George arrives in London

The trip involved me going to the UK before George, to sort out some family business. George flew in to Heathrow and was picked up by our friends Pedro and Tina. I drove up to London and met her at their house just north of London.

Morning view over Salisbury plain. Salisbury cathedral spire on left.

Pedro and Tina's house Penmans. Aussie flag in our honour.

Pedro showing George his horses

Pedro practising on his violin

Tina and Pedro

Tina was once married to my brother, Pete

Tina and George preparing for a big lunch

Richard, a guest at the lunch

Country life in Worcestershire

My good friend and neighbour in Austinville, Tiff (short for Christipher), comes from Worcestershire in the english midlands. In the tradition of regional rivalry, southerners like myself have played on the stereotype that everything north of the M4 (a motorway between Bristol and London) is the 'Black Country', covered with motorways, factories, coal dust and immigrants. 'Where there's muck there's brass'.

Tiff has tried to persuade me that he comes from a bucolic rural farming Eden, and that my teasing was misplaced.

I had a spare day, so I drove up to Worcestershire to see him and the world he came from before he migrated to Canada, NZ, and eventually Australia.

David Attenborough investigates the native habitat of the Tiff. 

Tiff's family farm - Bredonfields

Tiff and his youngest son, Matthew, on his 'gap year'.

Matthew outside the pub where he works

Matthew, known to locals as 'Wal' the Aussie, after Crocodile Dundee's mate

A Pick-your-own fruit farm called 'Clive's Farm'.

Cherry picking

Matthew and Tiff sharing a cider with Charlie from Clive's Farm

Clive's Farm reminded me of 'The Darling Buds of May'

Tiff is one of five: this is brother Rory the dentist

Brother-in-law Pete training his dogs

Posing with Pete's 12 bore South African big game rifle

The Monkey - cider house

Worcestershire countryside

View from the Malvern Hills

Pointing out Bredon Hill

Martin, an english village

After the day on the canal, Dugald and his brother Hugh drove me down to stay with my sister Nicky and her husband David, who live in a village called 'Martin', near to Fordingbridge, where I was brought up. My brother Pete is living in the old family home. Our mother died last November.

 

Sister Nicky and brother Pete

Pump on Martin common

Cottages in Martin

Garden shed

Martin church

Horses on a misty morning

Postbox and community notice-board

New Forest ponies

Lymington marina

Dinghies

Narrowboating on the Grand Union Canal

I spent the day on my friend Dugald's narrowboat 'Ginger Bear', which we took on a seven hour trip from Brentford dock in London to the maintenance yard at Uxbridge.

A beautiful day, warm and sunny. The canal was lovely, although there was a lot of floating litter.

Its 60 feet long, and 7 feet wide! Cute, but cosy.

The galley

Dugald carrying 'toilet cartridges' off to the emptying centre.

Me steering into a lock, while Dugald works the lock.

Narrowboat

There is plenty of bird-life on the canal.

Here is a short time-lapse video.

The Grand Union Canal