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SimeyTheLimey · Aug 9, 2003, 01:53 PM

For the first time in 8 years, I'm going to England to see family. I don't think I'll be online much while I'm traveling, so ttfn.

lil'babykitten · Aug 9, 2003, 02:06 PM

You won't need to pack much in terms of clothing, it's extremely hot over here!

SimeyTheLimey · Aug 9, 2003, 02:13 PM

Originally posted by lil'babykitten:
You won't need to pack much in terms of clothing, it's extremely hot over here!

Yes, I heard about that guy walking about naked. Don't worry, I won't be doing that.

lil'babykitten · Aug 9, 2003, 02:15 PM

Originally posted by SimeyTheLimey:
Yes, I heard about that guy walking about naked. Don't worry, I won't be doing that.

LOL!

Seriously though brace yourself, there are some people who wear things they really shouldn't be wearing!
ugggggghhhhhhh

Timo · Aug 9, 2003, 05:07 PM

Be sure to bring black socks for those shorts so that you can "blend in."

philzilla · Aug 9, 2003, 05:12 PM

Originally posted by Timo:
Be sure to bring black socks for those shorts so that you can "blend in."

i'm gonna have to fine you 10 points, for that.

ambush · Aug 9, 2003, 05:18 PM

Originally posted by SimeyTheLimey:
For the first time in 8 years, I'm going to England to see family. I don't think I'll be online much while I'm traveling, so ttfn.

What can I say, other than "yay for you"?

Watch out for terrorists in the plane

daimoni · 04:13 PM

.

Timo · Aug 9, 2003, 05:40 PM

Originally posted by philzilla:
i'm gonna have to fine you 10 points, for that.

Did I mention pale, spindly legs that should never see the light of day? Great contrast w/those socks, I tells ya

simonjames · Aug 9, 2003, 05:52 PM

Safe journey Simey - have a pint or 3 of Theakstons for me

daimoni · 04:13 PM

.

vmpaul · Aug 9, 2003, 05:59 PM

Yeah, I was going to mention the pictures as well.

We haven't seen any snaps in awhile.

BlackGriffen · Aug 9, 2003, 06:03 PM

Have fun in England!

What will the Republiposters in the War Lounge do without their most respected voice? Oh, well, I'm sure nothing will change in the time you're gone. Look at the threads now, and I'd bet you'll see the same arguments with the same participants when you get back.

BG

lil'babykitten · Aug 9, 2003, 06:04 PM

Originally posted by BlackGriffen:
Have fun in England!

What will the Republiposters in the War Lounge do without their most respected voice?

Have you forgotten? Spliffdaddy is Simeys spokesperson!

Face Ache · Aug 9, 2003, 06:49 PM

Now Spliff's got a chance to get his cheerleader's outfit dry-cleaned.

Have fun Simey.

Angus_D · Aug 9, 2003, 07:37 PM

Originally posted by Timo:
Did I mention pale, spindly legs that should never see the light of day? Great contrast w/those socks, I tells ya

Almost as bad as the contorted fat that spills out over the top of the clothes, right?

malvolio · Aug 9, 2003, 08:00 PM

I bet the kinfolk rag on you for sounding like "a bleeding Yank."

Have a ball!

willed · Aug 9, 2003, 10:15 PM

Where you going in the UK?

Spliffdaddy · Aug 10, 2003, 12:41 PM

Alrighty,

Everybody get back to work.

I'll be filling-in for Simey until his return - and I won't tolerate any backtalk or other shenanigans.

Sherwin · 12:57 PM

Originally posted by Angus_D:
Almost as bad as the contorted fat that spills out over the top of the clothes, right?

Ewww. Fat girl in tight-fitting loose-weave net top nightmare memory type thingy. Ewww.

Angus_D · Aug 10, 2003, 02:59 PM

Originally posted by Sherwin:
Ewww. Fat girl in tight-fitting loose-weave net top nightmare memory type thingy. Ewww.

And my point was that there are higher levels of obesity in the US than the UK. Except that the UK is getting worse. Largely because of all the American fast food kids are eating now. And TV. It's all TV's fault. Yes. TV bad. Or something.

philzilla · Aug 10, 2003, 03:02 PM

Originally posted by daimoni:
All of the sudden, The Who's 'Boris The Spider' springs to mind.

