London Day 2

After a late lazy breakfast in St Katherines Pier (very poshe greasy spoon it was) friends Danny and Sean started to head back up to Manchester so I walked west along the river on a lovely sunny day up to the South Bank to my fave gallery the Tate Modern.

I particularly wanted to see the Dominique Gonzalez Foerster installation in the Turbine Hall. I had missed the giant spider the first time around and now it is back along with several other pieces.

I also loved the Cildo Meireles exhibition. An amazing assault on the senses into a bizarre world where you are able to sense and interact with many of the exhibits.

Apparently someone had been interacting a little too closely with this exhibit as the day before it had been broken. It is a tiny cube made from two different types of wood. It is in the corner of a completely black room with only a spotlight on the cube in the corner. The artist insisted there were no ropes or restraints apparently!? Anyway some clumsy oaf crumpled one - luckily the artist was inspired enough at the time to make a total of 3. Perhaps a bulk order might have been more prudent knowing how cack-handed (and footed) most the general public seems to be!

My favourite room was the final room only accessed whilst through the final exit doors. Basic concept : 12 tonnes of talcum powder in an unlit U shaped room - with only a candle for light at the other end. You must go in with no shoes or sock (or wear the wellies provided - boring). The feeling was bizarre - not least becuase I got to share this experience with 3 total strangers! The sensation is like walking on the smoothest sandy beach - but actually it feels wet it is that fine a powder. We all seemed to pace around the candle and then just stand there mesmerised as if in some sort of strange ritual - quite errie.

Then we had to walk back out and try and remove all trace of talc from our person - it was impossible and you end up walking out like you - well - rolled around in 12 tonnes of talc?! Just another normal day in London I suppose.

Happy Birthday to ME!

Been waiting and waiting for this day soooo long! Could wait no longer. Birthday money from Mum went on the new iPhone! Thanks Mum! It is a lovely piece of kit and integrates perfectly with my Apple way of life :)

Birthday Tea

A good Indian meal out with all the guys from work. Excellent place and only about 2 mins from my house so quite a good find.

L-R: Rod, Jeremy, Alex P, Sarah (Jeremy's wife), Alex F, me, Tom and Kirsten

2 great iPhotos

Saturday was all about a trip to London - a whole weekend of fun lined up meeting friends for lunch - going to see a show - drinks - dinner - drinks etc :) I managed to take a couple of pictures along the way but the champagne and gin seemed to hinder too many unfortunately.

It was a beautiful clear day in London

The view from our hotel wasnt too bad either !

Birthday preparations

Back in Southampton and preparations began for my own 30th.

In a very uncharacteristic spur of the moment Sainsbury's inspired event - I decided to cook for some close friends. (L-R: Ben, Matt and Nina). Sunday roast beef dinner followed by rhubarb crumble and custard! A welcome to England dinner for Nina who recently landed in the UK from Oz.

Mmmm crumble... (gluten free of course!)

This is the meal we had on my actual birthday - Japansese - and it was lovely. Joined by Nina's friend Dimple

Caroline's 30th!

It was great to be invited as the surprise guests to Caroline's 30th back in Worsley. A good excuse for everyone to get together and reminisce. Sadly there is less time to reminisce since kids came along and diverted a lot of the attention from drinking and chatting - but hey - that's life in your 30s!

No one is really complaining either... especially when William (Heidi's little boy) is so adorable!

Uncle Ant gets stuck in with the good stuff

Aunty Caroline was being forced to interact by her hubby James in a bid to stir some maternal instinct - surprisingly for us it seemed to be working. By the end of the night there was talk of a move back to Manchester to raise the brood too! You heard it here first!

William was a bit tired and Matt obviously had a gentle hold

Anna and Ant with their brand spaking new son Jack. He's only 6 weeks I think.