Centre Stage

And in great ozi tradition there was no better way to say goodbye to work than on centre stage with a beer in hand saying thanks to all the pommie bastards for a good time and inviting them over for a barbie. The work end of year pantomime (only something that I have recently realised is a British tradition) was the 'Wizard from Oz' so who better to enter the stage to the shouts of “HE’s BEHIND YOU” than a real Oz.

I still have one more encore with drinks tomorrow night. With all this going on it is difficult to comprehend that we still have not packed and we leave in a couple of days. It is not that we don’t want to leave but more a denial that we will be able to actually pack all our crap into the same cases we came over here with. It looks like I will be wearing 2 pairs of pants, 4 pairs socks, 3 jumpers and 2 jackets on the plane. Ok – need to go and sit on a suitcase………

winter

With a week to go before we leave winter returns bringing to end the full cycle of spring, summer and spring since I have arrived. The winters in Weymouth are not usually severe. While the rest of the country comes to a stand still at the first sign of snow, it is the early morning frosts that mark winter here. In the morning as you step out side your senses know straight away it is winter. The feel of the crisp frosty air on your face; your breath visible in front of you; the sound of ice crunching under your feet; and the smell of wood smoke from the nearby hamlet. Gloves are a must as a strong northerly wind cuts through 4 layers of clothing.

Different seasons each have their own unique light and winter is no different as the sun hovers on the horizon, trying unsuccessfully to get itself in to the air. As a result, the light is muted and subdued. The sky is a light pastel of blues with sunrise and sunsets being infused with streaks of pale pinks and yellow. With the sun struggling to get up in the morning the daylight hours are restricted to just a few hours which you manage to see outside your window during lunchtime.

In the winter months, when the leaves have fallen, the landscape takes on a strange sleepy state with the bare silhouettes of the beech trees against a grey sky. The light gleaming from thousands of frozen drops on all the branches gives the countryside its own Christmas decorations. Hunting season is has started and the faint sounds of gun shots echo out across the valley.

Walking around the villages, towns and along the many paths there is no sign of the thousands of tourists and visitors that have descended on the place in summer. The peace and tranquillity encourages you to linger longer and explore but the cold pushes you to the nearest pub, preferably one with an open fire.

It has been a great experience being able to see England in all its seasons. But, like the many birds that have decided to migrate for the winter, it is our time to join the flying birds on a path to warmer lands. I wonder if they have a nice cold beer waiting for them at the end of their journey?

10 DAYS

Confirm taxi – check
Book accommodation – check
Take out extremely large bank loan – check
Prepare for kids farewell party – check
Re-paint entire house – check
Panic – check
Pack bags – bugger
Get ready to leave – SH*$!!!

It is hard to believe that the number on the blog has rolled over to 10. Not 10 months but 10 DAYS! Looking around you would not think that our little adventure is coming to an end. My last week at work is not much different to any other. There is the usual meetings, Council reports to prepare, staff to chastise, and Councillors to ignore.

There is a hint that something is different with the corridor chat about what warm weather will be like, some staff asking me how many people can fit into a suitcase and for some reason a cheer every time I see the IT Manager. There is also something strange in that all the staff have been very nice to me, especially saying some complimentary words at our last Unit meeting. This is either a sign that I have actually managed to make a small difference or that a year of ozi hell is over for them and they can finally return to serious, tie wearing normality.

Little do they realise that they have not seen the back of me yet. Next week the staff are holding an end of year pantomime and have decided to call it the Wizard of OZ. Based on the script my last impression may be a memorable one for all the wrong reasons. I think I am glad that I am leaving the country but there is a good chance that I will never be allowed back in again.

Home is likewise its normal chaotic self with the kids still at school and Kathy trying to get organised for our one last hurrah. We need to constantly remind ourselves that in 2 weeks time the idea of going to ASDA to do the shopping, saying hi to Lello and Carrots (our horse and donkey neighbour) or scraping the ice of the car windscreen will be a thing of the past.

