Blog

Water change

14/8/2024

There are many things that are different about life in the UK from what we were used to in China. One is water.

Tap water can't be drunk in China, but it's safe enough in the UK. However, Chippenham's water is very hard, with a strong taste. So, before we bought ourselves a Brita filter, we were buying bottled water. In China, we would buy 5 litre bottles for our water heater/cooler machine for 80p. Here, half a litre can cost over a pound! But then we discovered "own-brand diet lemonade" - 39p for 1.5 litres. Cheaper than water!

Eng/GB/UK/BI?

21/3/2024

Is it any wonder my students get confused?

Hiders seek

27/12/2022

Nice family meet-up online today. Good to see everyone (plus a few others not pictured here) squeezed between Christmas and New Year! Wonder when we'll all be together in person next?

Nee-naw vroom zoom...

28/12/2021

Really lovely to catch up with all the family on a Christmas/New Year Zoom today. We were even joined by my nephew Josh from the ambulance where he is a trainee paramedic! Online meeting technology has come such a long way over the COVID period.

Good riddance, bad rubbish

23/10/2020

We've finally managed to evict the troublesome tenants from my Wootton Bassett flat. Late night parties, growing weed in the attic, dumping junk outside the house, swearing at the neighbours - they were a real problem over the last year or two. They left the flat in a really poor state and we now have the expense of cleaning, decorating and repairing the place. We'll also spend a little money refurbishing and upgrading it, to try and attract better tenants next time.

Gr..eighty!

3/10/2020

My wonderful Mum turned 80 today. Isn't she looking good? I was able to join her, my Dad and two brothers (and sis-in-law) by Zoom to see Mum watching the video greetings we had put together for her. So many friends and family had contributed to that and the kind words expressed by all were well-deserved. Lovely to (almost) be a part of the day's celebrations. What a woman! Here's to the next 80 years!

Generation through a generation

1/4/2020

One small benefit of the COVID-19 pandemic is the lower pollution levels seen around the world. I also spotted this fascinating graph the other day, showing how Britain's energy mix had changed in the last 100 years. For example, I had no idea how little electricity we get from coal these days. Overall this graph seems pretty encouraging.

Fun and games

23/8/2019

When we are in the UK this Summer my brother Andy visited with his kids, Louie and Daisy. They gave JD a wonderful home-made quiz book all about him, Britain and his British family. We've been completing parts of it together each night this week. Great fun. Thanks chaps!

Been and gun

1/8/2019

We arrived back home yesterday after a fabulous and successful month in the UK. JD got his toy Nerf guns confiscated on arrival in China (a country where common sense and a sense of humour are often sorely lacking). Fortunately JiaJia managed to persuade the security officer to let her post them to our house rather than lose them completely.

Now I just need to re-register with the local police and get our dead car battery replaced. But we are happy to be back as life slowly returns to its normal pace.

Quickie and Miki

29/7/2019

Our last little trip to London yesterday. While JiaJia checked out the Van Gogh exhibition at the Tate Gallery (crowded), JD and I walked to the Imperial War Museum where JD proceeded to tell me imaginative statistics and backgrounds to all the various planes, tanks and weaponry (to the amusement of passers-by). Who knew a Spitfire was from Canada and could travel at 10,000mph?

We also managed to meet up with my good friend Miki, recently returned from running a hotel in Poland. We all joined up for a picnic by the Thames before Miki went on her way and the rest of us headed back to Sidcup to start packing for China.

Wetherspoons or forks?

27/7/2019

My youngest brother Andy and his children, Louie and Daisy, visited today. We started with a Wetherspoons breakfast together - fast becoming something of a Hider tradition!

With intermittent rain outside we spent the morning playing Monopoly and then, during a dry hour in the afternoon, managed to visit "Lark in the Park" - a Christian community event with many children's clubs.

In tents friendship

25/7/2019

One of JD's wishes for our UK trip to was to sleep in a tent, inspired by our reading of Enid Blyton's "Famous Five" stories recently.

So we borrowed a tent from my Aunt and set it up in the garden. Last night was the second (and last!) night in the tent. It was cool inside despite the recent hot weather here (almost the hottest on record) but the noise of foxes, rainstorms and police chase helicopters didn't lead to a whole lot of sleep. Midnight feasts are a nice father-son bonding thing though!

