It seems like you’re getting to see some of the city now, which must be great to have on your doorstep. Have you recognised anything from the films? except the obvious bits, obviously. I guess the weather is nice if you can laze around in Parks, did you mean chant when you mentioned the nutball, or chat? I want photo’s please, especially of landmarks and museums (have you got to any yet?). i also want photo’s of proper Americans. you know the type, morbidly obese and still stuffing burgers down their throat. How is the food over there, I’ve heard the portions are large, but whats the quality like?
What did you have planned for the weekend, I know Matt is coming over to see you next week, that’ll be excellent and should see you through a few more down days, if you have any.

Today G and I will be heading down to the Beech road festival later, but first I have vege’s to attend too.

At the bottom of the picture is cabbages and the bushy bit near the top is radishes. The stringy bit at the very top is rocket. I’ve just been given some runner beans by G’s aunt so I’m going to get them planted later. I’ve also started to get a water recycling system set up. The water butt I’ve bought maybe a bit too big, 750litre capacity. Whoops.
I’ve got another busy week next week, work is going really well, but just very hectic. Hopefully it’ll carry on for a long while yet.
All the best my lovely ‘A’. Looking forward to hearing from you soon and seeing you in the near future.

Dick xx

On 28 Jun 2010, at 19:19, Georgia Harrison (CHV) wrote:

Hi there,

How are you, good weekend?

I’m enjoying exploring parts of the city each weekend. Met up with Ben (friend of Georgie and Sophs) a few weeks ago…it was nice to get out that’s for sure, obviously got carried away with myself (which isn’t like me at all). En-route to meet Ben ended up going through Times Square and the Theatre district, it was quite overwhelming, think my jaw was wide open for most of the journey.

Met up with Dan and Tara and a few of their friends this weekend, the US played here on Sat (and lost)….had a bit of a mammoth drinking session from 2pm until 2am, as you can imagine I was suitably drunk and can’t remember much past midnight, got home in one piece though with everything which is a small miracle.

Built the last bit of furniture this weekend; table and chairs, if I EVER see Ikea again it will be too soon!!!!!

Have been lazing in the park near me most Sundays (nursing my hangovers) however in true Darcy mode seemed to attract the local nut ball, he claimed he was an extra terrestrial and wrote Avatar!!!! The moment he starting chanting to me was time for me to leave J

x

Yours expectantly

RS

On 30 Apr 2010, at 18:07, Trevor Shears wrote:

Hi all

I don’t normally do this sort of thing but we are at such a crossroads that I’m convinced a real change is needed. Cameron is not the Tories of 13 years ago although even they had more idea of running the country than the lot who’ve just been in; they only knew about spending money badly in the good times.

Smaller government is always better for the economy. More people doing real work in the private sector rather than all the quangos and administrators form filling for yet another government initiative.

Anyway I just thought it would be worth you all seeing this contract if only to beat me over the head with in five years when it’s all gone wrong!

Love and best wishes

T/D

Begin forwarded message:

From: “David Cameron” <bulletin>
Date: 30 April 2010 14:59:21 BST
To: trevlyn
Subject: A contract between the Conservative Party and Trevor Shears
Reply-To: “David Cameron” <support-bu2xwtzb2c8xdzau52fwtajpaf8te6>

