Well, it has been a busy couple of weeks. It is really strange how one can still be busy despite being un(der)employed.

Anyway, my parents visited for a week and a half and are now back safe in NZ. Was really good to see them, had been over 18 months since we last sighted each other back in NZ. They stopped by after walking in Italy and visiting Prague, with Perky Nana and Pineapple Lumps, two delicacies that I had not sampled for some time and was able to introduce to P. It was a visit that had been anticipated for some time and yet little thought had gone into planning (as it was my responsibility). In the end it all worked out.

I acted as tourist guide taking a walking tour around central London while P was working. After a couple of days they transferred to our little piece of quiet in South London and we were able to show them the joys of inner-outer London (beyond the reach of the tube). The highlight of there time in Streatham was a walk to Crystal Palace and the delicious Portuguese food served there. In order to give P a break (she was still chained to work) we headed off to the Lake District for a couple of days. Having not visited the region (other than passing nearby on the train) I was looking forward to it. We spent two nights in Windermere and explored the lake before heading to Grasmere for a night and walking up to a tarn. Although the visit was short I would recommend it and will endeavour to visit again when we are able. While there I picked up the Wainwright biography, interesting chap and quiet an achievement to produce such a series of books. The ride back was torture, train stopped outside Rugby then stopped, after waiting 30 minutes at station headed to Nuneaton on packed train, transfer to Leicester on even fuller train and then get train to London from there on another very full train. Such are the joys of UK transport.

The final weekend saw a visit from the second son and a family visit to the seaside at Brighton. After second son departed we headed up to Bedford to visit P’s ma and maanged to fit in a visit to Cambridge. Was my first time there and it was quite nice, although the tradition would probably kill me in a very short time. The day the parents were to leave the tube was on strike, so they got to see even more of the top quality UK transport system by catching the coach to Heathrow in nightmare traffic. Despite all this they had a good visit. Was strange to see them go, had been a long build up and seemed to be over so soon, made more complicated by indefinite term until the next visit.

So, the thesis has been sent to the printers. Hopefully I will be able to kick that off to Australia by the end of the week. Wicked!!! Now I am back to work on a paper examining development of a large regional environmental NGO. I have been trying to get this thing going for some time and have now gone back to square one drawing on comments from a journal editor and trying to rebuild it. The deadline is tight on this one, as tends to happen, so will be a challenge. Right now I am delving into a ‘classic’ work by Selznick called ‘TVA and the Grass Roots’. Although the book was published 60 years ago (and I have only just finished the introduction) the writing seems fresh and interesting. Once I have made way through this book it should springboard me through the paper and get it to a publishable standard (following reviews and revisions).

So, back to work. Here is a picture of us all in Cambridge (Clare College).

Cambridge