People To See, Things To Do

It's been a busy first week of running about here in the UK - if you're still hoping to catch us, get in touch, because the available slots are filling up fast!

In the last seven days I've:

• Shot up to London at short notice to finally meet Simon Guerrier, after three years of only communicating with him by email. Turns out we have similar haircuts. Also crossed paths with a couple of other Short Trips writers and experienced what could well be the worst beer I've tasted in my entire life. Set in motion plans for a meeting in a week or two with Simon and - all being well - my two Old Friends co-writers Jonathan and Marc.
  
• Caught up with my old, dear friend Diane, who I genuinely thought had been seriously injured or killed after she vanished off the face of the earth for almost two years. Thankfully she's fine, and in cracking form.
  
• Spent a night at the O2 after my wife had a ticket to see the Spice Girls fall into her lap. Mercifully it was just the one ticket, so I got to sample the venue's drinking holes while she danced about. We both had good nights in our own ways, although the nightmare return trip to the south coast - filled with broken-down trains, substitute buses and insane taxi rides - meant we didn't get home until gone 2am. And you can stop humming the songs now, my love ...
  
• Visited and been visited by various relatives we've not seen in three years.
  
• Made in-roads into clearing up some financial loose ends from way back when I lived here full-time.
  
• Hit the shops for all kinds of books, clothes and toys you either pay a fortune for or can't get at all in Australia.

And on top of that the kids got to see snow for the first time. True it didn't lay, but it was worth freezing my extremities off to see them dancing about in the snowflakes.

This week's going to be just as crammed, with trips to Swindon, Cardiff and Paris, all before next Monday. I'll try to pop back later with details.