a rarity, so we enjoyed spending this one just chilling out together.

Tim's New Toy

Tim has finally splashed out and bought himself a new phone. This one is super flash with all the bells and whistles, including Skype, GPS, Nokia maps, a camera, the internet, email and it even makes phone calls!

Pheasant #3

A Perk of the Job

One of the mums at school had a whole lot of last minute tickets to a preview of the latest West End musical, Love Never Dies, the sequel to Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera. As Tim was working I managed to drag Pam along last night. The show had amazing sets and special effects, but not the same impact as the Phantom unfortunately. But with free tickets and drinks we could hardly complain.

14 days to go!

It's two weeks today till the Paris half marathon, so we couldn't resist having a few silly shots taken. With our last long run done and dusted, we totally deserved our afternoon of wine and cheese, thanks Estelle! Now it's onto sensible eating and drinking before the big day!

Gown and Town

Just as we were leaving Winchcombe, the snow started falling quite heavily, making for an exciting journey along the quiet country roads! Despite a couple of white knuckle moments, the views were stunning!

We did a tour of Oxford City and some of the University buildings on the way back to London. Makes me want to relive my student days, although Wellington College of Education doesn't quite compare to this!


Tim in the grounds of one of the Colleges in Oxford. This one, New College, was the setting of several scenes from the Harry Potter movies!

Shakespeare's Stratford

We spent Wednesday exploring Stratford Upon Avon, home of the infamous bard. Here I am outside Shakepeare's birth place and home during his early years. Despite the weather we made it around all the historic sights of the pretty city, before heading back to our cosy hotel to warm up.

A Slightly Belated Celebration

On the 12th of February, we celebrated two years of life in the UK. As Tim was working that day we decided to save champagne for our break in the Cotswolds, the perfect way to end a day of exploring the pretty villages and countryside.

Escaping the Big Smoke

With Tim's four days off shift pattern coinciding with my half term holidays, we decided to hire a car and check out the Cotswolds. We stayed in a lovely country pub in a sweet little village called Winchcombe, where the restaurant specialised in wine and sasuages, what more could we want! Over here the countryside is criss-crossed with public walkways, which allowed us to satisfy our craving for a bit of open space and fresh air. We could have easily been in New Zealand with the beautiful surroundings, if it weren't for the odd 500 year old castle dotting the landscape!

She Don't Like Cocaine

Tim booked tickets to see Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck play at the O2 Arena months ago and I wasn't sure if it was going to be my idea of a Valentines treat. But it was an awesome night despite the vertigo inducing seats, we must have been the youngest members of the audience by a good twenty years!  Those old rockers sure know how to handle a guitar!

I've Been Working on the Railway

Tim is near the end of four days worth of 12 hour day shifts.  Today he and his team walked his entire line from Dalston to New Cross.  This involved walking through the 150 year old Brunel Tunnel, the very first tunnel built under a navigatable waterway (The Thames).

Two Years On

Today marks the second anniversary of our arrival in London from little old New Zealand. Life over here continues to challenge, thrill, frustrate and excite us, however we would do it all over again in a heart beat. We just wish our family and friends were a little closer!

Not Quite Enough for a Snowman

This is the view from our flat window. Once again this winter the temperature has plummeted and we've had light snow showers over the past few days. I can't help but feel a little disappointed, if it's going to be this cold we might as well get some decent snow to play in as part of the deal!

Why We Love Wednesdays

Wednesday is fruit and veg delivery day in our house, something we have had going for a while now. It's always nice to get home and discover what goodies are in the box each week and certainly helps with our five plus a day!

Pheasant #2

This one Tim tried roasting, turned out okay, if a little dry.

Just had to watch out for the bits of shot in amongst the mouthfuls of meat!

Year of the Tiger

Chinese New Year celebrations are in full swing, with China Town looking amazing decked out in beautiful lanterns. And of course Tim couldn't resist his favourite Chinese street food, a tasty pork bun on the way home.

Salsa Night

With Tim working night shift Saturday I made the most of the opportunity for a night out with some girls I work with: Lee, Jo and Estelle. We went to a salsa evening which was a charity event to raise funds for a group of boys from the UCS Senior School heading to Goa, India where they will work for an aid agency.

Royal Running Routes

With the half marathon only a month away, the serious distance training has begun. This week's 17km route took us around The Regent's Park, past Lord's Cricket Ground, through the middle of Speaker's corner in Hyde Park, along The Green Park, past Buckingham Palace and into St James' Park. I love this city, just not the tourists that seem intent on getting in our way!

Our Daily Bread

For the past few months, Tim has been obsessed with baking the perfect loaf. Apparently this one isn't quite right, too dense with not enough crust. Tasted okay slathered in NZ marmite though!

Reminders of Home

Can't believe it's February already! As much as we love our calendar, it does serve to make us a little homesick at times, what a beautiful city we are lucky enough call home.