16.05.2011 - 22.05.2011 UK - week 7

This week seems to have been the week for seeing wildlife... On my daily run after work I have seen fox cubs playing on the side of the road, squirrels, rabbits, pheasants and the highlight of the week was a badger eating the bird food outside the breakfast room window. I have had my contract extended til the end of June which is perfect - before heading off to travel around Europe for the Summer. Not many pics this week, just some shots taken on my drive to and from work - wanted to catch some of the amazing scenery along the river thames and country side.

The Thames in Wallingford

The Thames in Wallingford





The Thames in Wallingford,  looking towards the Wallingford bridge

The Thames in Wallingford

The Thames in Cholsey

The Thames in Cholsey

The Thames in Cholsey

A lovely thatch pub I drive past every day

The Cinnamon Tree - our Sunday lunch time Indian buffet

A terrible photo of a badger that came right up to the breakfast room window eating the bird food off the ground under the bird table! Unfortunately it ran away before I could get a better photo... 

9.5.2011 - 15.5.2011 UK - week 6

I had my second week of work at the Wallingford Community Hospital and had some fun evenings after work with my family in Mortimer. On Tuesday nights Nan goes to play bridge with the local bridge club so Grampa and I cooked up smoked Kippers for dinner that one of their friends brought back for them from her visit to the Isle of Man over Easter (Nan was pleased to escape the pong). On Wednesday night Thea came up and brought the mountain bikes for us to go for a ride through the woods nearby which was very pretty. On Saturday I took Nan to the Pangbourne village hall to look at their local art exhibition and helped her with some gardening on Sunday.  

My work place for a month or two - The Wallingford Community Hospital

I think the sign speaks for itself...

...

Grampa cooking up our Kippers - he decided we needed to cook them 3 different ways to test which we thought was best for the last 2. So we had fried kippers, grilled kippers and boiled kippers - of course fried was best! and the house smelt great....

Grampa and his kippers

A happy camper! Home made garlic bread and all

Riding through the woods with Thea

Riding through the woods with Thea

pretty!

Riding through the woods with Thea

Couldn't help myself! Had to get a pic of the traditional English phone boxes

Nan's clematis growing around the dining room window

Nan's clematis growing around the dining room window

2.5.2011 - 8.5.2011 UK - week 5

I had my last day at the Gravesham Community Hospital in Gravesend, West Kent on Monday and drove 2 hours down the motorway to Nan and Grampa's in Mortimer after work ready to start my new job at the Wallingford Community Hospital (between Reading and Oxford) on Tuesday. The drive to Wallingford is beautiful, along the Thames river in Pangbourne and through rolling green fields. It is a cute little hospital with pretty grounds and lovely people so will be a nice place to work for a month or two, but very busy! I had a full on week catching up on home visits as the ward had not had an OT for a few weeks so I was able to see some of the countryside while I was at it! I visited patients homes in Abingden, Benson and Goring (all lovely little country villages).

On Sunday Nan and Grampa and I went to the Red Lion, a local pub for a roast which was very tasty!

Farewell Wadhurst!

The Swan at Pangbourne - not a great picture but brings back memories of lunch we had with all the family on our last trip to the UK, boating down the Thames.

The river Thames in Pangbourne - the scenery I enjoy on my way to and from work every day!

Pangbourne

Pangbourne

Grampa showing off the tie I gave him from Vietnam (with Glady's, Thea's model!)

Grampa showing off his 'Badger' beer - lunch at the Red Lion in West Mortimer

I did ask for a smile...

The Red Lion - Sunday lunch

The field starting to grow nice and green in Nan and Grampa's back yard

Nan's garden looking good

The view from the upstairs bedrooms at Nan and Grampa's

25.4.2011 - 1.5.2011 UK - week 4

I had a full week of work at the Gravesham Community Hospital in Gravesend, West Kent - including the Royal wedding of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on Friday the 29th which I watched with the patients in the dining room while writing my progress notes. The atmosphere around the UK for the event was pretty amazing, very patriotic with a national public (bank) holiday for the wedding (I chose to work). There was bunting and street parties everywhere and lots of gossip around the outfits including the brides dress and the guests attire. I managed to get my car fixed and spent an afternoon after work exploring a little of Gravesend (which I found was not the centre of the universe in any way). Thea and I visited Nan and Grampa in Mortimer on the Saturday and did some great walks through the very scenic blue bell woods and rolling green fields in beautiful sunshine.

