The Brighton Sea Front

The Brighton Seaside

What a beautiful day today was.... nice breeze, warm sun, and great people. Brighton was teeming with people out early... being touristy.




This morning we head out after breakfast and spent the better part of our day with my sister and brother in law on the seaside. We met them at the pier.



With the kids in tow, we then boarded the famous Volks railway, built in 1883. It's a tiny little train, perfect for coastal travel, and fun for kids. Of course, we had a delay before we could board, which made for an opportune time for my fishing-mad Brother in law to scope out the angler shops under the boardwalk.




Then we said goodbye to the pier, boarded the train, and headed off for the Marina.



The Brighton Marina is a centre point of the city -- right on the coast, it's literally teaming with money, big boats, great food, and lots of pubs (of course). It provided great views, and lots of fun!!!

We decided to go and visit the sand sculpture festival at the Marina, which had a Roman theme this year. How incredible they were! These giant spectacular works of art, all done in sand.





From the Marina, you got a great view of the seafront of Brighton:



And in the distance you could even see a hazy view of Roedean, which is a very private and old girls' boarding school. I threatened Charlotte with it many times during the day.



Michael managed to find his ideal piece of property while we ate dinner...



All in all, a great day. With happy, sun toasted, kids.








And tomorrow, on to London!

Family In Town!

My sister and brother in law are here for a visit!!!
It is great to be around other Americans. Isn't it terrible that I feel that way? But a lot of the time here I feel very 'out of place'... just a 'yank'... so it's nice to finally have someone else like me around.

It was interesting this morning picking them up. They flew into London Gatwick, which is about 45 minutes North of Brighton. They were meant to arrive around 8:30 this morning. The plan was, since Gloria had to work - that I would go into town, catch a train out of Portslade to Gatwick, get there in plenty of time to meet them... pick them up and head back home on the train.

Well, I missed my bus by 3 minutes.

A train to London Victoria leaves Portslade like twice an hour, sometimes more frequently than that during commuter times, so I waited patiently at the platform for the next train. I figured that it would take them at least 30 minutes to get thru customs... so I was still a-ok.

The next train pulls into the station.

This one calls at every train station between Portslade and London EXCEPT Gatwick.

**bangs head**

At this point, it was already well after 8. So I ended up having to get Stewart to hire me a taxi and get THAT up to Gatwick... I was about 15 minutes late, and I think I left Cheryl and Michael panicking a bit, but everything turned out ok in the end. What a mess it was this morning though!

It was a good day today.... we took them for a walk on the downs from our house here.... then we grabbed a bus into the city and ate lunch on the sea front before checking them into their hotel. They were ready to pass out indeed.

Michael was brave and ate Fish, Chips, and Mushy Peas. A traditional English meal, indeed!!!

More to come.

Old Biddies.

I didn't get to post this morning as I usually do... we had too much going on! Stewart got home from Chester last night, and then was straight on the computer this morning working. We got out of the house for a few minutes to go and visit Gloria.

Gloria is the manager of a Rest home for the elderly. Of course we were absolutely swarmed by old people when we went in, anxious to see and touch the kiddos. Christian flirted with all the old women, and was a serious hit. I was told by one of the old Gents that it was easy to see why Stewart left England and moved to America for me, that anyone in their right mind would have. He he he.

This afternoon, Auntie Deb from Scotland arrived! She and Grandpops are here now. I feel like I know Deb, as she is always the first to send a card or a note of greetings from Scotland. She sends all my kids $$ (and yes, USD!!) on their birthdays and Christmas. So it is great to finally be able to meet her in person.

My sister and brother in law arrive in the morning! I'm so excited. I hope we don't dissappoint and that they have a great time. :) I am heading to the train station tomorrow to catch a ride up to the airport and meet them.

We got final confirmation on the house this morning, and move in on TUESDAY!

Hooray!

More updates to come while my sister are here, even though they may be a bit fewer and far between. We plan on taking my sister to do all sorts of fun touristy stuff, and we're going to be visiting my favorite city on the planet... London.

I'm not in Scotland!

Hooray!
I have officially made my own way into town on the bus, with three kids, and no help. I made it back in one piece as well!! With my sense of direction, trust me - this is a miracle.

I swear, this isn't England. It's the Amazon!

First the stinging nettle, and now this!!!

So last night, I was alone all night. It was fairly nice, since for the first time EVER Stewart and I are forced to sleep in a double bed - so I finally had room to stretch out. Ahhhh. I drifted off to sleep after watching an episode of How I Met Your Mother (they put on all the American TV shows after like 11. BAH!). I woke up with a start at exactly 3am.

