Manchester

On thursday, Jim took me to see Aileen (his daughter/my cousin) and her two kids Lucy and Tom who are respectively 18 and 20 plus Tom's girlfriend Sally was also there. It was awesome to meet more family that are actually in my agegroup, plus they were really nice. I'd upload a photo I took, but I forgot my camera connection cable.

So they invited me to go to Sandbach fare the following day (like a show in Australia, but without the boring stuff like cow shows). We ended up going on a ride each then heading to the pub though and it turned out to be a good night.

Yesterday I jumped on the train headed for Manchester where I am to spend 4 nights. I went out clubbing last night with a couple of Australians I met, Aaron and Jared, and my ears are still not functioning properly. We hit 3 clubs, all of which were far better than anything you'd find in Toowoomba so it was a great night out.

Anyway, just to finish I bought a phone for 10 pounds ($24) today, which is prepaid; what an amazing deal! So mainly for dad, but also for anyone else who wants to call me while over here my number is 07964942940. I think you put 0061 instead of the 1st 0 for overseas calls, correct me if I am mistaken. My 1/2 hour is nearly up so i'd better finish off at that.

Jim's Place

I left Brisbane headed for Manchester on sunday with a stop over at Singapore. For those reading this that are ignorant to the ways of the singapore airport it has free internet, games, a relaxing treed area with Koi fish in a pond and loads of shops. Many of these shops are duty free alcohol shops with spirits less than half the price you would pay in Australia. Hmmm...how much alcohol can I bring back again?

Jim picked me up from the airport around 8am and we went back to his pad after seeing off his partner Nell who happened to be headed for America for 3 weeks a few hours after I arrived (Jim swears it was a coincidence). Somehow jet lag seemed not to affect me, probably due to getting sleep on the plane during the English night.

Anyway, because I know you're all so very enthused by the trivial things I did today I will tell you. Unfortunatly I couldn't get a simcard because my phone only accepts bloody telstra simcards. So I guess dad will have to put up with me using the $3/min phone calls and 75c texts when a payphone isn't handy.

Finally as I promised in this post I will include my itinery, which is certainly not set in concrete as I have only booked my London and Manchester lodgings. I intend to take a 19 day bus tour, which I can't book until they upload their tour times for october, but I have set aside 14 days that I can hopefully spend on this tour. I will miss out on visiting some places on my itinery due to the other 5 days, so when it is booked I will update my itinery. Anyway here it is so far:

Semptember
16 Leave Brisbane
17 Stay with Jim in Alsager, England (my dad's brother)
18 Stay with Jim in Alsager, England (my dad's brother)
19 Stay with Jim in Alsager, England (my dad's brother)
20 Stay with Jim in Alsager, England (my dad's brother)
21 Stay with Jim in Alsager, England (my dad's brother)
22 Manchester
23 Manchester
24 Manchester
25 Lake district
26 Lake district
27 Lake district
28 Lake district
29 Lake district
30 Stay with Colin (my brother) and co. in Hoolmyre Cottage, Scotland
October
1 Stay with Colin (my brother) and co. in Hoolmyre Cottage, Scotland
2 Stay with Colin (my brother) and co. in Hoolmyre Cottage, Scotland
3 Stay with Margaret (my dad's sister) in Dundee, Scotland
4 Stay with Margaret (my dad's sister) in Dundee, Scotland
5 Stay with Margaret (my dad's sister) in Dundee, Scotland
6 Stay with Margaret (my dad's sister) in Dundee, Scotland
7 Stay with Margaret (my dad's sister) in Dundee, Scotland
8 Stay with Margaret (my dad's sister) in Dundee, Scotland
9 Salisbury (town near stonehenge)
10 Salisbury (town near stonehenge)
11 Colchester
12 Colchester
13 London
14 London
15 London
16 London
17 Bus Tour
18 Bus Tour
19 Bus Tour
20 Bus Tour
21 Bus Tour
22 Bus Tour
23 Bus Tour
24 Bus Tour
25 Bus Tour
26 Bus Tour
27 Bus Tour
28 Bus Tour
29 Bus Tour
30 Bus Tour
31 Durham
November
1 Durham
2 Stay with Jim in Alsager, England (my dad's brother)
3 Stay with Jim in Alsager, England (my dad's brother)
4 Stay with Jim in Alsager, England (my dad's brother)
5 Stratford-upon-avon (Shakespeare's birthplace)
6 Stratford-upon-avon (Shakespeare's birthplace)
7 Ludlow
8 Ludlow
9 Manchester
10 Leave from Manchester
11 Arrive in Brisbane

Trip to Britain

Hey folks, for any of those reading this who don't already know, I am leaving from Brisbane this sunday on an eight week trip to Britain. I will mainly be visiting England and Scotland, but intend on short trips to Wales and Ireland aswell. I intend on travelling around and staying at youth hostels and with family and I even intend on taking a bus tour around Britain which should be wicked.

I'm totally pumped about the trip and have created this blog in order to keep in contact with my legions of fans who would like to follow my progress through Britain as it happens. I hope to update once a week or so which may or may not happen depending on circumstance. I will post my itinery in my next blog, so tell your friends and family, Arvid is going to the motherland (or already there depending when you read this).