Ready to go

By way of a test blog, here I am, just about ready to set off on a five week
adventure in England. This trip takes me to London for two nights, then on to the Lakes District by train for an eight day Embroidery Retreat at Lake Windermere with The Crewelwork Company, two weeks staying in Keswick with cousins, then 8 days at a hotel at Hampton Court so I can do a couple of day courses at the Royal School of Needlework before returning home.

My trusty travel handbag has been dusted off, my passport inside, itinerary and receipts printed and on my phone. I have tidied up, washed everything in site, left my plants soaking in tubs of water, turned off the water and arrived at Adelaide airport ready for a flight to Melbourne - so I can go all the way to London on the same plane.

Because it will be, to say the least, chilly in the Lakes District (4C compared to 29C here in Adelaide) I bought myself a slightly larger suitcase than my usual. It is the maximum approved carry-on size. I don't intend carrying it on aircraft, but it will be manageable on trains . Unfortunately, the shop only had it in black so I have tried to make it recognisable with a few abstract flowers in acrylic paint and a range of tags.






My on-board bag was to be the trusty shoulder case given to me as a farewell gift when I left Education.au Ltd. It is a little narrow but I persevered until just before I left home, when I gave in and swapped to an open bag that fitted more in.

At the airport I indulged in a new zip-up carry-on. Jim had at least 8 of these that I could have used - but I seem to have given them all away. So here is my new, boring black one now holding my laptop, iPad, Kindle, alpaca poncho, connector cords - and embroidery project.

I resisted the temptation to take an overcoat at the last minute. My trusty fold-up waterproof coat with hood is ready to retrieve from my suitcase when I arrive in London - hopefully enough to get me to my hotel.

Future postings, will, I hope be more interesting. My mobile and email should work while I'm away - you need to use the full +61 phone number even if in the UK. Voice mail may not work so send me a text message if I don't answer the phone.