And so as we soon enter the world of single digits, it time to continue with the final list

Get cleaners in – check
Pick up travel tickets – check
Organise travellers cheques – check

Say good bye…………….

20 DAYS

The countdown continues and it is hard to believe it is all coming to an end. Looking back we are amazed at what we have managed to achieve, see and do. With 20 Days to go I thought I would look back at my early blogs and give a summary of some of the highlights:

January: First Day on the job; Ozis win the Ashes; Sun set over Corfe Castle; Australia Day and a surprise at work; gale force winds; preoccupation with Australia/Weymouth connections; its COLD.

February: 5000 year old barrows; Ireland-England Rugby game; weird village names; Roman baths in Bath; holding the Council Mace; A ramble around Portesham; my first soccer (oops football) game; Snowdrops.

March: Getting drunk at Worth Matravis; The family finally arrives; Lulwoth cove in the sun; Spring at Kingston Maurwood; my impressions of the English;

April: Anzac day ceremony; Kathy gets a job; a love of Paris; A cuppa with the Queen in London; Easter at Lulworth Castle; Jean comes for a visit; the mystery of Stonehenge; Steam train ride to Swanage; Sherborne Castle; some cheese at Cheddar George; Glastonbery

May: Gardens on steroids as the Chelsea flower show; Stratford and the home of Shakespeare; baby swans; FA Cup final; Montacute House with Sam and Jem; A celtic journey to Wales; mists of Snowdonia; Slate mines.

June: Nottingham and Robin Hood; A vomit scene from the exorcist; Cambridge and a catch up with Lucy and family; Windsor Castle; Legoland with the kids; Dorchester Carnival; my obsession with roundabouts; A story about beer; A week in France; Resort in Cote d’azure; The glamour of Cannes; the glitz of Monaco; hill top villages; beautiful French food

July: Hawks in Hampshire; Greta and Phil visit; museums and plastic dummys in London; Summer has gone missing; Cornwell sunsets and the wild Cornish coast; Eden domes; St Michaels Mount; Brussels chocolate and beer; Cobbled streets of the old town

August: Jean visits again; A big Homer Simpson, Yorkshire Dales and a warm pudding; St Andrews golf; Edinburgh; Kathy turns 39; Campervaning around Scotland; rain on the Isle of Mull; Sunsets over Arisaig Beach; Else of Skye; The majesty of Ben Nevis; Lockness hunting; Eilean Donan Castle; Castle Urquhart; A highland fling at the highland games; Beatrix Potter; Lakes District; Castlerigg stone circle

September: Twins first day at school; mist over Dartmoor; Chalet on the Cornish coast; Canterbury Cathedral; red wide with Sam and Jem; White Cliffs of Dover; Dover Castle

October: Oxford; Blenheim Palace; Cotswold countryside; Guinness; Dublin; dinner and a pint in Dingle; Rock of Cashel; camping at Kinsale; Killarney; Ring of Kerry; Kathy goes to Paris with Trudie; Ozi’s lose the world cup;

November: Prague and the old town; Prague Castle; Russian history; Autumn sets in; The end is close

In addition to all of this I have (hopefully) contributed significantly to W&PBC as part of my work, Kathy has brought in some greatly needed ‘pounds’ and developed her skills further and we have somehow managed to prevent the kids from getting completely out of control.

I am exhausted just looking at all this. Would I do it all again – you bet!!!!

Return on the Bounty

It seems that it has taken me 12 months to finally get people to go to the pub for a drink. Unfortunately it appears this is to ensure that I am shackled and deported back home. I thought I would show you the invite that went out from someone here:

"Those of you with a keen sense of history will recall that Captain James T. Cook first landed on the penal colony of Australia at Botany Bay and, not surprisingly, decided he did not like the look of it. Instead of following his instincts and returning home, he turned left and founded the first convict stockade at Parramatta. I am pleased to be able to inform you that it has been decided to reintroduce transportation and a certain felon has been found guilty of having an earring, supporting the wrong rugby team and complaining about warm, flat beer.

