Its been a funny old day

Some of you will remember an old British Comedy from the 1980s (and probably still being aired) called Open All Hours, starring Ronnie Barker. At the end of each show he would stand on the door step of his shop and mutter the line "Its been a funny old day" before packing up the shop.

Yesterday was a funny old day for me. I wandered into Wellington and was walking down one of the main streets when I came across two imperial stormtroopers! Initially I fearing a return of the empire or of Sauron but with a more advanced army this time but the gaggle of birds clamouring for photos suggested that this was no invasion! Fortunately it was two 'actors' promoting a new video game I think, or at least that's what i thought he said from under his helmet. I'll probably go outside in the morning and find bounty hunters sat on my door step and the millennium falcon blasting out of the city airport!

Continuing my journey, I was asked if I wanted to take part in a Cuban fusions salsa dance lesson, for free and with a beautiful lady dancer. Well, do bears.......... It was good fun but hard work but I really enjoyed the half hour session.

The day ended in a local bar with some of Jo's work colleagues and partners, where we were jostled a few times by a pack of smurfs! I'm beginning to think that NZ is a retirement home for cartoon and film characters!

The day I arrived, the weather was fantastic, clear blue skies, unlike those I have recently experienced back home in Manchester. As we approached Wellington, I could see the Southern Alps (the mountains of South Island and back drop to a trilogy of well known stories), which were all snow covered. I read somewhere that New Zealand is also known as the Land of the Long White Cloud, and although this originally referred to North Island only, the snow topped peaks immediately brought this to mind.

Prior to arriving in New Zealand, I had a couple of fantastic weekends in the UK; firstly with one of my closest friends, Dominic Gill, who has just returned from a 2 and half year cycling trip by himself on a tandem from Prudhoe Bay in Alaska to Tierre Del Fuego in Patagonia. Dom is an aspiring film maker who basically offered lifts to people on his way south, filming a documentary on the way and raising money for charity (www.takeaseat.org). Unfortunately the weather was awful and all the local fields and some of roads around his sisters house in Wooler were flooded. The road home was even blocked by a landslide.

The final weekend was spent at Whitesands Bay in Pembrokeshire at Paul and Jen Bromleys wedding. There was a ceremony on the beach with a fantastic BBQ afterwards followed by surfing! Fortunately the weather was good as we were all camping.

last minute things

Why do we always put things off until the last minute? I have been meaning to 'do' several small jobs for two years but always thought "I'll do them later". So, now here I am staring the gun of time in the face as I race against it to get organised. finish the jobs and enjoy my last few days in the UK. I had hoped to spend the time climbing but I haven't done all the job yet and spent last night writing yet another 'to do' list. It doesn't help when certain large financial institution which claims to 'listen' mess things up at the last minute causing further unwanted stress. I've also had to deal with a fruity mobile phone provider because they can't organise a party in a pub, so to speak.

Fortunately, in a rather perverse way, its been raining, hard and constantly so climbing is out!

The last minute jobs beckon, as does the packing..........................