What a week it has been. The flight from Singapore to Heathrow was pretty good, the jumbo jet was spacious and the Qantas crew were great except for one guy who was a bit loud and he kept banging things around when I was trying to sleep. I can't blame him entirely though, I am not good at sleeping on planes. I had met a few passengers at the airport and sat next to a couple of nice women so the journey was pretty good with no pooping children anywhere near me. Was off the plane and meeting Martha in about half an hour, expected the process to take longer but I guess it might be because I arrived at 5.40 am bleary eyed. Customs man was a bit suspicious for some reason and not friendly like Singapore but he let me in after I told him I was born in England and did indeed have lots of cousins and a plan even if it was too early in the day for me to be articulate. Martha was there, as organised, and off we went to her house in Radley Oxford where I met Poco (that is him above) he seemed to welcome me and that is because he figured I was one more person he could make good use of and he does.

Saturday I was still upside down and lagged but we went to a church fete in Kennington, the next village. It was funny standing in the middle of a scene you usually see on Midsomer Murders in oz but there you go. Then Martha took me to Sandford Lock on the Thames and we watched the lock in action and the boats going through and chatted to people. Then we walked over the lock, through the old pub and into the village street where we found an old church, St Andrews Sandford on Thames (late 11th century). It is daylight here until about 10 pm so we wandered around for ages and got home about 8.30 pm so I had done well on my first day to be awake and mostly on my feet for that long.

Sunday Martha was going to bell ringing practice and also doing a sermon at her church so I accompanied her as we had also planned on heading off and having a nice lunch somewhere afterwards then on to the Cotswolds. I like old churches and bells so it was interesting to me, didn't take a photo though as people ringing bells might not appeal (no pun intended) to the masses. We had a nice traditional English roast lunch at the Hinds Head in Kingston Bagpuize then on to the Cotswolds to visit Martha's brothers. Simon lives in North Leach and we stayed there a while watching videos of his horse Amour Multiple, AM is having an operation but I will get to meet him when he returns to the district. Then we drove through Boughton on the Water, the village where John and his wife Gill live, it is very picturesque but I didn't insist on stopping as it was Sunday and very crowded. Will get some pictures on the next visit. By the time we left John and Gill's it was very late so we headed back to oxford.

Monday I built my Singapore web page and Martha went off to swimming, in the evening we went to another old English pub called The Bowyer Arms for a knees up with another group of people Martha knows. I had met about 40 or so people by this time and couldn't remember most of their names. Point the mouse at the pictures and the title will appear

Wednesday we headed out early towards the Cotswolds again. Martha and I went down everyone's memory lane to houses and places she had lived and ones where I or my famly had lived. We went to Cheltenham township and walked around for ages trying to find things that looked familiar. I found one of my old Schools, St Gregory's and took pictures and was accosted by someone asking us what we were doing as all the school kids were just coming out of school. The woman accepted my explanation and was polite, I had forgotten that there are so many deviant people about that schools have to be careful. St Gregory's church was just down the street so I took some photos for mum and dad back home, nice old church, nice stained glass windows and very well maintained. I managed to find some warm clothes at a reasonable price in Cheltenham so that was one mission accomplished and I was hoping it might signify we would have a heatwave for the rest of my trip seeing as I was now prepared. I did find it cold here but seem to be either getting used to it or it is warming up, not sure which but I am actually wearing long pants t shirts and a fleecy jacket over the top. Also have mobile telephone now 0759 672 9124 within UK or +447596729124 from overseas. We drove all through the Costwolds, visiting Charlton Kings where my father and Martha's mother were born, then we headed for Belas Knap, a BC 2500 longbarrow burial mound. "Just a short walk off the road" or so we were told turned out to be through a wood up a steep path and then into a field which had a relatively steep incline over the hill and through another wood, I didn't think I would make it but determination got me there and it was worth it. The countryside is lovely. We drove through all kinds of villages and eventually went to Martha's brother Tim's house in Morton in the Marsh which isn't in a bog, marsh meaning border. We stayed a while there with Tim and his daughter Lucy and didnt get home until about 9.30 pm, it still being light. What a day but I saw so much. Dont forget to point at the pictures for more information.

On Thursday Jan (she is the one with the monkeys on her head in Bali) is coming down from Coventry for a catchup, we are off to a farewell BBQ for Steve tonight, I met him first at Sandford Lock, then on Sunday at church and now I am going to his farewell.

Friday, Jan has been and gone, we went into Abingdon yesterday and the three of us walked along the river and talked and talked as we do. A plot has been hatched for Jan to get time off to come to Devon and Cornwall with us and she has also vowed to pay me back for letting her carry the bananas into the monkey forest which caused the monkeys to be attracted to climbing on her. The BBQ was good too, it was held at the Radley Vicars house, a 13th/14th century cottage with parts of it still original, the stairs and the beams in the front rooms as well as the magificient old door with the sliding peephole.