Joining the Kew

23/7/2019

We spent today at Kew Gardens, along with my Dad and Ratch. It was very hot and the tropical greenhouses felt cooler than outside at times! We got to see quite a lot of the huge gardens, including a new children's play area, a bamboo Chinese section and a tall treetop walk.

Leaves

21/7/2019

We spent a final day at Vix's yesterday, eating home-cooked and restaurant grub, and meeting mutual friends and family members who I hadn't seen in over a decade.

Before we took the three trains home, we explored a local garden, open to the public but rarely visited. We had intended to visit this time last year, but torrential rain changed the plans. This time it was dry and we enjoyed the various flowers and (rather strangely, often Chinese) trees.

Worth it, Worthing

19/7/2019

We're spending a long weekend with my good friend Vix and her husband Dave in Worthing, West Sussex. Despite the chilly weather, JD was keen to hit the beach, collect shells and have a swim in the sea. Thankfully Vix is game for anything! I did join them on the second day.

The windy conditions saw many kite surfers whizzing along be the beach and occasionally [see photo] being whisked up into the sky.

Close

17/7/2019

We've also visited half a dozen other properties during our time in Chippenham with a view to buying another one to rent out. As we drove back to Sidcup yesterday we decided to make an offer on this ground floor flat in West End Close. Our initial offer wasn't accepted but we think we might be close to an agreement. Watch this space....

[23rd July: Our revised offer was accepted. Let the paperwork begin!]

From flat to 3D

15/7/2019

One of our main aims for this year's visit to the UK was to view the flat we purchased earlier this year (sight unseen, but on the recommendation of trusted friends!). It's the one behind the white car. We were very impressed by the repairs and decoration that had been done for us by a handyman and our friends. A tenant is already in.

"These are not the visitors you're looking for..."

13/7/2019

My brother Dave (plus wife Sarah and daughter Esme) visited us in Chippenham yesterday [top left] and it was really lovely to see them all. JD still has a few memories of when Dave and Esme visited us in China. Their visit coincided with Chippenham's annual festival which, this year, was themed around space and sci-fi. I was dead excited to see a phalanx of stormtroopers [top right].

Having a bath

11/7/2019

A nice day in Bath yesterday with our good friend Krista. Lovely city but, on the day we were there, full of Chinese graduating students!

Stablised

9/7/2019

We're having a fab time in Chippenham in our funky Air BnB - a converted stable - which has been a lot of fun. We've visited Swindon's factory outlet stores, been to a huge car boot sale and contacted a variety of estate agents. And the punctured tyre has been replaced!

Visit Chipps

7/7/2019

I drove us down to Chippenham in Wiltshire today in a hire car. Earlier this year we bought a small buy-to-let flat here and we hope to move to the town permanently sometime in the 2020s. We'll spend a week here getting to know the area better and looking at more flats with a view to invest again later if we can. But first things first - a slow puncture to deal with!

Harwich which is great

5/7/2019

My parents drove us to Harwich yesterday - a lovely port in Essex. My Aunt (Liz) and cousin (Beth) share a large house there and we are being looked after really well with food galore.

We've had some nice walks down the promenade to see the ferries and cargo ships coming in and out.
JD has had great fun planning Nerf gun attacks with Beth's son, Benji. And Beth's new-born daughter, Dulcie, has been happily handed around too!

We head back to Sidcup later today to get ready for tomorrow's Car Boot Sale and evening church visit.

Meet/Matilda day

3/7/2019

We spent a lovely day up in London yesterday, meeting up with my good friend Ratch for some lunch and "Matilda". The musical was great fun and came courtesy of some discounted tickets through another good friend. Thanks, Mikki!

UK OK

1/7/2019

We arrived safely in the UK yesterday after a little hiccup at Heathrow airport (my parents had got caught in traffic and arrived some 20 mins after we did!). After our 24-hour door-to-door journey we took it easy at "home" today - chilling in my parents' flower-filled garden and enjoying some home-cooking!

So begins our month of travelling, shopping, sightseeing and visiting friends and family.

Three Fs and a WB

29/6/2019

We fly to the UK this weekend for a month's holiday! Can't wait to see my folks, family and friends again ...and of course partake of a Wetherspoons breakfast or two!