FREEZING FOG AND ICE

Lucky old you in nice sunny climes,it's not going to get above freezing today here-It's woolly hat and gloves weather,enjoy New Year(I don't know why the font has changed)

CRONULLA.

We wanted to get to another beach. And an hour outside of Sydney is Cronulla. It's up near here that Cook first landed, but it's more famous recently for the riots (about 3 years ago).

There wasn't any of that but coming out of the station it did feel like we were in Benidorm.

We strolled up the coast trying to find a deserted bit of beach and just as we lay our towels down, this formed above our heads.

Amazingly it never rained and only minutes later it was clear blue skies. 

A little bit of dune sliding.

Fame, I wanna live forever....

Cantona tackle.

Point those toes.

Ahhhh.

Weekend in london

Just had a great weekend in London with Marc,watched the ice-skating at Somerset House then went on the dodgems in leicester Square after a few drinks in mum's favourite pub.On the Saturday went to see Avenue Q and on Sunday walked around the Docklands and Wapping before lunch at the Angel and then headed North

BOXING DAY - WATSON BAY

Where better to go for Boxing Day 2008 - Watson Bay 15 minutes up the road.

Oh look the Sydney to Hobart race.  How lovely.

CHRISTMAS EVE.

Oh dear! Drunk again! (Sorry for the late night 

call Gaz!!)

MERRY AUSSIE CHRISTMAS!

Our Fabulous (token) Christmas tree.

Chrimbo on the Beach.

Just in case we forgot the true meaning of Christmas

We need to get a dining table - but at least we have crackers.

Auntie Sheilas coming

Sheila and Frank are coming 2009,they are currently taking swimming lessons and learning aussie

THE NEW TV (AND BACK TO THE FUTURE III).

So after the Sofa, the Ironing board and the Scousers we had Marty Mcfly to see. 

Let me explain. It was 4.30 and I suddenly remembered Back to the Future III was on Channel 10 at 6.30 and me being me was disappointed with the notion of missing it. Now the boys can back me up on this one, if you need to see a film (Coming to America) then you simply go out and buy the equipment( A DVD player) To watch that film (Sydney 2005/06). So with that spirit, we got a cab to Bondi junction - and spent $550 on a TV. Well you can't miss Marty learning how to overcome being called 'a chicken'. - even though it's not as good as the other two. 

We got back with minutes to spare and ate our curry off the floor - it was actually on plates, bought at the same time as the TV, but who knows what would have been eating off if we didn't go back out.

Now we need a TV stand.

Bx

THE NEW VIEW.

Xmas day

just checked the weather for Sydney,looks like you will have sunshine all the way,swimming on Xmas day,that''ll be me next year.

MOVING FLATS, FRIENDLY NEIGHBOURS, SCOUSERS AND THE DENTIST...

So, we now live in an incredible place with a view of Sydney harbour bridge.  We have to keep pinching ourselves.  The flat was totally bare when we arrived (except a fridge) but it wasn't long before our new sofa and bed arrived. Yay!  Just one thing, the sofa wouldn't fit through the front door.  Oh dear! Luckily, we bumped into our helpful neighbour, who didn't think it too much trouble atall to carry it (with Ben's help) down several flights of stairs, up and down steps outside and to finally winch it up in through a window with his sail boat rope (yes, our friendly neighbour also has a boat).  Then we hotfooted it to the supermarket and bought every household item in sight.  So there we were, struggling back up the road, juggling odd shaped bags and an ironing board under our arms, when a kind couple with a familiar accent offered to help.  Two scousers no less (and no, they didn't do a runner funny people).  

Oh yeah, and the other day I had had such horrendous toothache through the night, I was forced to go the dentists, who was appalled at my teeth and said UK dentists were a bit shit really.  I had the beginnings of a (very expensive) root canal done and was so scared, the nurse held my hands during the injections, as tears rolled down my eyes. Baby! So now, I must sell Ben in order to pay for my necessary ongoing treatment.  And just as I was starting to like him ... :(

C x

SWIMMING IN THE RAIN....

It's not all sunshine in Sydney (the pool was warm though).

I MISS MY CAT!

And that's all I have to say about that :(

C x

A BIT OF ADVICE ...

Just for future reference, they do NOT rent furnished flats over here.  I have just purchased a brand new bed, mattress and sofa - complete with free bed linen! All for under £650.  IKEA eat your heart out!  What's the betting they don't look as good as in the pictures ... 

C x

NOT A BAD VIEW.

FINDING AN APARTMENT.

We’ve been in Medina on the Crown for two weeks, which is only 3 minutes stroll (in the sun) to my new office. So while I try to get to grips with the dizzy world of Australian Advertising, Miss Wilkinson has been out finding us an apartment. After trawling through thousands of pages of apartments and getting buses between Coogee, Bondi, Rose Bay and Double Bay, meeting agent after agent – and some who didn’t turn up, we finally put down a deposit on this little beauty. Fingers and toes crossed that it won’t fall through but it’s exactly what we moved to Sydney for.

WE'VE LANDED.

G'day! (Sorry!) Welcome, everyone, to our blog. (That's if anyone ever reads this apart from Ben and I). So we've been here a week already. We are officially Sydneysiders. The flight was pretty painless - especially as they upgraded us for the second half due to my TV breaking. Result! And we missed the Bangkok airport protests by just 24 hours - an even bigger result, clearly!

So from now on, it's wall to wall sunshine, in the city where people smile and even talk to strangers - imagine that! So, please hold our hand while we start our new adventure ...

C x

CLERKENWELL, CHAMPAGNE, CAKE, (AND AN iPOD.)

There was leaving Curries in Brick Lane.

Leaving Peach Schnapps in Soho.



Leaving Fajita’s in Heswall (that’s up North)

Followed by an early Christmas in Bebington (Aunty Shelia what a legend).

And then Christmas, Birthday and leaving in one - Pizza (and nibbles) in Chislehurst.

But our main leaving event, was to be in Clerkenwell. I’ve never been to Clerkenwell house, (neither had Claire) but ”it looked great from the website” she said (and I was right).

We were running late, as usual. On emerging from the tube, our phones went ballistic. Voicemails and texts – everyone asking the same thing “Where is it?” Christ will anyone turn up?

As we walked through the door, we scanned the bar - there’s got to be someone here. And there he was , Wiz standing alone. Supping on his lager top.  That’s not a good sign when you’re best mate is there before you are.  I got the beers in and then noticed Rich, Dobbo, and Rene. You never know we might have a party here.

Over the next hour, more and more people arrived. Faces from our day-to-day lives like Rug, JT and Jay to Emma all the way from The Wirral. There were friends we hadn’t seen in ages as well as Clare, Will and Stan (the dog) –but that’s another story. Then, the moment of truth. The meeting of the parents. Dun, dun, duh! ...

I had a fabulous Birthday cake from Nadine and we got a great vintage bottle of Champagne from Rug. Thank you to both.

In short, Claire got very drunk and silly whilst Ben remained respectable and well-behaved all night (no change there then). 

Thank you all for coming.


(Oh we found an ipod Nano when we were grabbing our coats - if it's yours let us know.)

OH. MY. GOD.

Ben gets offered a job in Sydney.  And the adventure begins ...