The Story So Far

Hello everyone

Here's my attempt at setting up a website to allow you all to catch up on what's going on here whilst I'm overseas. It means that you won't get annoying emails containing pictures any more - you can visit this site instead whenever convenient for you, or not bother as is your wont.

So far I have been killing time waiting for a job with Aspect to start - to say the least, this has dragged on. I have now endured 4 interviews over the past 6 weeks or so and, due to August Holidays here in the UK, the decision makers have not been in the same room at the same time when interviews occurred. Anyway, I today recieved a phone call advising that an offer is in the snail mail for me to consider. I must say that I was ready to throw the towel in and return to Oz very soon if this didn't happen - more on this as it evolves.

My mother, Marie, is doing fantastic after her cancer scare and op earlier this year. Here she is doing her finest Fred Scuttle impression and showing off her MP3 player which she now uses daily.

I've run her around for a few tests but she's in great condition. The garden as always is a picture and she spends most of her time out there tinkering and listening to music - singing is lousy though.




So during all the waiting I got myself off to the Isle of Man to visit Eddie, Lisa (a good friend from Oz) was coincidentally visiting England for a week or so, so we travelled to Glastonbury & also did some siteseeing in London. She stayed at my Mums for a few days and discovered Chipping Warden and its surrounds. Warwick Castle, Leamington Spa, Avon Dassett etc.

Eddie & I went to Silverstone GP circuit to watch the British Superbike Championship's penultimate meeting. Will be off to Brands this weekend to see the final rounds - any one of 3 riders could win it - and one of them is British !

Glastonbury

Oliver Cromwell left Glastonbury Abbey in a condition that Henry VIII rather liked after our 'enery couldn't get his own way with the RC church. Prior to his renovation efforts, this was the biggest Abbey in England. Glastonbury is a meeting place for ley lines they say so the place is populated and visited by hippy types, diviners, sooth sayers and other St Andrews Market types

Warwick Castle and Avon Dassett

Where the hell am I?

Chipping Warden, Northants about 5 miles NE of Banbury, Oxfordshire

A quaint village with a Norman church, no shops, 300 people and 2 lively pubs. Played a part in the 2nd world war as the (now disused) airfield once was the home of a bomber squadron that had sorties over Germany. A bomber crashed during the war just outside Chipping Warden when attempting a foggy night landing - only one survived to be shot down & killed later in another raid. Here's a link (thanks Ed) for those interested

http://www.aviationresearch.co.uk/Article1.htm

Some older history too - the Norman church - bell ringers practice on Thursday evenings, Edgcote House - the local manor and the site of the Battle of Edgcote

http://www.richard111.com/edgcote1.htm.

Isle of Man with Ed

Here's some snaps taken of us at the world famous TT circuit. Eds mate lent me a couple of bikes for the day so off we went for a lap around the course.

Next year marks the 100th year of the TT. Will be a big party. Lots of info on the IOM here.

http://www.isle-of-man.com/index.shtml

Silverstone

2 Great days here, especially the Sunday - hardly a cloud all day. Ed travelled down with me from the IOM and he went back on Monday. Also present was friend from the old days, Angie and her friend James.

http://www.britishsuperbike.com/

Next excitement is this weekend - visit Luton Airport to collect Ed, couple of nights in The Griffin then BSBs on Sunday

Well, thats the gist of it for the time being - I'll be adding to this as time ticks by - thanks for visiting