We’ve had a great day in Disneyland HK (ending the trip as we began). Those of you considering transit through LA to go to Disneyland should reconsider. HK Disney is great, particularly for little kids. Smaller, but so are the queues, it is much cheaper all round with the Kiwi $ and you don’t have to get fingerprinted and eyeballed to get in!!

Much to our surprise, Charlie was one of the main attractions. Seems they don’t have so many blond visitors to the park. In fact, at one point, we had so many people want to have their picture taken with Charlie that we were considering setting up next to Mickey and Minnie Mouse to save the congestion we were creating everywhere we went. Charlie, to his credit, dutifully hugged and kissed all his fans, and Jamie, to his credit, was very proud of his little brother-star and told everyone his name was Charlie John Hayward Le Comte. Photo evidence is needed to show the scale of this insanity – see below.

This woman had about 10pics with Charlie taken by her man in various poses – he loved her (Charlie that is).

Another random who just picked up Charlie and had a pic taken – bizzare

It wasn’t just the punters who were taken by blondie, it was the staff.

Hong Kong Underground

Hello folks – this is the little lady making another rare appearance on the blog.

The trip from London to Hong Kong tried its best to be a disaster, but we definitely pulled it off in the end. We were delayed making our connecting flight to Frankfurt and watched our three hour stop over turn into five minutes from the time we touched down to the time the flight to Kong Kong departed. With a child under one arm and cabin bag in the other we ran like crazy kids and made it before the flight closed. They couldn’t guarantee our luggage would come with us, but we got on all the same and settled down for ten hours of fun (actually the kids were great – much sleeping was done once we made a little tent for them to sleep under). As it happened, only one bag didn’t make the flight and it was the very big heavy hockey bag with stuff we didn’t need (what the hell is in that bag?) so it was fantastic that the airline would deliver to the hotel the next day.

Two things were immediately apparent when we arrived. Paul is a big fan of Hong Kong. Mix Asian efficiency with English signposting and Paul is in heaven. After a the man had directed us off the train with his white gloves; a woman had kindly ushered us through the ‘urgent’ queue at immigration because Charlie let out a screech that upset the punters; a random gentleman appeared from nowhere to show us the way to hotel shuttles; and we were informed in three ways that one of our bags did not make the flight; Paul was grinning from ear to ear and declaring Hong Kong the easiest place to visit. I must admit that I agree.

The other thing that was immediately apparent was the fact that Charlie’s blond hair attracts rather a lot of attraction. In fact, it caused a commotion and more than once we had to retrieve him from his adoring fans. But more of that in the Disney entry to follow…

Tibet

Hong Kong Airport

The view from our 32nd floor executive suit room.

This is how they slept last night, while I was on the couch and Janine squished on the edge of the bed.

So we were only away for 6 months all up, but we managed to have all 4 birthdays, xmas and now our wedding anniversary all abroad.

We started the trip on the second day in LA at Disneyland for Jamie’s birthday on the 4th of July (when Charlie was still essentially a baby), and we have ended the trip with our second to last day away in Hong Kong at Disneyland on our Wedding Anniversary. Kinda strange that we get back to NZ and there are no celebrations within the Hayward-Le Comte Whanau/Clan until Jamie’s birthday in July.

It was a great day in Disneyland, but we’ll save that for another post.

As for our wedding anniversary, we both would have forgotten if it wasn’t for Janine’s mum sending us a txt (thanks Jan). Apart from it being a boys day out, we had a great day and we are now spending the evening (our last away) with the best part of a bottle of Duty Free Baileys to drink – without the boys.

Love ya babe, 9 years and looking forward to the next 90. We need to get back to Scotland to say hi to the folk who we stayed with to get married.

There’s not a lot of point trying to describe this place. It’s one of my favorite buildings and grounds in the world. On our second to last day in London we managed to get the two families in the cars and down to the Palace (only 5 min drive), in what was a stunning blue sky day. We didn’t spend the $2389 kiwi dollars to get into the place, but a walk around the gardens is more than enough for the morning anyway.

Finally after much telephone tag we were able to borrow Sarah’s car again and head off to see some dear friends of Mum and Dad’s, Roger and Alan. They live in Chessington (Surrey) on the southern edges of London and the theory is that we should have got there in about half an hour. But once again, what the hell is with all of those roads. Not only are they are complete mess, you can be driving down a stretch of road and suddenly without warning or reason it’s a different name, and of course don’t mention those daft road signs, but we got there.

