Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey, originally uploaded by j_wissinger.

My office location has moved and now I have the pleasure of walking through Parliament Square at least twice a day. The calmness at daybreak contrasts with the flurry of tourists in the afternoon. The craftsmanship and skill the are exuded through this church are unmistakeable. Even now the texture and varying tones to the buildings stone bring a sense of warmth and strength. So though we've lived here for well over two years it is still difficult not to feel a certain draw and aurora over many of the traditional tourist sites.

Buying a Used (Preowned) Car

Shortly after moving to the UK in 2007 we came to the realisation that we would need to purchase a car.  We didn't want to take out a loan (and probably couldn't have) and were on a tight budget.  I watched for a car on Ebay Motors.  I bid on a few, but waited until I won a car for the price I wanted pay.  It was a positive experience and the Audi 100E served us well until recently when it began having more frequent niggles. 

Having a bit of time to search for a vehicle I surfed some of the common online locations.  Each site has its advantages.

• Autotrader
  
• Ebay Motors
• Gumtree

What I came to realise though, is that just as finding a place to live can be challenging, so too can finding a car.  Many cars in the lower price ranges change hands very quickly.  It can be posted one day and  gone before you even get a chance to call.  It is easy to waste a fair amount of time calling numbers aimlessly receiving the news that the vehicle has already been sold.   Many second tier traders buy and sell cars on these sites.  Many of them have relationships with new car dealerships. 

Broadband in the UK

The UK has recently be ranked at number 26th in the world in terms of average broadband connection speed, with most customers able to connect at around 3.4Mbps and with a majority clocked at faster than 2Mbps. This is significantly lower than the current global leader, South Korea, where average download speeds are over 14Mbps. However, in the UK there are plans to extend the availability of fibre optic and mobile broadband services, which can evolve to offer much faster speeds to businesses and consumers.

Other nations which offer faster average speeds for broadband connections than the UK include the USA with 3.9Mbps and Ireland with 5.3Mbps. There were several European nations, including France, Spain and Italy, in which broadband speeds were actually slower on average than in the UK.  Australia is also lower down the list than the UK. If you are looking for the fastest average broadband speed for a single city in Europe, then head to Lausanne in Switzerland, where 24Mbps download speeds are the norm.

The Waterwitch in Hook

We enjoyed a family dinner here with some friends on a cold winter Saturday night. The atmosphere was excellent. We occupied a corner table next to one of the fireplaces -- not gas -- real wood. Even with all the noise the children were making on this occasion we didn't feel as though we were really disturbing other pub goers because of the layout. The staff were extremely kind and friendly towards us...sometimes babies help this cause.

The food was average. The steak burger my wife ordered was lacking hope of flavour, but the house Merlot was excellent (I didn't catch the name). The lasagne contained real chunks of beef, but the pasta was cooked quite right. The rocket on the side was wonderfully spicy. They brought out a special plate of plain noodles on the side for our girls. When they brought out the wrong side, beans, for the children's meal they seemed shocked they got it wrong, however they were quick to correct it and bring out peas. Some of their other special for evening meal included venison, sea bass and moroccan lamb.

It cost about 38 pounds for 2 main meals, 1 childrens meal, 1 side, 1 desert, 2 alcoholic beverages and 1 bottle of apple juice.....which I believe is fairly average.

I would consider coming here again, though maybe next time we might stick to a drink and dessert.

Check out my review of The Waterwitch - I am travelnwork - on Qype

Kew Gardens in Winter

One may not consider that visiting arguably the world's best known gardens in the dead of winter would be worth the trouble; soggy soil, dormant trees and plants, icy air and if you are lucky grey skies.  While this all may be true, Kew in the 'offseason' offers some special opportunities.  I offer 4 reasons to visit Kew Gardens in winter.

1.  Treetop Walkway.  Search the web for the Xstrata Treetop Walkway you will find countless images showing this graceful steel structure nestled into the treetops.  However in winter the perspective is quite different.  The walkway is visible from more locations within the park as it is no longer shielded by the foliage.

The structure itself becomes more of the attraction providing a great viewing platform for miles around.  While the spring and summer will allow you to enjoy the trees themselves, the ultimate purpose for this attraction, the winter will free you from the crowds to get a breath of fresh air 18 metres up.


2.  Flowers.  While flowers are harder to come by during winter, the tropical greenhouses still offer a view into what the foliage is like at other locations in the world.  The scarcity of flowers seems to create a certain specialness around those that grace the fauna.  It is almost as if they had to work extra hard and it is evident in their presence.

3.  Tea Time.  Stepping into the Orangery away from the chilly air and pulling a warm mug to your lips must be among the delights.

4.  Avoiding the crowds.  It shouldn't be a surprise but most people will not bursting to get in the gate during the coldest months of the year.  For those that have a certain sense of adventure this provides the opportunity to escape the hustle and pace of daily life without having to wrestle the crowds in the process.  Moments of quietness and serenity can be found.

Fireworks Displays

Several nights this past week our children wrestled between falling asleep and being frightened of the loud crackings outside.  This evening my eldest and I sat in the dark near the window on the first floor and watched the beautiful colours stream across the night sky.  As she described it 'rainbow colours' and 'multicoloured'.  Suddenly, the loud sounds did not seem so frightful, but seemed to provide a climax to colours dancing above homes and trees. 

In the U.S. fireworks are most closely associated with the celebration of the 4th of July, Independence Day.  In the U.K., fireworks ring through the sky around Guy Fawkes Night, the 5th of November.   The celebrations are a result of the the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 where Guy Fawkes prepared the explosives for a group of provincial English Catholics King James the I of England.  They were attempting to destroy the Protestant aristocracy by basically blowing everybody up.  So much for a noble story. 

Hopefully next year, the other children will be able to sleep through the night as well.

Heacham Manor Hotel in Heacham

On a recent visit to the Hunstanton area we had a family outing for both a lunch and a dinner to the Restaurant at the Heacham Manor Hotel.

The initial impression is overwhelmingly positive, benefiting from a curving drive along a pebble road beside the pond in the front garden. The main stone building is lovingly restored with a automatic sliding glass entry door that seems of a different age as it disappears into the side as you approach. The lobby is warm and comfortable with a calm sense of luxury. Dining guests can arrive early and enjoy the bar before being seated.

For lunch we were seated in the light filled conservatory that overlooks the golf course. Our party of ten was seated quickly along the windows, which had been open to benefit from the breezes. Unfortunately it had also covered our table and cutlery with a fine layer of dust. While the bread plates were replaced upon request, the rest remained. The menu was varied including pigeon, duck, steak, chicken and venison. The service was ok, but the server seemed irritated by a few special requests.

Our dinner took place in the side dining room as we were told the conservatory was fully booked. Oddly enough while we were there 6:30-8:30 pm. on a Saturday the conservatory remained no more than half full, so we weren't sure why we were relegated to the side. It seemed like we were relegated to second class service as well. We ordered drinks at the beginning which only arrived about 45 minutes later, about half way through our dinner after several follow up requests. From the time we receive the dessert menu until the food came was over 35 minutes. In general there seemed to be sufficient staff, but were not much interested in our party of 10. The menu remained unchanged from the previous week as well.

The overall food quality -- fantastic -- among the best we enjoyed in the area. In spite of the dodgy service we would consider returning for a lunch in the conservatory to enjoy the view, atmosphere and food.

Check out my review of Heacham Manor Hotel - I am travelnwork - on Qype