h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Back from London on Sunday - arrived in Shannon at 9.00 pm. A bit late. beautiful orange nearly full moon rising as we drove home.

Spent yesterday washing clothes, cutting grass, negotiating with post office regarding the time for delivering two huge parcels.

These resolved themselves as the eglu I have bought for Ma as a belated Christams and birthday present. Now unpacked and assembled, all we need is the hens. Must make enquiries tomorrow.

Reading the message boards has given me some ideas of what's been going on. It leaves a nasty taste, but no doubt the majority of sane and honest mb-ers will prevail.

I have been a little dizzy since the flight over on Thursday - don't know is it an inner ear infection, or the effect of the cabin pressure. I hope it will sort itself soon - the unpleasantness of being drunk without the relaxing and cheering effects.

'Cultural' end of London trip interesting - Turner Whistler Monet show marvellous, coherent and effective as well as visually stunning; International Arts and Crafts less so, but interesting. It seemed to be several different potential exhibitions, all interesting but ultimately unrealised.

Did two trips on the river - Tate to Tate on Friday, then out to Greenwich on Saturday. Didn't find the Maritime Museum v gripping, though the builidings were wonderful, and the river trip was great - will do that again.

Saw cousin J, wife and children on Saturday evening - really good to catch up with them - amazing how children change in a year!

Back to work today. need to concentrate more. Horrible pre-bank-holiday lethargy setting in; must combat it.

You were well out of it, dean.

That sounded like an enjoyable trip. We are planning with two friends to make a flying visit to London and a river trip from Tate to Tate would be ideal.

Here the weather is so bad one can't get down to any serious gardening. So reduced to elm-spotting...

Hi martine, yes, as you say it was probably as well to miss it.

I do recommend the river trip. We bought 4-day visitor travel passes from the British tourist board before we went over. we'd actually have got away with 2-day passes as the hotel was in walking distance of all the South Kensington museums and we didn't use public transport on Thursday or Sunday apart from the Heathrow express which the travel passes don't cover, *but* we did get a 30% reduction on the river trips, as well as free access to tube, train and suburban rail - worth getting them just to be spared queueing.

That reads like an advertisement. Sorry .

I do envy you your elm. The trees are just coming into leaf here - horse chestnut, sycamore and birch in full leaf, oak breaking bud, beech coiled and about to spring. A lovely time of year.

London was ten days or so ahead - we had several walks across Hyde Park/ Kensington Gardens (not sure where the one ends and tother begins), and admired the squirrels and jays. And a rat.

Morning dean. I'd very much like to be included among your friends, under my new identity...