James Carey has been sentenced to be repatriated on the SS Big Bird leaving not from the Tower of London, but HM Detention Centre Heathrow on 21 December. As with the Dorset's most famous convicts, who hailed from a small hamlet east of Dorchester, the felon will leave by stage coach some time beforehand to ensure he does not make a claim of denial of sub-human rights. To make sure that he does not miss the boat, a celebratory farewell will take place at a local hostelry on Wednesday, 19 December. If it is your intention to come along and throw rotten eggs at this felon, can you please let me know."

Well – at least I will get a beer out of them!

30 Days

OK, so it seems some people have said that I am starting to sound like a ‘winging pom’ and it is time I headed home. As it is now only 30 days to go before we leave here are 30 things that I will miss about living here:

1. Weymouth Beach in the morning
2. Europe on your door step
3. The changing seasons
4. Waking up to the noise of cows mooing
5. An open fire at home
6. Spring and the splash of daffodils across the landscape
7. Going on a ramble
8. Pints of good English beer
9. Looking forward to each weekend with a new adventure
10. Supporting and guiding colleagues at work
11. Friendly road drivers
12. A good Cornish pasty
13. A traditional English pub
14. Watching the squirrel in our back garden
15. Morning mist over the fields
16. Having lunch while watching the fishing boats in Weymouth harbour
17. Watching the kids dress up for Halloween
18. History, from Windsor Castle to Stonehenge
19. Stunning walks along the Jurassic coast
20. The feeling that you could leave your door unlocked at night
21. Little Britain
22. Cheap flights (greenhouse gas vandal)
23. Being close to the beach
24. Adelaide said her school
25. A big back yard
26. Seeing the kids in scarf’s, woolly hats, gloves and coats in winter
27. No dangerous spiders, mosquitoes and flies
28. No traffic (despite what the locals think)
29. New friends
30. …………..

Bugger – cant think of any more – it is a pitty I don’t have 29 days to go….

Autumn

The flowers are dying, the berries and fruits are appearing, the leaves are changing colour and dropping. It must be autumn. One thing about living in England is you really do know and appreciate the seasons. The chill in the early morning air is crisp and clean and provides just a glimpse as to how cold it is going to get in Winter.

Unlike Australia with our many evergreen trees, the vegetation here knows that winter is just around the corner and the entire countryside begins to prepare for its three month hibernation. Even the hedgerows, that were once a flush of green reaching out across the narrow lanes, appear to have been defeated and retreat back to the edges.

Most noticeable is the beautiful yellows and oranges that splash across the landscape as the oak, ash, maple, blackthorn and guelder rose reveal their autumn hues. The woodlands become a mystical place as the sunlight streams in through the broken canopy and the grounds crunch under your feet in the fallen leaves. One of the oddest wildlife arrives hidden among these fallen leaves - the fungus. Weird and wonderful shapes and colours emerge in the strangest places.

Out the back our resident grey squirrel is busily collecting all manner of nuts and berries and burying them in the lawn for the winter ahead. I sat and watched her (I am guessing it was a her by the way she was so indecisive as to where she wanted to dig) busily run from the tree to the ground and back again for what seemed like hours.

As the days get shorter, getting up in the morning is getting that little bit harder. While it does mean that you get to see the sun rise and the beautiful streaks of colour in the early morning mist, it also means heading home from work in the dark.

The benefit of spending an entire year in a place is the opportunity of experiencing the sights, sounds and smells of all the seasons. Only a couple more weeks and even Autumn will be behind us as we march towards the end of the year and the chance of hopefully experiencing our first ever white Christmas. Something to look forward to.

Prague Promise Fulfilled

The following day we ventured up to Prague Castle, perched high on the hill overlooking the river and town below. The Castle is made up of your typical set of high walls, spires, grand arches, and over the top statues with a highly impressive St Vitus Cathedral in the centre. The original Church was founded by Prince Wenceslas (a.k.a. Good King). In 929 he was murdered by his envious and wicked younger brother – an extreme way to get a Christmas Carol sung about you.

