Day 17 of UK Trip
July 21, 2009

It was back to work for me today again.  We were still in Scotland but I had to catch the 8:30am train to Glasgow to visit a client.  While I getting up I got a text message from our marketing head to say that his plane was delayed and after a few text messages and then phone calls we agree to try and push back our 10am client meeting but still go ahead with the visit.  I decided to catch the 9am train to Glasgow and got there at just before 10am.  Our marketing head arrived at 10:30am (the BA crew hadn’t arrived for the flight – something to do with swine flu!).  Fortunately the client was still able to see us and it was quite a productive meeting.  We walked back to the station.  Glasgow is (in my view) a deserted city.  There is hardly anyone around, parking is freely available on the streets and you hardly see anyone walking around.  Where are all the people?  Who keeps all the shops and especially all the coffee shops going?  We caught the 12:15 train back to Edinburgh as our next meeting was back there again.

Helen and the kids in the meanwhile slept on though Helen was disturbed by the room cleaning people wanting access to the rooms.  They had breakfast (I assume because we never discussed this minor detail) and then they went back to the room until check out (which they had managed to push back to 1pm).  The plan was that we would meet for lunch back in Edinburgh and we timed it perfectly as we got back to the hotel at 1:15pm just after Helen had checked out.  We went back to the pub we had eaten at for our first lunchtime in Edinburgh and finished up at about 2:15pm.  Helen and the kids went shopping and I later evidenced their handiwork in that they managed to buy about 15 or 16 books (who knows where we are fitting those in the suitcases – just as well I am back in a week’s time again).   We headed off for our next meeting and while the plan was to walk, it was of course raining again (though this morning there was not a cloud in the sky!).  So we picked up a cab instead and it took us about the 500 yards we needed to travel (but at least we were dry).

Our second business meeting also went well (they are a client who like us) and then I walked back to find Helen and the kids at the station.  They had gotten all the luggage to the station and were reacquainting themselves with Cafe Nerd again (it was familiar territory).  I arrived at about 4:20pm and our train was scheduled to depart at 5pm.  We moved everything to the correct platform and waited for the train to arrive which is duly did (on time) and we managed to get on an stow all the luggage and settle in for the 4 hour 45 minute journey back to London Kings Cross.  It was an uneventful journey with the kids reading, playing cards and just generally annoying me from time to time.  Helen always gets to sit be herself on these types of trips so she was fast asleep and oblivious to the world.  The scenery for the first section of the journey is quite spectacular as the train runs along the East coast (and sometimes right along the edge).  After about 45 minutes the scenery changes to farm lands and dales which is equally interesting but not as dramatic.  It is really quite an enjoyable train trip.   I tried to do a little work and my plan was to write the blog on the train as well but the Wi-Fi connection was incredibly slow and erratic and it was just irritating me so I quit and read instead.

We got back at 9:45pm and took a taxi from Kings Cross back to the flat.  London is definitely a few degrees warmer and the flat even hotter & muggier than outside – thank goodness we have some aircons in the flat.  I challenged Michael to a quick game of Wii tennis which turned out to be a very quick game given that I was trying to go for winners as Michael boringly just stroked the ball back (he just wears you down!).  I suggested that we leave the Wii here in London (my secret plan was to get some practice so that I can properly challenge and whip Michael) but that wasn’t met with a lot of enthusiasm.

A long day and sitting around travel always takes it out of you (not really me as it is now 12:15am and I am still quite wide awake).  The kids are fast asleep though and I am sure by the time I press send Helen will be as well.  I have to get up early tomorrow for work so I better finish this now and head for bed.

Good night!

PS: Some people have requested to view some of our pics.  We (being Stephen) has loaded some on the blog.  If you look at the top of the page you will see tabs – one being Home the next one being Photos.  Click on photos and then click on the link to Flicker and you can see some of our trip photos.  I am sure he will add some more tomorrow as well.

One thought on “Day 17 of UK Trip

  1. Dad as much practise you get you will never beat me in tennis, because of that mid-age spread that Chris was talking about.

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