Except Phiil is playing Entwistle's part.

hey, at least he died coked off his head, while boozed-up with two hookers. a real rock star death

(cue moral people)

talisker · Aug 10, 2003, 04:45 PM

Originally posted by SimeyTheLimey:
For the first time in 8 years, I'm going to England to see family. I don't think I'll be online much while I'm traveling, so ttfn.

Don't go, you fool! Don't you know the place is quarantined after being overrun by enraged infected zombie-people? Sorry, just watched "28 Days Later" last night.

OreoCookie · Aug 10, 2003, 06:11 PM

Have a good trip ... and a lot of fun in good old Europe.

SimeyTheLimey · 04:58 AM

I'm back! I just got home and I'm about to go to bed. I had a great time, and for those who asked where I went, I went to:

Coventry (ugly place, my brother lives there).
Salisbury (i.e the cathederal)
Ironbridge (bridge and Blist's Hill Ironbridge Gorge museum)
Tewkesbury (i.e the abbey)
Avebury (check out the new agers!)
Cambridge (v. briefly)
London (even more briefly!)
Ipswich (visiting relatives).
Woodbridge, Suffolk (where I lived ages 10-21)
Felixstowe, Suffolk (to be exact, Trimley Villages -- visiting friends)
Wingrave, a village near Aylesbury, Bucks (where I lived ages 2-10)
Farnham Royal, Bucks, Nr. Slough (more family).
Portsmouth (just the naval museum)
Brighton.

While there, I consumed much good beer, and a couple of very good baltis, as well as far too many sandwiches from petrol stations. On the other hand, I did not stop at the Wimpy at Watford Gap (how the hell are they still in business?).

OK, that's it for now. Time for bed! (said Zebidee).

P.S. Before I forget, you have to check out this website. It's by a photographer who I have known on and off since he was a geeky 16 year-old who used to come into the camera store I ran in the mid to late 1980s. I found out about his amazing career on my trip. Who knew he'd be doing this!

zigzag · Aug 23, 2003, 08:27 PM

Originally posted by SimeyTheLimey:
I'm back!

Dang, we can't talk behind his back anymore.

vmpaul · Aug 23, 2003, 09:03 PM

Originally posted by SimeyTheLimey:
and a couple of very good baltis,

OK, I'll bite. What's baltis?

And welcome back.

iWrite · Aug 23, 2003, 09:17 PM

Yeah, welcome back (even though I didn't know you were gone).

Did you consume much Dover sole?

I LOVE Dover sole.

Hey, all you anglophiles! What's the name of that famous restaurant over there in London that serves Dover sole -- it's what they're known for? It wasn't far from the Tower of London. I can't remember the name of it though I know where it is if I were there -- I know my way there. I LOVE THAT PLACE.

SimeyTheLimey · Aug 24, 2003, 04:53 AM

Originally posted by vmpaul:
OK, I'll bite. What's baltis?

And welcome back.

Thanks! A balti is an Indian dish. It's pretty common (and very good) in the Midlands, where my brother lives.

No, I didn't have Dover sole. As a matter of fact, I don't recall ever eating Dover sole.

christ · Aug 24, 2003, 07:38 AM

Originally posted by SimeyTheLimey:
...Portsmouth (just the naval museum)

You should have said - we could have gone for a conciliatory beer or 12! (For the geographically challenged, at its closest Gosport is .5 miles from Portsmouth)

Welcome back!

(I just realised how odd that sounds - I welcome you back as you move from 5 miles from me to 3000 miles from me)

simonjames · Aug 24, 2003, 07:43 AM

Welcome back Simey - sounds like a great trip. You certainly got around. I'm interested in hearing about any NT places you may have visited - pics too if you can post them.

I hope you drank pints and pints of real beer for we who cannot buy it for love or money

As to the Dover Sole restaurant in London - I lived in central London for 4 years - never heard of one that specialised in sole. I'll "phone a friend" - see if she knows of it.

