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Third and Fourth Days of Golf at Royal Portrush

20th/21st JulySaturday/Rāhoroi Sunday/Rātapu We followed the English "Woodies", Fleetwood and Westwood, on the 3rd day. Here they are on the 7th....

First Two Days of Golf at Royal Portrush

18-19th JulyThursday/RāpareFriday/Rāmere We made a plan for watching golf at Portrush - to get to the course early, walk the course from 1-18 following a group with one player, or two or three players we liked. (The first two days were groups of three, then Saturday and Sunday after the cut they were groups of two.)...

Catching up with Admin and Blog in Portrush

Wednesday/Rāapa A wander around Portrush, catch up reading and blog day for me. Bill recovering from the bot, and catching up on reading and emails. We both read up about the golf. Looking at golf sites we then went to the TAB (William Hill, Ed.). ...

Portrush and Portstewart

Tuesday/Rārua Portrush portrait....

Travelling to Dublin and then Portrush

Today we have a travelling day to Dublin, then to Belfast and then to Portrush. We leave from Heathrow and land in Dublin. This is the queue in immigration in Dublin airport....

Shayne and Reg's for Cricket and Wimbledon Finals

Sunday/Rātapu Our long time Kiwi mates Shayne and Reg live 10mins walk from Lords.  (We had stayed there when we went to the Black Caps - Australia game.)  We went to Lords with them to check we couldn't get a ticket or four for the World Cup Final between England and New Zealand. We found one ticket - for 2,000 pounds, so we went back to Shayne and Reg's.  ...

Swifty, Kimberley and Felicity in Breamore

Saturday/Rāhoroi We took the train from Waterloo station to Southampton Parkway, about an hour southwest of London.  Bill's mate Swifty came to pick us up....

Catch up with Bridget, Kevin and Caitlin, Kumlebens and Prices, and Chiara's Parents

Friday/Rāmere We caught up with Bridget, Kevin and Caitlin at the Victoria and Albert Museum.  I sat next to Caitlin and realising all these adults might be a bit daunting, I asked what was the  favourite part of her holiday? Caitlin is 9 and she replied "The water park".  I remembered reading an article once where families had taken children to exotic places and were interviewed afterwards about their favourite, and the most exciting place they visited. And their replies we...

Catch up with Jen, Clare and Murray, and a black comedy movie

Thursday/Rāpare Bill's first PwC intern 5 years ago at NEXT was Jen Read.  PwC fund the intern to shadow Bill for two days a week. This is for them to learn off Bill, and Bill use their skills symbiotically.  How it really worked out was they both enjoyed each other’s skill set and this kick started NEXT into accomplishing a lot and the NEXT Board is thrilled with the partnership and the continuation of the  internships. Since Jen, NEXT has had another 7 interns. Jen was obviou...

Wimbledon again

Wednesday/Rāapa We had our second day at Wimbledon.  Back to The Lawn where we had a meal beforehand. You get ushered in by these girls and then they come and serve you, and another gives you your tickets. If you know Bill, he is the first there so we get our food etc. and out so we can get to the tennis as soon as possible....

Catch Up With Lachie and Chiara

Tuesday/Rārua  We went to Lachie and Chiara's place. It is between Peckham and Camberwell, 25 Crofton Rd SE5 8LY. This is their house in the street and from the outside. They are living in the loft....

Wimbledon, and Rob and Sara

Monday/Rāhina Today we go to Wimbledon.  On the way we met up with Sara, Rob and son Tom at their Wimbledon house . . . ...

Travelling to London, and watching Wimbledon (on TV)

Sunday/RātapuWe left for Chesterfield station to train back to London. Alex gave us a run down on Chesterfield.  It is famous for its couches - this is a Chesterfield . . . ...

The Peak District, Alport and Visiting the Letts

Saturday/Rāhoroi We travelled from Newcastle to Chesterfield by train. Here are a few photos from the train around Durham County, and including Durham Castle which we did not visit (we only saw the cricket in Chester-le-Street).  The castle we were told is the biggest and in best condition in England (mind you, they all say that their castle is the best). ...

Self Discovery and Newcastle upon Tyne

Friday/Rāmere Bill organised a guided tour with Alex who runs walking tours in Newcastle upon Tyne. He has a Masters degree in medieval England history, though he occurred like he knew a lot about the Romans and everything.  I will see what I can remember which I found interesting. This is the monument acknowledging Earl Charles Grey, the one of the tea. We were staying in Grey Street....

Beamish and to Newcastle

Thursday/Rāpare Bill went to the gym, I did some yoga, gym and a swim, and then we both went in the ice pool.  We stayed in the room after our delicious breakfast for the morning, and then left to go to Beamish Museum and then on to Newcastle. From Beamish Museum website:  "Beamish is best known for being the home of the Living Museum of the North. It was the brainchild of a Yorkshireman, Frank Atkinson, who began collecting artefacts related to the social and industrial history of No...

Cricket/ Kirikiti

Wednesday/Rāapa Today we went to see if NZ Black Caps could make the semi finals in the World Cup? and to watch their skills. ...

Cycling/Eke paihikara, and Seaham

Tuesday/Rārua ...

Down Memory Lane - Oxford Revisited

Monday/Rāhina...

Lachie and Chiara Catch Up, and Travel to Oxford

Sunday/RātapuToday we got up early, went to a cafe and read The Sunday Times. We are both enjoying reading The Times and having time (ha ha). Then Bill had a catch up with Chris, and I walked to catch up with Chiara and Lachie for brunch. I walked past the canals with my bags, as after the catch up Bill was meeting me and we were training to Oxford (Paddington Station was next door to Beany Green where I met them)....

Cricket/Kirikiti Lords, London

Saturday/Rāhoroi Reg and Shayne allowed us to stay in their lovely London apartment. They live in the second floor of this block. I will take a photo next time and not get off Google because Shayne has planted a whole lot of pots. We felt very privileged. It was so homely and just 15 minutes walk from Lords....

Withington, Burford and the Perch

Friday/Rāmere We met the owner of The Old Rectory where we stayed today. His name is Mark. He is a corporate lawyer and had the place as a holiday place first and then bit the bullet and went to live full time in the country. He said he has never been busier.  He told us 100 years ago the vicar who lived there disliked the public walking through his property and so probably using church funds dubiously, he got the public path dug down so deep so he would not see the public, and he cuold st...

Goodbye Birmingham, Hello Cotswolds

Thursday/RāpareWe have hired a car.  Nice to get into the countryside as we have been in cities since Pebble Beach, so off to go green again.  Car below....

Cricket/Kirikiti Birmingham

Wednesday/Rāapa The Pakistan team are staying in our hotel. I talked with a guy and then asked for a photo with him - I didn't even get his name ! I thought he must be someone from the Fanatics (they are a travelling supporters group we have seen at the golf a few times) but Bill said this was a different Fanatics.  Bill had a look but he said it was no-one that he knew. He told me about how they were so thrilled Pakistan had won and that now that it opened it all up. That is very true. Th...

Birmingham, Canals and Comedy

Tuesday/Rārua Lots of walking today. We walked to find sushi for lunch, and the weather was still fine and we walked to a 7pm comedy show we found in the Church Inn. Birmingham really does have more canal miles than Venice. The whole Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) system adds up to 100 canals. The night was funny.  At the comedy show we both loved Josh Pugh. He was natural and quirky as you can see in this link https://youtu.be/PHhYOSn3qxY.  He was English Comedian ...