Now anyone who knows me knows that I have a serious overactive hyper imagination. I think things thru too much sometimes, and my brain takes a hold of things and that is that. I have run away from the Boogey Man several times in my adult life. Laugh all you want, but one day when the Boogey Man really comes, I will be skilled in avoiding him!!!

I wake up with a start at 3am, and I have no idea what has woken me up. I sit up in bed and I hear the scariest, most God Awful noise I have ever heard. I can't even describe it. It was as if a dog had eaten a seagull and was proceeding to scream about it at the top of it's lungs. It was literally echoing off the walls of my bedroom!!! And then it REALLY started... in a loud, screeching rhythm.

I didn't have my glasses nearby, so I jumped up and squinted out the window. Of course I saw nothing but darkness. But still the screaming came, from out of nowhere. It sounded as if it was literally right outside my window!!!

I curled up in bed for an hour listening to the screaming... having convinced myself that this was the dreaded English Boogey Man, just trying to find a way up the front of the house into my window. I had never heard such a noise as this!!!

I finally managed to drift off to sleep after 4, when the screams started to gradually subside.

I stumbled downstairs at 7:45 this morning, and asked Gloria (my mother in law) if she heard the screams last night. Because, after all, I do have an overactive imagination so it was quite possible I had just had a really bad dream and run with it. She had no idea what I was talking about, but after I explained the screeches to her... she chuckled.

Turns out I was probably interrupting a romantic rendevouz... of the Common Red Fox.



They are everywhere in England, and are seen as pests for the most part. According to Robert, it sounded as if I was treated to an hours worth of mating. Niiiiice.

Scariest noise I have ever heard.

Mating Foxes. In the FRONT YARD (and you have SEEN the front yard).

It's the Amazon, I tell ya!!!

Happy Birthday, Abroad

Today is June 26.
3 years ago today, the Draper family welcomed their first son into their family of daughters... Christian Rhys. Born weighing 8 pounds and 4oz, he came out screaming and yelping much to everyone's surprise. Being nearly three weeks early, and having flunked his lung test miserably via amnio a week prior, everyone was ready and expecting the worst. But he wasn't having any of that nonsense.. he came out ready to conquer the world.

It's been a very fast, and adventurous three years. I have loved every minute of having a son! Here are some pictures from his little party we had yesterday.

If you know Christian, you know that he is obsessed with Bob the Builder. This birthday has confirmed that. It was definitely a bob birthday!

He got SOOOOO many presents!!!







Auntie Zoe was a hit with her Bob the Builder outfit, complete with helmet, goggles, and toolvest.









Of course when you are outfitted up like Bob the Builder, you have no choice but to BE Bob the Builder!!! Christian had a great time mending the fence, and everything else he could get his toolbelt on... he even let Charlotte have a go.





Nanny and Grandad came up trumps with their huge Bob the Builder gift set!!! We had a great time playing REAL Bob the Builder.







Bobs even brought David down into the yard to play!!



Mommy and Daddy are giving him most of his gifts today, but we did let him open up a couple at his party. His favorite was his Star Wars X-wing Fighter!!! I have a sneaking suspicion that Daddy might have liked this one more than Christian...





Then of course after presents, we had cake. Check out this awesome cake that we had made up for him!!!



Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Christian...



HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!

ENGLAND WINS!! and I might be in the Amazon.

GO ENGLAND!

Thank goodness, I was getting worried there for a minute. ;)

So the next match they play either Portugal or Holland I believe? I think the consensus around here is we want Portugal to win.

As for the Amazon bit to my title, we went on a walk after dinner tonite, and I was attacked by what they call a 'stinging nettle'. I have heard them mentioned time and time again when we are on the downs with everyone, but I figured they were thorn bushes. I have seen lots and lots of thorn bushes. But NOoooo..... these things are VISCIOUS!!!! I have never seen anything like them. Rub up against them and it feels as if you have been set on fire. And then giant WELTS appear all over your leg. I was gotten by one of these plants about 30 minutes ago and the stuff STILL hurts. I swear, these plants are something you see on the discovery channel when Steve Irwin is exploring the depths of the Amazon. Stinging nettles. OUCH!

Pictures to come tomorrow of Little Man's birthday celebrations.

World Cup - Half Time

Honestly, 0-0?
If England loses I might be forced to move back home because everyone here will be in a really. bad. mood.