Dear Trevor, At the start of this election campaign I invited you to join the government of Britain. My message was that we’re all in this together, and we’ve got to stop pretending that government is the answer to every problem. So during this campaign I’ve been talking about the new, active part I hope people will play in making the country better and building the Big Society. Now, as we get into the final week of the campaign, I want to set out our side of the bargain in a contract with you. This contract – as you can see below – is a no-frills, no-nonsense commitment to do some very specific things if you vote for us. With trust in politics at an all time low and people tired of politicians breaking their promises, this contract couldn’t be clearer. If we don’t do the things it sets out, if we don’t deliver our side of the bargain: vote us out in five years time. P.S. This is a contract between the Conservative Party and every person in the country – please do make sure your family and friends see it by sharing this email with them. A contract between the Conservative Party and Trevor Shears We go into the general election on 6 May with trust in politics and politicians at an all-time low. And I can understand why: the years of broken promises, the expenses scandal, the feeling that politicians have become too remote from the people – they’ve all taken their toll. That’s why I’m making this contract with you. For too long, you’ve been lied to by politicians saying they can sort out all your problems. But it doesn’t work like that. Real change is not just about what the government does. Real change only comes when we understand that we are all in this together; that we all have a responsibility to help make our country better. This contract sets out my side of the bargain: the things I want to do to change Britain. But it also makes clear that I cannot do it on my own. We will only get our economy moving, mend our broken society and reform our rotten political system if we all get involved, take responsibility, and work together. So this is our contract with you. I want you to read it and – if we win the election – use it to hold us to account. If we don’t deliver our side of the bargain, vote us out in five years’ time. We will change politics Our political system needs to change. Politicians must be made more accountable, and we must take power away from Westminster and put it in the hands of people – individuals, families and neighbourhoods. If you elect a Conservative government on 6 May, we will: 1. Give you the right to sack your MP, so you don’t have to wait for an election to get rid of politicians who are guilty of misconduct. 2. Cut the number of MPs by ten per cent, and cut the subsidies and perks for politicians. 3. Cut ministers’ pay by five per cent and freeze it for five years. 4. Give local communities the power to take charge of the local planning system and vote on excessive council tax rises. 5. Make government transparent, publishing every item of government spending over £25,000, all government contracts, and all local council spending over £500. We will change the economy Gordon Brown’s economic incompetence has doubled the national debt, given us record youth unemployment, and widened the gap between rich and poor. Unemployment is still rising, and this year we will spend more on debt interest than on schools. We need to get our economy moving. If you elect a Conservative government on 6 May, we will: 1. Cut wasteful government spending so we can stop Labour’s jobs tax, which would kill the recovery. 2. Act now on the national debt, so we can keep mortgage rates lower for longer. 3. Reduce emissions and build a greener economy, with thousands of new jobs in green industries and advanced manufacturing. 4. Get Britain working by giving unemployed people support to get work, creating 400,000 new apprenticeships and training places over two years, and cutting benefits for those who refuse work. 5. Control immigration, reducing it to the levels of the 1990s – meaning tens of thousands a year, instead of the hundreds of thousands a year under Labour. We will change society We face big social problems in this country: family breakdown, educational failure, crime and deep poverty. Labour’s big government has failed; we will help build a Big Society where everyone plays their part in mending our broken society. If you elect a Conservative government on 6 May, we will: 1. Increase spending on health every year, while cutting waste in the NHS, so that more goes to nurses and doctors on the frontline, and make sure you get access to the cancer drugs you need. 2. Support families, by giving married couples and civil partners a tax break, giving more people the right to request flexible working and helping young families with extra Sure Start health visitors. 3. Raise standards in schools, by giving teachers the power to restore discipline and by giving parents, charities and voluntary groups the power to start new smaller schools. 4. Increase the basic state pension, by relinking it to earnings, and protect the winter fuel allowance, free TV licences, free bus travel and other key benefits for older people. 5. Fight back against crime, cut paperwork to get police officers on the street, and make sure criminals serve the sentence given to them in court. 6. Create National Citizen Service for every 16 year old, to help bring the country together. Some of these issues are devolved matters. For more information see the Conservative Party websites for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Can’t see the email? bulletin to your address book Want to unsubscribe? Send a blank email to this address Promoted by Alan Mabbutt on behalf of the Conservative Party, both at 30 Millbank, London, SW1P 4DP

Unfortunately some of the lost photos are of the Great Ocean Road and galleries of Sydney, which I consider to be some of the highlights, especially visually.
So of I went to the Apple shop today to try and find a way of recovering the lost treasure. After explaining my dilemma and the way in which they were lost the trendy techie type (TTT’s) scratched his head and went over to another trendy techie type to asl his advice. After another few minutes of explanation he asked me questions about partitions which, quite frankly, went straight over my head. My only reply was “ no I didn’t partition it then…”
This was greeted with a collective sucking of teeth and rolling of eyes, all of the attendant TTT’s did their best to appear non-
condescending or patronising as I’m sure Apple have drilled into them with months and months of black ops training in some gothic basement in Sacramento, but unfortunately it showed through despite their best efforts.
After a good, non-verbal, dressing down the only advice I understood was to manually go through each folder on the hard drive because I’ve probably just misplaced them. It isn’t their fault that it’s almost entirely over my head. I try my best but time and again come up short with intricate knowledge of computers, I guess it won’t be long before I’m asking nieces and nephews to programme the V+ box for me.

