Jan 18
I’m on my way home to Bermuda after almost a week back at, er, home in the UK seeing family, mates and those Addicks.
I have been in Eastbourne most of the trip, my parents live just outside the town, and although it has been bloody freezing, Eastbourne did live up to it’s billing of the Sunshine Coast.
Please click for moreI spent four days in the smoke the week before last.
I rarely get to spend that much time in the City these days, but I have in recent times taken to staying just sarf of the river and this time I decided on a small hotel near Borough Market and I was shocked by how much that area had changed.
Borough Market of course has been there for ever, 1014 apparently, but in recent years it has been polished like a diamond. There was a real aura to it, and the market is bordered by a whole range of cool cafes and restaurants.
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Back to Bermuda last night after a quickfire visit home. At one point yesterday between junctions 5 and 6 on the M25 I was convinced I might have to extend my stay another day as the congestion was so bad. Only because I left my mate’s house in Chislehurst so early did I make my flight.
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Amongst bundles of discarded wrapping paper, turkey leftovers and bags under the eyes during our trip home I also made my first ever visit to Colchester Zoo, re-discovered some old London stomping grounds and had a couple of cracking pub lunches.
Colchester Zoo was much bigger than I imagined. Our friends had suggested a 4-hour visit and as we drove up there in the drizzly rain I truly wondered what an earth we were going to do for 3 of those hours.
But I should have feared not as we comfortably strolled it’s 60 acres during 3 hours and still left some for another day, although there were a fair amount of exhibits that had migrated for the winter. There are apparently over 260 different species and they are laid out in numerous zones where you can get pretty close to the animals.
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We are leaving Chicago first thing tomorrow after an enjoyable few days here. Without one shadow of a doubt, me and the other half will have the same conversation we always have when we leave Chicago during the journey back which will end in us categorically agreeing to move back as soon as the opportunity presents itself.
That of course doesn’t mean it will and we are happy in Bermuda, although we have had a couple of blips recently, namely having great difficulty in getting our daughter into a (decent) pre-school, which we have finally done for a start in September.
There are few places however that light me up more than when I’m walking the streets of Chicago, which I did a lot these last few days, mostly holding my daughter’s tiny hand as she explored every minute detail at an extremely slow pace as only 16-month olds can.
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My weekend back in the UK was a change from the norm in that I had quite a bit of down time, i.e I didn’t have to be here, there and everywhere. I had a great few days and got some quality time with my son and my parents and even (whisper it) got some long craved for sleep!
Saturday my son and I were at The Valley but only for around 110 minutes – we embarrasingly missed the academy parade – because we were in the pub. We started with friends at our regular haunt, The Bugle and then popped into the Royal Oak before we got to the game. Afterwards we went back to the Oak to meet Dave and his lovely wife to discuss the game in more granular detail. Those grains mostly consisting of beer. Then Miso in Bromley solved our Chinese food cravings.
Another real highlight of my weekend was joining the Charlton Live team at their Valley studio on Sunday night to take part in their internet radio show and pick up my ‘Rufus’ prize. Dave, Peter, Deb, Bob and their resident trainee Statto were fantastic company and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening.
Chicago Addick 