On Sunday I caught the train from Wadhurst into London and met Lucy and Stu at the Charing Cross train station. We walked from there down The Strand to Northumberland Avenue and down along the river Thames to Wesminster Bridge, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. From there we checked out Westminster Abbey where the Royal wedding had taken place 2 days earlier and there were crowds of people lining up to see inside. We walked along the Birdcage Walk past the Guards Museum where their marching band was playing then cut through St James's Park to Buckingham Palace where there were more crowds waiting to see the Guards band march past playing some great tunes! We walked down The Mall and stopped in St James's park for a picnic lunch in the sun. We then walked to Admiralty Arch at the end of The Mall and into Trafalgar Square with Nelson's Column and The National Gallery (and a digital clock counting down the days til the 2012 London Olympics!) I farewelled Lucy and Stu at the Charing Cross station where they left for Paris and I continued on exploring London. I walked back through Trafalgar Square and down Whitehall street, leading into Parliament street and past Downing street and the Horse Guards to The Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey for a closer look then back the same way to Trafalgar Square. I then walked up Pall Mall and Haymarket to Piccadilly Circus then up Regent street to Oxford street. I walked down Oxford street and the expensive shops to Marble Arch. From there I walked down Park Lane (past all the expensive hotels and Hyde Park), back accross Piccadilly street and Green Park, down St James's street and Pall Mall into Trafalgar square. Satisfied that I had successfully covered the Monopoly board and with tired legs I made my way back to the Charing Cross train station and took the train back to Wadhurst in preparation for my last day of work in Gravesend, West Kent before starting at the Wallingford Community Hospital (between Oxford and Reading).

Thea's Wisteria

The Gravesend mall - decorated for the Royal wedding (West Kent)

The Thames river in Gravesend, not particularly stunning...

The Thames river in Gravesend

A nice looking pub on the water front in Gravesend

Spikey asleep in the car!

Codie hoping for a scratch!

Walking the dogs in Mortimer

Walking the dogs in Mortimer

Barley crops on our walk in Mortimer

Pretty fields in Mortimer

Blue bell woods around Mortimer

Spring lambs

Walking around the blue bell woods in Mortimer

Blue bell woods

Amazing smelling purple and white lilac

Turks lane, Mortimer

Nan's wisteria

More Barley crops, walking in Mortimer

Walking in Mortimer

Barley crops

More walking in Mortimer

Lucy, Stu and Big Ben - London!

Westminster Abbey - The Royal wedding site

Crowds of people lining up just 2 days after the Royal wedding to look inside the Abbey

St James's Park, Spring flowers

Looking through the lake in St James's Park to Buckingham Palace, London

The Guards band playing outside the Guards Museum, London

Buckingham palace, attracting the crowds 2 days after the Royal wedding

The Gates to Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace and the infamous balcony where the Duke and Dutchess of Cambridge shared their 'first public kiss' 2 days earlier

 

The fountain in the front of Buckingham Palace

'The Mall', leading to Buckingham Palace

The Guards marching band playing around Buckingham Palace

Looking down 'The Mall' to Buckingham Palace in the distance

Picnic lunch with Lucy and Stu with Australian wine to celebrate their engagement in St. James's Park

The Guards marching band playing down The Mall with police on horses surrounding them

The Guards marching band

Admiralty Arch between Trafalgar Square and The Mall leading to Buckingham Palace

Nelson's Column and Trafalgar Square looking out from the National Gallery

The National Gallery

Horse drawn cart on Whitehall street, leading into Parliament street (and Downing street) 

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament

Westminster Abbey up close

Westminster Abbey

Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye in the background

The Houses of Parliament

Piccadilly Circus

The underground (subway) at Piccadilly Circus

Piccadilly Circus

Walking down Regent street

Regent street

Regent street on the way to Oxford street

Marble Arch on the corner of Oxford street and Park Lane

Interesting piece of art in the middle of the road on Park Lane