The Hounds

We had a great time last night at the greyhounds!
The kids even came with Nanny and Grandad for a few races... Maddie loved watching the dogs run, and they actually have a really nice playground.

The first time I ever bet on a greyhound race, I was maybe 20 years old and I put a fiver on a trio, meaning I placed the first, second, and third finishers in the correct order. I walked away with about £185. From then on, I have thought myself an expert on the dogs. HA!!! Let's just say in the 4 or 5 England trips and visits to the greyhounds, I don't think I've won a single. race. since. I'm actually cursed!! It's like I pick out a dog, put a £1 bet on it, and the thing shows up in the pre race parade with three legs and an eye patch. Even the FAVORITES that have won every race up to the one I bet on them in come in dead last. Poison bet Kathy. That should be my name!

Stewart came away fairly good, and he had a great time rubbing my face in his victory!!!

I didn't get to take any pictures, they didn't allow cameras in the stadiums. Boooooo. So once again, a day with no pictures! Am I slack or what??

Today, we have a big day planned. We're skipping church in favor of taking the boy to a birthday lunch over at the McDonald's at Homebush. He turns three tomorrow, which happens to be the same day that Stewart boards a train for Manchester for two days. So we are going to do the cake/dinner/presents thing mostly today, so Stew can be here for it too.

Of course England plays at 4pm, so everyone will be watching that this afternoon!!!! This is England's first game in the knockout rounds, and they are playing Ecuador.

GO ENGLAND!!!

Family Days

Saturdays here, seem to be when the families congregate. Last weekend, we had my entire family, and Zoe's all here at once. So that was.... 12 people in a house the size of my downstairs (if that). Oh no, it was 13! I can't forget Granpops.

Everyone is coming over again today... we'll sit in the backyard, eat, and laugh for the entire day - until everyone begins to disperse around bedtime. Tonite though, we'll be heading out to the greyhound track!

Might take the camera there. I've been slack with the picture taking!

The Brighton Pier

We spent the day at the seaside today... all. day. long. The breeze was slight, the sun was bright, and it was a great way to start off the weekend. We played in the park, rummaged for sea shells at the beach, ate ice cream, rode rides, and watched the wind surfers in the distance off the pier. The kids had a great time, and begged to stay at the seaside forever. We took our time today, leisurely wandering around. Talked to a nice elderly lady about the little lockers on the sea... turns out you can buy your very own one for 6000 GBP!! Add to that a council tax of about 800 GBP a year... woo hooo!! I'll have two, please!



Tomorrow, we are planning on having a pretty lazy day around the house. I'm tired and a little sunburnt today. Sunday, we are gearing up for Stewart's trip to Manchester... he'll be gone from home for 2 days. :( Christian's third birthday is Monday, and we are celebrating by taking him to McDonald's Sunday night after the England game (they play ecuador) because he's been begging for it. We still don't have many presents for him -- it's hard since we can't get him anything too big or else we'll have to pay to ship it home.

I think tomorrow night we are going to have an evening out with Zoe and David, and go to the greyhound track. I love betting on the greyhounds!!! 20p a bet. :)

Hopefully, more pictures tomorrow from the hounds.

St. Nicholas Church

So yesterday afternoon, after Stewart got home... I grabbed my camera and set off into the old village to do some exploring. Portslade has been wedged here in the downs for absolute centuries, and I had seen this old church on the hillside many times but had never explored it... so I decided to head off and check it out yesterday.

I love old churches. And I love old graveyards.... it makes you wonder, as you stare at these graves dated back into the 1600 and 1700's... what these people's lives were like. What happened to the tiny graves that only have one carved birth date and death date. Graveyards like this one, are just rich in untold tales and stories.

I did a little reading on this church on the internet (God Bless the Internet) and discovered all kinds of interesting facts.... like it dates back to the Norman time period, around 1150. It is the second oldest church in this part of the country. What used to be the convent behind it, now holds a homeless shelter. The old vicarage however, is still lived in by the Vicar, and the church is still worshipped in three times a week for Mass.

Here are my pictures from Old St. Nicholas' Church, Portslade.

World Cup Fever, and other interesting tidbits.

I said I was going to get a picture of the "World Cup Fever" here, and I wasn't lying. I took this photo yesterday on my way back from my visit to St. Nicholas'. Football here can not be described in American terms of understanding.. the fever is to the point where people schedule their appointments, dinners, and every thing around the games. Every store, including GAP, is full of ENGLAND team wear, and 3 out of 5 people you meet on the street will be wearing England colors, kits, or something else. I have seen England Thongs, underwear, diapers, swim suits, cattle (yes, cattle) and cars. It's insane. This house (actually, it's two houses) is next door to Robert and Gloria's practically... I would say they are football fans, wouldn't you??