Georgie was desperate to see a kangeroo, we’ve already seen koala’s so spotting them again in trees wasn’t as exciting. During hte day we learnt about the different uses the land has had since the white settlers came and how its affected the landscape, listening to Tony talk about the displacements of Aboriginals and devastation caused by logging is hard to accept when your bathed in 35c sun, eating windfallen mangoes and fresh macadamia nuts whilst surrounded by the most stunning environment.
We didn’t manage to see any Kangeroos that day, maybe next time( by the way, what did Aboriginals call Cows the first time they saw them? Kanga-Moos!). But we did see Goana’s, at least I think thats what they’re called.

And we cute turtle dozing on a rock. The day was almost done. Tony, our guide had clearly put a lot of effort into the day. He had a good plan and spiel, including knowledge, jokes, history and even a bit of music. If you asked a question he knew the answer and because of his teachings I’ve now bought a left handed boomerang. Although I did get laughed out of a couple of places first.

R & G
xx

Next was boomerang throwing. whilst teaching us how to throw the boomerang he also told us the history and cultural significance of it. I didn’t realise how many different types of boomerang there were and that they did different jobs, some are designed to take down Kangeroos and others (the one we were learning with) were for killing birds. It was all fastinating, It turned out that even though I was a “lefty” I managed to throw the boomerang the best!

Pride always comes before a fall ( I guess it must be because its a man thing).
We visited various waterfalls during the day. From very high ones(104m) to smaller swimming holes. At one we were encouraged to join the locals in jumping off them. Well although I did jump off a couple of times I bricked it whilst other members of the group flung themselves with complete disregard to any health and safety directives, there wasn’t a hard hat or steel toed boot in sight!

Outside the Gallery was a quite stunning work, straddling the entrance were two traditional statues of notables on horseback. An artist had encased them in scaffolding and shuttering. It was possible to walk into the prefabricated structure which had been decorated to appear like living rooms. It was quite a surreal experience to see a horse and mounted rider standing on an unmade bed. Far more interesting than Tracey Emins unmade bed for sure.
The day after we visited the Rock, which is the area originally settled in Sydney. Renowned for being a haven of thieves and thugs in the past, all you’ll get there now is high prices and aggresive, sugar addicted parrots.

By the way the white bits on its beak aren’t markings, there bits of sugar stolen from tourists coffee.
Later that day we were to meet an old friend of mine but first we another gallery to wander round and an appointment with the chiropractor. So off to the Museum of Contemporary Art, which is surely an oxymoron?
Over 4 floors we paid an extra $15 to see an exhibition by an Icelandic Artist. There were many diverse exhibits to look at all of which altered perception to differing degrees. A room filled with orange lights appeared to drain the colour from the room and render everything monotone. Another was watered sprayed from the ceiling to create a constantly changing abstract painting. The best though was an exhibit which altered your perception of time. It was simply a room with a large table in the middle. The table was covered with white lego. The artist wanted people to build structures and then leave them around the room. Each night they would be destroyed and the next day rebuilt by someone else.

We were there for hours, totally late for everything else we had to do that day. Here is our creations.

R & G
xx

In the pictures is:
a rabbit and smoked ham terrine
a scallopy thing with some pureed stuff
stuff
and more stuff
To be honest it was that good and the wine that well suited that it didn’t last very long and by the end of the seventh course we were full and a little tipsy.
The next couple of days we sauntered around Sydney CBD(central Business District) as its known to the locals. Taking the route through the Botanical Gardens we encountered plants and trees as you’d expect, but also these cute little chaps.

The size of emails is kept to a certain size due the amount of pictures. so I’ll carry on with another right after this.

We out, for now!

To find out all about the facts of this building follow the wiki link to The Eureka Tower. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka_Tower
It has a skydeck on the 88 floor with 360 views of Melbourne and a skydeck which is open to the elements. I had already been up before so knew what to expect, Georgie hadn’t and Being slightly scared of heights was quite nervous. If truth be told I was quite nervous as there was also an experience called The Edge. Essentially its a 3m by 3m clear glass box which slow slides out of the building to leave its occupant hanging in the air. It was easier to cope with this time, The first time I mainly held onto the handrails at the side however being brave Nick and I dared to sit on the floor and stare downward. We all managed to survive it and got a wristband to prove our braveness.
In the afternoon we hit Brunswick Street and Fitzroy street. Boutique shopping and niche bars and cafes. Also some lovely examples of Melbourne Street Art, Graffiti to the unconverted.