Unfortunately the boys weren’t in the best form, which is a real shame as this was a ball of a visit. Roger and Alan are both long time entertainment industry people which is how Mum met them. Roger is Cliff Richard’s tour manager or something along those lines and met the folks down under years back. Their house is amazing and I can see why they loved mum’, it’s just like her house!!!

The back yard garden is amazing to say the least, words and unfortunately my photos don’t do it justice. The bought the property with an asphalt tennis court out the back, which the ripped up and have planted in the most intricate garden with a maze like path that takes you all around the place. The boys loved it, and Janine was once again in gardening heaven.

The visit was all too short as they are the greatest guys and I would have loved to have spent much longer there, without the boys that is (as Janine would testify).

So thanks Roger and Alan, it was a great all to short visit and we can’t wait to get back to your place again soon. Sorry the pic of the xmas tree, the boys moving is a bummer, I am still to work out the camera and the flash is just too bright.

With Charlie successfully rescued from the clutches of the evil bathroom, we were able to continue the rest of our trip around the south (albeit a small trip).

Brighton was it’s beautiful cold and bleak looking self (think Coldplay’s iconic Yellow video). We headed off east towards Kent but ended up only making a b-line to Battle. Because we still haven’t managed to decipher the road signs, which show both London and Hastings (opposite directions) on the same arrow, we managed to get lost a couple of times.

We did however get to Battle and found a nice tea shop for some much needed sustenance for the kids, whom have decided that car travel just isn’t their thing anymore (much more fun in trains, planes, sky trains, tubes, undergrounds, buses and sea buses). [for those who didn't know Battle is where the fight was not Hastings, some 10miles north of Hastings].

Just after parking the car we came across a Military wedding leaving the church with a small guard of honor. It was very cute, and believe it or not the guy giving the command to raise swords actually said “up diddly up”!!! The car they left in was a stunning rattle trap car.

As we were playing the poor kiwi traveller we didn’t fork out to go into the Abbey and Battle Grounds, but went for an awesome short ramble along a ‘public footpath’ (the coolest things) around the back of the battle field, taking a route that the invading Normans would have. It was stunning English Countryside at it’s best and was just beautiful.

Back into the car and off to London and back to Hampton, with only a small thing of the M25 counter clockwise at rush hour to negotiate. Actually it wasn’t too bad, just the speeds are incredible and the sheer volume of traffic was impressive. We even found our way to the M3 and then onto the A316, but then had to give up and ring Sarah for the exit and directions, something that is difficult at speed.

A great short trip out to the coast and one we’ll do again and again I hope.

Notice I got the kiss – not bad eh.

Abbey Entrance (sneak over the gate view).

As pointed out by Ingrid, this blog has been remiss in not showing our mates in London.

Sarah and Janine go back to high school days, and when Sarah was in the Royal Ballet in Wellington and Janine was doing her PhD at Victoria in Wellington, they were flatmates. I also appeared on the scene and we lived together as a cosy little trio for years.

Sarah moved to London to teach dance and met an awesome Brit, Bruce. He comes from the theatre background. They have 2 boys Sam and Ben, whom get along with our boys just a little too well – rough and tumble.

they have been wonderful hosts, and it’s been a lot to ask for giving up their house to be invaded for such a long time by us Kiwis. Jamie sleeps in with Sam and Charlie is in with Janine and I, and it’s all going great – that is if Sam and Jamie could stop being so manic.

By the way Charlie loves Ben and gives him little kisses all the time.

So we’ve borrowed Sarah’s car to head down Brighton and the seaside, oh we do love to be beside the seaside.

Radio 5 all the way was predicting the snow and we had a scattering of it all the way south. In typical Paul and Janine fashion the easy motorway would have been the quickest way, but we decided to get off even the A roads onto the B roads. There was a method to the madness as we wanted Janine’s sister and family are moving to in Reigate. It only took an hour to find the house – Smoke Lane, but it’s a cute wee place and Janine has it in here mind now where they will be living. We even managed to find where the kids will be at school. We ended up having lunch at Munch in Reigate (which was another drama – don’t ask) then on the road again. More B roads and some stunning countryside to my tourist spot the Oose Valley Viaduct. Built in the 1830s it’s a stunning piece of engineering.