Below the castle we walked over the Gothic stone bridge and past the old Town Bridge Tower where the Russians used listening devices directed on the streets to catch any conspirators. Today they would more likely hear the accent of a Japanese tourist bargaining for one of the many artist paintings of the city.

There were many museums and art galleries but with the kids in tow we decided to avoid these and spend out time wondering around the city streets. There was one museum that I am disappointed we couldn’t spend some time in – the ‘Sex Machines Museum’. Judging by the machine in the front foyer that involved a rotating thrusting array of objects I am not sure how I would have explained it all to the children.

As we headed back to the airport we passed out of the city and through the vast sea of panelak, Soviet-style concrete panel apartment blocks that ring the city on almost all sides. These rows and rows of identically architecturally uninspired buildings don’t exactly send you scrambling for your camera, but it is a reminder that all Cities have their less romantic side.

The end of another great trip, and I can gladly say that the people at work got it right. Prague is a lovely City and hopefully I know a bit more about Ms Czech than before - even if most of it I have forgotten as a result of the 25p beers!

Unfortunately it is to be our last weekend away. With the countdown starting to gather pace, it is time to spend what few weekends remain getting ready to come home.

But then again… may be we could squeeze one more trip in???

The Promise of Prague

I had heard the rumours that in the 1400’s the Bohemians made love in the street so with great excitement we booked a trip to Prague to see if anything had changed. I must admit to being a bit of a philistine before I left not knowing much about the City. Many people at work (well the 2 who had actually travelled outside the UK) told me that it was a beautiful place.

Like the rest of Europe, it seems to have spent much of its early history in continuous religious battle which was then replaced with a bit of German cleansing followed by a good dose of red army repression. Just like an amicable divorce, Ms Czechoslovakia took back her maiden name and became the Czech Republic leaving Mr Slovakia to go his own way.

It is amazing that in only a few short years, the onslaught of capitalism has made Prague a highly cosmopolitan place. While it has unfortunately got a reputation for English stag and hen nights it still retains its magical charm.

We stayed in a fantastic apartment just outside the old town. I think the kids were more impressed with the apartment than anything else at it had a kids play area. The Czech owners were extremely friendly and couldn’t do enough to help us. Even better was the pub next door. At 25 p a beer I was speaking Czech in no time. Czech food is not exactly diet food. Dinner at the pub consisted of a plate the size of the table with meat skewers and potatoes in a sauce made from what appeared to be 3500 cloves of garlic. Very nice but I am sure I am still smelling like an over ripe garlic.

Venturing into the old town (staré mêstro) you are confronted with a jig-saw of pastel facades and cobble stoned alley ways. The jumble of gothic, baroque and rococo architecture compete with each other for attention but somehow mange to meld together nicely. Many of these buildings are now filled with 10,000 Russian dolls, Bohemian crystal and puppets sprawling out of the tourist shops.

At the centre of the town is the old square which was the scene for many strange events including the worlds first public human dissection in front of a 1000 onlookers. While the macabre show may have changed there is still the 1000 tourists, all looking at the 500 year old astronomical clock that chimes away on the hour.

We spent the afternoon wandering around the old town then a quick stop at the large department store to pick up some winter gear – I think I forgot to mention that it was bloody COLD!!! With darkness arriving (despite it onlt being 4pm) it was time to head back and plan tomorrows adventure.

To be continued…….

50 Days

Doesnt time fly. Looked at the blog today I noted my countdown clock showed that we only have 50 days left before we leave. It only seems a few months ago when Illana called me in to her office and asked "You know how you always said you and Kathy wanted to work overseas. Well how would you like to go to England for a year?"

Little did I realise that in a short few months we would be living on the other side of the world.

Kathy has finished up her work this week. I have said this now gives her time to start getting organised for our end of year trip and prepare for leaving. For some reason she thinks it is time to go to the gym every day, watch day time TV and relax.

Any way, 50 days will become 5 in no time so start getting prepared everybody - the Careys are comin home!

ps: I know where you all live so you cant hide from us