The first week of November

Last Saturday we moved home. We now own three car loads of stuff (a bit more than our two suitcases and two back packs that we brought over from NZ). Our little yellow car was packed high with plastic bags and boxes and cases for the first two trips and on our third trip we managed to squeeze our bikes into the back. The trip from house to house took a few detours before we worked out which way was the quickest and by the time we had crawled up the hill in traffic more than once I had visions of needing oxygen after biking up the hill after work on Monday. I was pleased to see there is a medical centre right on the corner so I wouldn’t have had far to go!! I just wasn’t looking forward to it at all – in fact it spoilt my Monday. When I mentioned the hill to Frannie in an email (she is our friend from Wellington – a Bristolian who owns our new home) she laughed and all she could say was ‘ but you come from Wellington’). Anyway Monday evening was here – dark as daylight saving finished in the weekend, but a lovely calm, warm autumn evening - and we started our ride home slowly, pacing ourselves, and mentally preparing ourselves for the uphill battle. Half way up, I said to Harry ‘this isn’t so bad’ and all he could say was ‘the steep bit is yet to come’ – we arrived at the top and laughed – no steeper bits, quicker than expected and not even puffing. So, either we are extra fit or crawling in traffic makes it feel like a whole lot longer. The road we come up has a cycle path most of the way and it seems to be a main route for cyclists. We all stop at lights and when they turn green the cars behind us have to wait for us to pick up speed and go back into line before they can pass. Quite funny really, made me think of photos of China and such where there are heaps of cyclists everywhere and no room for cars. Can some of those cyclists go – I’m going to be like them when I grow up!! Anyway, there are heaps of cafes, pubs, hairdressers, second hand shops, take away shops and superettes along the street and so we already feel that everything is close at hand and we will enjoy living here. Not far away is the zoo and the stadiums where the Bristol rugby and football teams play. What more could we want. The dining room looked like a rubbish tip for a while with all our belongings piled into it but we have managed to clean it up and put up some photos so it is now feeling a bit more like home. Jan said to me that it took her about 3 months to be able to put up photos without feeling sad and I think it has taken me a bit longer. Now, when I look at my family and friends I realise that I am so lucky and they make me feel good rather than sad. Our new house is a Coronation Street style home with 2 large bedrooms, a lovely kitchen and two living areas. Our kiwi friends that came round for dinner on Friday night said – ‘a real house’ – big compared to the little one we were boarding in and compared to their 1 bedroom flat. We have little furniture so it feels empty but I am sure that will change over time. I am bringing some of the pot plants from outside inside to create a bit more of a ‘homely’ feeling and with the photos it should work well. We are looking forward to spending many a summer evening in the garden having barbeques with friends. I have been working late this week due to a busy time (but flexitime is great cos it means I can take a day off occasionally without using up leave) and Harry met me one evening at work. He had to wait by the bike rack as I was running a bit late and I heard the next day that the security guard was seriously concerned that he might be a terrorist planting a bomb in the bike shed - I had to include a photo to show you how he looked in the dark (you have to imagine the light shining on his helmet). I giggled all day over this and did think that conspicuous clothing could be quite a good camouflage for a terrorist. On a more serious note though we also realised that in this country ‘we are all under suspicion’ something we aren’t really used to. Anyway from terrorist to.... This Saturday we went to the fireworks display to celebrate Guy Fawkes. We rode our bikes there and wandered around the park and at least 2 people asked us what time the fireworks was starting – we realised that they thought we were security guards because like them we were wearing our bright yellow clothing. Another woman then came up and looked at us and said ‘ you aren’t security guards are you’ and when we said no we volunteered the starting time which is what she wanted to know. Anyway, judge for yourself security guard to terrorist!!

The fireworks were quite different to over in NZ – done to music and intermingled with the story of Guy Fawkes. I didn’t know the background really but he was a Catholic upset with Henry XIII for starting the protestant church back in 1605 (could have had something to do with Henry killing the Catholics off). Earlier in the day at Gloucester we were at a museum reading about a protestant Minister (John Hooper) killed by Queen Mary who didn’t like protestants. Both Guy and John ended up with the same fate but slightly different methods which I won’t go into. The week was also Poppy week in Britain, commemorating Armistice day and also Halloween. Some people go in for Halloween in quite a big way, dressing up their houses to welcome their guests – but us like many others went out to avoid any visitors (some people at work admitted to hiding in their back rooms). Apparently Britain has passed a law about not selling flour or eggs to people 15 or under 2 weeks before Halloween cos they used to bombard houses of ‘ungenerous souls’. When we got back from shopping (exchanging our microwave which didn’t go) our house had managed to escape the eggs and flour and any other unwanted goodies. Saturday (the first in November) dawned sunny and warm and as we hadn’t done any sight seeing last weekend we were keen to head off and we chose Gloucester – a town about 30 miles north of Bristol. We wandered around the docks and saw the ‘tall ships’ from last weeks festival that we didn’t get to because of the moving. We were told this week that the festival only that 3 ships and they looked as though they were all there today - two in dry dock. The only difference was the weather was sunny, you couldn’t go on the boats and their wasn’t any music. We then wandered around the town, saw some old pubs (including the Dick Whittington – which is where he hales from with his cat), went to a folk museum (it had a big tree trunk with a hole going through from end to end and was part of the water mains to the original city and a few other interesting things like a pin making machine,16th century wall decorations, a penny farthing and the most amazing uneven wooden floor – fun for playing marbles on I reckon), went to the Beatrix Potter shop (she stayed with her cousins in Gloucester and met a tailor which inspired her book ‘The Tailor of Gloucester’ – he left a half finished waist coat one night in his shop and the next day came back to find it all completed except for one button hole as they had run out of thread), had a peak at the cathedral and some 16th century buildings which now all seem to be fish and chip shops. The Cross Keys Inn was fascinating – another building with drooping ceilings and sloping floors and one which I would like to stay in one night. Also saw the house where John Stafford Smith was born – he wrote the American National anthem and the first Sunday school (many children can be thankful for that invention).

On our way home as the sun was setting we stopped at Saul Crossing – where canels meet and canel boats moor. A lovely end to the day, sitting by the canel having a cup of tea and enjoying the peaceful scenery and the autumn colours.