We found our way to a bleak looking Brighton, all my romantic images of the Mods and Rockers on the beach having a good ding dong became vivid in my mind. Being such a huge Who fan (must get back to Carnaby st for some Who t-shirt), it was a real treat to come down here. Not quite on my Vespa with me woman on the back, it was more a small Ford Fiesta and annoying kids in the back. Still it is kinda cool if not sort of past it’s prime. The beach it a laugh, the stones are huge. Janine loves it here, but there is a reason this place makes us laugh – Charlie.

This morning after breakfast we had to put the little shite into Time Out in the bathroom. *Note to parents – not a good idea*. He then locked the door and there was no way we could open the thing from this side and after a while he started to panic and there was no way he was opening it from his side. So after getting the Financial Director to help, who got maintenance, who wanted to bust the door down, we settled on using a chisel to take the door architraves off. All the while charlie was crying and Janine and Jamie getting a little stressed (it didn’t help that we had left Jamie’s new Tube train toy at the restaurant). The door with a bit of force came open and a very very teary Charlie was released from his dungeon. We now don’t need to go to the Tower of London, tick that one off.

Off for a little drive around Sussex now, Royal Tunbridge Wells and some castles hopefully.

The Hayward – Le Comtes finally got a trip into London on their own today. It was a stunningly cold day, after the mild weather recently it was a shock and put a damper on the outing. Janine (being a woman of few wants) only needed to see Buckingham Palace. We got there, but unfortunately they were doing the changing of the guards (most people love it), but it meant there were massive crowds and we have very limited views of the Palace. We didn’t hang around too long. We got the tube back over to Piccadilly Circus and headed down to Soho for lunch (Soho Pizzeria), a stroll down Carnaby st and a walk through the famous Berwick St (revue bars galore) and theatre district of Shaftesbury Ave to Covent Garden. Janine had a look around the place while Jamie and I went through the 22 million pound redeveloped London Transport Museum. It was one of the best I have even been in and although we had a hour and a half, we could have spent 3 hrs there not a problem. The upstairs cafe was good too. The exhibits took you through time and the development of all public transport from horse drawn carriages through to the modern day busses, trains, cabs and tubes. It was very visual and hands on, it was stunningly done and I would go back in a flash over and over. I didn’t even touch the surface of what is in there.

At the end of the day we walked across the Thames, and what a sight!!! Nobody told us how stunning the lights were, the London Eye was all blue and other buildings were gold and yellow etc it was stunning.

We still have a few days here and are hoping to get to Brighton and have a look about in the car that Sarah is lending us over the next few days, including Cliff’s manager (you people know who I’m talking about), he’s a dear old friend of Mum’s, so I have to take a gift over to him.

Some high lights so far.

The Trains
The Tube
The Papers – Guardian and Times
The TV – BBC
Football – no bloody rugby in sight
The Beer – mines a Bitter please
The sights – old old old buildings, castles etc etc.
The people – well they are English aren’t they
The cosmopolitan city – Jamie is loving all the cultures.
Radio – BBC Radio 5 Live

Some negatives.

Internet – yet to be invented yet
Coffee – your havin a laugh
The English – smile you buggers
The glum – my green rain jacket stands out a mile in a sea of black annoracks.

Only a few days left before we leave the Northern Hemisphere after 6 months

New Zealand War Memorial – London

Green Park on the way to Buck Palace

Not having the time or money really to head up to Liverpool to see my beloved and Jamie’s name sake Everton play, I was desperate to get to a game. With Premier League games nigh on impossible to get into, and London having several clubs in the league below that (the championship), it was great to get to a game. I of course had to take Jamie to his first UK football match, so we managed to get to QPR (Queens Park Rangers) vs Leicester City at the famous Loftus Road stadium in Shepards Bush. Negotiating the sunday timetable of tubes we got to the game about 5mins after the start. We had great seats up the back with a good view, but poor jamie got exposed to so amazingly colourful language – the poor f****r. The singing was awesome, sure I am biased, but Kiwis’s wouldn’t know game atmosphere if hit them in the face. Apart from the myriad of songs, there were the full stadium chants and cheers and just a constant noise (total contrast to the sit down and shut up Vancouver Canucks crowds).

QPR being one of the top clubs of the 70s and early 80s, it wasn’t hard to get along to the game, and Jamie loved it, even if it got a little loud for him from time to time.

QPR 3 – Leicester 1

Note: Check the ball in the back of the net – not bad eh. The fans sitting still behind the goal are of course the Leicester fans.