And a few more interesting photographs... this is an old tree by one of the old gates that lead out to the downs. Stewart said he used to climb it when he was a boy, and it's just a really cool old tree. I'm not even sure what kind of tree it is either.... but it's pretty enough.



And last, but not least, if you let your dog take a dump outside of your own back garden, and you don't immediately clear it up... be prepared to fork over cash. Fines in the better part of Hove reach skywards of 700$!!!!

NO TURDS ALLOWED:

Where I Live

Right now, I'm living in a small village outside of Brighton called Portslade. It's very pretty here, carved into the hillsides, in between the city, the downs, and the sea.

Life is here is a complete 180 from that in Charlotte, NC. For one, people are reliant on public transportation... taking the buses, trains, cabs, etc to and from most of their destinations. If you do drive, you are prepared to spend outrageous sums of money (all tax) on gasoline. The cost of gas here is nearly a 1£ a litre, there are 4 litres in one gallon... and 1£ = nearly 2$. So when you complain about your $2.89 at the gas pump per gallon, just remember over here people are paying nearly 8$ a GALLON to drive little cars that look like you could stick a penny in the back of them and they would do wheelies.

This is the house I live in. It's my inlaws house, and to be honest I have no idea what year it was built but it has been here a long long time. But even if it were new construction, it would be built to look 'old'. Everything here looks the same, quaint and mossy, except the town centre in Brighton which I think looks completely out of place. But I digress. And yes.... that is the front yard. More than most houses have around here.. most 'front yards' are paved!!! Oh, and this is what they call a 'semi detached' house, as most houses are row houses, and I would say 85% or more are attached to another residence in some way, shape, or form.

This is the back yard. Now I will tell you this... the English are very proud of their 'gardens'. They take painstaking time in getting each blade of grass to be perfectly even.... and freak out when the tiny flowers in the clover start to grow. They are full of intricate planting areas, and cater to the birds. (except the nasty gulls and pigeons). We often joke that we want to hire Robert and Gloria, my inlaws, to come over and be our permanent yard people. We'd be the envy of the neighborhood. Of course, with three kids here they have completely over taken the garden. I am sure that Robert stays awake at night, weeping.

And a shot of the really pretty area on the side. I'm not entirely sure about the garden statue, but I'll leave that at that....


I have some photos I took on the inside, but not many of them came out. Because there is no such thing as airconditioning, the windows are always open and bright light always streaming thru them, in order to keep the sea breeze moving the air.

So this is where I am making home currently. It's nice enough. A bit cramped with 7 people occupying maybe 1100sf on a GOOD day, but it will do. I will say I'm looking forward to getting 'our place'. I think it will make like abroad even nicer.

Our trip to the lagoon.

I am pleased to annouce that I made it... with all three kids in tow... to the lagoon and back safely today! Don't give me too much credit though. I did end up dragging my poor sister in law along with me! But we ended up having a great day. The weather was nice, the sky was clear, and the kids I think had a great time. The lagoon is an incredible park for kids. On a slightly warmer day I hope to take them back so we can play in the 'paddling pool' there. It was pretty crowded today, but I swear these brits are crazy - it was only 60 degrees with 15mph and they were all frolicking about in the water as if it were actually WARM outside. He he he.

Here are some pictures from our journey today!!

These are a few shots of New Church road and Wish Road...I think this part of Hove is especially beautiful. I really love the old buildings and tree lines streets. We actually looked for a home to let here on this road, but they was nothing available. It's a pretty posh part of town!!!


Then a one of the lagoon... I took more than this one of course, but I was really impressed with the mural that someone had painted on the back of the wall by the sea front. It was really impressive!!!



This is a photo of the 'boardwalk' that follows essentially the entire length of the sea front. As far as I know it goes on for miles and miles and miles, thru tons of different cities, towns, and villages. These bright beach lockers are owned by different people, and you can purchase them! I guess to store all your beach gear in when you live in the city? They are so colorful though, and add a real pop to the seascape.

And finally, a picture of Zoe with my kids on the beach. Zoe is my sister in law!! I have some more weird photos of the sea front but I will save them for another day.

All in all, we've had a good day. Zoe and David are coming over tonite, and we will have a house full of football (England plays in the world cup tonite!!) and family. Not a bad ending to a good day, I suppose!!!