TO SEE THE QUEEN

Over the Bank holiday (May Day) we took the opportunity to go down to London. One of Carol's colleagues had told her about a good place to park all day for free near to the City centre. This had always deterred our thinking about going down by car as the normal parking is very expensive. So we took off early in the now trusty Vectra and in an hour and a half we were in St Johns Wood where (as promised) we found a quiet street with parking meters which did not operate on Sundays!!
Bought a day pass for London Transport and took the underground to Green Park from where we walked to B uckingham Palace.It was only 8.30am and we decided not to wake the Queen up.There were hardly any people about (Poms don't rise early we have found) and from there we walked around for a while and then caught a tube to South Kensington where the museums reside. Had a quick brekky at Maccas and then into the Science Museum where we just caught a showing of the HiMax theatre.Quite an experience, wearing 3D glasses and witnessing an amazing film of wild life in Africa.
Then a stroll through the incredible displays of the museum for an hour until we both admitted to "museum wipeout"and headed for the Embankment by tube. Walking along the Thames is always full of interest, and more so when we passed a fellow who had just finished the London Marathon a week after he had started! BUT he had been wearing a full suit of armour and pulling a Model Dragon behind him. He looked totally stuffed!
Had lunch in a Pub - the food was excellent but the surly Landlord was n ot. The couple next to us (Canadians) had ordered one meal only -the bloke was not very hungry- but when he asked for another plate to share his wife's meal he was refused.Coudn't even get an extra knife and fork!
Caught a bus to Trafalgar Square where there was an Indian festival underway -thousands of the buggers -but it was not very appealing so we wandered up to Piccadily and Oxford Street to stare at the things in shops which cold not afford to buy.The street was packed and hardly an English word could be heard! And so back by tube to St Johns, into the car and home by 6.30. Agreat day.
The previous Friday night we had attended an Arts Quiz at the George Hotel which was being run by the Ramsey Arts Festival Committee - the chairman is one of my golfing mates.We went with Pam and Maurice -Pam being one of Carol's colleagues.We were in trepidation about the quiz for the subjects were Poetry/Films/Music/Painting etc subjects on which we all acknowledged but a slender interest.We finished 7th out of 8!!but had a thoroughly e njoyable evening.
Monday Carol spent time searching the internet for airfares to Stavanger in Norway and finally conceded that there was no cheap way to get there -so we booked to leave on the 27th May and back on the 2nd June. David Goss and Nancy Young (neighbours from Toowoomba are coming here on Sunday 4th) and we are looking forward to seeing them and having a game of golf. Carol spent the afternoon doing school reports so I took myself off to get some photos around the place, and they are of the Houghton Mill, a National Trust property, a landscape showing the fields of yellow rape,and a typical country lane - just for the memory book.NB
I have had trouble uploading the photos -only Houghton Mill appears -sorry!