Big news for Sam!

Big news for me, I got a full time job in a London school! I don't start until Aug 21st so will continue to do day to day supply work as Pete is currently doing too, but I am very excited!
It's an IB school called Southbank International School. I will be Chair of Creative Arts and Drama teacher for students in years 7-12. I just had a really enjoyable 2 weeks teaching at a private girls school and it will be hard to go back to the scary government secondary schools for 1 more term.

It was the Boat race here today and Oxford University won easily against Cambridge. Much excitement along the Thames and we got to see them row past as we live really close to the river. We can see through to thye river at the end of our street.





Have seen a few musicals and one play, "The Odyssey" and we went on a driving trip with Sue (my American bridesmaid) to "Lands End" for about 4 days. It was great! Went to Windsor Castle, Penzance, (no pirates though) St Ives, St Just, Torquay and various other villages throughout Devon and Cornwall. We had to have a Cornish Pastie and a Devonshire cream tea - made even more wicked by replacing tea with hot chocolate and tried some local brews too. Have joined the gym now! Need to work off the evils of cold weather and inactivity! Pete has started to run again.
Off to Dusseldorf and Italy for about 10 days from April 12th. Can't wait and have some more visitors from Oz this weekend.
That's it for now!
Here is our flat. We have the first floor and a loft conversion on the other side of the building.
Yes, and a spare room for visitors!

Well done to Carlton for beating the Dees first round!!

Living in London

Well this may be cheating a bit, but we got a little fix of home the other day when we saw this sign near the Strand. The same night we went to see Chicago...it's great to be near the West End!!
We are really enjoying all the aspects of being here in the UK. Sam's bridesmaid Sue was here for ten days, so we hired a car and drove down through Devon and Cornwall. We got right to Lands End, but obviously had to stop. We got to have scones and cream as well as a Cornish pastie of course.
We have both had plenty of teaching work although with visitors and holidays, we don't seem to work for very long.
Our next trip is to Germany and Italy for Easter with my friends Michi and Carola.
Should be warmer weather in Italy.

London town

Hi everyone, thanks for your newsy updates on our blog. Sorry we haven't written but we have been flat out getting a place to live, getting teaching work and going through red tape of administrivia; such as bank accounts, gas, phone etc. BT are possibly worse than Telstra as we won't get a phone til 21st of Feb and then we can't lease a handset unless we are here for 18 months, which we don't know yet. As for broadband, well we are still trying!
Anyway, that stuff is boring!
We have a great 2 bedroom flat in Fulham / Hammersmith and will be entertaining our first overseas guest from March 9th - the lovely Sue Masson from the States and one of my beautiful bridesmaids. The flat is about 100 meters from the Thames river and on the tow path which means there are pubs and lovely riverside walks to be had! It's not too cold, 10 - ish during the day and we are roasting at night with our central heating.
Last night we went to see Blood Brothers the musical and that was also fabbo! Melodramatic as most musicals are but v good!
It's so fantastic to be here with my beloved rather than alone, very different to 1994. Don't want ot be a whingeing tourist but the Pomms still have fairly average customer service skills and the food is no where near as good as Oz, but there it's said now! hahaha!
I had 2 days teaching last week and my very fisrt day was an eye opener! Year 9 Religion and I absolutely growled at the kids! They were so rude! At least they didn't try to run out of the class or jump out the window, but my growling did get another teacher into the class from next door! Too much vocal projection from drama! The next day at a Catholic boys school was much better and Pete did a day there too.
We are off this week for mid term break and then back into teaching next week. I did a primary conversion course today and now can teach primary day to day supply too.
That's it in a nut shell. Can't wait to get some serious cash together to go shopping in £ rather than AUD! Fashion is great and heaps more choice for men.
Love to all and take care
Sam and Pete
xxx

PS We will add photos when we get the internet up at home.

Last Goodbye...almost

We had a chance on Saturday 14th January to catch up with a number of friends and family for another in our collections of farewells. The venue was the Half Moon Hotel in Brighton (scene of Sam tripping over Max in 2001 and hence starting our first big adventure). Great to see so many people from past and present. People from St. Leonards, Wesley and so many other great friends.

Post New Year

Well we are now past the maliase of Christmas and New Year. Squeezed in between was Sam's sister's wedding. Belinda and Steve were married on December 27 at Doyles in Mordialloc.

Still doing last minute jobs and sending CVs to the UK so we can get work when we arrive.