Steve's Blog Blogging since 2004, about the significant people, places, sights and sounds of my world. Now dabbling with retirement!

Ahh…the joys of trying to stay at the cutting edge of communication 🙂 Finally got all the software installed on my new 3g O2 XDA Executive, only to find that… 1. There’s no 3g coverage where I live2. There’s not likely to be in the near future3. O2 sent me the wrong SIM card so …
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Ann and I picked up Mum and met up with Neil, Debbie, Alfie and Frankie at ‘The Papadom’ in Bromley. Excellent food and it was good to catch up! Last time we all met there was almost 8 years ago!!!

A witty poetry book for me and 12 red roses and 2 CDs for Ann (‘G4’ and ‘Friends of G4’)

Spent most of the day in London’s Baker St, at the Sherlock Holmes Hotel in a meeting with Stuart and Malcolm

We took the kittens down to the vets to have them spayed and ‘chip and pinned’ 🙂 Ouch! Shaved tummies and 4 stitches in each. Back in two weeks ot have the stitches removed.

My back seems to be getting better, which is ironic considering I’m seeing the Physio today! Karen next door has offered to drive me down to the hospital – thanks Karen – which is just as well, as the Hospital has ‘revised’ the parking scheme in the hospital grounds and upon arrival it looked like …
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We visited ‘uShaka SeaWorld’ in Durban, to kill some time before heading to Durban Airport and then, onto a short internal flight to Johannesburg. UShaka was good, including a Dolphin show, a magnicient unerwater aquarium. We had lunch in a restaurant that was converted from an old ship – brilliant! Once we get to J’burg, …
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Found the local doctor yesterday (luckily just a five-minute drive away) as my back seemed to be getting worse. He gave me an injection of cortezone, which certainly did the trick (after some initial sweats and tingling in my arms and legs). We then had a great day, completely pain-free. We visited the massive ‘Gateway’ …
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Another superb six-course menu last night introduced in all its mouth-watering glory by Richard, head Chef and owner of the place. Looks like he had also invited a lot of local chefs to the event too! The food, as expected, was SUPERB! We plan to pick up their own cook-book on departure, today. We met …
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Well, we made up for our pathetic performance at the evening meal on the first night by getting through all SIX courses last night AND asking for an extra bowl of the Chef’s EXCELLENT pumpkin soup (see below). We both agreed, the lamb was the best we’ve ever tasted. It was truly melt-in-the-mouth! After breakfast, …
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Business Class on this SwissAir AirBus is great! Our destination is 8426 kilometres ahead of us. We’ve already been offered champagne!

Left home at 15.30ish heading for Birmingham Airport. We’re flying to Zurich on the 18.30, and from there onto Johannesburg arriving at 9.40 on the 14th (local time)

My last ever haircut with Sharon – who I’ve been going to for years for my ‘trims’. She and her husband Vinny are emigrating to Australia at the end of the month. Good luck to both of you!

OK, deep breath… Haircut, Peterborough, 8am. Facial, Kettering, 10am. Meet Nick and Celina, Stamford, 12ish. See King Kong, Kettering, 4pm. Jo and Janet were due to join us for a healthy supper, but Janet was unwell The Movie ‘King Kong’ was breathtaking!

Off to Loch Fyne in Elton with Jo, Janet and Carol for a slap-up meal. excellent food. Saw the new year in with Karen and Paul (next door), at theirs with Deb and Stefan, Rosi and David and, Neil and Sarah, who have returned from their teaching posts in the Shetlands

Saw ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ with Jo and Janet (Carol was ‘snowed in’ and Ann didn’t fancy it) The darkest and S-C-A-R-I-E-S-T Harry Potter yet!

Off to Denis and Mae’s for a slap up Boxing Day lunch. Simon and Beverley popped in…