SimeyTheLimey · Aug 24, 2003, 09:03 AM

Thanks, guys. Christ, sorry I missed you. If it is any consolation, I only had a few hours in Portsmouth. Just enough time to go to the museum. That was a great museum, just damned expensive. It's also a shame the viewing windows for the Mary Rose are so skummy.

Simonjames, what do you mean by NT places? Non-touristy, maybe? Most of the places were fairly touristy. That was kind of the point since I would have never have bothered when I lived there. Obviously, not Coventry, Ipswich, or Slough. No tourist with any sense would go to Slough! The two places I lived -- Woodbridge, and Wingrave -- do get the odd tourist (they are both very pretty) but they aren't major destinations. I found out a couple of things about them I never knew. For example, Wingrave (a small village in Buckinghamshire) was once home to Ian "hit me with your rhythm stick" Dury. he lived just up the lane from me. During World War II the Czech government in exile was also there and in 1998, Vaclav Havel visited.

I took a bunch of pictures. I'll try to post them when I can although school is about to start again so it may take me a while. Oh, and yes, of course I drank lots of beer -- especially when I was in Suffolk with my best friend. It was tough keeping up. Adnams Broadside is some strong stuff!

iWrite · Aug 24, 2003, 09:15 AM

Thanks, Simon James.

It is a nicer restaurant and very popular at lunch. Quiet and paneled and white tablecloths and real silverware even for lunch.

It might not be a Dover sole restaurant, of course, but it seems that it was a fish restaurant. Also, you have to walk down steps to get to the entrance -- it's slightly below street level.

Lovely restaurant.

Freeflyer · Aug 24, 2003, 09:44 AM

Hi Simey,

we must have been quite close, I've just got back from a visit home (renewing us visa) and stayed with a friend in Melton, just up the road from Woodbridge.

Yay, on the balti's. I lived in Smethwich, west mids for 5 years and you just can't get a decent balti far from there.

Lovely to be able to sample real (warm and flat) beer again. I do miss it so. Texans just don't get the beer thing, but then I guess warm beer isn't going to go down well when it's 100 degrees.

Interesting how we tend to do the tourist thing when we're home, but not when we lived there. I lived in London for 2 years and hardly ever visited touristy stuff, but love to browse the galleries when I'm back now.

Right with you on the motorway sandwiches. Covered the UK Aberdeen to Guildford with many stops in between. Sandwiches seem much better than the burger places.

Glad to hear the trip was fun, and good to have you back,

J.

SimeyTheLimey · Aug 24, 2003, 09:47 AM

Originally posted by Freeflyer:
Hi Simey,

we must have been quite close, I've just got back from a visit home (renewing us visa) and stayed with a friend in Melton, just up the road from Woodbridge.

Oh, good grief! You were close. Melton is practically a part of Woodbridge. I drove through there a couple of times last weekend.

I think I have told my disgusting "dead cat found in chip shop fryer" story here before. That was the Melton chip shop. Don't worry if you ate from there, though. The fried feline was in the mid-1980s.

christ · Aug 24, 2003, 04:15 PM

Originally posted by simonjames:
...I'm interested in hearing about any NT places you may have visited - pics too if you can post them...

You do know that are residents of the UK hereabouts if you want pictures of National Trust stuff? Start a thread - I'm sure plenty of Brits will chip in.

roger_ramjet · Aug 24, 2003, 04:27 PM

Originally posted by SimeyTheLimey:
I'm back!

Welcome back! With my irregular posting habits, I missed this thread the first time around. I figured you must be on vacation. Glad you're back.

simonjames · Aug 24, 2003, 06:47 PM

Simey - as per ChrisT's post => NT = National Trust. Like Montecute House in Somerset (or is it part of the Tate - don't remember)

SimeyTheLimey · Aug 24, 2003, 07:44 PM

Originally posted by simonjames:
Simey - as per ChrisT's post => NT = National Trust. Like Montecute House in Somerset (or is it part of the Tate - don't remember)

OIC. As far as I know, I didn't visit any National Trust sites this time around.

simonjames · Aug 24, 2003, 10:47 PM

Thats not very British of you!

Even though I am not a POM I always visit a couple of NT sites each visit. I am off to Ol' Blighty next year for a week and then onto somewhere new. I was thinking of St Petersburg and Istanbul - anyone been to either of these places?