In the afternoon we ventured to the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA)‎. Unfortunately it was almost closing by the time we found it so we could only have a quick scan around its interior. That night we went out to The Stoke house for a final meal. We met up with Nick and Cinna for one last meal and also Charlotte, an old friend of Georgie’s. After another lovely meal I headed home, exhausted and left Georgie and Charlotte to chat. Which would have been great if Nick hadn’t hung around, he always is slow on the uptake!
From here, it was back to Sydney and a lovely three day stay in the Rocks Shangri La. Definitely a hotel to recommend, especially if you get the low rate, 3 day deal!

Ta ta for now
Rich and Georgie

xx

Shortly into the journey we stumbled across the 12 apostles. Not the actual apostles, they’re long dead, but 12 outcrops of rock named the 12 apostles by early settlers. That might not be true cos I just made it up, but it sounds right so hay ho, and frankly if I research every email perfectly I’ll be trying to catch up a month or so after we’ve got home.
To be honest there weren’t 12 rocks either, as you can see from the photo some have fallen down since being named, in fact one fell quite recently as Georgie found out by earwigging into someone else’s conversation.
May be they should rename them with a less biblical and incorrect name, Some lovely rocks off the coast has a good ring to it in my opinion. Anyway, I digress.
We stopped at Apollo Bay for some food which was about halfway along the road. The scenery never became dull and every corner brought us another stunning view. The food in Apollo Bay although lovely was extremely over priced, and this was how it was along the whole stretch of the road, think of it like a hot, scenic Abersoch (thats the Cheshire sets holiday get away for you non-mancunians).
After Apollo Bay we travelled to Lorne where we stopped for the night. I few miles before we reached Lorne Georgie remarked that it would be nice to see a Kangaroo or Koala before we got back to civilisation, as she said this we saw a family pointing and looking into the trees. After a carefully executed emergency stop we to got to glimpse what the fuss was about.

Without realising it we had been driving past eucalyptus trees for the last 50 km and they were swarming with the cute little fellas. As it was getting to dusk they were wandering round in the trees getting one last fix of the leaves.
We reached Lorne just after dark and checked into the Grand Pacific Hotel. It was quite grand, about 100yrs ago. The staff were friendly though and the beer and dessert went down well. Unfortunately the room was a box room and there wasn’t any air-con, luckily the 40c heat wave wasn’t due to start until Monday.

After a couple of days in St Kilda, we drove down to Camperdown, a small road town west of Melbourne. First impressions weren’t good. Think quiet American Midwest towns perfect for horror or “Deliverance” type films. Cue “it’s quiet, too quiet” utterances.
We ate before checking in. Bad idea! The food was rank, wilted salad and fish that should have been served with a steak knife. The Old Mill Motel wasn’t looking like a good option.
How wrong can you be. A massive well decorated and furnished apartment awaited. Four and half stars no less! All for the princely sum of $150 a night (We still haven’t worked out where the other half star went).
The Wedding was unbelievable,set in the grounds of a late 19C manorial holiday home. It appears to be a mishmash of historic styles, tudor, gothic, bits of chapel and church. Only when we were told how it came about could we understand it. A Scottish immigrant built it as a copy of his home back in the motherland as a wedding present to his new Scottish bride. On sailing back to Australia the ship they were travelling in hit bad weather off the Cape of Good Hope. The ship never made it and they never got to live it.

The setting, food, service and guests were all beautiful, we couldn’t have hoped for a better time. But, as all weddings seem to go the same way, G and I ended the evening feeling a little worse for wear. The only real problem we’ve suffered so far is…
Flies. Goddamned. Flies. Everywhere. At the wedding they were a constant bane, fans had been provided as a way of batting them off. One of the funniest sites was watching true blooded Aussie men trying to get to grips with the rather effeminate wrist action required to use a fan effectively. There was at least one guy who preferred to chew any unlucky flies which landed near his mouth. Still got loads more to tell befoer I catch up, but I’ll leave it for another time.

Ta ta for now
Rich and Georgie
xx